Dear WinkWorld,
As you may know, I have been reading with the students of Atall School for many years, and I have captured my memories with posts on WinkWorld since 2012. Sadly, the Sturgis school board voted to close the school permanently at end of this semester, May 2026. Our hearts break for the entire community, as this history of a K-8 “one-room” school on the isolated prairies comes to a bittersweet closure.
Atall School under cloudy sky
Teacher, Missy Urbaniak, with her students
Joan and Missy
Atall students at the reading table with Joan
In what follows, you will find a brief selection of previous posts and magic memories featuring our beloved Atall School. Thank you to Susan Spreitzer and Annie Hlavka who helped me with this WinkWorld. In addition, thank you to Missy Urbaniak who shared her photos with me. We put this brief selection of posts together by using the Search Bar on your left and we typed in Atall. If you are interested in more, use the Search Bar and type in: Prairie Pedagogy, or rural, or isolated prairies, and you will find many more.
Magic on the Prairies
Nov 18, 2024 … The Magic on the Prairies continues at Atall School. If you are a consistent reader of WinkWorld, you are aware that I have tried to capture this magic through the years….
Kids have even more fun playing when mud is involved!
Meet Missy: The Teacher at Atall
Dec 12, 2023 … If you are a regular reader of WinkWorld, you know that I am writing about a tiny school, Atall, on the prairies. You also know that I find Missy Urbaniak to be an awesome teacher of Atall School (K-8).
Books 2023, January
Jan 4, 2023 … Reading with these students is my joy. I learn about so many good books from the students. Atall, as many of you know, is a small rural K-8 school on the isolated praries of South Dakota.
I have written many posts over the years about this very, very special place. Click the button below to view the entire list.
Winter on the playground
Can basketball hoops and baskets really freeze? Yes!
I am hoping that in the next couple of weeks of closing activities at Atall School, I will capture a few more magic moments at Atall to share with you. In edition, I have a draft of WinkWorld which features Jim Cummins and another draft which captures some of the books I have been reading and my journey with Parkinson’s.
