DebJ

On Monday, May 3rd the South Dakota Department of Education announced the region teachers of the year. Included in the press release was Viborg-Hurley’s Kindergarten Teacher Deb Jensen! Ms. Deb Jensen has been teaching kindergarten in the Viborg and Viborg-Hurley School Districts for 41 years. She has placed countless hours into education and has a special place in the hearts of every student who enters her classroom. Ms. Jensen is a phenomenal teacher who has blessed our students with their foundational education learning for years.

SD Department of Education Press Release:

The South Dakota Department of Education is pleased to announce the following individuals as South Dakota’s Regional Teachers of the Year:

  • Region #1: Alyssa Cassels, 5-12 band instructor, Deuel School District
  • Region #2: Deb Jensen, kindergarten, Viborg-Hurley School District
  • Region #3: Loretta Knodel, third grade, Avon School District
  • Region #4: Jennifer Weishaar, first grade, Aberdeen School District
  • Region #5: Jennifer Macziewski, K-1 Primary, Rapid City Area Schools

A statewide panel of educators will select one of these regional finalists to represent the state as the 2023 South Dakota Teacher of the Year. The 2023 South Dakota Teacher of the Year will be announced this fall. That individual will be South Dakota’s candidate for the National Teacher of the Year Award.

The National Teacher of the Year Program began in 1952 and continues as the oldest, the most prestigious national honors program that focuses public attention on excellence in teaching. The 2023 National Teacher of the Year will be announced during a ceremony in Washington, D.C., in spring 2023.


On behalf of the Viborg-Hurley School District, Board of Education, Staff, and Students: THANK YOU, Ms. Jensen, for being a great teacher and continuing to make every student better. Everything you’ve done and continue to do is appreciated far beyond the walls of the school building. 

Ms. Deb Jensen and Paraprofessional Shelia Jorgensen are a dynamic team in the Viborg-Hurley kindergarten classroom.