We are ECSTATIC to share that more than 180 Literacy Allies will begin meeting with emerging readers at Anne Sullivan, Cleveland, and Terry Redlin Elementary Schools next week!
Through a partnership with the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce, kindergarten through second-grade students will work in small groups of three to build phonics skills, strengthen letter recognition, and grow reading confidence.
Each group has a team of six Literacy Allies. Each Ally commits just one hour twice a month, but together, the team provides students with literacy support three days a week each week.
Our Literacy Allies have spent the last four weeks in training, and now they are ready to put that learning into action with our students!
We truly cannot say thank you enough to these 180+ community members for giving their time to help our youngest readers.
And we also cannot say thank you enough to Jennifer Sammons and Deb Herold for all their work behind the scenes to train our Allies and launch this new program! We are so excited to see the impact this has on our students!
That was the focus of tonight’s Good News Report. In our district, 49 students receive support through a 504 plan for hearing loss, while 42 receive special education services for hearing loss or deafness. Supporting them takes specialized expertise, including 2 Teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and 11 ASL Educational Interpreters.
Their work helps students access instruction, build connections, develop self-advocacy skills, and fully participate in school life.
Thank you to our staff who make sure every student has what they need to learn and belong!
One we especially wanted to highlight came over the weekend from our friends at 605 Painting.
For the past six years, 605 Painting has organized a charitable volleyball tournament, choosing a local organization or cause to support with the funds raised. This year, they felt especially called to give back to local students and chose to donate the proceeds to the SFSD Angel Fund.
We are SO grateful to the sponsors, teams, and individuals who made this donation possible, and THANK YOU to 605 Painting for choosing SFSD to “Paint it Forward”!
The 30-day grace period for students who received free or reduced-price meals last year ends Friday, October 9th, 2026. **You must submit a new application each school year to determine eligibility!** Even if you are unsure if you qualify, please apply!
Complete the application today! ---> https://www.myschoolapps.com/Home/PickDistrict
Your application can help ensure your student has access to meals and other financial assistance.
Congratulations to Superintendent Dr. Jamie Nold on receiving the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sioux Empire’s Community Impact Award! 🥳
Dr. Nold was presented with the award last Friday afternoon at the BGCSE annual staff retreat. He was selected in recognition of his support for out-of-school time opportunities, our CLC program, and the new Boys & Girls Club at McGovern.
We are so grateful for our partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sioux Empire and, just as importantly, for the incredible work they do alongside our CLC teams to support students and families!
Congratulations, Dr. Nold! And THANK YOU, BGCSE, for all you do for our kids!
We have two All Stars to celebrate this week! Big congratulations to Discovery Elementary School counselors Jacee Johnson and Karmyn Marchand for being named our latest All Stars! 🤩
Principal Dan Fischer nominated Jacee and Karmyn for the kindness and compassion they show students each day. This duo knows how to meet students where they are, listen, build trust, and make sure they feel valued and connected. They also work alongside teachers, families, and staff to make sure all students have the support they need to thrive.
THANK YOU, Jacee and Karmyn, for putting kids first and making Discovery a better place every day! Meet them here! ---> https://youtu.be/bqUtC_r4ano
Hundreds of local kids submitted their doodles, which were then combined by Les Cotton to create the unique backboard designs.
Laura B. Anderson students were some of the first to check them out at an unveiling celebration and Pioneer Park!
We absolutely LOVE seeing student creativity become part of the community!
Registration is OPEN for SFSD Driver’s Education fall classes!
Classes are offered at all four traditional high schools, with current openings at Jefferson and Washington High Schools. Spots at the other locations are currently full, but waitlists are available.
Middle school, high school, and out-of-district students are welcome to register!
Classes start on September 8th, so secure your spot TODAY! ---> https://app.smore.com/n/g6byn
(Must be 14 years old by the first day of class)
We have to give a huge shoutout to our community partners for helping distribute this year’s theme in the form of t-shirts to staff last week. For over 20 years now, Architecture Incorporated has sponsored our annual staff t-shirts, with Sayre Associates, Structural Engineering Associates, and Associated Consulting Engineering, Inc. joining as co-sponsors. We are so grateful for their continued partnership and investment in SFSD! (And also a big thank you to MRG Hauff for another great printing job, AND for hand-delivering a very full van of t-shirt boxes to IPC!)
This year’s design brings in a little bit of Sioux Falls and SFSD together, featuring notable downtown landmarks alongside some of our schools and other district locations (including the new CTE greenhouse that Arc Inc. helped with!)
We are just TWO DAYS away from welcoming students back for the 2026-27 school year and we can’t wait! Looking forward to making it a great year!
Garfield serves a diverse community, not only culturally, but geographically. Its attendance areas stretch across a variety of neighborhoods and living environments, including apartments, hotels converted to housing, single-family homes, businesses, industrial areas, golf courses, and more.
While they didn’t see an Octopus in the neighborhood, they DID see many familiar students' faces who were as excited to see the teachers as the teachers were to see them!
Watch highlights from their field trip here! ---> https://youtu.be/-JLrYRAnhyk?si=9kMp7nbkgLJfKPcf
Today marked the official first day back for our teachers, and the Whittier Middle School team is starting the year strong! WMS staff spent part of the day driving around the neighborhood to personally visit students and share how excited they are to welcome them back next Thursday! The goal was to build connections and show these students how much they care and how excited they are to see them next week. This is just one example of the many, many ways that our SFSD staff show up for Our Kids. Our Future.
Great job Wolverines!
Summer has been great, but can we talk about how magical it was to have students in our hallways again this week?! Over the course of the week at our high schools, we had Patriot Power Day, Rider Charge Day, Warrior Day, and we ended it today with Cavalier Day. Pictures taken, check! Student schedules, check! One step to the new school year. Check!
Next up, open houses! We’re getting that much closer to the First Day of School, which, as a reminder, is Thursday, August 27th! Get all your back to school info here! ---> https://www.sf.k12.sd.us/page/back-to-school
The duo was nominated for the award by Superintendent Nold, as Mark and Jesse have been INCREDIBLE partners to the Sioux Falls School District over the years. They have dedicated themselves to ensuring all students have access to nutritious meals and have stepped in to support the kiddos who need a little extra help in other areas of life.
We were honored to be in attendance when they received the award because it is SO well deserved! We truly can’t thank them enough for being such incredible partners AND such great humans. 💜
In this interview, Dr. Nold reflects on the successes and challenges of his first year as superintendent, shares lessons learned, and discusses the opportunities ahead. Join us as we look back on a year of growth and progress and hear how the district is building on its momentum for the future.
🎥 Watch the full interview here! -----> https://youtu.be/7h8FsnmSCkA
Summer months are a great time for middle school students to explore careers they may find interesting! There are spots left in this year's CTE Academy Healthcare camp. Take a look!
Step into the world of healthcare in this interactive camp! Meet real-life healthcare professionals, explore career opportunities, and develop essential caretaking and lab science skills.
+ Learn hands-on patient care and laboratory skills.
+ Explore many careers in health care.
+ Priority will be given to first-time campers.
On Tuesday, May 21, 2026, that time capsule was finally unearthed and opened for the first time in nearly 50 years. The following day, former students, teachers, staff members, and community members gathered together to reconnect, share stories, and see what had been preserved inside.
While decades underground had taken a toll on some of the contents, many items still offered a meaningful glimpse into the lives, classrooms, and culture of Mark Twain Elementary during the 1970s. For those who attended or worked at the school, the event became more than just the opening of a time capsule — it was a chance to revisit memories, celebrate friendships, and reflect on the lasting impact the school community continues to have today.
Though the building itself is gone, the spirit and connection shared by Mark Twain alumni remains as strong as ever.
🎥 See highlights from the unearthing here: --------> https://youtu.be/bLJiuFxLMvg
🎥 View the full ceremony here! -----> https://youtu.be/7h8FsnmSCkA
Congratulations to all who were honored!
📸 View photos from the event here ---> https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCTzMa
📽 Video the full ceremony here ---> https://youtube.com/live/1rK6l-1bN5Q?feature=share
🖤❤️💛🤍
Over the past two weeks, all four SFSD high schools celebrated the MANY accomplishments within their school communities during their annual Honor Fest assemblies.
Each school hosted its own ceremony to recognize student achievements like National Honors Society, straight-A seniors, perfect attendance, Seal of Biliteracy recipients, and Students of the Month, while also celebrating outstanding teachers, retiring staff members, and the collective success of the school year!
This is one of our FAVORITE times of the year as we get to honor the hard work and growth of our students and staff alike. See more photos from the events here! ---> https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCRGEc
LBA is one of SFSD's oldest elementary schools, and it is considered a hub of community in the neighborhood where it sits. Generations of families come and go through this school's doors, and the impact the school makes reverberates throughout the community. We'd like to offer a big THANK YOU to all the teachers, staff, students, and families that continue to make this historic school a place where kids love to learn and grow.
View more photos from the fun-filled event here! https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCSxKM
