Welcome to the CTE Academy, Penelope Porker! 🐷
Penelope the pig made her grand entrance yesterday and is settling into her home in the Animal Science classroom. She's expected to farrow (have piglets) this week, giving students a hands-on learning experience in animal care and agriculture.
CTE students have been busy preparing for her arrival — and with the possibility of up to 14 piglets on the way, there's a lot of excitement in the air!
Stay tuned for updates on Penelope and her piglets as they make their debut in the coming days!
Happy Social Worker Week!
In the Sioux Falls School District, every student's journey is unique. For many of the kids we serve, our school social workers are there every step of the way! Whether offering a listening ear, connecting families to resources, or advocating for students' well-being, their dedication ignites hope and creates lasting impact in our schools.
This year's theme, Unite to Ignite: Celebrating Our Impact, is a perfect reflection of how our social workers bring people together to create brighter futures for students.
THANK YOU to our incredible school social workers for your compassion and care!
We are still celebrating last night's wonderful Teacher of the Year event! So many amazing educators to celebrate! Congratulations again to 2025 Teacher of the Year, Bruce Rekstad, who left with a $4,000 check, courtesy of our friends at Vern Eide. Also, a huge congratulations to the other four finalists, Jennifer Aerts, Bryan Aukerman, Scott Amundson, and Jessica Foley. New this year, thanks to the generosity of the Sioux Falls Public Schools Education Foundation, these four finalists walked away with $1,000 each. So many wonderful memories were shared last night! We are so grateful to everyone who attended, from nominees and their friends and families to past ToY winners, past educators, school board members, SDEA friends, and SFSD administrators, it truly was an unforgettable night! Were you at the event? Feel free to get your photos here! https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjC3KKk You can watch the full video of the event here! https://youtu.be/D-60TEv2ijA
Tonight is the night! The 2025 Teacher of the Year will be announced at an event starting at 7:00 PM. Watch live with us here! ---> https://youtube.com/live/MnFs9wL28Oo?feature=share
It’s National FFA Week! 🐓🐥🐐🐰
This special week is all about celebrating agricultural education, and what better way to do that than with hands-on experiences?! On Thursday, our CTE Academy Ag program brought their barnyard (and beyond!) to the hallways, giving fellow CTE students a chance to interact with some of the school’s resident animals.
Experiences like these showcase the importance of agricultural education and the impact FFA has on preparing students for careers in animal science, farming, and beyond!
A recent Facebook post regarding Washington High School falsely claimed a routine request for a birth certificate was related to immigration status.
State Law (SDCL 13-27-3.1-3.3) requires all public school students to have a birth certificate on file within 30 days of enrollment. When required records are missing from student files, school staff regularly attempt to contact families before sending the required information to the State’s Attorney.
These requests are made solely to ensure compliance with State Law and to maintain complete student records. They are in no way related to immigration enforcement. We are committed to protecting the privacy of our students and their families.
Please reach out to your child’s school or the district office with any questions rather than relying on social media for accurate information. We appreciate your cooperation in keeping student records up to date.
Do you or someone you know have a child who will be 5-years-old on or before September 1st? If so, Online Registration for the 25-26 school year is now open on the Sioux Falls School District website or through the Parent Portal. Start your child off on the right foot this upcoming school year and get them registered now! https://www.sf.k12.sd.us/page/school-registration
Happy New Year from everybody at SFSD! Here's to another year of opportunities and possibilities. We are excited to welcome back students and staff TOMORROW, January 2nd, 2025! We can’t wait to see everyone!
A huge THANK YOU to our friends at Architecture Incorporated for their generous donation of 25 fleece blankets to Project Warm-Up! Your generosity helps bring warmth and comfort to those in need and we are so grateful for your continued support!
TOMORROW (December 14th) is our 19th Annual Blanket-Making Event at Sonia Sotomayor Elementary, and we’d love for YOU to join us! The event runs from 11 am to 3 pm., and no experience is needed.
PWU is still in need of donations to meet this year’s requests for over 1,600 blankets. If you can help with fleece fabric, completed blankets, or monetary support (Venmo: @gotfleece) any help is appreciated!
Gold Card members got into the holiday spirit earlier today at our annual Gold Card Holiday Luncheon at Roosevelt High School—and what a memorable day it was! 🎄
Attendees listened to amazing performances from the RHS Jazz Bands and Concert Choir, which left many in awe of just how talented our students are.
A unique highlight of the luncheon was creating a collaborative Christmas story using ChatGPT—it quickly became a crowd favorite, sparking plenty of laughter and creativity among the group!
A HUGE thank you to:
✨ The RHS Student Council for their incredible hospitality.
✨ The Community Education team for organizing such a wonderful event.
✨ The talented RHS student performance groups and their directors.
✨ The Child Nutrition team for preparing a delicious meal.
✨ And, of course, to everyone who joined us today and helped make it such a special celebration!
Lincoln High School's Student Council is hosting its first-ever Winter Carnival this Saturday, December 14, from 1-3 PM, and you're invited!
This free event is designed for elementary-aged students to enjoy holiday-themed activities, games, and crafts. Families are encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy to help spread some Christmas cheer to other students in need.
📍 Lincoln High School
🗓️ Saturday, December 14th | 1–3 PM
We can't wait to see you there! 🎁✨
Calling all Sioux Falls seniors aged 60+! Join us next Tuesday, December 10, at Roosevelt High School for a festive lunch to get you into the holiday spirit!
Enjoy an afternoon of great food and even greater company while listening to musical performances from the RHS Jazz Bands and Concert Choir. Superintendent Dr. Jane Stavem will also share updates about the Sioux Falls School District at this special event.
Whether you have friends or family in the RHS student groups, are a retired educator, or just a senior in the community who values public education, we’d love to celebrate the season with you!
Tickets are $10, and include a turkey dinner with all the fixings, dessert, coffee, and unlimited entertainment. Event begins at 11:15 am. RSVP here by Monday (12/9) at noon! But hurry! Spots are limited! RSVP here! https://bit.ly/3D30cuG
Collier for three and Evans for PUBLISHED! 🏀🖼️🥳
Please help us give a HUGE congratulations to Harvey Dunn fifth grader, London Evans, who had one of his sports drawings recently published in the latest edition of Sports Illustrated (Kid Edition)! His drawing features WNBA star, Napheesa Collier, of the Minnesota Lynx.
Great job, London!
Do you know a teacher who goes above and beyond to inspire their students? Now is the time to make sure they get the recognition they deserve!
The Sioux Falls School District’s Teacher of the Year program celebrates outstanding educators who make a lasting impact in and out of the classroom. Applications are open through Monday, January 13, at 5 pm, and we want to hear about the amazing teachers who make our schools shine.
Visit: https://www.sf.k12.sd.us/page/teacher-of-the-year-program to learn more and submit your application!
Help us celebrate the incredible work our educators do to shape the future. Tag a teacher or share this post to spread the word!
A reminder that the first of three Community Health & Wellness Fairs kicks off TOMORROW, December 3rd, at Garfield Elementary from 4:30-7 pm.
This FREE, family-friendly, come-and-go event is packed with exciting opportunities including,
+ Over 50 vendors providing free community resources
+ Free health screenings
+ Interactive activities for the kids
+ $1,000+ in door prizes announced hourly!
Don’t miss this chance to explore health, wellness, and fun for the whole family! We can’t wait to see you there!
Today we are celebrating the amazing staff who make our Special Education program so impactful. In the Sioux Falls School District, we serve 4,154 students ages 3-21, which is an increase of 0.7% since last year. This growth reflects our commitment to providing individualized support and fostering an inclusive learning environment for all.
Thank you to our Special Education team for your dedication to helping every student thrive!
During this season of gratitude, we are thankful for amazing educators like Geoff Smith!
Geoff, an 8th-grade math teacher and team lead at Ben Reifel Middle School, is this week’s SFSD All Star! 🌟
His colleague, Danyelle Cleveland, sums it up perfectly:
"Geoff is a humble servant leader who consistently meets the needs of our students, team, and his family. One of the first things you notice about him is his positive attitude—he’s always smiling and greets everyone cheerfully throughout the day. He goes above and beyond to help students achieve their academic goals, working patiently with small groups to ensure they understand math concepts. Geoff doesn’t just care about academics; he genuinely cares about people and strives to make a difference every day.”
Geoff’s dedication to students, his team, and the BRMS community makes a difference every day. Thank you, Geoff, for your kindness, leadership, and commitment to student success. 💛❤️🖤🤍
Congratulations on being an SFSD All Star!
After cheering on the Lincoln High School Band in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade today, take a trip down memory lane with us!
We’re excited to introduce the SFSD Archives YouTube Channel! From cherished school moments, like an interview with Dr. John W. Harris or a "The School Zone" episode featuring former Governor Bill Janklow at Axtell Park, to graduation ceremonies dating back to 1988, these videos capture the stories that have shaped our incredible community.
Discover, reminisce, and celebrate the fun memories here ---> https://www.youtube.com/@SFSDArchives
Open Enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year opens December 2, 2024, at 7:30 AM! 📢
Families seeking to enroll in a Sioux Falls school outside their home attendance center must apply online. Applications are processed in the order received, and current open-enrolled students do not need to reapply to stay at their current school.
For details on specialty programs and enrollment guidelines visit: https://www.sf.k12.sd.us/page/open-enrollment (*Please note the 2025/26 application will be accessible at this link but will not be live until Monday, December 2, at 7:30 am.)
For a smooth application process, use a desktop browser like Chrome, Edge, or Firefox. Mobile devices and Safari can produce inconsistent results.
A reminder that there is NO SCHOOL on Wednesday, November 27th, through Friday, November 29th. This season reminds us how much we have to be grateful for, especially our amazing students, staff, and families! Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving break!
