Sioux Falls School District - Educate and prepare each student to succeed in a changing world

A few clouds weren't going to stop students and staff at Whittier Middle School from enjoying the eclipse today! While it was mostly hidden due to the overcast skies, there were moments where it peeked through, followed by gasps and shouts of, "There it is! Everybody look up! (With your eclipse glasses on!)" Safe-viewing-glasses were provided at Whittier through a Public School Proud grant via the Sioux Falls Public Schools Education Foundation, and several other SFSD middle schools received glasses from a donation through Midco. Despite the grey, students still enjoyed getting outside for a lesson on the awesome power of nature and our solar system! See you in 30 years, total solar eclipse!

Welcome to the 2024 South Dakota “Week of Work!” From April 8-12, middle and high school students across the state are introduced to future career opportunities through job shadowing, industry tours and other business-classroom connections. Here in the Sioux Falls School District, we’re proud to say that these things happen year-round and at all grade levels! You might be surprised to hear that as early as fourth and fifth grade counselors and teachers are planting the seeds to prepare students for future growth. Take last week at Robert Frost for example, when school counselor Sonja Smith visited a 5th grade classroom for a career lesson. These career lessons are meant to introduce students to ideas that will get them thinking about what they might like to do. Sonja asks questions like, “Do you like working with your hands? Would you rather spend your time drawing or working on math? What’s your favorite thing to do during recess?” Lessons like these get the wheels turning, and teachers and counselors throughout SFSD keep that momentum going up through graduation day. Stay tuned throughout this week to hear more about the exciting ways SFSD is preparing students for their futures! #SDWeekOfWork

Understanding the Focus of Transition on Saturday, April 13th from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Instructional Planning Center. This free event is for families who have young adults ages 13 - 21 and beyond with disabilities, to better understand the transition process. Vendors will be available to visit throughout the day to provide information and resources. A free lunch will be provided.

As the weather starts to warm up, it's time to start planning for summer! SFSD has many options for summer school, and registration is open right now through May 24th. Find a course listing and more info here: https://comed.sf.k12.sd.us/wconnect/

Did you know this week, April 1-5, 2024 has been National Assistant Principals Week?!🏫 🍎 Let's take a moment to honor these heroes who tirelessly support our teachers, motivate our students, and ensure our schools thrive. From handling unexpected challenges to fostering a positive learning environment, they do it all with passion and commitment. Join us in giving a big shoutout to these amazing leaders who make a difference every single day!👏🎉

🗳️ Help shape the future! Five candidates are vying for two open seats on the Sioux Falls School Board. Learn about them and make time to get to the polls on Tuesday, April 9, 2024. https://www.sf.k12.sd.us/page/elections

📚 Happy National School Librarian Day! 📚 Today, we celebrate the incredible librarians and library education assistants (EAs) across the Sioux Falls School District who go above and beyond to foster a love for reading in our students. 🎉📖 Thank you for cultivating a sense of exploration in our schools. Your teamwork, passion, and commitment inspire lifelong learning and curiosity in our students every single day. From introducing elementary students to their first storybooks to guiding high schoolers through research projects, you play vital roles in shaping the minds and imaginations of our students. Your libraries are not just rooms filled with books; they're vibrant hubs of discovery and inspiration. 💡Thank you for all that you do! 📚🎉

SFSD wants your feedback! Our annual parent/guardian survey is now open through Friday, April 19, 2024. Check your email for an active link and share your experiences with us as partners in your child's education! https://survey.k12insight.com/r/6HS2G1

Now that the lights have come back on and the impact has been made, it's time to extend a special THANK YOU! to everybody who made the 2nd annual TEDx Sioux Falls Youth event a great success. Countless hours were put in to this event by dedicated coordinators and passionate students. The ideas presented by these fearless student leaders will resonate throughout the community and act as inspiration for the next round of change makers. Special thanks to Pinnacle Productions for capturing the magic and The Sioux Falls Education Foundation for sponsoring the event!

With the weather today, it seems appropriate to say this one more time, "Rain or Shine - Everybody Reads!" Even though our collaborative reading initiative with Siouxland Libraries is done (with over 320,000 books read, btw!) we just have to share some displays from schools across SFSD to brighten up this rainy day. Enjoy!

REMINDER! There is NO SCHOOL Friday, March 29th - Monday, April 1st for Spring Break. We hope you enjoy the long weekend and we'll see everybody back in class on Tuesday, April 2nd!

Operation Hope and Caring helps level the playing field for students across SFSD by providing funds and supplies to schools that need it most. LEVO Credit Union has made supporting this initiative FUN and EASY! Join us at the Sioux Falls Storm game on Friday, May 3rd as they take on the Green Bay Blizzard at the Denny Sanford Premiere Center. Purchase your tickets at HopeAndCaring.org so a portion of your purchase can support Operation Hope and Caring. https://youtu.be/ALbsNvx8TYk

Girls wrestling has been steadily gaining popularity nation-wide over the past several years, and SFSD is happy to be part of this trend! Whenever you ask a young woman who participates in this sport what she likes about it, you're sure to hear words like confidence, grit, self-esteem, strength, and resilience. In the latest episode of "Spotlight: Conversations from the Sioux Falls School District," superintendent Dr. Jane Stavem sits down with an 8th grade girl who loves life on the mat, and is getting ready to participate at the high school level. Take a listen! https://youtu.be/hNwivEfw5JU

Over the weekend 57 SFSD students played with other highly talented student musicians across the state at All-State Band in Pierre. Thank you for representing SFSD and sharing your talents with such a wide audience. Your commitment and dedication to music is truly inspiring!

🚨 Big news! 📰 We officially reached our goal for the third annual #EverybodyReads community reading initiative! A big thanks goes out to every student and community member who read a book and filled out a raindrop during the past three weeks. And a big thanks to our friends and collaborators at Siouxland Libraries for partnering together for this great cause. And the grand total is 🥁(drumroll please)..................318,617 books read! That means we can make a donation to REACH Literacy to help in their mission of promoting literacy throughout the community. Just because we've met our goal doesn't mean the fun has to stop! It looks like ❄️ today would be a great day to cozy up with a 📚 book 😊. Remember: Rain 🌦️ (or snow.....or ice) or Shine 🌈, Everybody Reads! 📖

Sports offer huge benefits to the girls involved: Leadership opportunities, scholarship possibilities, and self-development are just a few. But perhaps most important - it's FUN to participate and spend time with friends old and new! Learn about high school sports opportunities for girls in the Sioux Falls School District. https://youtu.be/Bk7mMsOiwus

Students in the Garfield Elementary "Leader in Me" program recently got to spend the day at CTE Academy! These future leaders were introduced to media arts by making some fun videos, and culinary arts by making pizza and cupcakes (and of course, enjoying the snacks after they were made!). Check out more photos here! https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBien3

Tomorrow is the big night! 13 brave students from across SFSD step on the red dot to share their stories. It's an event you won't want to miss out on. Tickets are still available at the QR or right here! https://www.jhs.sf.k12.sd.us/o/jhs/page/fine-arts

Plans are in the works for SFSD students and staff to bring electronic devices home over the weekend in the event that winter weather presents challenges on Monday. Refresh your memory now about the new remote learning plan by using the QR code on the image. We'll keep you posted if there are any schedule changes for Monday.

Good luck to the students representing SFSD this weekend at the 👾 SD ESports State Tournament 🎮 in Brookings! Our teams have been putting in the practice and are ready to show the state what they've got! You can find more information and watch LIVE here: https://fenworks.com/sd-esports-state-tournament/