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Thank you to everybody who came out to one of our CLC Health and Wellness fairs over the last few weeks! And thank you to all the vendors who helped spread valuable information to the community. These are just some of the first events the CLC has held, so be sure to keep an eye out for more to come in the future!
🎉 Our week of celebrating the joys of reading continues across SFSD! 📚 Between Read Across America Week and #EverybodyReads, students everywhere are fully in the land of literature. 📖 Members of the Jefferson Cavaliers basketball team 🏀 took time yesterday to read to elementary students at Hayward Elementary. Another great example of the age-old adage: Readers are Leaders!
ALSO! As of the time of this post, our total number of books read for #EverybodyReads is at 36,564! That's between SFSD and our friends at Siouxland Libraries, so no matter your age, be sure to pick up a book and join the fun! Keep up with our book counter here! https://www.sf.k12.sd.us/page/everybody-reads
The LAST Health & Wellness fair of the year is happening TONIGHT at Susan B. Anthony from 4:30-7:00 PM. It's open to the public and will feature over 60 vendors, activities for all ages, learning sessions, and over $1,000 in great prizes. See you there!
This week's SFSD All-Star is Hanna Summers at Horace Mann Elementary! She was nominated by her colleague Jennifer Aerts, who had this to say, "She goes above and beyond to help her class. Coming back from maternity leave she jumped in like she never left. Differentiating instruction to meet the academic and social needs of all her students. Each having a large caseload for IEP and being at all different levels in support. She helps where she can without hesitation. She is on leadership team and always has amazing input and help to push Horace Mann to be an amazing place for both staff and students alike!" Thank you for being a shinning light in SFSD, Hannah!
🌻 March is the month to read! 📚 We've officially started our three-week 📗 Everybody Reads 📖 campaign with Siouxland Libraries, and we are in the midst of 📕 Read Across America 🇺🇸 week! Students throughout SFSD are celebrating Read Across America with a variety of events, but most importantly, READING! Be on the lookout for photos of our libraries filling up with paper raindrops 💧 to highlight our theme: 🌦️Rain 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/LItUMMYZ8GY
In December, Sandy Lown with the Teddy Bear Den visited 5th graders at Sonia Sotomayor to talk about their mission and receive blankets from Project Warm-Up. Students asked how they could help the Teddy Bear Den and the reply was “diapers! We’re always in need of diapers!”
So. Lobos Leaders organized a diaper drive with a goal of collecting 5,000 diapers in the month of February. On Friday, Sandy came to pick up the donation….of over 33,000 diapers! Mayor Paul TenHaken was on hand to congratulate students and celebrate the importance of kindness. Way to go Lobos!
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sioux Falls (Habitat) recently celebrated the dedication of two homes built in partnership with the Sioux Falls Career & Technical Education Academy (CTE) and Southeast Technical College (STC) during the 2022-23 school year. This is what we would call a win-win-win scenario: students learn and gain valuable experiences, collaborative partnerships are made and strengthened, and housing needs are bolstered in the community. Project Warm-Up was even on hand to give deliver some cozy housewarming gifts! Congratulations to all!
As we wrap up Public Schools Week, it's important to pause and reflect on what happens inside SFSD schools every day. Our schools are places of exploration and discovery, where students find their strengths and interests, making lifelong friendships and connections. In addition to academic learning, students gain important social skills, emotional intelligence, and build skillsets to last them long beyond graduation day. When we strengthen collaborations between schools, families, and communities, students are set up to achieve the highest possible outcomes. #PSW24 #PublicSchoolsWeek
It's more than just arguing. High school debate is a great way for students to use their voice and join a community. Washington High School head debate coach Angelica Mercado-Ford credits debate with helping her find her voice in high school, and she is now leading the next generation of speakers to follow their passions. Listen in as students share what debate means to them, and why it helps them find direction and meaning.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or here! https://youtu.be/YgtxBB78T5g
📚 Today is the first day of Everybody Reads! 📖 It's a collaboration between SFSD and Siouxland Libraries to celebrate all the joys of reading. 📗 Between now and March 22nd, our goal is to collectively read 300,000 books! The halls of schools and libraries throughout Sioux Falls will soon start filling up with paper 🌧️ rain drops 💧 to represent each book read. Superintendent Stavem sat down with Lucy from Siouxland Libraries and Mayor Paul TenHaken to discuss the importance of reading in our communities. Watch the video here! https://youtu.be/l_MQYpW0UsM
And remember, 🌦️ "Rain or Shine. Everybody Reads!" 🌈
Next Thursday, March 7, is the day for Kinderg-ARR-ten open houses at SFSD elementary schools! Online registration is open now. Please see this map to navigate the way with ease, contact your school, or go here: https://www.sf.k12.sd.us/page/kindergarten-registration
for more information.
Throughout the month of February, students across SFSD have been celebrating Black History Month. It's a time to recognize and honor the achievements, struggles, and successes of Black individuals throughout history. At Washington High School, members of the Black Student Union spoke with leaders from NAACP Sioux Falls about empowerment, how to help one another, and how to be a force for good in the community. Engaging in these meaningful conversations empowers students to work toward a future of which they can be proud. Thank you NAACP Sioux Falls 4102-B for your commitment to student engagement!
🏫 Public Schools Week is February 26th - March 1st! Public Schools Week is an annual celebration uniting schools, families, and communities to strengthen collaborations and highlight strategies for ongoing improvement. In today’s fast-paced world, public schools are enhancing both their academic and extracurricular offerings, catering to the diverse and evolving needs of students, and integrating technology and innovations to elevate the learning process. Join us in supporting our local public schools and uplifting our kids!
Everybody Reads starts this Friday, March 1st! In partnership with Siouxland Libraries, we will be adding one paper raindrop to walls across school and public libraries throughout Sioux Falls. Our goal is 300,000 books read from March 1st - March 22nd. Thanks to our sponsors, when our goal is met we can make a donation to our friends at REACH Literacy! Today we had members on KELOLAND Living to speak about our initiative. Be sure to tune in for more info! #EverybodyReads
In case you missed it, here is a link to the full ceremony for the 36th Annual Dr. John W. Harris Teacher of the Year program! This video includes the performance of the Ben Reifel Middle School Band, a segment where we get to know the finalists a bit better, and the entirety of last night's event. Make sure to watch until the end for bonus video from this morning, where the celebration continues, and Mrs. Thies shares what this acknowledgment means to her.
https://youtu.be/zRi0zERakkY
Last night's Teacher of the Year event was full of smiles, hugs, and happiness from everyone in attendance. Congratulations to everyone who was nominated and a special congrats to Katie Ellwein (One American Bank Distinguished Educator) and Susan Thies (Dr. John W. Harris 2024 Teacher of the Year)! Were you at the event? Feel free to get your photos here! https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBfGBH
Congratulations to Katie Ellwein, who is the recipient of the 2024 One American Bank Distinguished Educator Award! Katie teaches 4th grade at Laura B. Anderson Elementary School.
Per her nomination, "Katie is a great leader, an optimistic leader. She shows tremendous love for all kids." "Katie exudes the LBA way. She is always trying to grow as a teacher, she is unafraid to embrace change and she builds relationships with family members."
Thank you, Katie, for everything you do for students and parents every day. SFSD is a better place because of you!
A HUGE congratulations goes out to Susan Thies, winner of the 36th Annual Dr. John W. Harris Teacher of the Year Award! Susan teaches 5th grade at Garfield Elementary.
To paraphrase her nomination, "There are only a select few teachers I have ever come across that I would label as master teachers. Teaching is both an art and a science which requires full commitment mentally, emotionally, and physically. Teaching requires that you know your content, your students, and yourself, inside and out, completely. It is for these reasons, and many more, that I can say with complete conviction that Susan Thies is a master teacher."
Thank you, Susan, for your many years of dedicated service to education and the Sioux Falls School District. The lasting impact you've made on countless students will be felt for generations.
Watch the 2024 Teacher of the Year event live here, starting in moments!
https://youtube.com/live/emtSKRsWZNw?feature=share