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

We have another LEVO Credit Union Adopt-a-Classroom Award winner! Andrea Bleil is a 4th grade teacher at Robert Frost Challenge Center and she was nominated by Abby Wheeler. Abby had this to say about Andrea, "Mrs. Bleil is my son's 4th grade teacher. She has such a positive and bright attitude and demeanor about her. Often times we focus so much on academics and forget that our students need so much more than just academics. Mrs. Bleil focuses on growth mindset and helping students navigate their feelings and emotions. She helps them to problem solve when they have a setback academically or socially and helps give them tools to build their self-confidence. These things are so important for our kids at a young age. Lessons on kindness and gratitude are focused on and she often acknowledges each individual student and things she specifically appreciates about each of them." Thank you Mrs. Bleil for being the best you can be for your students everyday!

National School Board Appreciation Week was Feb. 19-23, and we're pretty proud of ours! Our school board members work tirelessly to ensure our staff are well taken care of, our buildings are safe and up-to-date, and that our finances are used appropriately and responsibly. School board members come from many different backgrounds but they all have the same purpose, to serve students and positively represent their communities. School board meetings make up only a fraction of the work that is required to be a successful school board member. There are conferences, seminars, executive sessions, and training sessions, not to mention always staying on top of current trends in education (and going to extracurricular activities, community events, the list goes on!). So THANK YOU to all our current (and past) school board members. SFSD wouldn't have the success it does without you!

Culture Day at Roosevelt was a beautiful celebration of the amazing cultures represented at the school. Started a few years ago by the Black Student Union as a way to lift up their voices, the event has grown to include all groups of culturally diverse students. Celebrations like these empower our students, which helps create our future leaders!

70 teachers were nominated for the 36th Annual Dr. John W. Harris Teacher of the Year Award this year, and seven were named as finalists. Get to know them a little better through this video, and stay tuned as the winner is announced on Monday, February 26th! https://youtu.be/y_EwZ7H1hmM

A big THANK YOU goes out to our partners at Air Madness who hosted a wonderful day of jumping yesterday in support of Operation Hope and Caring! It was a fabulous day of fun and it all goes towards a great cause. Thank you to LEVO Credit Union and Sioux Falls Storm for making the day a success.

Last week, kindergarten students at Anne Sullivan Elementary were surprised with a donation of Strider bikes from HDR Engineering and the Strider Education Foundation. All Kids Bike is a national program that gets bikes into schools with help from businesses and organizations like HDR. Mayor Paul TenHaken even showed up to talk about the importance of biking! You can watch the exciting assembly here! https://youtu.be/ToIO4pewUC8

This week's SFSD All-Star is Dalonda Dalin at Eugene Field A+ Elementary! She was nominated by her colleague Jamie Hofland who had this to say, "Dalonda goes above and beyond to make sure the needs of all students are met! She builds relationships with the students to better their learning environment and always steps up to whatever is asked of her. If her schedule has to change suddenly or we need her to try something new we will never hear her complain about her being placed where there is a need. When she is faced with challenges she asks for help in bettering her knowledge on the situation so she can grow with the students. Dalonda is a true role model for the students and staff at EFA+! We are so lucky to have her!" Thank you for everything you do, Dalonda!

Did you know?

Student leaders from the Roosevelt, Jefferson, and Washington High School JAG (Jobs for America's Graduates) program recently took a trip to learn about leadership in government. A big congratulations to Brody Stenger (the first-ever JAG-SD state parliamentarian) on being recognized on the house floor by Rep. Amber Arlint!

Last week students and staff at Ben Reifel Middle School hosted their first annual 🌶️ Chilli Cook Off! 🥵 It was a great way to build some community and warm away the dreary days. The competition was tight, but congrats to the Boys and Girls Club on taking home the gold !🥇

Reminder that there is NO SCHOOL on Monday, Feb. 19, or Tuesday, Feb. 20. If you're looking to have some fun on Tuesday, be sure to stop by Air Madness from 10 am - 7 pm. 100% of the net proceeds will be donated to Operation Hope and Caring, benefiting schools without a PTA/PTO.

Happy National School Resource Officer Appreciation Day! Today, we celebrate our amazing SROs for their hard work in keeping our schools safe and building positive relationships in our educational communities. SROs are carefully selected, specifically trained, sworn law enforcement officers assigned by the Sioux Falls Police Department to work with schools using community-oriented policing concepts. Thank you for all your hard work today and every day!

Tuesday, Feb 20 is a NO SCHOOL day, so be sure to stop by Oscar Howe Elementary for the second Community Health & Wellness fair, put on by the Community Learning Centers! There are lots of activities for kids, tons of community vendors, and amazing prizes for all!

🐐 Babette is the GOAT! 🐐 But for real, Babette is a goat, and she's pretty great, AND! she's getting ready to have KIDS (which is the proper term for baby goats 😊)! It's all part of the robust Ag Department offerings at CTE Academy, where students get hands-on experience with real-world career exposure. The opportunities and experiences we provide for students truly are the greatest of all time!

We had 70 amazing teachers from across SFSD nominated for the 36th Annual Dr. John W. Harris Teacher of the Year Award! Of those 70, seven have been chosen as finalists for the award. They are: Dan Carlson – Lincoln High School Band Katie Ellwein – Laura B Anderson – 4th grade Rochelle Gabrielson – Hayward – 4th grade Eliza Leloux – All City at Jane Addams – 3rd grade Micah Siegel – Hayward – 3rd grade Susan Thies – Garfield – 5th grade Laura Tjaden – Eugene Field A+ - Vocal Music/Drama The final recipient of the award will be named at an event Monday, February 26, 2024 at 7pm at the Ben Reifel Middle School Auditorium. Congratulations to all the nominees and finalists! SFSD is a great place to be!

Today, Roosevelt High School debate coach Luke Cumbee was awarded the LEVO Credit Union Adopt-A-Classroom award! He was nominated by a student who had this to say, "Mr. Cumbee has given me the gift of being able to share my voice. As my debate coach, he's always been there for me to help me grow my confidence and abilities. He's never failed to give me advice on anything I ask, whether it be debate or anything else I come to him with. He's been a constant in my high school life every year, and I know I can always fall back on him if things are getting to be too much for me. Mr. Cumbee is the most involved teacher I know. He makes sure to form a personal relationship with each of his students, and their voices are always heard. He tries to relate to everyone and understand their situation as much as he can."

The Lincoln High School Jazz Collective, joined by legendary jazz artist Marques Carroll, astounded the audience at the SD Bandmasters conference today! Look for video coming soon to KLRN TV!

This week's 🤩 SFSD All-Star 💫 is Courtney Dummer! Courtney is the lead clerical at Horace Mann Elementary. She was nominated by her colleague Lindsey Thomas, who had this to say, "Courtney goes above and beyond for the staff and students at Horace Mann. Courtney helps the staff with time clock information and by spreading information to the staff that needs to be known. Courtney also spends time with students when they earn a reward! Our Nurse isn’t full time at our school so when our nurse leaves, Courtney steps in to help students get their meds, take temps, etc.. Our building would not function as well as it does without Courtney! As our lead clerical, Courtney also handles parent communication when a child is sick, or absent from school. The glue that holds us together." Thank you for everything you do, Courtney!

Happy Crossing Guard Appreciation Day! Every day hundreds of students and parents cross busy streets to get to and from schools, and our crossing guards make sure it all happens safely. It's a big responsibility and we are very thankful that they are up to the job!

February 5-9, 2024, is National School Counseling Week! School counselors play a vital role in students' lives everywhere, and this is a week to recognize their contributions and say THANK YOU! This special week honors counselors for the many ways they help students every day, from assisting in future employment readiness to ensuring academic achievement to meet those future goals, and everything in between! Thank you for everything you do!