Career and Technical Education Academy -

💚 Mental Health Matters 💚

At CTE Academy, we want to remind our students and staff that taking care of your mind is just as important as taking care of your body.

Here are a few common mental health challenges to be aware of:
🌀 Anxiety – constant worry, racing thoughts, or physical tension
😔 Depression – persistent sadness, loss of interest, or low energy
💭 Stress – feeling overwhelmed by school, work, or personal pressures
🌙 Sleep issues – trouble falling or staying asleep, or oversleeping
🤝 Social struggles – isolation, loneliness, or difficulty connecting with others

👉 Remember: It’s okay to not be okay. Asking for help is a sign of strength. Talk to a trusted friend, family member, teacher, or counselor if you’re struggling.

📸 Pictured are CTE staff wearing their Mental Health T-shirts every Friday to help spread the word to students that mental health matters—and that it’s okay to ask for help.

Let’s work together to break the stigma and support each other. 💚

#MentalHealthAwareness #YouMatter #EndTheStigma #CTEAcademy #ItsOkayToAskForHelp

💚 September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. At CTE Academy, we want our students to know that your mental health matters—and you are never alone.

Here are a few important reminders for teens:
✔️ Talk about how you’re feeling—don’t keep it inside.
✔️ Stay connected with friends, family, or a trusted adult.
✔️ Take breaks from stress—music, sports, journaling, or just quiet time.
✔️ Watch out for your friends—check in if someone seems down.
✔️ Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.

To help spread awareness, CTE staff will be wearing our mental health shirts every Friday this month. 💚 Let’s keep the conversation going and support one another.

If you or someone you know is struggling, dial 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You are not alone.

#SuicidePrevention #YouMatter #MentalHealthAwareness #CTEAcademy #BeTheDifference

Today, we pause to remember and honor the lives lost, the heroes who responded, and the families forever changed on September 11, 2001.

At CTE Academy, we join the nation in saying: We will never forget.

#NeverForget #September11 #HonorAndRemember #CTEAcademy

🩺 Our Health Careers students are leveling up! This week we started practicing vital signs on each other—palpating radial and carotid pulses, and auscultating apical pulses and lung sounds. 👂❤️💨

Hands-on experience like this helps students build confidence and skills they’ll use throughout their future healthcare careers. Proud of these future healthcare heroes! 🙌

#HealthCareers #FutureHealthcareHeroes #VitalSigns #HandsOnLearning #CTE

👩‍⚕️💊 Our Health Careers class had the amazing opportunity to learn about Pharmacogenomics from guest speakers Allison and Stacy from Sanford Health!

Students acted as enzymes in the body metabolizing “medications” (aka pretzels)—and since enzymes don’t have eyes, they had to do it blind! 👀🚫🥨

What a fun and hands-on way to connect science to real life. Thank you, Sanford Health, for bringing such an engaging and memorable lesson to our students! 🙌✨

#Pharmacogenomics #HealthCareers #SanfordHealth #HandsOnLearning #FutureHealthcareHeroes

🍜✨ Ramen Competition 2025! ✨🍜

Our Culinary Arts students put their skills (and creativity!) to the test this week in the annual Ramen Challenge! The rules were simple: one pack of ramen, no seasoning packet, endless imagination.

The results? 🤯 From ramen-breaded mac & cheese bites to ramen spaghetti & meatballs, steak spring rolls, and even a strawberry cream cheese pie with a ramen crust—our students showed just how versatile (and delicious!) simple ingredients can be.

👏 Another successful competition filled with innovation, creativity, and flavor!

#CTEAcademy #CulinaryArts #StudentCreativity #RamenChallenge

🚀✨ First full week of class this week! ✨🚀

This is your week to work hard, think big, and let your creativity shine. 💡🎨🔧

Challenge yourself to try something new, build something bold, and make this week one to remember! 💪🔥

Let’s show what CTE is all about — skills, creativity, and innovation!
#CTEAcademy #WorkHardPlayHard #CreateInnovateInspire

🐾✨ Meet Mamma Roxie! ✨🐾
We’re so excited to share that Roxie will be joining our Ag program for the foreseeable future! 🐱💚 She came to us as a foster from the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society and will soon be welcoming kittens while she’s here. 🐾👶

Once her kittens are 8 weeks old, Roxie and her little ones will return to the Humane Society, where they’ll be looking for their forever homes. 🏡❤️

Stay tuned for kitten updates—you won’t want to miss the cuteness! 🐾📸

#CTEAg #MammaRoxie #FosterLove #HumaneSociety #FutureFarmers

🏈Don’t forget to come out and support Sioux Falls high schools at the Presidents Bowl games this Saturday! 🎉🙌

📅 Saturday’s Schedule:
🕛 12:00 PM – O’Gorman vs. SF Lincoln
🕒 3:00 PM – Harrisburg vs. SF Washington
🕕 6:00 PM – SF Jefferson vs. SF Roosevelt

It’s a great day for football, school spirit, and community pride—see you there! 👏🔥

#PresidentsBowl #SiouxFalls #HighSchoolFootball #SchoolSpirit

Happy Labor Day!
Today we celebrate the hard work, dedication, and contributions of all workers who help our communities thrive. 💪✨

Thank you for everything you do—your efforts make a difference every single day. Wishing you a safe and relaxing holiday! ❤️🤍💙

#LaborDay #ThankYou #Grateful

🎉 Long weekend alert! 🎉
Don’t forget—there’s NO SCHOOL tomorrow (Friday, August 29th) and Monday, September 1st for Labor Day!

Enjoy the extra days off—sleep in, relax, and soak up the long weekend. 🌞✨
See you back on Tuesday, September 2nd!

#LongWeekendVibes #LaborDayBreak #CTE

📢 Attention CTE Students!
No worries—you didn’t miss class! 🎉

👉 If you’re enrolled in Integrated English
Speech, Creative Writing, English for College Readiness, or Research & Tech, your class starts Thursday.
👉 Just listen for the announcement in your regular CTE class so you know where to go!

#CTE #IntegratedEnglish #Speech #CreativeWriting #CollegeReady #ResearchAndTech #YouGotThis

📢 Reminder!
The final day to add or drop a class is Wednesday, August 27th.

✅ Double-check your schedule
✅ Make any last-minute changes
✅ Don’t miss the deadline!

#StudentLife #CTE #FinalDay #StayOnTrack

📢 Reminder, CTE Families!
There will be NO SCHOOL on Friday, August 29th and Monday, September 1st in honor of Labor Day.

Enjoy your long weekend and we’ll see you back on Tuesday, September 2nd! ✨

#LaborDayWeekend #LongWeekend #CTE

Today is the day! 📣

We are excited to support The Barrel House's all-day Hungry Hearts Fundraiser benefiting the Angel Fund, which helps ensure every student in the Sioux Falls School District has access to a meal. Come out and enjoy some great food, fun activities (dunk tanks, bouncy house, axe throwing, and more!), and make a difference for our students! Hope to see you there!

📍The Barrel House 4701 E. 54th Street | 12-10 pm
Find more details and the full schedule of activities here! ---> https://www.facebook.com/share/175iWYEjfD/

📚✏️ Back to School at the CTE Academy! ✨
We can't wait to see YOU this Thursday, August 21st as we kick off another amazing year of hands-on learning, career exploration, and future-ready growth! 💼🚀

👋 See you at the CTE Academy!
📅 Check out the block schedule below so you're ready to roll on day one. Let’s make it a great year! 💙🛠️💻🩺

#BackToSchool #CTEAcademy #FutureReady #CTEWorks #SiouxFallsCTE #FirstDayVibes

⏰ TOMORROW is the day!
Students & families — join us at CTE Academy to:
✅ Explore all the different classes we offer
✅ Meet your teachers
✅ See your learning spaces

📅 Wednesday, August 14th
🕒 3:45–7:45 PM

We can’t wait to welcome you! 🎉💼🛠️💻🩺

#CTEAcademy #BackToSchool #MeetYourTeacher #FutureReady #CTEWorks #SiouxFallsCTE

📣 Mark Your Calendars!
Students & families — don’t forget to stop by CTE Academy to:
✅ Explore all the different classes we offer
✅ Meet your teachers
✅ See where the magic happens ✨

📅 Wednesday, August 14th
🕒 3:45–7:45 PM

Come get a sneak peek at your future! 🚀💼🛠️💻🩺

#CTEAcademy #BackToSchool #MeetYourTeacher #FutureReady #CTEWorks #SiouxFallsCTE

🎉 Huge congratulations to our Academy of Finance students who successfully completed their Summer Internship Program — 200 hours of hands-on experience and college credit earned! 🏦💼📚 👏 Thank you to the incredible local businesses and supervisors who helped guide and mentor these future finance professionals. Your support makes all the difference! 🌟 Isaac Anderson (RHS) 📍 First Bank & Trust 👩‍💼 Supervisor: Megan Baker 🌟 Jorge Huete (WHS) 📍 First National Bank 👩‍💼 Supervisor: Annette Brandt 🌟 Alissa Ault (JHS) 📍 Five Star Call Center 👨‍💼 Supervisor: Shawn King 🌟 Liam Travers (LHS) 📍 Levo - Meadows Branch 👨‍💼 Supervisor: Colin Claeys 🌟 Will Leshovsky (JHS) 📍 First PREMIER Bank – Operations Center 👩‍💼 Supervisors: Brooke Mitchell & Jessica Markhardt #FinanceInternship #AcademyOfFinance #FutureLeaders #CTEWorks #ThankYouPartners #CollegeAndCareerReady #HandsOnLearning #SiouxFallsCTE