Roosevelt High School -

Bored Tonight? Don't have anything planned... Come early to the concert tonight to get your goodies at the Band Bake Sale.  It will be located in the lobby at the front of the auditorium! 6:30-7:00pm Free will donation - Cash Only!

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!

What's been happening at Roosevelt this week, you ask? Students & Staff got the opportunity to dress up each day for culture week! To my conclusion, I think the staff had more fun dressing up than the students! Enjoy these awesome pictures with awesome teachers♥️

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

MARK YOUR CALENDARS RHS STUDENTS AND STAFF!!! March 11 is our Chick Fil A Day!! Make sure to stop by between 6:30am-10pm! You can dine in, drive thru, or even use the mobile app! Let's by the Chikin Champions for the third year in a row!! Go Riders!! #WeareOne #WeareRoosevelt #Wearethechampions

Don't forget Teacher Student Swap Day tomorrow! Students, dress up as your favorite teacher! 👩🏼‍🏫 Teachers, dress up as students! 📚

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

On Friday, February 21, RHS brought 18 artists to Vermillion for another annual Art Wars competition. Each student chose two of the five categories to participate in, (Ceramics, Drawing, Painting, Digital, Photography.) Following the creation of art, adjudicators awarded 1st, 2nd , and 3rd place for each of the five art categories. First, second and third place award winners in each category will go on to the State Art Wars competition, in Sioux Falls. Katelyn Nieman - 1st place in Ceramics Abygail Bartscher - 2nd place in Ceramics Abygail Bartscher - 2nd place in Photography Kennedy Vant Hul - 2nd place in Painting Roosevelt represented well! We are so proud of each and every artist! Congratulations guys!! #WeareOne #WeareRoosevelt

District High School Summer School will be opening! Contact our school counselors for more information! #WeareOne #WeareRoosevelt

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.

Don't forget to sign up for Culture Day on February 28! During AD room, there will be cultural performances and walks in the gym! It's gonna be such a special day! Scan the QR code to sign up for this amazing opportunity! #WeareOne #WeareRoosevelt

REMINDER There will be NO SCHOOL on Monday, February 17 and Tuesday, February 18 for President's Day break! Enjoy the long weekend and cannot wait to see all students back on Wednesday, February 19! #WeareOne #WeareRoosevelt

Last night, the Roosevelt Unified Basketball team had their first home game of the season! They played against Lincoln and won both games! They even had Unified Cheer cheering them on on the sidelines as well! Way to go Riders! We are so proud of you!! #WeareOne #WeareRoosevelt

Last week, Roosevelt Theatre competed in the SD State One-Act Festival at South Dakota State University in the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center. If you do not know what the One- Act Festival is , it's a 3-day festival from 8am-10pm each day amongst 49 SD schools.  Over the three days their were in Brookings, the Theatre team had a combine of 16 awards! 8 ensemble awards 6 outstanding individual acting awards Technical Superior Overall Superior We are so proud of you! Congratulations on your accomplishments and way to represent Roosevelt Rough Riders ! #WeareOne #WeareRoosevelt

TEACHER OF THE YEAR NOMINATION SPOTLIGHT: Mrs. Susan Bussa! Here is more information about Mrs. Bussa and all that she does for Roosevelt. Why did you become teacher? Honestly, I did not pursue teaching, but somehow life happened. I went to Augustana University to be a nurse, but unfortunately I had a very close friend commit suicide. My world was shattered, so I started taking Psychology and Adolescent Development classes to try and understand mental health better. Long story short, after graduation I started working at group homes, the juvenile detention center, School for the Deaf, and eventually found my dream job as the first Behavior Facilitator at Roosevelt! Years later, I decided to pursue my teaching certification and haven't looked back-- I definitely love my role of "teacher." What is your favorite part about Roosie? My favorite part about being at Roosevelt is the WE ARE ONE philosophy and the great relationships I've built over the years with our incredible staff and students. I'm even trying to convince my own daughter to open enroll because we truly are a great community! GO RIDERS! ❤️ She is out last teacher of the year spotlight nomination! We are extremely proud of you and the lives you change at Roosevelt. Thank you again! #WeareOne #WeareRoosevelt

TEACHER OF THE YEAR NOMINATION SPOTLIGHT: Mr. Michael Mitchell!! Here is a little information about why Mr. Mitchell chose teaching and what he loves the most about Roosevelt High! Why you decided to become a teacher? Growing up in Dell Rapids, both of my parents were teachers, and I think that had something to do with it. As a student, my preferred way to study was by helping my peers. In college, I took the first step towards teaching as a senior when I taught a few sections of Chemistry, and this eventually led to my career as a teacher. Teaching as a means of interacting with people has always been something that has resonated with me. Tell me your favorite thing about teaching or being at Roosie Being an educator represents an opportunity to be the catalyst that encourages students to continually change into the best version of themselves. Whether the growth that ensues is academic, social, personal, or in another area of their lives, it brings me joy to experience it alongside them. Roosevelt has been an incredible place to carry out this mission, and I am thankful to be fortunate enough to work with such an amazing group of students and teachers. We are so proud of you! Keep doing what you are doing! It truly is amazing! #WeareOne #WeareRoosevelt

WEDNESDAY COUNSELOR SPOTLIGHT: Mrs. Kara Spieler! Here is a little more information about Mrs. Spieler and why she chose counseling! Here is a little bit about Mrs. Spieler! She has been a school counselor for 14 years, the last 6 years at Roosevelt. She is married with three sons. One in college, one in the workforce and the youngest still in high school. She is a first-generation college graduate. She has both her bachelors and master degree from SDSU in Brookings! What made you want to become a counselor? I was working at Western Iowa Tech in the College Now Program and worked with School Counselors enrolling students in dual credit courses. I really wanted to be the person working with the students so I applied and went back to college. What do you love most about counseling? The aspect of counseling that I love the most is helping students find their path and to let them know anything is possible with a little hard work. There’s always a Plan B, if Plan A doesn’t work.

February 3-7 is National School Counseling Week. We are going to be spotlight each counselor at Roosevelt and what they love about our school! Be on the lookout this week for the awesome counseling team! First Counselor Spotlight is.... Mrs. Sue Kooima! A little bit about Mrs. Kooima is that she has been at Roosevelt for 9 years. She had 3 children graduate from RHS. She was previously the Success Coordinator before coming over to Counseling. her husband was an Assistant Principal here before moving to Washington HS, where he works now. She also enjoys playing and watching sports, and any kind of games... she is very competitive. She loves hanging out with friends and family. Her best gift has been her soon to be 1 year old grandson, Calvin. What made you want to become a counselor? "After a few years of teaching, I started working with at risk students and thoroughly enjoyed that opportunity. I ended up going back to school for my Masters in Counseling and have no regrets!" What do you love most about counseling? "I love counseling because every day is different. I get to meet the best students! I get to help problem solve, care for, advocate, listen, guide, support. I also get to work with some of the best faculty and staff - again, trying to help our students be the best they can be so when they fly the coup, they are ready for what is to come!" Thank you for all the you do this school and our students! We appreciate you so much! #WeareOne #WeareRoosevelt

A BIG happy retirement to our Custodial Manager, Dave Vandenberg! We can’t say enough about the incredible effort you’ve put in over all your time with our school. We all know you've been an incredible leader, and we wish you all the best as you embark on this new chapter in your life as you celebrate your retirement! We will miss seeing you every day, but we hope you feel the continuous love and happiness during your retirement. This place just won't be the same without you. Miss you already! #WeareOne #WeareRoosevelt

Teacher of the Year Nomination SPOTLIGHT: Mrs. Julia Blashack! Here is a little more information about Mrs.Blashack and all she does for RHS! I initially went to college for musical theatre performing arts; however, in New York I found my love of teaching. I have since taught preschool and K-12 theatre in various theatre companies. I found high school is where I can make the most impact, and I have never looked back. My favorite things about Roosevelt are the students I get to work with each day, and how we can truly showcase We are Roosevelt. We are one. Thank you for all that you do not only your students but also the RHS community! We are so honored to have you as part of our wonderful staff! Again, congratulations on being nominated! #WeareOne #WeareRoosevelt