The Power of Partnership is highlighted, once again, to help SFSD families get connected to affordable internet. The SF Area Community Foundation is investing $50,000 to enroll households in the Affordable Connectivity Program (AFP). SD Voices for Peace leads the effort.
Voices for Peace is working with SFSD schools to inform families of this program. An enrollment specialist will continue to meet families during school events like parent-teacher conferences, success nights, etc. Eligible families should enroll today! GetInternet.gov
Calling all income eligible SFSD children who will be 4-yrs-old by September 1, 2023! We're recruiting students for FREE preschool with an event on July 5 or 6, 8am-4pm, at the SFSD Learning Lab on the Southeast Tech Campus - 2205 N. Career Ave. Tell your neighbors and friends!
What's for breakfast? What's for lunch? All students can eat FREE this summer by visiting one of our Summer Meal Sites. Check the schedule to find out where and when meals are available in your area!
LAST CHANCE for a Whittier Middle School Yearbook. We still have a limited number of yearbooks for sale in the Whittier main office from Tuesday, May 30 - Friday, June 2. Yearbooks are $15 each. Get yours before they're gone!
We want YOU here!
The Sioux Falls School District is looking to fill their Custodian, Clerical, and American Sign Language Interpreter/Tutor roles. Visit the links below to learn more about each position and apply!
🧹Custodian: https://sf.tedk12.com/hire/ViewJob.aspx?JobID=3836
💻Clerical: https://sf.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx?jcat=clerical
👋American Sign Language Interpreter/Tutor: https://sf.tedk12.com/hire/ViewJob.aspx?JobID=5525
On Monday evening, SFSD held an honoring ceremony for its Native American students who are graduating from 8th grade and from High School. This is an important way to recognize these students in a way that is culturally significant and tied in with their communities. Congratulations on graduation! View more photos here:
https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAE3w8
Your preteen is navigating their first summer without childcare. Older siblings are caring for younger siblings at home and meal preparation is a little too much responsibility. You’ve hired a teenage companion to take your kids to the parks, camps, and activities but this means funds are tight for food.
These are all real scenarios playing out in homes and apartments across Sioux Falls. That’s why the Sioux Falls School District is proud to, once again, offer free breakfasts and lunches to all children, ages 1-18 during June and July 2023.
Using meal counts from previous summers, the Office of Child Nutrition established a schedule for breakfast to be offered at eight schools on Tuesdays through Thursdays. Lunch will be served Mondays through Thursdays at six locations and Monday through Friday at two locations. The schedule will be emailed to SFSD families and will be posted on the District’s website: sf.k12.sd.us. No income eligibility paperwork is required..
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: https://www.usda.gov/oascr/filing-program-discrimination-complaint-usda-customer, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
(2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or
(3) email: program.intake@usda.gov
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Attention SFSD parents of 6th-9th graders! Registration is now open for CTE Academy Summer Career Camps! These camps take place June through July and have a little something for everyone. If you're looking for a fun way to spend some time this summer, and possibly show your child a future career path, you can register here now!
https://www.ctecareercamps.com/
This morning all SFSD 8th graders got to spend the morning watching their peers deliver moving, original pieces of poetry at the 2023 SFSD 8th Grade Poetry Slam. 18 fearless students took to the stage to share their stories. Congratulations to all of our amazing poets for making your voices heard! Check out photos from the event here:
https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjADcMJ
We have become aware of a scam circulating that appears as if SFSD Child Nutrition Coordinator Gay Anderson is asking people to go out and purchase large dollar amounts of gift cards. Gay has NOT sent out a text or an email. Her communication devices appear to have been hacked. Please delete any communication and do not follow through with the request. We apologize for this inconvenience.
We are proud to announce the Sioux Falls School District has been named a #BestCommunitiesforMusicEducation from @nammfoundation for its outstanding commitment to music education! Congratulations to our music educators, our talented students, and our community for your support!
8th grade girls who are part of the Native American Connections class at Whittier Middle School have been working on making their own traditional ribbon skirts. With a donation from SDSU to purchase materials, they've been working in the library to fit, cut, and sew their garments. Some of the student's moms have come in to volunteer as well. This project gives indigenous students an opportunity to practice an aspect of Native American tradition together and connect with cultural ideas.
The stats are troubling-47% of SFSD students qualify for free/reduced lunches. Their family's income is not enough to make ends meet. That makes it difficult to support school fundraisers. Operation Hope & Caring helps! Get your tickets to the SF STORM game to support schools!
Does your child have conflict resolution skills to solve everyday problems? Join us Tues, April 18 at 6pm to hear from SFSD & Avera Behavioral Health in this month's Family Forum Series segment. Watch for the link in your email. It's practical advice to strengthen families.
Strike up the band! During a surprise announcement tonight, the Lincoln High School Marching Band learned it has been selected as one of only ten marching bands to participate in the 2024 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in NYC! Congrats to LHS!
#MacysParade
The School Board has voted to move the last day of student classes to Friday, May 26, 2023 - requiring students to make up two of the five days missed due to weather. Staff will report through Friday, June 2, 2023.
The deadline is quickly approaching for a summer of learning and fun! Discover at least ten career paths. Three full days on a college campus. Countless opportunities to make friends, have fun and explore your future. South Dakota 7th and 8th graders are invited to apply to attend free Career Explorations Camps, hosted this summer at BHSU, DSU, NSU, SDSU and USD. Apply today and shape your student’s tomorrow https://ourdakotadreams.com/elementary-middle-
school/career-exploration-summer-camps/.
It’s day 2 of the South Dakota Week of Work!
Throughout the week we’re introducing you to some of the programs and events used by the SFSD to get students excited about their future career opportunities. Yesterday we checked in on Career Cafe, an event that exposes 5th graders to a variety of professions to help them start thinking about career paths.
Today we’d like to highlight a program for 8th grade girls that helps build their confidence and introduce them to strong female leaders in the community. Power Lunch is a brand new program at Whittier Middle School that is already making a big impact on the lives of students. Natalie Eisenberg (CEO of Click Rain Inc.) and Margaret Carmody (former executive at Raven Industries) spearheaded the event and act as the program’s main speakers and coordinators.
Once a month, the group of 15 female students meets with Eisenberg and Carmody to discuss topics like finding your own inner strengths, overcoming obstacles, setting goals, and carving out paths to achieve them. A guest speaker is featured at the meetings, and at the session highlighted here that speaker was Chantelle Duncan, owner of 605 Vixen. She spoke to the group of girls about business ownership, how she overcame her struggles to find success and following your passion.
Programs like Power Lunch are an excellent way to connect students directly with leaders in the community; they learn how to network and build the skills and relationships necessary to start their own journeys towards future success. See the video attached to learn more about how Power Lunch is making a positive impact on SFSD students!
https://youtu.be/gO7aW5yOBXc
Grief and Loss are the topics of this month's Family Forum Series - an online program to strengthen families with a partnership between SFSD and Avera Behavioral Health. Watch for the link Tuesday at 6pm or join us at sf.k12.sd.us. Click Students & Families, then Counseling.
The Sioux Falls School District is excited to partner with Siouxland Libraries again for Everybody Reads! From March 13-31, students, staff, parents, and community members are being encouraged to track how many books they read. The goal is to create a community of readers ages 0 –100! Starting March 13, you will see a rocket, astronaut and a galaxy begin to appear in the library. For the next three weeks, a new star will appear in the galaxy when a book is read. Once your student(s) completes a book, they will receive a star to add to the galaxy. We look forward to a bright galaxy with billions and billions of stars!
Wondering how you can get involved as a parent? Encourage your student to read at home! As mentioned, this is a community-wide reading initiative. Anytime YOU finish a book throughout the month of March, we would encourage you to stop by your local library.
Ready, Set, READ!
