District Dialogue

February 5-9, 2024, is National School Counseling Week! School counselors play a vital role in the lives of students 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 everyday, 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!

Air Madness, SF STORM, and LEVO are teaming up over President's Break to support Operation Hope & Caring - a fund that levels the playing field for SFSD students! See you Tuesday, February 20, 2024!

For the past several years, Levo and the Sioux Falls STORM have teamed up for Operation Hope & Caring – a fundraiser to level the playing field for all schools and students, especially those without PTAs/PTOs. As a new twist, we are adding a tshirt to the many options staff have to support this important partnership. Please see the link below to purchase your shirt (and more for your friends and family)! Consider how you can support these schools TODAY!

How cool is this!? 100% of the proceeds from LEVO's Perky Coffee will go to Operation Hope and Caring, which has a direct impact on our schools. Click the button below to get your bag today!

Saturday, February 10th is the 17th annual Wiener Dog Night for the Sioux Falls Stampede! Through an exclusive special, tickets are only $21 for gold level seats, $16 for blue level seats and $13 for gray level seats. Upper-level tickets are just $5 if you follow this link:

https://fevo-enterprise.com/event/wdndtofeb10

There will, of course, be some exciting wiener dog races, along with lots of other fun activities, and it all goes toward supporting the Dakota Dachshund Rescue.

Sometimes all it takes for a student to make the leap into something new is some encouragement from a teacher (or counselor, or adult they look up to). The thawing snow has shown us a glimpse of warmer times to come, and students will soon start to think about what fall sports they want to sign up for. If you know a student who would benefit from all the opportunities provided through the SFSD sports and activities program, please give them that extra little nudge they need to make the leap towards future self improvement!

The Lincoln High School wrestling team features six seniors this year, all of whom are exceptional in the classroom, on the mat, and far beyond. Four of them have been wrestling together since 7th grade, which means there are tight bonds that overcome inevitable injuries, setbacks, and frustrations in the sport or in life. Trailblazers, leaders, teammates and friends... learn why these Patriots shine.

SHINE stands for Scholarship, Honors, Innovation, Networking and Exceptionalism. We’re looking for stories we can tell about high school seniors, any-age students, staff (yes, you can and should absolutely fill out this form for yourself!), projects and programs. Have a new partnership that is benefitting the classroom? Win a grant you think the world should know about? Get nominated for or receive a state-wide, regional or national honor? Know a senior stand-out on a team, in the fine arts arena, or in the classroom? How about younger students who are leading by example, making giving to charity a priority, or are making the most of a bad situation? Should a program or portion of your school be highlighted? What about some current projects: experiments, field trips, new collaborative lessons?

Send your suggestions today, and keep this in mind for the days, weeks and months ahead!

Hilary Konstant is the school psychologist at Eugene Field A+ Elementary, and she is one of this week's SFSD All Starts! She was nominated by her colleague Kelsey Alberty, who had this to say, "Hilary is a team player. She cares deeply about meeting the needs of students. Hilary is diligent in seeking out information to understand students in order to identify supports needed and make a plan. She can often be found conversing with staff about student strengths and next steps for support. Hilary participates in our SST (formerly SAT) meetings for all grade levels at EFA+. Her presence has been a game changer in supporting students and staff. Hilary seeks to understand both students and our curriculum expectations in order to have the big picture when looking at data and next steps for interventions. She is an integral part of our team at EFA+."

Two All Stars in one week! It's a testament to all the amazing people we have who make SFSD such a wonderful place! Courtney Dummer 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!

The Sandwich Generation: The Ultimate Balancing Act - February 14th, 2024 from 12:30pm to 1:30pm

Caring for an elder is an enormous challenge by itself; combining elder care with care of children or adolescents and attempting to balance the demands of a career can seem overwhelming to even the most organized individual. In this session we will focus on establishing balance, recognizing negative emotions, adhering to priorities, and reducing stress

Eating Right for Life - March 13, 2024 from 12:30pm to 1:30pm

If donuts for breakfast, candy bars for lunch, and constantly making impulse decisions while eating on the run sounds familiar, then this is the class for you! Participants in this seminar will learn the benefits of nutrition, including the importance of making informed food choices to develop and maintain sound eating habits. Expect to leave this interactive session understanding what your body needs for optimal health and the key nutritional guidelines to follow.

The South Dakota Retirement System (SDRS) has created Retire Ready, a new virtual format for group presentations. The SDRS Retire Ready series will consist of four short presentations, all designed to increase your financial awareness and help you prepare for retirement. All SDRS members, at any stage of their career, will benefit from the information provided. These 45-60 minute presentations are held via ZOOM every Wednesday on a rotating-basis.

SDRS 101: Take a more detailed look at the system and its benefits, including how retirement benefits are calculated, understanding your annual Personal Benefits Statement, availability of survivor and disability benefits, and more.

• February 7, 2024 - 4:00 PM CT/3:00 PM MT – Register via ZOOM

• March 6, 2024 - 7:00 PM CT/6:00 PM MT – Register via ZOOM

SDRS-SRP & SPP: Retirement is expensive and additional personal savings will be key to having a financially successful retirement. Learn more about how the SDRS Supplemental Retirement Plan (SRP) and SDRS Special Pay Plan (SPP) can help you save more for your retirement.

• February 14, 2024 - 4:00 PM CT/3:00 PM MT – Register via ZOOM

• March 13, 2024 - 7:00 PM CT/6:00 PM MT – Register via ZOOM

Steps to Financial Success: Build on your budgeting and savings skills and take charge of your finances to be more prepared for retirement

• February 21, 2024 - 4:00 PM CT/3:00 PM MT – Register via ZOOM

• March 20, 2024 - 7:00 PM CT/6:00 PM MT – Register via ZOOM

Q&A Session: Ask your questions and get answers from SDRS staff. Every session will have unique questions from our members, so feel free to tune in often.

• February 28, 2024 - 4:00 PM CT/3:00 PM MT – Register via ZOOM

• March 27, 2024 - 7:00 PM CT/6:00 PM MT – Register via ZOOM

SDRS Lunch and Learn

Grab your lunch and join us to learn more about SDRS, your benefits, ask questions, and more! Held on the second Tuesday of each month.

• February 13, 2024 - 1:10 PM CT/12:10 PM MT – Register via ZOOM

• March 12, 2024 - 12:10 PM CT/11:10 AM MT – Register via ZOOM

District Staff participating in the Wellness Program have deadlines fast approaching. In order to earn the Wellness Credit for the 2024-25 school year, all Wellness Program requirements need to be completed by March 1, 2024.

The three requirements for earning the Wellness Credit for 2024-25 are listed below:

1. Complete the Personal Health Assessment in the Uprise Health Wellness Portal
2. Schedule a wellness visit with your doctor and submit a completed Preventative Care Form.
3. Complete ONE Wellness Program Activity:

• Participate in the Wondr Health Program
• Participate in a Fitness Challenge
• Complete 3 Digital Health Workshops
• Complete 3 sessions with a Health Coach

If you have not already scheduled your wellness physical with your doctor, call your doctor’s office now to get scheduled before the March 1st deadline!

For assistance or questions, please email benefits.sfsd@k12.sd.us

Join us on Tuesday, April 9th at the 63rd annual recognition banquet as we celebrate our retirees and employees with 25 years of service! Tickets will go on sale to the public on Monday, February 12th - more details to come!

HyVee will be extending their employee discount to SFSD for the month of February! Enjoy a 10% grocery discount once per week every week during the month!

Check out this flyer to learn more: Sioux Falls School District – HyVee Discount

February is National Heart Month. Now is the perfect time to learn about your risk for heart disease and what you can do to help your heart.

4 Habits for a Healthy Heart

• Keep cholesterol in check

• Several practices can help lower your LDL cholesterol and triglycerides while improving HDL (the good cholesterol), including: physical activity, limiting sugar and alcohol, and Mediterranean eating patterns.

• Be mindful of your blood pressure and sodium intake
• Lowering your salt intake can keep your blood pressure healthy.
  
• Watch waist circumference
• A high waist circumference is strongly associated with heart disease, stroke, and diabetes risk. Guidelines recommend less than 40 inches for men and less than 35 for women. But what’s most important is that every inch lost lowers your heart risk.
  
• Be savvy about symptoms
• Beyond chest pain, be aware of these other heart attack symptoms (most commonly experienced by women): weakness, faintness, or shortness of breath; nausea or vomiting; back, stomach, shoulder, or jaw pain. If you have these symptoms, DON’T wait-seek medical attention right away.
  

Did you know this Heart Health Fact? Our Wellmark Health Plan makes certain Tier 1 cardiovascular drugs, Tier 1 and Tier 2 diabetes drugs, and diabetic supplies FREE to covered members. Learn more by contacting Wellmark, then, talk to your doctor. www.wellmark.com or 1-800-774-0384.

Don’t Forget! The Wellness Program offers telephonic health coaching to District employees on the medical insurance. Health coaching will help you get inspired and engaged toward a life-changing journey for your health and well-being.

To connect with a personal certified health coach, call 855-888-2145 and schedule an appointment.

Adapted from Wondr