District Dialogue

As we move into September and October, we are excited to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month—a time to honor the rich history, culture, and contributions of Hispanic and Latinx communities in the United States. This month is an opportunity to recognize the many ways Hispanic Americans have shaped our society, from literature and science to education and the arts. It’s also a time for us to embrace and celebrate the cultural richness our Hispanic students and families bring to our schools.

Thank you for your continued commitment to fostering inclusivity and respect in our classrooms. Together, we can create a welcoming environment for all students, helping them feel seen, heard, and celebrated. Let’s make this a month of learning, celebration, and connection!

National Suicide Prevention Month is a time to raise awareness about the critical issue of mental health and suicide prevention. Suicidal thoughts, much like mental health conditions, can affect anyone regardless of age, gender or background. Suicidal thoughts, although common, should not be considered normal and often indicate more serious issues. This month is a reminder that we all play a role in creating a culture of compassion, understanding, and openness. By recognizing the signs of distress and offering support, we can help make a difference in someone's life.

Resources are available to students, families, and staff members. Please take time to review the resources available in our district, including mental health professionals, counselors, and crisis support services. If you see a student or colleague who may be struggling, don't hesitate to reach out or direct them to these resources. Sometimes, just starting a conversation can be the first step toward healing.

Find resources from NAMI here: https://www.nami.org/get-involved/awareness-events/suicide-prevention-month/

Technology is the backbone of modern education, and we are fortunate to have a team of professionals who keep our systems running smoothly, ensuring that staff and students can teach, learn, and connect seamlessly every day. Our IT professionals work tirelessly behind the scenes to support everything from classroom technology and student devices to maintaining secure networks and troubleshooting the unexpected. Their commitment to excellence helps create a learning environment where innovation and growth can flourish. Thank you to our IT pros for your expertise, your problem-solving skills, and your dedication to keeping our district's technology infrastructure strong. Your efforts play a vital role in making our district a place where students and staff can succeed.

Attendance has been quite the talking point lately. Last year the Sioux Falls School District received a three-year grant to help combat chronic absenteeism. We are currently in the second year of that grant, and preliminary data show numbers moving in the right direction. A recent awareness campaign was launched to make sure the community knows how important it is for every student to show up for school everyday. At the same time, we're thanking District staff for Showing Up For Kids everyday and making a difference at the ground level in their communities. How fitting that September is National Attendance Awareness Month! For more information on why it's important for students to show up, see the new SFSD webpage with stats and figures from our partners at Click Rain Inc. and Lemonly. https://www.sf.k12.sd.us/o/sfsd/page/showupsf

National Merit Finalists have been announced, and the Sioux Falls School District is well represented! Each year, about 1.6 million students from around 22,000 high schools enter the National Merit Scholarship competition, and semifinalists represent the top 0.5 percent of the state's senior students.

This year's SFSD National Merit Semifinalists include:

Lincoln:

• Vanessa Ung
• Claire Meyerink
• Elyse Hutchinson
• Katya Surendran
• El Spencer
• Emma Terveen
• Andrew Dumansky
• Griffin Etrheim
• Jacob Pagone
• Hanna Basel
• Weston Shaw
• Aleksandros Ramirez

• Harold Mayer
• Jon (Charlie) Larsen

• Maya Sutton
• Aayush Mohapatra

• Kera Olson
• Lily Kamnikar
• Karli Heetland
• Laila Sumic

Congratulations to all these students on their outstanding academic achievement!

The Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation is requesting proposals for our 2024 Excellence in Education initiative, a program that awards grants to area teachers to help bring innovative classroom projects to life.

Classroom teachers from all grade levels in Lincoln, McCook, Minnehaha, and Turner counties are eligible to apply. This includes childcare providers from nonprofit centers and teachers at parochial, private, and public schools.

Apply online today! Applications are due by Saturday, Sept. 30, 2024.

There are 26 sections of students at Sonia Sotomayor elementary, and each one of them receives Physical Education. But that's not enough for Heather. She takes morning arrival duty, volunteers with lunch duty, teaches playground and recess expectations, fully plans and runs field days, serves on multiple leadership teams, takes on mentors, and otherwise daily builds relationships with students and families through a myriad of other extras.

Do you have a coworker or colleague who is constantly going above and beyond? Do you notice when somebody is going out of their way to make a student's day just a little bit brighter? Do you have a staff member who consistently brings their best, day in and day out? We want to hear about it! We know that amazing things happen every day in every building of the Sioux Falls School District, and we need your help to tell those stories. Follow the above info (or click the link below) to nominate a coworker to be recognized for their amazing dedication to the work of SFSD.

Last week was National Arts in Education Week! Superintendent Dr. Stavem sat down with Kathy Dang, who currently teaches art at Hawthorne Elementary, to discuss the important role the arts plays in a well-rounded education. Allison Struct with the Education Foundation was also part of the conversations, talking about a recent generous donation that will help give the arts in SFSD a boost. Have a listen!

Sports offer huge benefits to the girls involved: Leadership opportunities, scholarship possibilities, and self-development are just a few. But perhaps most important - it's FUN to participate and spend time with friends old and new! Learn about high school sports opportunities for girls in the Sioux Falls School District.

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!

Imagine Solutions Conference is a nationally known thought leader conference that brings world-class visionaries to share ideas on today's most relevant issues. The conference offers an impressive speaker lineup in topics, such as Science and Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Arts, Music and much more. We are excited to provide Sioux Falls School District teachers the opportunity to attend this year's conference virtually. Registered attendees will receive a link to the recorded videos.

During the past 14 years, the Imagine Solutions Conference (ISC) has brought together more than 550 world-class experts to learn, springboard, and leverage their capabilities to effectively address social issues. Their mantra, "a profound respect for learning" mirrors the heart and soul of teachers who "love to learn." The ISC Virtual Learning Program for the Sioux Falls School District was created out of these beliefs, allowing all teachers to participate for free.

All registered teachers qualify for 5 hours of professional development for registering and completing a brief survey after watching all of the videos.

Wondr Health is a free weight loss course available for SFSD employees and spouses on the medical plan. Applications are accepted 09/16/24 - 09/30/2024. And the program will begin 10/07/2024. More information at wondrhealth.com/SFSD and see below:

Wondr Stories Video

Wondr Blog SMART-ER

Wondr Personal Pizza Recipe

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.

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

September 18, 2024 | 7:00 PM (CT)

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.

September 25, 2024 | 7:00 PM (CT)

Register via Zoom

Political Anxiety

Political divisions and anxiety have recently impacted our world in a way many of us have never before experienced. Regardless of our political affiliation, there are ways to avoid this stress, and not be fearful of family gatherings turning confrontational over politics. This course offers participants the strategies to acknowledge our differences, identify the areas of our lives that we can control, and engage with each other in a respectful way that mitigates political anxiety.

October 9th, 2024 | 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm

Register Online!

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Suicide is a major public health concern and one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Knowing the warning sides for suicide and how to get help can help save lives.

If you know someone in crisis…

Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or text the Crisis Text Line (text HELLO to 741741). Both services are free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All calls are confidential. Contact social media outlets directly if you are concerned about someone’s social media updates, or dial 911 in an emergency.

Five steps you can take to help someone in emotional pain:

1. ASK – “Are you thinking about killing yourself?” It’s not an easy question, but studies show that asking at-risk individuals if they are suicidal does not increase suicides or suicidal thoughts.
2. KEEP THEM SAFE – Reducing a suicidal person’s access to highly lethal items or places is an important part of suicide prevention. While this is not always easy, asking if the at-risk person has a plan and removing or disabling the lethal means can make a difference.
3. BE THERE – Listen carefully and learn what the individual is thinking and feeling. Research suggests acknowledging and talking about suicide may in face reduce rather than increase suicidal thoughts.
4. HELP THEM CONNECT – Save the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number (1-800-273-TALK) and the Crisis Text Line (741741) in your phone so they’re there if you need them. You can also help make a connection with a trusted individual like a family member, friend, spiritual advisor, or mental health professional.
5. STAY CONNECTED – Staying in touch after a crisis or after being discharged from care can make a difference. Studies have shown the number of suicide deaths goes down when someone follows up with the at-risk person.

Adapted from National Institute of Mental Health