District Dialogue

The Sioux Falls Public Schools Education Foundation is currently accepting Public School Proud Grant proposals. Applications are due Monday, December 2nd at 12 p.m. Any teacher in the Sioux Falls School District can apply for up to $10,000 to purchase materials that will give students hands-on, immersive opportunities. We awarded $120,000 in funding in 2024, and we expect to award a record number of grants in 2025. In the past, the Education Foundation has funded grants for 3D printers, programmable robots, art supplies, social emotional learning materials, aero gardens, specialized PE and music materials for students with limited mobility, task boxes, musical instruments, STEM kits, podcasting equipment, math manipulatives, cybersecurity software, automotive technology tools, flight simulators, cardio drumming equipment, job skills training materials, literacy kits, health science simulation mannequins, and more.

To submit your application, please download the attachment below and complete. Send the completed form as a Word document to Allison.Struck@k12.sd.us

In honor of Native American Day, there will be no school next Monday, October 14th. We encourage you to join us at the 7th Annual Native American Day Parade, which starts at 11 am on 13th Street & Phillips Ave.

Tuesday, October 15th is an inservice day. Classes will resume as normal Wednesday, October 11th.

In only her 3rd year of teaching, Kylie is already a mentor in the building, is constantly volunteering for roles, and is in a perpetual state of self-improvement. Inside and outside the classroom, she is all about learning, development, and care. She has a BIG class of 2nd graders, but every one of them know they are cared for. Kylie approaches each day as a new challenge and a brand new start for students. She is a master at providing feedback to students that helps them to identify what they need to work on instructionally or behaviorally. Thank you, Kylie, for always going above and beyond, and for being an All-Star!

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. Recognize a coworker for their amazing dedication to the work of SFSD.

Need to get Halloween-ready? We've got you covered with scary good prices on all your spooky essentials. And with the holidays approaching fast, why not start planning now? Whether it's a dream vacation or the perfect gifts for loved ones, we offer unbeatable savings to make this holiday season the best one yet.

Enrolling is quick, easy and free! Just visit https://sf.savings.workingadvantage.com to start saving today!

An effort to improve attendance has become a hugely popular addition to the school day for many students at Terry Redlin Elementary. Students who don't even live in the area are getting dropped off to join in the walk, and some are beginning to hold each other accountable for attendance. Thank you, Terry Redlin staff, for bringing the motto "I Show Up For Kids" to life in new ways!

In addition to the Terry Redlin Walking School Bus, this week's SHINE feature highlights the Terry Redlin Color Run! Principal Dobberpuhl challenged students to receive 6,000 SOAR slips, and the students blew that goal out of the water (by about 10,000 EXTRA slips!). This PBIS initiative is making a big difference in the school, and these students earned a well-deserved celebration!

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?

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.

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 - SRP 101 | October 9th, 2024 from 10:00am to 11:00am

Retirement is expensive, and additional personal savings will be vital to having a financially successful retirement. You can learn more about how the SDRS-SRP can help you save for retirement to achieve your financial goals. Information will also be presented on the SDRS Special Pay Plan (SPP), an additional personal savings program funded by an employee’s termination pay.

Click HERE to register!

SDRS Financial Literacy | October 16th, 2024 from 10:00am to 11:00am

Build on your budgeting and savings skills and increase your awareness of the many challenges we encounter during our careers and into retirement. Be empowered to take charge of your finances and be more prepared for retirement.

Click HERE to register!

SDRS & SDRS-SRP Q & A | October 23rd, 2024 from 10:00am to 11:00am

Don’t take your co-worker’s word or office water cooler talk as truth. This Q&A session is a fantastic opportunity to ask your questions and get answers directly from SDRS staff who know the system and its benefits inside and out! Every session will have unique questions from our members.

Click HERE to register!

SandCreek, our Employee Assistance Program, is free, confidential, and available to ALL Sioux Falls School District employees and their family members. As a part of their extensive list of offerings, SandCreek offers FREE monthly webinars that cover a variety of topics. VBelow are a couple upcoming ones!

To register for a SandCreek account, visit www.SandCreekEAP.com and click the “Sign Up” link just below the Log In button. Enter siouxfalls as your company code and complete the signup process! A confirmation email will be sent to complete the registration.

Political Anxiety

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

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.

Register Online!

Holiday Survival Guide

Wednesday, November 13th, 2024 | 12:30pm to 1:30pm

For many, the holiday season is a wonderful time for celebration, family gatherings and joyful memories. For others, it's a time of sadness and, possibly, a feeling of being overwhelmed. In this seminar, participants examine sources of holiday stress and learn strategies for coping and managing their emotions, time, relationships and finances. Participants will also share ideas for organizing holiday tasks, managing holiday demands, and explore the role of holiday traditions in our lives.

Register Online!

Click HERE to view the notice.

*This notice applies to you or your covered family members who are or become eligible for Medicare prescription drug coverage. If this notice does not apply to you, you can disregard it.

Please read this notice carefully and keep it where you can find it. This notice has information about your current prescription drug coverage with Sioux Falls School District and about your options under Medicare’s prescription drug coverage. This information can help you decide whether or not you want to join a Medicare drug plan. If you are considering joining, you should compare your current coverage, including which drugs are covered at what cost, with the coverage and costs of the plans offering Medicare prescription drug coverage in your area. Information about where you can get help to make decisions about your prescription drug coverage is at the end of this notice.

Questions? Email benefits.sfsd@k12.sd.us

Thursday, October 10th is World Mental Health Day. The overall objective of this day is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to organize efforts in support of mental health. World Mental Health Day is not only about advocating for others, but it also provides an opportunity for YOU to check in on your own mental health. Close to one billion people have a mental disorder and anyone, anywhere can be affected. Some of the most common mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety, can be treated with therapy/counseling, medication, or a combination of these.

The Sioux Falls School District works to provide services to all employees and their dependents for mental, neurological, and substance use disorders through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) - Sand Creek Workplace Wellness. Sand Creek EAP has licensed counselors who can support you and/or your household members through difficult times with 24/7 crisis intervention and counseling sessions (up to four sessions of free service per topic).

Get registered today at www.sandcreekeap.com with the company code: Sioux Falls.