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.

Architecture Incorporated established an annual grant program to award multiple worthy K-12 educators with a total of $5,000 in funding to help their students thrive and succeed. They are seeking out-of-the-box ideas of all sizes to address teachers' challenges and encourage ingenuity in education. The grant was named to align with their core values of Creative Solutions and Proven Service.

To be eligible, you must be a teacher in the state of South Dakota or within 100 miles of Sioux Falls or Rapid City. Grant applications can be for any amount up to $5,000, but the money should be used for this school year. Grant materials can be used in a classroom, across a grade level, throughout a building, or district-wide, but cannot be for food.

In an effort to remove any bias, the applicant's name and school district will be excluded prior to judging. The grant applications will be judged on the following criteria:

• Clearly and concisely written
• Enhances curriculum or teaching standards
• The need/rationale is explained
• There are clearly defined outcomes/benefits
• The requested grant funds are specified and supported
• It will have a positive impact on the community
• If there other funding avenues available

Applications will be accepted through Friday, September 13, 2024, and recipients will be awarded in the fall.

This week's SFSD All-Star is Stef Sage at Lincoln High School! She was nominated by her colleague Emily Koo, who had this to say, "I wholeheartedly nominate Stef Sage for the Staff Stars award. Her extraordinary ability to connect with students and families has a profound impact on our school community. Stef goes above and beyond to ensure students are prepared for success, from facilitating attendance to navigating complex paperwork like annual update forms, lunch applications, and medical update forms (dental and vaccines). She recently hosted an annual update event last Sunday, August 4th and despite the event "finishing" at 6, she stayed until after 8 assisting families. She is constantly over in hours because of all the extra work that needs to be done to make sure families get the assistance they need to start their students off on the right foot, especially at the high school level with the utmost importance placed on helping students meet cohort graduation deadlines by ensuring any transfer transcripts get sent to the registrar, and instilling the importance of good attendance in each family.

In addition, Stef has an innate ability to build deep, lasting connections with the families on her caseload. Many students affectionately refer to her as their "school mom," a testament to the genuine care and support she provides. Stef possesses a unique talent for connecting with students on a personal level, fostering open communication and trust."

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.

Artificial Intelligence is playing a bigger role in more areas of our lives, including education! This can be a helpful tool, but it has to be used correctly. AI Update will be here to offer useful tips and tricks so you can get the most out of all the AI tools available to you.

Click the link below to go directly to the newsletter page. Click the button below to request more information on AI resources.

Please consider dropping a note to thank our sponsors for the “I Show Up For Kids” t shirts provided to reinforce this year’s theme. Architecture Incorporated has generously sponsored t shirts for staff since 2006. That’s a stellar commitment from a community partner – especially recently. As a consumer, you know prices have increased dramatically on some items. Cotton is one of them, so they enlisted the help of other contractors to divide the cost. Please don’t overlook their generosity.

Architecture Incorporated

Attn: Holly Haberman

415 S Main Ave.

Sioux Falls, SD 57104

Sayre Associates, Inc.

216 S. Duluth Ave.

Sioux Falls, SD 57104

Associated Consulting Engineering, Inc.

340 S. Phillips Ave.

Sioux Falls, SD 57104

Structural Engineering Associates, Inc.

401 E. 8th St., Suite 201
Sioux Falls, SD 57103

Please find time to thank these folks who are not obligated… but who willingly partner with SFSD because they appreciate you!

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.

A new coach but a TON of veteran members combine for new opportunities this year at Lincoln High School. The foundations of this activity are trust, mutual support, and effort - everything falls into place after that. For many of these girls, cheer has been a major part of their lives, and it will continue to be... but the relationships that they've built through this sport are core to their being.

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.

This week's SFSD Savings Marketplace deal comes from Home Chef. Home Chef offers easy-to-follow recipes and pre-portioned ingredients delivered to your door. Through this exclusive deal you can receive 50% your first 4 boxes.

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.

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.

September 4, 2024 | 7:00 PM (CT)

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.

September 11, 2024 | 7:00 PM (CT)

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.

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

Mind over Money

This session is designed to provide participants with the information and tools to better understand how their thoughts impact their financial behaviors. This interactive class will ask participants to examine and share personal history with money and how money impacts our emotions. Together, we will discuss healthy and unhealthy attitudes about money, as well as best practices in making rational financial decisions.

September 11th, 2024 | 12:30pm to 1:30pm

Register Online!

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