District Dialogue

Four years ago, when developing the District Priorities that guide our work in the areas of Academic Achievement, Well-being, Community Engagement, Staff Excellence, and the Effective Use of Resources… another concept was borne out of that work.

It’s called The SFSD Experience and we defined it as the “intangible gift of a quality public school education” where – from the first contact to the last – we will strive to exceed expectations with all with whom we come in contact.

We have been living that work for years but are putting special emphasis on it this year. We trained Clerical and on-staff Specialists on The SFSD Experience with professional learning in early August. We featured the special relationships between Child Nutrition’s Lonny Meno and his young friend Michael.

Throughout the year, we will continue to highlight the special people, the special moments, and the special students who make The SFSD Experience more than an exception – rather an expectation.

The initial fall enrollment report shows enrollment numbers are down slightly compared to the 2023-2024 school year. As of the end of the day of the fourth day of school, there are 24,335 students enrolled in the Sioux Falls School District K-12th grade which is

71 less than the initial count for the 23-24 School Year.

Click below to view the full report.

Whether you are a student, educator, parent, or principal, you can find a way to celebrate the arts in education during National Arts in Education Week.

The arts are an essential part of a complete education, no matter if it happens in the home, school, or community. Students of all ages—from kindergarten to college to creative aging programs—benefit from artistic learning, innovative thinking, and creativity. Celebrating National Arts in Education Week is a way to recognize this impact and share the message with friends, family, and communities.

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.

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.

Members of the School Board were presented with updates on the progress of Marcella LeBeau Elementary at a work session on September 4, 2024. Updates included where the project currently stands, a timeline of construction progress, and information on how the building will proceed with staffing. In this bird's eye view of construction from a few weeks ago, you can see crews making steady progress at the site in northwestern Sioux Falls, with some bonus footage of the progress being made to the Boys & Girls Club expansion at George McGovern Middle School. Exciting things on the horizon for this corner of SFSD!

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.

The fall season is right around the corner.

Whether you're planning a trip with the family or getting back into your routine, Working Advantage has got you covered. September marks the start of a new school year, so enjoy savings on everything to get a head start.

September 25th marks National Women's Health and Fitness Day! We've got offers on fitness, nutrition, and well-being to celebrate all month long and beyond.

Get a head start on October with spooky savings!

It’s cost-free and easy to enroll. Just visit https://sf.savings.workingadvantage.com to register and begin saving!

Enjoy!

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-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