Sioux Falls School District - Educate and prepare each student to succeed in a changing world

There's only one week left of Everybody Reads! Spring has truly sprung in schools across SFSD as they fill up with raindrops to represent each book read. Here are some displays at Washington High School, Patrick Henery Middle School, Terry Redlin, Susan B. Anthony, and Cleveland Elementary. Right now we're at about 125,000 books read! We're hoping to hit our goal of 300,000 books by next Friday, so grab a book this weekend and join in the fun!

Happening TONIGHT (and tomorrow)! The 10th Annual State Visual Art Competition and Gallery. Expect to see a wide range of artistic mediums, styles, and techniques as students unleash their imaginations and showcase their artistic abilities.

Reminder that there is NO SCHOOL tomorrow (3/15/24) for a compensatory day. Enjoy the long weekend!

TEDx Sioux Falls Youth is just over a week away! Students are busy putting the finishing touches on their "ideas worth spreading," and getting ready for the stage at Jefferson High School on Saturday, March 23rd at 7:00 PM. Scan for tickets and info, or go here: https://www.jhs.sf.k12.sd.us/o/jhs/page/fine-arts

For the second year, Oceti Sakowin Owauspe students at Whittier MS are making traditional Native American adornments. Ribbon skirts, ribbon shirts, and medallions; it's a way for them to honor and connect with their cultures. They plan to wear them for special events, like their 8th grade honoring ceremony coming up in May.

Through a combination of expertise in the Boys Town model and PBIS, a background in special education, a drive for excellence, clear expectations, goal-setting, compassionate thoughtfulness, and thorough school-home communication, Jennifer Aerts is a champion for her students and her school. Learn why MULTIPLE people at Horace Mann nominated her to be recognized this year, and why we're proud to do it. https://youtu.be/ZeIEXg_9DhQ

Middle school is a pivotal time for exploration and discovery, especially when it comes to career paths. 8th-grade girls from across SFSD recently spent the day at CTE Academy for the Pizza Pop and Powertools program, an event aimed at introducing these young women to a career in trade skills and construction. Students also met with women leaders in these industries, showing that there is no limit to their future possibilities!

We are officially TWO WEEKS away from the 2nd annual TEDx Youth Sioux Falls Event! The lineup is set, and students are diligently practicing to deliver their "ideas worth spreading." Get your tickets here! https://www.sf.k12.sd.us/page/tedx-youth

We are officially one week into #EverybodyReads and our schools are starting to overflow with raindrops! Every school chooses how to create their displays, and we love seeing all the creativity! Here we see displays at Oscar Howe, John Harris, Garfield, and Lowell Elementary. Between SFSD and Siouxland Libraries, our official book counter is currently at 54,474! Grab a book this weekend and join in the fun!

Check out the latest episode of Teacher Talk presented by South Dakota Public Broadcasting! This week's topic is new and exciting programs aimed at ushering in the next generation of future teachers. Often referred to as "Grow Your Own" initiatives, these programs allow prospective future teachers to learn about the profession even before they begin to pursue a formal college degree. Tune in on Spotify or Apple podcasts at "Spotlight: Conversations from the Sioux Falls School District" or right here on our YouTube page! https://youtu.be/wjbmQq-CjOc

Thank you to everybody who came out to one of our CLC Health and Wellness fairs over the last few weeks! And thank you to all the vendors who helped spread valuable information to the community. These are just some of the first events the CLC has held, so be sure to keep an eye out for more to come in the future!

🎉 Our week of celebrating the joys of reading continues across SFSD! 📚 Between Read Across America Week and #EverybodyReads, students everywhere are fully in the land of literature. 📖 Members of the Jefferson Cavaliers basketball team 🏀 took time yesterday to read to elementary students at Hayward Elementary. Another great example of the age-old adage: Readers are Leaders! ALSO! As of the time of this post, our total number of books read for #EverybodyReads is at 36,564! That's between SFSD and our friends at Siouxland Libraries, so no matter your age, be sure to pick up a book and join the fun! Keep up with our book counter here! https://www.sf.k12.sd.us/page/everybody-reads

The LAST Health & Wellness fair of the year is happening TONIGHT at Susan B. Anthony from 4:30-7:00 PM. It's open to the public and will feature over 60 vendors, activities for all ages, learning sessions, and over $1,000 in great prizes. See you there!

This week's SFSD All-Star is Hanna Summers at Horace Mann Elementary! She was nominated by her colleague Jennifer Aerts, who had this to say, "She goes above and beyond to help her class. Coming back from maternity leave she jumped in like she never left. Differentiating instruction to meet the academic and social needs of all her students. Each having a large caseload for IEP and being at all different levels in support. She helps where she can without hesitation. She is on leadership team and always has amazing input and help to push Horace Mann to be an amazing place for both staff and students alike!" Thank you for being a shinning light in SFSD, Hannah!

🌻 March is the month to read! 📚 We've officially started our three-week 📗 Everybody Reads 📖 campaign with Siouxland Libraries, and we are in the midst of 📕 Read Across America 🇺🇸 week! Students throughout SFSD are celebrating Read Across America with a variety of events, but most importantly, READING! Be on the lookout for photos of our libraries filling up with paper raindrops 💧 to highlight our theme: 🌦️Rain or Shine, Everybody Reads! 🌈

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. https://youtu.be/LItUMMYZ8GY

In December, Sandy Lown with the Teddy Bear Den visited 5th graders at Sonia Sotomayor to talk about their mission and receive blankets from Project Warm-Up. Students asked how they could help the Teddy Bear Den and the reply was “diapers! We’re always in need of diapers!” So. Lobos Leaders organized a diaper drive with a goal of collecting 5,000 diapers in the month of February. On Friday, Sandy came to pick up the donation….of over 33,000 diapers! Mayor Paul TenHaken was on hand to congratulate students and celebrate the importance of kindness. Way to go Lobos!

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sioux Falls (Habitat) recently celebrated the dedication of two homes built in partnership with the Sioux Falls Career & Technical Education Academy (CTE) and Southeast Technical College (STC) during the 2022-23 school year. This is what we would call a win-win-win scenario: students learn and gain valuable experiences, collaborative partnerships are made and strengthened, and housing needs are bolstered in the community. Project Warm-Up was even on hand to give deliver some cozy housewarming gifts! Congratulations to all!

As we wrap up Public Schools Week, it's important to pause and reflect on what happens inside SFSD schools every day. Our schools are places of exploration and discovery, where students find their strengths and interests, making lifelong friendships and connections. In addition to academic learning, students gain important social skills, emotional intelligence, and build skillsets to last them long beyond graduation day. When we strengthen collaborations between schools, families, and communities, students are set up to achieve the highest possible outcomes. #PSW24 #PublicSchoolsWeek

It's more than just arguing. High school debate is a great way for students to use their voice and join a community. Washington High School head debate coach Angelica Mercado-Ford credits debate with helping her find her voice in high school, and she is now leading the next generation of speakers to follow their passions. Listen in as students share what debate means to them, and why it helps them find direction and meaning. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or here! https://youtu.be/YgtxBB78T5g