District Dialogue

We have another round of t-shirts for staff to start out the 2023-24 school year! To make things flow quickly and easily, we will have a pickup event where you can simply cruise by IPC and grab your SFSD shirt, drive-through style.

On Tuesday, August 22nd, staff will be outside ready to hand out t-shirts from 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM.

Please enter the lane between IPC and Robert Frost from the north side and continue to the southern-most available station. See the attached map for instructions.

If you pick up a shirt for a coworker, please communicate/coordinate with them so we have enough shirts for everybody who wants one. (Please note that you are not required to take one).

If you can't make it on August 22nd, t-shirts will be available at IPC for one week after that date.

Principals/Clerical:

If you choose to make one large order for all the staff in your building, please communicate with them accordingly, so as not to double up. You will receive an order form via email where you can order specific numbers of sizes for your staff. Please fill this out before August 22nd, so we can have your order ready for a quick pickup on that date.

Each passing week of August brings us a little bit closer to the upcoming first day of school! As you begin to get things ready for the 2023-24 school year, please consult this Back To School Bulletin for a list of important dates and trainings to remember. We look forward to seeing you soon!

The fine folks at REACH Literacy have extended a wonderful opportunity to acquire some books for your classroom. What a great way to kick off the 2023-23 school year!

REACH Literacy is located at:

2101 W 41st St.

Suite 23

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.

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, Biodiversity, Arts, 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 in late May of 2023.

This is a small way that we can show our appreciation for all you do for our students.

• All registered teachers will be provided a link to the conference videos from the Sioux Falls School District in late May until October 15.


• Each video is approximately 19-25 minutes in length and can be viewed 24/7.


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

Focus on greeting customers with your positive energy, grounded in kindness, patience, simplicity and the optimism that says you are here to help. It’s a wonderful way to say “You matter!”

Every journey in life begins with a single step. With each customer, your smile and positive attitude tells customers,

“This is a good place to be—welcome! How can I help you?”

New Employee Workshop

SDRS staff will be presenting several ZOOM sessions over the next few months to discuss important topics relevant to new SDRS members, including a brief overview of SDRS and the SDRS-SRP, the importance of designating beneficiaries and appointing custodians for minor children, the SDRS new member packet and ID card, and how to set up online access to MySDRS.

Register for one of the 45-minute Zoom sessions with SDRS!

August 16th -10:00am via Zoom: Register Here!

August 16th - 4:15pm via Zoom: Register Here!

September 11th - 4:15pm via Zoom:Register Here!

Pre Retirement Planning Workshop

Nearing retirement? Come to learn more about SDRS, SDRS-SRP, Social Security, retirement income, and budgeting.

August 22nd - 5:30pm - 8:00pm - Sioux Falls-Holiday Inn

Register Here!

Woman & Financial Planning Workshop

Women encounter unique challenges when it comes to financial planning and retirement, including living longer, investing too conservatively, and taking time off work to care for loved ones. This workshop focuses on strengthening the overall financial wellness of SDRS' largest membership group.

August 21st - 6:30pm - 9:00pm via Zoom: Register Here!

South Dakota Retirement System and Supplemental Plan host a Q & A

The South Dakota Retirement System(SDRS) along with the South Dakota Supplemental Retirement Plan(SD-SRP) are hosting a question and answer session about your benefits with Michelle Humann, the Member Services Manager for SDRS and Jaime Seiner, Senior Retirement Specialist for SD-SRP.

August 17th - 10:00am via Zoom: Register Here!

August 17th - 4:15pm via Zoom: Register Here!

Click the link below to register for Sand Creek EAP’s live webinars.

• Wednesday, August 9th - 12:30pm - 1:30pm - Boosting Your Brain Power
• Wednesday, September 13th - 12:30pm - 1:30pm - Cultural Myths in Media: Fact or Fiction
• Wednesday, October 11th - 12:30pm - 1:30pm - Empowering Your Influence
• Wednesday, November 8th - 12:30pm - 1:30pm - Competent Leadership
• Wednesday, December 13th - 12:30pm - 1:30pm - Personal Fitness for Life

At times, all of us face personal or work-related struggles in our lives. The District is pleased to offer the Sand Creek Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to help employees and their families find support and the necessary resources when difficult situations arise. Additionally, the EAP is an excellent option for webinars, articles, and other resources to help support our well-being. Our EAP through Sand Creek is free, professional, and confidential. Read on for more information about our Sand Creek Employee Assistance Program.

Learn more about Sand Creek HERE!

Join Sam’s Club today & save! All District staff members are eligible for an exclusive offer for discounted membership rates.

Click HERE to learn more!

Preventative health care can sometimes cost a little money and time, which can be hard for some when they are feeling completely healthy. With that being said, here are some reasons why preventative health care is a must:

• Improves your health in the long-term. Preventative care can catch potential problems before they become real problems.
• Increases lifespan. Preventative care can increase your lifespan because it allows you to catch things early and treat them.
• Avoid high medical expenses. It is a lot less expensive to get preventative health care than to wait until there is a health problem.

Preventative health care is included as part of our Wellmark Medical Plan, with most services at no cost to you!

Adapted from Noora Medical Center