District Dialogue

South Dakota was the first state in the nation to officially recognize the second Monday of October as Native American Day, with the first officially recognized holiday starting in 1990. The Native American Day Parade in downtown Sioux Falls has been growing steadily for six years, and SFSD had a number of school groups present in today's parade. If you weren't able to make it to the parade, you can watch the recorded live stream here!

https://youtube.com/live/ozabLkKM530

This week, schools across the country will celebrate the benefits of healthy school meals during National School Lunch Week (NSLW), October 9-13, 2023. The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) has been fueling student achievement in and out of the classroom for more than 75 years. SFSD is lucky to have a highly dedicated staff of child nutritionists who make sure that all of our students are well nourished for a full day of learning. Thank you for everything you do, this week and every week!

National Bullying Prevention Month (NBPM) is an important time to elevate the conversation about addressing and preventing bullying of K-12 children and youth. Everyone’s actions matter: we all have a role to play in bullying prevention. It’s vital for adults to know how to respond, to be there for those involved in bullying situations, to hold youth accountable for bullying behavior, and to support and educate youth about how to advocate for themselves and for others. For more information on how you can help, please visit here:

https://www.pacer.org/bullying/

Due to the observance of Native American Day today (Monday, Oct. 9th) this week's school board meeting has been moved to Wednesday, Oct. 11th. A couple pieces on the agenda for Wednesday are:

• The Good News Report - Laura Wilder School Spotlight!
• Reports of the Superintendent - K12 Fall Enrollment Report

You can check the livestream channel below to view the meeting live or after it has been recorded.

The Washington Pavilion is offering discounted ticket prices to the Bored Teachers Comedy Tour show happening on October 22nd. Just use the code: TEACHERS to receive $5.00 off!

This week's SFSD All Star is Suzy Ries! She is the applied arts instructor at Jefferson HIgh School, and her co-worker Rachel Sturm had this to say about her, "Suzy is the ideal co-worker. She is always the first person to volunteer to help out with any tasks around the school. Whether it is on-staff subbing, organizing papers and certificates, or helping plan lessons, Suzy is the first person to help. The past 2 years Suzy organized crockpot meals that were delivered to families in need throughout our district. Throughout the day you will find students coming to her room for either snacks to get them through the day or for a quick hi. Suzy is the definition of a leader and embraces the Cavalier values perfectly."

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.

The Promising Futures Fund presents a collaborative concert event featuring the Augustana University Choirs and the Choirs of George McGovern, Whittier and Ben Reifel Middle Schools.

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, 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.

Remember the process called Service Recalculations and the process for diffusing customers:

Breathe. Be patient. Use the customer’s name. Focus on what they are saying, or trying to say. Move into problem solving after you have listened. Stay positive, stay kind to help you gain their trust and solve their problem in a way that says you care and that keeps their dignity in mind.

And remember:

Do not take it personally. Do not beat yourself up. Learn what you can from difficult situations, apply what you leaned, and stay positive. It's not about you as long as you are doing the best you can.

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

• Wednesday, October 11th - 12:30pm - 1:30pm - Empowering Your Influence

SDRS: Early & Mid-Career Workshop

This workshop targets those members in the early and middle stages of their careers and offers a wide-ranging spectrum of money-related topics to promote personal financial awareness and increase retirement preparedness through budgeting and financial planning exercises.

What people are saying about this workshop:

• This was incredibly helpful. I wish it were required of all employees. I'm very glad I came.
• I wasn't sure what to expect...it was very informal, educational, and even kind of fun.
• Surprisingly interesting and thought-provoking.
• I really need to go to another one of these because I didn't know how much I was missing!

Date: October 30, 2023

Location: Holiday Inn City Centre

Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm with check-in beginning at 5:30pm

Registration Deadline: October 30, 2023

Register Now!

Statistically speaking, women live longer, are more conservative investors, and are more apt to take time off work to care for children and elders, creating unique challenges when it comes to financial and retirement planning. The Women and Financial Planning workshop focuses on strengthening the overall financial wellness of SDRS's largest membership group.

What people are saying about this workshop:

• The focus on women was refreshing.
• Speakers were engaging and easy to follow. Topics were diverse and covered relevant topics.
• I never knew how important all of this was until this presentation.

Date: November 20, 2023

Time: 5:30pm - 8:00pm

Location: Virtual Event (A link to the workshop and presentation materials will be emailed to you prior to the event.)

Registration Deadline: November 20, 2023

Register Now!

Important Notice About Your Prescription Drug Coverage and Medicare

Click HERE to view the notice!

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!

Tuesday, 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.

Services for mental, neurological, and substance use disorders have been significantly disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Sioux Falls School District helps to bridge that gap by offering our new Employee Assistance Program (EAP) through Sand Creek Workplace Wellness to all employees and their dependents. 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). Use of the EAP is free, professional, and confidential.