District Dialogue

Nominations are due by Monday, January 15th, 2024

Teacher of the Year Celebration is Monday, February 26th, 2024

Pettigrew Elementary Principal Kevin Dick and supporting staff members highlighted the school’s work with the 7-Mindsets curriculum in all grades, K-5. Thanks to an Education Foundation grant obtained by Instructional Coach Heidi Reynolds each year for three years, the school-wide initiative is teaching skills and seeing positive student outcomes. This program focuses on social-emotional growth and positivity throughout the building. Teachers have access to a rich, online, comprehensive curriculum that, each week, focuses on one of 28 learning objectives found embedded in one of the 7-Mindsets. Students report improved outcomes in each mindset that is taught.

Public hearing was held for the new Boys and Girls Club that will be attached to George McGovern Middle School. This project is identified and budgeted with private donations and the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation. The project includes a 16,400 square foot addition on the southwest corner of the existing gymnasium that will include offices, classrooms, recreation space, and a gymnasium.

View the full report below.

A committee of Sioux Falls School District administration, two school board members and various staff has developed the proposed budget timeline for the FY25 Budget of all funds of the District. The budget guidelines will be presented to the Board at its November 27 meeting.

View the full report below.

On November 1, 2023, the School Board met at a work session to discuss legislative issues including the proposed District Priorities. The proposed Priorities include topics under the following District priority areas:

• Well Being – Juvenile Justice and School Safety and Security and Supports for Significant Behavioral and Mental Health Needs

• Effective Use of Resources and Staff Excellence – State Aid and Teacher Compensation

View the full report below.

Happy American Education Week! This week we honor all public school employees for the role they play in creating spaces where students can flourish everyday. We extend our deepest gratitude to all Sioux Falls School District educators, counselors, nurses, child nutrition professionals, education assistants, administrative assistants, custodians, substitutes, and other school staff who make a difference in our children's lives.

Here's to a week of gratitude, celebration, and a collective commitment to shaping a brighter future through education!

In celebration of American Education Week (November 13th—17th), the Sioux Falls Public Schools Education Foundation is partnering with the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Any SFSD staff member can get free tickets to the Skyforce games on Tuesday, November 14th and Thursday, November 16th. Educators can claim their free ticket by using the code SFSD. Family members can get $10 tickets. Follow this link to claim your offer:

https://fevo-enterprise.com/group/sfsdamericaneducationweek

To celebrate American Education Week, the Education Foundation is partnering with Lewis Drug to honor Sioux Falls School District educators who go above and beyond to support their students and colleagues. To nominate someone, just comment on their post here: https://www.facebook.com/SFPSEF

with their name and school. Bonus points if you mention us why they’re the best of the best! In honor of the Education Foundation’s 15th anniversary, they will randomly select 15 winners by the end of the week, and each will be notified via school email.

Education Support Professionals (ESPs) include employees in clerical, custodial, child nutrition, health and security services. ESP Day was first celebrated in 1987, and since then the Wednesday of American Education week has been dedicated to their important work. Thank you to all SFSD Education Support Professionals for keeping our students safe, healthy and ready to learn!

Good substitute teachers make significant and crucial contributions to classrooms across SFSD every day. They serve as educational bridges when regular classroom teachers are absent. Please take time today to help us say THANK YOU to all who have and continue to serve as a substitute in our schools!

Congratulations to Robert Underberg at Washington High School on his All Star nomination! His colleague Patti had this to say, "Bob is always going above and beyond to do what's best for the school. You will find him mowing, setting fields up for games, marking fields for activities, fixing things in the building as needed, helping the custodial staff with activity setups, among many other things. His dedication to the school district is beyond amazing. He always does things in the best interest of the building. He is down to earth and a great leader. I am beyond thankful to work for him." Thank you, Robert, for making WHS and SFSD a wonderful place to be!

That's right! This week we have two amazing All Stars to highlight! Claire's colleague Lindsey had some glowing words of recommendation, "Claire goes above and beyond every single day in her classroom and around the entire building of Edison Middle School. When I enter her classroom it is engaging and calm at the same time. She brings real life examples into her lessons so students can relate and understand. Claire is always willing to pull kids individually if they are struggling and get to their level and try and understand where they are coming from. The energy I feel when I enter her classroom is contagious. The students enjoy attending her class each day! Claire is a newer teacher but you would never know because she has so much knowledge and a heart for the education of her students!" Thank you for your dedication and commitment to students, Claire!

George McGovern Middle School SPED and Reading Intervention teacher Ardis Iverson started having her students read with her 95-year-old mom three years ago via video chat. The results were so meaningful for all parties, she applied for a National Book Foundation Fellowship last spring which would help pair her readers with local seniors at assisted living centers and nursing homes. She was one of eight teachers in the nation to get her project approved, earning her $2,000 worth of books for her project and a $3,000 stipend to help offset the costs. The results so far, after four weeks? See for yourself.

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 that will be accessible until November 30, 2023.

• All registered teachers will be provided a link to the conference videos from the Sioux Falls School District.

• 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.

America celebrated Veterans Day this weekend.

Whether our service is to our country or to our schools, the trust we place in others--and the trust they place in us--matters. Trust is critical to relationships, to solving problems, to creating a positive experience for all involved.

What we say to others, both customers and co-workers, affects our relationships with them.

How we say it, our tone of voice and our body language, conveys a message as well.

The single biggest mistake we make in customer service is assuming we've communicated effectively

with someone when in fact, we haven't.

The second biggest mistake we make is assuming our communication creates a positive customer experience, when in fact, it doesn't. In personal, face-to-face communication, the goal is to create feelings of trust. You want customers to know that this is a good, safe, fun place to be, that you are professional, caring and know your stuff. How you communicate reinforces that image

and creates a positive experience that builds trust.

This week:

Remember the importance of words, tone of voice and body language in creating the feelings of trust.

Remember that a positive customer experience is authentic, coming not just from a script or a template, but from the heart. And remember that a great customer experience creates faith in the goodness of people, faith in the quality of your organization, and faith that conveys to the customer:

this is a good place to be.

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!

Are you…new to SDRS? Nearing retirement? Wanting to learn more about SDRS? Grab your lunch and join SDRS for a quick overview of the South Dakota Retirement System.

Date: November 21, 2023

Time: 12:10pm

Location: Virtual Event via Zoom

Register NOW!

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 Director.

Date: November 15, 2023

Time: 10:00am or 4:15pm

Location: Virtual Event via Zoom

Register NOW!

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

Wednesday, December 13th - 12:30pm - 1:30pm - Personal Fitness for Life

The Sand Creek Employee Assistance Program has rolled out a fresh update on their online portal. Existing members can continue to enjoy access but now they'll log in using their email instead of their previous username. As for new portal members, simply follow the registration process through the provided sign-up link.

Sand Creek Employee Assistance Program Link: https://mylifeexpert.com/

Sand Creek Employee Assistance Program Sign Up: https://mylifeexpert.com/signup

It can be nice to stay cozy indoors on cold days, but there are many benefits of going outside year-round. Fresh air, a chance to get vitamin D, and exposure to natural light are all great benefits of spending some time outdoors. Here are some cold weather tips to keep in mind this fall/winter:

1. Layer your clothes. Try to wear light, warm clothing under a wind-resistant jacket to stay comfortable.
2. Drink enough water. In the summer, it’s easy to notice when you are thirsty, but our bodies still need water in the winter. Take note of how much you’re drinking and pack a water bottle for all outdoor activities.
3. Check in on your sleep. Getting enough sleep keeps your immune system strong in the winter months. If you’re struggling to fall asleep, consider sticking to a routine and limiting screen time before bed.
4. Take care of your skin. Your hands may be feeling dry after all of the frequent handwashing! To prevent skin irritation, apply a moisturizing hand lotion after washing your hands or using hand sanitizer.

Adapted from Health Online