District Dialogue

Use these COLD days indoors to plan your fun in February! Air Madness, SF STORM, and LEVO are teaming up over President's Break to support Operation Hope & Caring - a fund that levels the playing field for SFSD students! See you Tuesday, February 20, 2024!

For the past several years, Levo and the Sioux Falls STORM have teamed up for Operation Hope & Caring – a fundraiser to level the playing field for all schools and students, especially those without PTAs/PTOs. As a new twist, we are adding a tshirt to the many options staff have to support this important partnership. Please see the link below to purchase your shirt (and more for your friends and family)! In addition to the tshirts, Air Madness gives a portion of the proceeds from jumping on Feb 20, 2024, Perky coffee can be purchased for $10/bag (100% goes to Operation Hope & Caring), and a portion of the ticket sales for the STORM game on May 4th, 2024 add to the total. Consider how you can support these schools TODAY!

Saturday, February 10th is the 17th annual Wiener Dog Night for the Sioux Falls Stampede! Through an exclusive special, tickets are only $21 for gold level seats, $16 for blue level seats and $13 for gray level seats. Upper-level tickets are just $5 if you follow this link:

https://fevo-enterprise.com/event/wdndtofeb10

There will, of course, be some exciting wiener dog races, along with lots of other fun activities, and it all goes toward supporting the Dakota Dachshund Rescue.

The Community Learning Centers are excited to invite you to our Health & Wellness Fairs. This is a great time to beat the winter blues and connect with community agencies, register for door prizes, enter the free bike raffle, take part in learning sessions and enjoy fun activities for the whole family!

This is the last week that SFSD staff members have priority enrollment for the Community Learning Centers Summer 2024 and 2024/25 School Year program!

Registration will run through Wednesday, January 31st.

To find out more about HOW TO ENROLL, rates, summer locations, payment calendar, etc., please click on the following link:

https://bit.ly/PriorityEnrollmentSummerandSchoolYear

Sometimes all it takes for a student to make the leap into something new is some encouragement from a teacher (or counselor, or adult they look up to). The thawing snow has shown us a glimpse of warmer times to come, and students will soon start to think about what fall sports they want to sign up for. If you know a student who would benefit from all the opportunities provided through the SFSD sports and activities program, please give them that extra little nudge they need to make the leap towards future self improvement!

The Lincoln High School wrestling team features six seniors this year, all of whom are exceptional in the classroom, on the mat, and far beyond. Four of them have been wrestling together since 7th grade, which means there are tight bonds that overcome inevitable injuries, setbacks, and frustrations in the sport or in life. Trailblazers, leaders, teammates and friends... learn why these Patriots shine.

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!

Bill Moeller brings much more than his skills as a custodian to Roosevelt High School. His coworkers say he exemplifies the RHS motto, he serves selflessly, and he treats everyone he meets with total respect. Inside or outside of Roosevelt, at work or beyond it, he cares about others endlessly, and that's why he's an All Star.

RETIREMENT NOTIFICATION DEADLINE: Teachers wishing to retire at the end of the 2023-24 school year must submit their letters of retirement by February 1st. The retirement letter (with signature) can be sent as an email attachment to Jessica Engdahl, HR Benefits Specialist, at benefits.sfsd@k12.sd.us.

GRADUATE CREDIT/DEGREE ADVANCEMENT INTENT FORMS: Teachers planning to advance to steps requiring the BA+24, Master’s Degree, or Master’s + 24 must submit INTENT FORMS by February 1st. This process is online through HR Records. The INTENT FORM is found in the Available Forms section.

Contact Amira Lawrence in Human Resources at 605-367-4692 or amira.lawrence@k12.sd.us with Graduate Credit/Degree Advancement questions.

SHORTAGE AREA - EARLY RESIGNATION STIPENDS $500: The District will provide a $500 bonus to any Teacher from an identified shortage area who is not eligible to receive or has not already received the District Retirement Benefit and/or Health Benefit, if the Teacher submits a resignation to the Human Resources Department by February 1st. Link to Resign https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfR0HFhrh4fHYC-S6flJL_lhn8yinerT6irPfSDZPKNU_hYKQ/viewform

The Sandwich Generation: The Ultimate Balancing Act - February 14th, 2024 from 12:30pm to 1:30pm

Caring for an elder is an enormous challenge by itself; combining elder care with care of children or adolescents and attempting to balance the demands of a career can seem overwhelming to even the most organized individual. In this session we will focus on establishing balance, recognizing negative emotions, adhering to priorities, and reducing stress

Eating Right for Life - March 13, 2024 from 12:30pm to 1:30pm

If donuts for breakfast, candy bars for lunch, and constantly making impulse decisions while eating on the run sounds familiar, then this is the class for you! Participants in this seminar will learn the benefits of nutrition, including the importance of making informed food choices to develop and maintain sound eating habits. Expect to leave this interactive session understanding what your body needs for optimal health and the key nutritional guidelines to follow.

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 101: Take a more detailed look at the system and its benefits, including how retirement benefits are calculated, understanding your annual Personal Benefits Statement, availability of survivor and disability benefits, and more.

• February 7, 2024 - 4:00 PM CT/3:00 PM MT – Register via ZOOM

• March 6, 2024 - 7:00 PM CT/6:00 PM MT – Register via ZOOM

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.

• February 14, 2024 - 4:00 PM CT/3:00 PM MT – Register via ZOOM

• March 13, 2024 - 7:00 PM CT/6:00 PM MT – 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.

• January 24, 2024 - 10:00 AM CT/9:00 AM MT – Register via ZOOM

• February 21, 2024 - 4:00 PM CT/3:00 PM MT – Register via ZOOM

• March 20, 2024 - 7:00 PM CT/6:00 PM MT – 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.

• January 31, 2024 - 10:00 AM CT/9:00 AM MT – Register via ZOOM

• February 28, 2024 - 4:00 PM CT/3:00 PM MT – Register via ZOOM

• March 27, 2024 - 7:00 PM CT/6:00 PM MT – Register via ZOOM

SDRS Lunch and Learn

Grab your lunch and join us to learn more about SDRS, your benefits, ask questions, and more! Held on the second Tuesday of each month.

• February 13, 2024 - 1:10 PM CT/12:10 PM MT – Register via ZOOM

• March 12, 2024 - 12:10 PM CT/11:10 AM MT – Register via ZOOM

Last week, the Human Resources Department offered an informational meeting on the District Retirement Incentive outlined in the SFEA Collective Bargaining Agreement via Zoom. This meeting was recorded for those unable to attend.

SFEA District Retirement Incentive Meeting

View the presentation here: District Retirement Incentive

Please contact benefits.sfsd@k12.sd.us with questions.

Join us on Tuesday, April 9th at the 63rd annual recognition banquet as we celebrate our retirees and employees with 25 years of service! Tickets on sale SOON (limited availability) – more details to come!

HyVee will be extending their employee discount to SFSD for the month of February! Enjoy a 10% grocery discount once per week every week during the month!

Check out this flyer to learn more: Sioux Falls School District – HyVee Discount

District Staff participating in the Wellness Program have deadlines fast approaching. In order to earn the Wellness Credit for the 2024-25 school year, all Wellness Program requirements need to be completed by March 1, 2024.

The three requirements for earning the Wellness Credit for 2024-25 are listed below:

1. Complete the Personal Health Assessment in the Uprise Health Wellness Portal
2. Schedule a wellness visit with your doctor and submit a completed Preventative Care Form.
3. Complete ONE Wellness Program Activity:

• Participate in the Wondr Health Program
• Participate in a Fitness Challenge
• Complete 3 Digital Health Workshops
• Complete 3 sessions with a Health Coach

If you have not already scheduled your wellness physical with your doctor, call your doctor’s office now to get scheduled before the March 1st deadline!

For assistance or questions, please email benefits.sfsd@k12.sd.us.