District Dialogue

The Chinese New Year is a celebration starting the new year based off the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar. The celebration lasts 7 days, starts January 21st and goes until February 7th. This Chinese New Year starts the year of the rabbit. which will end February 9th 2024.

School Bus Inc. (SBI) is a private company that is contracted by SFSD to provide transportation services for all District preK-12+ programming. SBI leadership shared information about the number of bus routes, their on-time rates, and other details relevant to the new StopFinder bus app.

The number of SFSD high school students earning both high school and college credit is holding steady, but those students are taking advantage of low-cost offerings and earning more credits.

A new elementary school in northwest Sioux Falls and additions and renovations at several other buildings are on the District's "to do" list in the near future with funds from the Capital Outlay Fund. As required by law, a public hearing was held to allow the community an opportunity to ask questions or provide alternate suggestions. The new elementary will be located near McGovern Middle School and is slated to open in the fall of 2025.

Business Manager Todd Vik addressed the Board on two topics - a semi-annual update on District finances and the District's most recent positions on education-related bills that have been introduced in the South Dakota Legislature. Click the link below to follow the District's positions on these important bills and follow them through the Senate and House throughout the legislative session.

Join us on Tuesday, April 18th at the Country Club of Sioux Falls to celebrate our retirees and employees with 25 years of service. More details to come!

January is National Mentoring Month! Mentoring has an important impact on youth; it helps students achieve academic success, encourages participation in extracurriculars and helps provide opportunities they may not receive otherwise. According to data acquired from MENTOR, with a mentor, young people are 55% less likely to skip a day of school, and 130% are more likely to hold leadership positions.

Lutheran Social Services (LSS) Everyday Heroes School-Based Mentoring Program and TeamMates Mentoring program have partnered with the Sioux Falls School District to provide mentors for our students. Both programs are always looking for more caring individuals to become mentors. Right now, 1 in 3 young people are growing up without a mentor, someone outside of their family who they can turn to for support and guidance.

Thank you to all our current mentors within SFSD Staff!

Brenda Alvine, Peggy Andela, Teresa Boysen, Chris Burke, Megan Daly, Kim Ertelt, Steven Farley, Sarah Freier, Cathrine Gilbertson, Andrea Grady, Megan Grilley, Karissa Haddican, Bret Halle, Jennifer Janke, Heather Kellenberger, Kim Knips, Jayne Kolb, DeeAnn Konrad, Allie LaFave, Karen Lukens, Keyshuna Lund, Alex Lynaugh, Melissa Marso, Doug Martin , Linda McDaniel, Lori McGinnis, Susan Metz, Doug Morrison, Mike Mortland, Jamie Nold, Margaret Orris, Jeff Palmer, Sarah Peschong, Amy Roux, Jennifer Schelske, Dr. Jane Stavem, Stacie Soderstrom, August Tripp, Brandi Umberger, Theresa Vander Velde, Patti Ward-Maguire, Alen Zdionica, and Kirk Zeeck.

Consider signing up to be a mentor or encourage those around you to become a mentor!

National School Counseling Week 2023, “School Counselors: Helping Students Dream Big,” will be celebrated Feb. 6-10, 2023. This year’s theme focuses public attention on the unique contribution of school counselors within U.S. school systems. National School Counseling Week, sponsored by ASCA, highlights school counselors’ tremendous impact in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career. National School Counseling Week is always celebrated the first full week in February. Please visit the following site if you wish to download this year’s logo to send your school counselor a shout out for their work!

NSCW 2023 Sign (schoolcounselor.org)

Do you know a student who may be interested in or who would excel in the world of Cybersecurity and Technology? Join us at the Cyber Academy Open House on Tuesday, January 31st from 4-7:30 pm at the CTE Academy!

This is a new opportunity for students to get a jumpstart in the field of Cybersecurity and Technology by taking college-level courses while still in high school.

Presentations at 5pm and 7pm will explain how students can get started and the program's benefits.

This opportunity is open to anyone and everyone!

Can't wait to see you there!

RETIREMENT NOTIFICATION DEADLINE: Teachers wishing to retire at the end of the 2022-23 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

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

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

District Staff participating in the Wellness Program have deadlines fast approaching. In order to earn the Wellness Credit for the 2023-24 school year, all Wellness Program requirements need to be completed by March 1, 2023.

The three requirements for earning the Wellness Credit for 2023-24 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:

a. Participate in the Wondr Health Program

b. Participate in a Fitness Challenge

c. Complete 3 Digital Health Workshops

d. 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.

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

• Tuesday, January 24th: 12:30pm - 1:30pm - Goal Setting for the New Year

Can’t attend a webinar? No problem! Visit https://allonehealth.com/blog/ to view all past webinars.

Weekly Wellness: Stay Alert Without Caffeine

A hot cup of coffee or tea is the highlight of the morning for some people. The caffeine makes you feel awake and alert. So how does caffeine wake you up? Your body naturally produces adenosine and this chemical makes your body feel sleepy but caffeine blocks adenosine from working on brain cells. This prevents you from feeling sleepy. If you regularly consume caffeine, your body produces more adenosine, so people need more caffeine over time to get the same wakeful feeling. Caffeine on its own is likely harmless for most people in low to moderate amounts but some people aren’t able to consume caffeine. Here are some tips to stay alert without caffeine:

1. Get enough sleep- Try and aim for 7 - 8 hours of sleep every night.
2. Eat regularly-When you don’t eat, your blood sugar level drops, making you feel tired.
3. Drink enough water-Staying hydrated can help you stay alert.
4. Take a break for exercise-If you’re feeling tired in the middle of the day, it helps to move around.

Adapted from Sand Creek EAP