Friday, September 30th, 2022, is Orange shirt day which began in Canada in 2013. It promotes awareness about the history of American Indian and Native Residential boarding school systems, which still impact Native American and First Nations communities in the United States and Canada. The day honors the children who were removed from their families and forced into boarding schools and remembers those who never returned home.

So, Friday, September 30th, 2022, Wear your Orange Shirt…because EVERY CHILD MATTERS!

• Wear an Orange Shirt to support our Native American Community.
• Find out more about the history of American Indian Boarding Schools in the United States or Native Residential Schools in Canada.
• Find out if there’s a local memorial, vigil, walk, or community talk in your area.

The Sioux Falls Native American Day Parade is BACK for its 5th year celebrating heritage and culture in our community! Everyone is welcome to join in on the fun this Native American Day, Monday, October 10th. Celebrations start as early as 9 am, with the parade beginning at 11 am on 13th Street and Phillips. The theme of this year is “Wounspewicakyag Hena Ob Maunipi” – We Walk With Our Teachers.

The Native American Day Parade & celebrations are hope in continued healthy dialogue on conversations surrounding the health and well-being of Native Americans & Sioux Falls community through truth, reconciliation, and self-representation.

If you are not able to attend the parade in person, watch the live stream at this link ---> https://youtu.be/cjjxSYsI7NY

Congratulations to the Lincoln High School "Patriot" Marching Band for making history over the weekend by being the first South Dakota band to ever win a Bands Of America Regional competition! They competed in Waukee, Iowa - a suburb of Des Moines - against 15 bands from six different states.

The closest a South Dakota band has come to winning a Bands Of America Regional Championship was the Lincoln High School Band in 1985, when they traveled to Whitewater, Wisconsin, and came in second place to the Marion Catholic High School Band from Illinois.

Congrats to all involved for this great honor!

In the 2021-22 school year, 2,563 AP exams were taken by 1,447 students. Of the 2,536 exams taken, 1,899 students scored a passing score of three or higher, amounting to a 74% pass rate, slightly higher than the 2020-21 pass rate. The pass rate for South Dakota was 66%, and the global pass rate was 58%, indicating Sioux Falls students continue to score higher than both state and global averages. The college board recognized 486 AP scholar award winners in 2022, up from the 433 recipients in 2021.

Click on the attachment below to view the full report.

Joni is a kindergarten teacher at Renberg Elementary. She was nominated for this award by her co-worker, Sarah Husby who had this to say about her, "Joni is an amazing teacher and co-worker! She has been a teacher at Renberg for many years and knows the families and children so well. She is kind, caring and she listens to everyone and cares about everyone. She is the light of our school - she remembers everything and is always doing something kind and giving for everyone! There is always a smile on her face and everyone knows that they can count on her. You will never meet anyone as committed!"

Jefferson High School's, Suzy Ries received Architecture Incorporated's Creative Solution in Education grant award! The $2,952 grant gets students involved in their food footprint. This is what Suzy wrote in her grant application:

“Sustain. Nurture. Harvest. Share.” is a project that will allow approximately 400 students in high school foods class to grow, harvest, utilize and share fruits and vegetables grown in classroom hydroponic gardens. Classroom students will gain hands-on experience as they plan, plant, tend and harvest our classroom garden.

Foods harvested will then be used in classroom recipes. Surplus foods will then be shared with families in our community who are in need of food assistance. We will work with community partners including our environmental sciences class, school counselors, hydroponic gardening experts and local greenhouse owners.

Through this immersive program students will learn the importance of:

• Sustainability and the environment
• The benefits of consuming organic, healthy fresh foods
• Incorporation of our harvest into classroom recipes
• The process of planting, tending and growing fruits and vegetables
• And, the benefits of community service by sharing our bounty with food insecure community members."

It's the final week to get in your Excellence in Education application!

Grants for up to $1,500 will be awarded to successful proposals. The selection panel will consider proposals for —
* Projects or activities that teach concepts in an innovative and creative way
* New curriculum or enhancements to existing curriculum
* Projects or activities that are implemented school-wide or in one classroom
* Projects or activities that will be completed by the end of the school year

Submissions must be received by September 30, 2022 at midnight.

• As of 7/1/2022, your reimbursement account(s) are now being administered on our enhanced HealthEquity platform. Submit your claims with dates of service beginning as of the date above or after on our new platform at healthequity.com/wageworks.
• For claims with dates of service prior to the date above, continue to submit them to the TakeCare platform, at takecarewageworks.com, through 08/31/2022 to spend down your account balance.
• Effective 8/31/2022, you will no longer have access to your accounts on the TakeCare by WageWorks platform. Please be sure to download any statements or any other documents you may need.
• Between 9/1/2022 and 9/15/2022, your account and remaining balance will move to the new HealthEquity platform. We ask that you do not submit any claims during this blackout period.
• Effective 9/16/2022, all claims may be submitted on our new platform and you have until September 28th, 2022 to submit any remaining claims.

Questions? Email benefits.sfsd@k12.sd.us

The "On the Road to Financial Success" workshops target those members in the early and middle stages of their careers and offer a wide-ranging spectrum of money-related topics to promote personal financial awareness and increase retirement preparedness through budgeting and financial planning exercises.

Click the link to register: https://sdrs.sd.gov/events/earlymidcareer/schedule.aspx

Click the links below to register for Sand Creek EAP’s live October webinar.

• Wednesday, October 12th: 12:30pm - 1:30pm - Recognizing the Signs of Depression in a Team Member.

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

• Family Conflict
• Couples/Relationships
• Substance Abuse
• Work/Life Balance
• Stress
• Depression/Anxiety
• Grief
• Parenting

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Suicide is a major public health concern and one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Knowing the warning sides for suicide and how to get help can help save lives.

If you know someone in crisis…

Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or text the Crisis Text Line (text HELLO to 741741). Both services are free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All calls are confidential. Contact social media outlets directly if you are concerned about someone’s social media updates, or dial 911 in an emergency.

Five steps you can take to help someone in emotional pain:

1. ASK – “Are you thinking about killing yourself?” It’s not an easy question, but studies show that asking at-risk individuals if they are suicidal does not increase suicides or suicidal thoughts.
2. KEEP THEM SAFE – Reducing a suicidal person’s access to highly lethal items or places is an important part of suicide prevention. While this is not always easy, asking if the at-risk person has a plan and removing or disabling the lethal means can make a difference.
3. BE THERE – Listen carefully and learn what the individual is thinking and feeling. Research suggests acknowledging and talking about suicide may in face reduce rather than increase suicidal thoughts.
4. HELP THEM CONNECT – Save the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number (1-800-273-TALK) and the Crisis Text Line (741741) in your phone so they’re there if you need them. You can also help make a connection with a trusted individual like a family member, friend, spiritual advisor, or mental health professional.
5. STAY CONNECTED – Staying in touch after a crisis or after being discharged from care can make a difference. Studies have shown the number of suicide deaths goes down when someone follows up with the at-risk person.

Adapted from National Institute of Mental Health