SFSD All Stars! 🌟💫⭐

For 150 years, SFSD has provided a high-quality public education to hundreds of thousands of students. Student success is heavily dependent upon the adults who guide learning, develop expectations, and personally display a positive attitude and caring spirit. This award celebrates staff members who embrace the mission/vision of SFSD with excellence and professionalism, and who leave their mark without fanfare.

This week we have a special SFSD All Star nomination from a former SFSD student! Sarah Dinkins was a former student of Mrs. Eilertson's, and after a move across the country and many years, was compelled to say this about her former teacher:

"I am sure you already realize the size of Jane Eilerton's heart, but I want to ensure it is known to all simply how amazing she is. I am 40 years old, and when she was my teacher a long time ago at Garfield her name was Miss Martin. She then got married and became Mrs. Eilertson. She was such an amazing, loving and caring teacher back then and still is today. The passion she has, cannot be taught. It has to come from within. Her heart bursts with love for her students, and she cares so much about their well being. She takes her role as an educator very seriously to this day. Her connections to students and parents is outstanding.

I am still in touch with her ALL of these years later even after a move across the country to Texas. When we went back up to visit family, we made it a priority to see her so she could meet my kids. They loved her instantly which was no surprise! She is still impacting my life in such a positive way. She checks in on me and my family weekly, sends updates on her life, keeps me informed on her teaching, and really STILL shows me so much love. It’s quite unbelievable actually since she was my teacher in first grade. She doesn’t need to do any of this, but she chooses to.

I wish both of my kids (7 and 8 years old) could experience a teacher like Jane Eilertson. She is like a jackpot in the teaching world...a rare gem. You are beyond lucky to still have her at Garfield. She is so loyal and is literally every positive adjective you can think of for a teacher. I simply want to make sure an educator like her does not go unnoticed. She is very special in so many ways. I’d do anything to have 100 Jane Eilertsons at my own children’s elementary school. Maybe her secret is her love for M&M’s! ;) The district is lucky to have such a dedicated employee.

We agree!
Congratulations Jane - You are an All Star!

Congratulations to this week's SFSD All Star, Cathie Vortherms, 6th Grade Honors Science Teacher at Patrick Henry Middle School! Her collegue Jodi Haugland had this to say about Cathie, "I am nominating Cathie for her outstanding inspiration to others! She is so dedicated to her students, not just in the science content area, but also in molding well-rounded human beings. She goes above and beyond to learn new curriculum and find hands on modules to make learning fun and relevant to the world around us. She is definitely preparing her students for the future workforce and equipping them with many new skills. She also instills life-long behaviors that go beyond the classroom by coordinating service projects, community involvement, and planning small group volunteer activities for that extra opportunity to do good for others. Cathie is definitely an All Star Staff Member to work with!"

Katrina is a joy to work with everyday. She is one of the hardest working people in our building. She comes to all situations with a positive attitude and a smile on her face. I enjoy talking and interacting with her everyday. We request a lot of Katrina throughout the school year and she is always willing to help out and offer suggestions. She goes above and beyond and is very reliable.

Faith is new to us this year at RHS and works primarily with our RISE students. This nomination takes us back to the fall when one of our students snuck out of the building in a T-shirt on a cold fall day. The search took over four hours and many staff members were out looking as well as law enforcement and other city resources. Faith took her own time to drive and search for him as well. Finally she went home and listened to a police scanner to hear if there was any good news. When law enforcement found the young man in a ditch by a field, sher heard the location and was at the scene within minutes. The boy was very scared and did not want to go with the officers. When Faith arrived she explained her position with the school and asked if she could see him. She immediately went to him and gave him a hug and comforted him. With her help, she was able to get him to settle down and know he was safe. When I asked her about it, she said she couldn't imagine what he was going through and knew he had to have someone he recognized and trusted when he was found. That's going above and beyond the call of duty to say the least! Faith is a valued member of Roosevelt and the Sioux Falls School District.

Jessie is exemplary in every aspect of her position at Hawthorne Elementary. She is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to all things behavior and the realm of special education. Jessie works tirelessly to brainstorm, support, and implement all sorts of plans to provide students the access to success. Jessie can be found multi-tasking in her room with multiple learning groups going on while also managing some of the toughest behaviors in our school. She is a life-long learner always looking to gain more experience and knowledge to better the lives of all students at Hawthorne. Spend one day at Hawthorne and you will see all the remarkable reasons that Jessie is a true All-Star!

April is extremely flexible and creative. She established our own training and reference link so all new staff will be able to go to one stop and learn program basics. When describing what we need to do she dives in to the details and understands the accuracy in her presentations for CN compliance. In the absence of a manager at a Middle or High School, April is the one to jump in and cover. Currently she is doing double duty while we wait to fill a position at Whittier. She is doing this without complaint, (WMS Admin want to keep her permanently). April understands the vision we have to continuously improve the quality of meals for our student, how customer service starts with us individually and spreads to the students we serve. While she can come across as quiet at times there is spunk in her which is so needed in todays world with added stressors on the role we serve. She has a servant heart and not looking for attention. It would be great to spotlight an amazing hard worker employee like April

Dom attacks each day with a positive attitude. He is always willing and excited to learn new things in an effort to support his team. He has also shown to be a strong mentor for our new team members - constantly checking in with them to ensure they are succeeding in their new role. Dom is also always analyzing current processes and highlighting areas that could be improved. Overall, he is an essential asset to the HR team.

Ashley works hard every day to support our staff and students. If she doesn’t know an answer, she finds someone who does or researches until she finds it. Coaching Cycles with her are so rewarding and informative. If we need something, she’s there to help in any way.

I am nominating Megan Horkey for the Traditional All Star Award as she is such a giver within the walls of Patrick Henry. She gives her time in so many different areas such as Student Council advisee, Sunshine Committee co-leader, PBIS committee member, and scheduling committee member. Through all of these different committees that she is a part of, she continues to show up each and every day for her students with a smile on her face. She is pursuing her degree in Administrative Leadership through Wayne State while balancing everything else thrown her way in the middle school world. Megan has a heart for teaching and does it with so much passion and desire to be and do the best for each and every one of her students.

We have had many days where a bus has arrived late or a substitute bus driver has had to re-run a route, both this year and last. Denise has gone out and stood with students while waiting for the bus, rain or shine, hot or cold, as well as given students a ride to school when their bus has not arrived. She has done this not just for EL students, but all our students. She is constantly looking out for our kids, making sure they are safe and arriving to school. Denise goes above and beyond to help our students at Whittier.

Dawn is the Lunchbox Education Assistant at Harvey Dunn Elementary and is known for creating a positive environment in the lunchroom! She was nominated for this All Star award by Harvey Dunn Principal Jennifer Chamberlain, who shared this about her, "Dawn has done an AMAZING job creating a positive, calm, and inviting lunchroom environment. This is true for the students eating as well as the staff working in the lunchroom. While holding students accountable to the school and lunchroom expectations, she maintains a positive attitude. She maintains the dignity of both students and staff when behaviors/work adjustments need to be made. The feedback she gives is specific, and immediate, and coaches for growth. If you observe in the lunchroom, you will see Dawn greeting all with a smile, sharing trivia/jokes with students, and singing/dancing with the kids for an occasional fun time. In addition to creating a positive setting, Dawn is very organized and works to identify the best practices where errors won't occur. She takes special diets/allergies seriously and has systems in place so students receive the appropriate meal. She continues to seek to find ways to make things run efficiently and communicates with all stakeholders in a timely manner. Students and staff in the building enjoy their interactions and time with Miss Dawn!"

Ryan Kortemeyer reflects all that is good in education: striving for excellence, creating high expectations for his students, and collaborating effectively with other educators. An automotive and welding educator, Ryan embodies the mission of the Sioux Falls School District as he supports diverse learners in his classes. He treats all students with dignity and respect while engaging them in hands-on activities that strengthen their job skills in the future. Ryan works diligently to foster positive relationships in his classroom while ensuring student success in auto mechanics and welding. Ryan has also supported new automotive and welding teachers at other schools; he willingly shares content and collaborates with his colleagues across the district. In addition to this, Ryan provides support to students outside of the classroom, including float building and participation in the Native American Day parade. His humility and dedication to our students is something to celebrate!

The people who think that librarians read all day, check out a few books, and re-shelve them are mistaken. Becky has created a hub of information, resources, support, safety, comfort, and inclusion... and that takes daily work. Whittier Middle School's library is not only a place where students WANT to be, it's a place where staff want to be, too. It's not just the center of the school, it's the heart.

The CTE Academy is unlike any other high school in our District, so it's no wonder the Business Manager there is unlike any other employee in the District. Her considerable list of job duties barely scratch the surface of the daily work she gets done, and she does it all with a heart for kids, for her coworkers, and for career and technical education. Lynn Reding fills countless roles, but she's one of a kind.

Alison Johnson is a Special Education teacher at Terry Redlin Elementary. She was nominated for this All Star Award by Principal, Ryan DeGraff who shared this about her, "Alison is the epitome of excellence. She dedicates herself to meet the needs of all of her students on her caseload. She never gives up when trying to find solutions to challenges that her students and colleagues face. Alison communicates often with families on the student successes and areas of need. She is a fantastic SPED leader for our building and is alway willing to provide answers or suggestions to all staff. The Sioux Falls School District is lucky to have such a SPED star like Alison Johnson!"

Jen and Chastity have been invaluable as we have opened JHS. They are the faces and voices of Jefferson High School. They work extremely well together as we all work to meet the varied needs of staff. From simple directions, securing subs, purchase orders, guiding staff through the proper process, they do it all, and they always do it with a kind, optimistic, empathetic approach. Together they are a great team, and JHS would not be the same without them.

Our Building Computer Specialists serve multiple buildings, address technology issues of every kind, and answer online request, call, email, and text emergencies non-stop. George exemplifies how they do it with a smile, expertise, and an attitude of caring. In a job where he'll never be "caught up," he's also never letting anyone down. Click 'play' on the video above to meet him.

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.

Pam goes above and beyond what is usually expected for educational assistants. Pam is the only EA still here at Foss after multiple years. Pam works as an ea for all of our Foss teachers, not just one. Pam helps with so many items beyond those just in the classroom, too many to avoid writing a whole novel of an answer here. High turnover sort of position, yet she seems to truly enjoy working at Foss and the students can tell. Students and staff are always glad to see Pam is here :)

Bobbie has so much knowledge regarding transition and takes on many extra tasks willingly. She is always encouraging of others and leads our staff in teacher appreciation activities to celebrate our wonderful teachers at Community Campus. She is kind, caring and loves what she does for our students with disabilities. She has been a role model for new staff, and always helps out (even without being asked), whether it's teaching a class or helping a co-worker problem-solve. She is welcoming to new staff and a true team player. The SFSD is so fortunate to have Bobbie on our team.

Jennifer tirelessly goes above and beyond for the staff, students, parents and community of BRMS. She is constantly smiling, laughing and caring for others. Our school would not run successfully without her tireless efforts.