Cossack Connection

Happy April, Cossack Families!

Spring is here, and with it comes one of the busiest stretches of the school year. I want to highlight a few things happening this month and into May that you'll want to have on your radar.

State Testing Season

Our middle school students will be in the thick of state testing throughout April, starting with ELA on April 1 and 2, followed by 8th grade math and science testing April 20 through 23, and 6th/7th grade math testing April 20 through 22 (with performance tasks on April 29).

That said, here's how you can set your student up for success: make sure they're getting a good night's sleep, eating breakfast, and arriving to school on time. Encourage them to take their time and give their best effort. These scores help our teachers understand where students are and where they need to go, and they also play a role in our Middle School Championship on May 13, so every student's effort matters for their team!

Middle School Championship

Speaking of the Championship, mark your calendars for May 13! This is our end of year celebration where our middle school students compete in Quiz Bowl and Volleyball. State testing results factor into the overall standings, so strong effort on tests truly makes a difference.

Spring Musical: Mamma Mia!

Our talented students take the stage April 16 through 19 for this year's spring musical. You won't want to miss it!

Senior Retreat: The Final Countdown

On April 22, our seniors will spend the full day in the PAC for The Final Countdown Retreat. This is a special day designed to help our seniors reflect on their journey, celebrate the relationships they've built, and prepare for life after graduation through fun, interactive activities. It's a powerful way to close out their time as Cossacks.

Prom

Prom is April 25! Doors open at 7:00 PM with Grand March at 7:30 PM.

Support Our School and Staff

As we head into May, there are two great ways to show your Cossack Pride:

Teacher Appreciation Week runs May 4 through 8, and our Climate Team is once again running the Highlight a Hero fundraiser. This is a wonderful opportunity to recognize the staff members who have made a difference for your student this year. We also have a bake sale fundraiser alongside the spring musical. Check out the details below to get involved!

Looking Ahead

A few more key dates to keep on your radar as the school year wraps up: Senior Scholarship Awards Program on May 6 at 8:30 AM, Senior Sunset on May 12, Baccalaureate on May 13 at 7:00 PM in the PAC, Moving on Up Day for next year's 6th graders and parents on May 15, and Graduation on May 16 at 2:00 PM.

It's going to be a great finish to the year. Thank you for your continued support!

With Cossack Pride,

Mr. Bolstad

April 1 (periods 2-6) - MS ELA state testing - Spring 2026

April 2 (periods 2-4) - MS ELA state testing - Spring 2026

April 7 - 8th Grade Field Trip to DSU - Junior Achievement

April 9 - USD Medical Student presentation for all high school students during SRP@ 3:10-3:30pm in the Sioux Valley High School Gym.

April 16-19 - Mamma Mia! Spring Musical

April 17 - 8th Grade Girls: Women in Science Field Trip to DSU

April 20-23 - 8th Grade Math State Testing During Math Class

April 20-22 - State FFA Convention

April 20-22 - 8th Grade Science State Testing During Science Class

April 22 - Senior Retreat in the PAC

April 20-22 - 6th & 7th Grade Math State Testing During Math Class

April 25 - Prom; Doors Open @ 7:00 PM; Grand March @ 7:30 PM

April 29 - 6th & 7th Grade Math Performance Task State Testing

May 4 - May 8 - Teacher Appreciation Week

May 6 - Senior Scholarship Awards Program @ 8:30 AM

May 12 - Senior Sunset

May 13 - Main Thing Day & MS Championship (Quiz Bowl & Volleyball), Baccalaureate @ 7:00 PM in the PAC

May 15 - Senior Breakfast & Graduation Rehearsal @ 9:00 AM; Moving on Up Day for Next Year's 6th Grade Students and Parents

May 16 - Graduation Ceremony @ 2:00 PM

Want to recognize a Sioux Valley teacher, coach, or staff member during Teacher Appreciation Week? For $25, the Climate Team will send your hero a gift certificate to their favorite spot, a free drink from Hello Larsons, and a certificate of appreciation with your personal message. Your donation also supports the Climate Team Fund, which has brought our staff and students fun events like Spring Singo and March Madness Brackets with prizes. Scan the QR code on the flyer to get started!

Our Sioux Valley Climate Team is hosting a free will donation bake sale during intermission of our spring musical, Mamma Mia!, April 16-19. We will also be running a 50/50 raffle at each performance.

We are looking for donated baked goods to make this fundraiser a success. Items can be dropped off to the school office the week of the show. We do ask that items be non-sticky (no caramel, gooey frosting, etc.) to help keep the PAC looking great. Use this link to sign up for bringing an item.

Thank you for supporting our students and our Cossack performers. We hope to see you at the show!

Get ready for some friendly competition! The Middle School Championship takes place Wednesday, May 13 from 12:30-1:45 PM in Tile Town. Our 6th, 7th, and 8th graders will compete for bragging rights through State Assessment Growth, Quiz Bowl, and Volleyball Tournament competitions. Points are earned through academic achievement and athletic performance. It's all about showing Cossack Pride!

Mark your calendars for Main Thing Day on Wednesday, May 13! We're setting aside the textbooks for a day focused on real-world skills. Our middle and high school students will choose from hands-on sessions covering everything from cooking a meal and changing a tire to budgeting, self defense, career exploration, and more. It's practical, real-world learning at its best. We're also looking for community members who would be willing to come in and share their skills or expertise with our students. Whether you're a mechanic, a nurse, a financial advisor, a first responder, or just someone with a great skill to teach, we'd love to have you. If you're interested in presenting or know someone who would be, please reach out to Tyler Bolstad at tyler.bolstad@k12.sd.us or call the MS/HS office.

Congratulations to our Students of the Month! These Cossacks exemplify Gratitude, Continuous Improvement, High Expectations, Commitment, and Community. Way to represent Sioux Valley with excellence!
6th Grade: Elyse H. & Avaley H.
7th Grade: Lauren d. & Emily C.
8th Grade: Zander S. & Parker M. (not pictured)
9th Grade: Maxx V. (not pictured) & McKinley S.
10th Grade: Dominic C. (not pictured) & Ava G.
11th Grade: Axel S. & Addison C.
12th Grade: Brooke K. (not pictured) & Riley S.

There are a number of free college and career exploration events happening this spring across South Dakota, including several right in Watertown and in Brookings. Visit ourdakotadreams.com/events-calendar/ to see the full list and get your student signed up.

The University of South Dakota Knudson School of Law will be hosting its “Law Camp” via Zoom on April 15th from 2:00 – 4:30 CST. Law Camp will introduce various degree programs and careers connected with the law in South Dakota. It is open to all high schoolers and there is no cost to participate.

With presenters from a variety of legal careers, students will have a chance to hear about the career path and opportunities of judges, lawyers, probation officers, law enforcement officers, court clerks, court reporters, professionals working with diversion and specialty courts, and other parts of the legal system. It will include representatives from careers that require either two- or four-year degrees along with graduate programs like law school.

Law Camp will be an interesting and exciting chance to learn about legal careers. USD Knudson School of Law Dean Neil Fulton said, “I developed an interest in the law because I got to meet people working in legal careers while I was in high school. I really hope that Law Camp provides a similar spark to another generation of South Dakota students.”

Registration for individual attendees may be completed online. If you are interested in having a group of students participate in Law Camp, please contact Katey Ulrich at Katey.A.Ulrich@usd.edu for details and registration.

A Caring Community Stays Connected

At Sioux Valley, we believe in supporting one another through life's challenges. Safe2Say South Dakota is one way we can look out for each other and make sure everyone in our community has access to help when they need it.

What is Safe2Say SD?

Safe2Say SD is a free, confidential way to share concerns about yourself or someone else in our school community. Available 24/7, it connects people to caring adults who can provide support and resources.

How to Reach Out:

• Website: www.safe2say.sd.gov
• Mobile App: Download the Safe2Say SD app
• Call: 1-844-3SD-SAFE (toll-free, anytime)

Your privacy is protected, and trained staff will respond with care and support.

When Someone Might Need Extra Support

Life can be challenging, and sometimes we notice that a friend, classmate, or even ourselves could use some extra help. Safe2Say SD is available when you're concerned about:

• A friend who seems to be struggling
• Bullying or unkind behavior
• Someone who's talked about feeling overwhelmed or hopeless
• Any situation where you think someone could benefit from additional support

We're Here for Each Other

Reaching out when you're worried about someone shows that you care. It's an act of friendship and courage.

How would you like a chance to win $10,000 — and another $10,000 for your school?

Now through April 10th, DriveSafeSD.com and Lessons Learned are teaming up once again to award $10,000 to one lucky South Dakota student and $10,000 to a school program of that student’s choice!

Entering is easy:

1. Visit https://drivesafesd.com/lesson-learned/

2. Take a short quiz about safe driving habits

3. Submit your information at the end — and you’re entered!

That’s it! It only takes a few minutes, and you’ll learn important tips about making smart, safe decisions behind the wheel.

Entries are accepted through April 10th, so don’t wait!

Drive smart. Give back to your school. Take your shot at $10,000 today!

Methodize is a simple, yet effective online learning platform that empowers students to learn new skills and reach their potential. It offers a self-paced ACT preparation course that provides students in grades 9 to 12 with a comprehensive overview of the most effective strategies and the most relevant content for raising their ACT scores. Students who have used Methodize to study for the ACT have seen an average increase of 3 points!

Methodize is available at no cost to all South Dakota students in grades 9-12. This resource is provided by the South Dakota Department of Education and can be accessed through SDMyLife powered by Xello. Students and educators can simply log into their accounts and access Methodize at any time.

To learn more about utilizing Methodize as an ACT test preparation tool in your district, a free tutorial is available via Canvas, and you can register and view that here:

Methodize - Free ACT Test Prep Tutorial

https://sded.sd.gov/browse/division-of-college-career-and-student-success/office-of-student-wellness-and-supports/courses/methodize---free-act-test-prep-tutorial2025

Our staff regularly engages in professional learning focused on strengthening classroom practices and supporting student growth. From instructional strategies to student engagement and behavior, these readings help ensure we are aligned, reflective, and continually improving. We’re sharing a few highlights that may also be helpful for families at home.

“I feel like I see students detoxing under my eyes.”

Jill Anderson, 3rd-grade teacher, on what she observed after shifting from students

working on iPads to working with dry-erase boards and interacting with each other, quoted in “An iPad in Kindergarten Class? Timeout, Say Worried Parents” by Jackie

Mader in The New York Times, March 11, 2026

“Today’s children are growing up in a world where their very humanity can feel inconvenient, slow, and even scary. It’s simpler to text than talk. It’s safer to ask a bot than a friend. It’s faster to get an AI-generated summary rather than to read, to think, to express yourself. Yet, we know that in an era of artificial intelligence, humanity – including the skills, experiences, and stories that define the human experience – matters more than ever.”

Humanities teachers’ manifesto

We recently came across a helpful video from Dr. Russell Barkley about time management strategies that can benefit many learners, not just those with ADHD.

The big idea: When students struggle to manage time, it helps to make time something they can see. A simple kitchen timer or analog timer placed nearby can help students stay focused and aware of how much time they have left on a task.

Two strategies worth trying at home:

The Pomodoro Technique: Set a timer for a short work interval (even 5 or 10 minutes to start), commit to focusing only on the task until the timer goes off, then take a short break. Repeat. Students can gradually increase the work interval as they build success.

The Eisenhower Matrix: Help your student sort their to-do list by asking two questions: Is it urgent? and Is it important? Tasks that are both urgent and important get done first. Tasks that are important but not urgent get scheduled into the calendar. Everything else can wait or be let go.

One more tip from the video: low-tech tools (like a physical timer) tend to work better than phone timers, since phones come loaded with notifications and distractions that pull attention away from the task.

A recent study found that a single phone notification can disrupt a person's thinking for about seven seconds. That may not sound like much, but when the average person receives over 150 notifications a day, those interruptions add up fast and make it very difficult to focus deeply on anything.

Here's what surprised researchers: it's not how long someone spends on their phone that predicts the most distraction. It's how often they're interrupted by notifications and how frequently they reach for the device. The constant cycle of buzzing, checking, and returning to a task trains the brain to expect interruption rather than sustained focus.

This matters for our students because even a phone set to silent can be a distraction. The brain has been conditioned to anticipate the next notification, which pulls attention away from learning. Researchers recommend focusing less on total screen time and more on creating notification-free windows, especially during homework, reading, or studying. Something as simple as putting the phone in another room can make a real difference.

To provide real-time access to attendance and grades, we have the Parent Portal on Infinite Campus. Many parents/guardians and teachers are embracing technology tools like Parent Portal on Infinite Campus, Google Classroom, and email communication as alternatives to in-person conferences. These tools offer information most relevant to parent/guardian interests.

If you need help connecting to the Parent Portal to view your child's attendance and grades, please feel free to contact Angie Andreasen in the MS/HS Office. We're here to assist you with any inquiries you may have.

Website: https://www.svs.k12.sd.us/
Location: 200 Hansina Avenue, Volga, SD, USA
Phone: (605) 627-5657

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