Teachers are consistently going out of their way to do what's best for their students. They work extra hours with limited resources to ensure that students have everything they need to succeed and thrive. Education is at the core of any functioning society, and teachers are the ones putting in the hard work everyday to ensure that every student gets a chance to grow and learn.

During this teacher appreciation week, let's all pause and thank a teacher for their dedication to cultivating environments of learning, safety and belonging for SFSD students!

See below for some local deals available to Sioux Falls teachers!

Tonight's Good News Report highlighted many of the district employees who have attained advanced degrees through the 2022-2023 school year. 62% of Sioux Falls School District staff have a Master's or above Degree. Congratulations to everybody who worked towards furthering their own education this year!

The board heard an update on district health services at tonight's School Board Meeting. School nurses are essential for keeping students safe, healthy, and ready to learn. SFSD has about 38 FTE school nurses who provide services in 38 buildings/programs. Thank you to all school nurses who play a vital role in the success of students everyday!

See the full report below!

Going along with this weeks Reports of the Superintendent, May 10th is National School Nurse Day! SFSD school nurses do so much everyday to ensure the health and safety of students, everything from administering medication and providing first-aid to communicating health needs to school staff, they always have the best interest of students in mind. Please take some time this week to say thank you to a school nurse for always going above and beyond to keep students safe and healthy!

Just a quick reminder that voting for the next school board member is OPEN NOW! Absentee voting is open from 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Monday - Friday at IPC until May 15th. Election day is May 16th, and on this day you can vote at any of the 13 voting locations.

Visit here for any more information regarding the election.

Here is a sneak peek at just one of our nationally-known speakers for the Inspire Education Conference!

Registration is now open for the 2023 Inspire Education Conference, August 2nd-3rd at Jefferson HS!

This conference is open to all SFSD employees free of charge! Topics include MTSS, PBIS, mental health, restorative practices, PLC+, literacy, strengthening core instruction and many more!

Click here to view the full conference schedule and session descriptions.

Click here to view sessions by topic.

Click here to register!

South Dakota Department Board of Education Standards approved new Social Studies Standards to be implemented during the 2025-2026 school year.

Development and review of the curriculum are driven by the District's Curriculum Revision Cycle. The cycle is based on the South Dakota Standards Revision and Adoption Timeline utilized by the State Board of Education. It specifies the curriculum's timeframe for studying, developing, adopting, and implementing. By Policy IG/IG-R Curriculum Development, Adoption, and Review, various committees are involved in the process.

Beginning in the fall of 2023, the Social Studies Steering Committee will start meeting. The Steering Committee will include at least three teachers and one administrator from each instructional level, teachers and administrators from Special Services, EL teachers, school support personnel, parents/guardians, and community members.

If you are interested in serving on the Social Studies Steering Committee, the following link will allow you to complete the application of interest.

Imagine Solutions Conference is a nationally known thought leader conference that brings world-class visionaries to share ideas on today's most relevant issues. The conference offers an impressive speaker lineup in topics, such as Science and Technology, Biodiversity, Arts, and much more. We are excited to provide Sioux Falls School District teachers the opportunity to attend this year's conference virtually. Registered attendees will receive a link to the recorded videos in late May of 2023.

This is a small way that we can show our appreciation for all you do for our students.

• All registered teachers will be provided a link to the conference videos from the Sioux Falls School District in late May until October 15.


• Each video is approximately 19-25 minutes in length and can be viewed 24/7.


• All registered teachers qualify for 5 hours of professional development for registering and completing a brief survey after watching all of the videos.

Another beautiful spring week, another round of Public School Proud Grants delivered around the District!

Six grants were given out this past week, and even more are getting ready to be delivered this week.

Congratulations to all the Public School Proud grant recipients! Thank you for going the extra mile to benefit your students! (Be sure to follow the link below for a full list of recipients!)

This week's SFSD All Star is Katrina Mize, building manager at Patrick Henry Middle School! Her colleague Holly Gage had this to say about working with her, "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."

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.

Below are the 2023-24 Salary Memos for Teachers and Classified staff.

Teacher Salary Memo

Classified Staff Salary Memo

Teachers and Administrators: Have you checked your SD Educator Certification expiration date? Do it today! https://www.sd.gov/411

After October 1 each year, Teachers and Administrators with expired licenses are charged an additional $100 to renew. Also, the Be proactive and check your certification today! Then, ask your co-workers to check their certification.

If you find you need to renew your license this spring, check out the Renewal Requirements.

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

• Wednesday, May 10th - 12:30pm - 1:30pm - A Balancing Act for the Work and Personal Life Seesaw
• Wednesday, June 14th - 12:30pm - 1:30pm - Healthy Living: Navigate Life’s Transitions

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

• The last day SFEA (Teachers) staff may use personal leave or a wellness day is May 12th.
• For all other employee groups (EAs, Clerical, Specialists, Custodial, etc), please refer to each working agreement for specifics, as restricted time frames for personal leave may be different.

Working Agreements can be found here: Working Agreements

The summary of benefits and coverage document provided by Wellmark for the 2023-2024 plan year is meant to help employees better understand the coverage they have and allow them to easily compare different coverage options. The document summarizes the key features of the plan or coverage, such as the covered benefits, cost-sharing provisions, and coverage limitations and exceptions.

View the SBC here: Summary of Benefits and Coverage

A Few Tips for Spring Allergy Relief:

1. Stay inside when pollen counts are high.
2. Take off your shoes at the door. That keeps pollen allergens outside.
3. Keep windows closed to keep pollen out, especially on a windy day.
4. Cool your house with an air conditioner instead of a fan in the window. This prevents pollen from entering from outside.
5. Don’t line-dry clothes or sheets in warmer weather. They will collect pollen when they hang outside.
6. Take some allergy medicine. Antihistamines block your body’s response to allergies and they usually work in less than an hour.

Adapted from WebMD

We’re here for YOU. The District is pleased to offer the Sand Creek Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to help employees and their families find support and the necessary resources when difficult situations arise. Sand Creek helps with everyday life struggles by offering solutions such as mental health counseling, work/life resources, legal/financial resources, medical advocacy, life/wellness coaching, and a personal assistant. Additionally, the EAP is an excellent option for webinars, articles, and other resources to help support our well-being. Our EAP through Sand Creek is free, professional, and confidential.

Learn more about Sand Creek HERE