SVE Hiltunen Happenings

Hello SVE Families!

November was filled with meaningful learning, special celebrations, and opportunities for our students to grow. And now, we’re looking forward to all of the exciting things happening in December. Read on!

Girls On The Run (GOTR)
Our GOTR team completed their end-of-season 5K at the Sanford Diamonds in Sioux Falls on November 1. We will be recruiting new 3rd–5th grade moms to serve as coaches and/or volunteers for the 2026 season. Please contact me if you are interested.

4th & 5th Grade Grade Checks
We continue to monitor academic progress and encourage students to stay on track. Please help support learning by practicing math facts and reading each school night.

RTI (Response to Intervention)
Every K–5 student receives 30 minutes of targeted reading intervention or enrichment based on assessment data aligned to grade-level standards. Families of students receiving Tier 2 or Tier 3 interventions should have received a letter explaining the supports in place. If you did not receive one, please reach out to your child’s teacher.

Title I, BASE Advisory, and School Board Meetings
These important meetings help gather parent input and support strong district-wide policies.

Veteran’s Day Program
Our students honored those who have bravely served our country during a heartfelt and meaningful program.

Professional Development
Staff continued their work on expanding standards-based report cards into grades 1–5, building on the long-standing work of our Kindergarten team. More information will be shared during our 3rd and 4th quarter.

Breakfast with Deputies
Students enjoyed connecting with members of the Brookings County Sheriff’s Office over breakfast and conversation.

STAAR Club
Our STAAR Club continues to support 3rd–5th grade academic growth and meets most Wednesdays from 1:45–2:30.

A Fabulous 4th Grade Assembly!

Our 4th graders led an excellent assembly focused on collaboration, demonstrating what teamwork looks like and why it matters. Their message was positive, powerful, and memorable!

TEAM IVAN Trophy Winner

Congratulations to Mrs. Hedlund’s Kindergarten class for earning the TEAM IVAN trophy for the second month in a row! Their teamwork, kindness, and strong classroom community truly shine. We also had over 100 students earn an AWESOME IVAN AWARD and JETT ADEE (1st Grade Student) was the random winner chosen out of those students of getting to do morning announcements with Mrs. Hiltunen. Congratulations to all students for their positive choices.

Having Fun With the “6–7 Trend”!

Even though no one quite knows how or why “6–7” became such a big trend with kids everywhere, we decided to embrace the fun, too! On November 25, the 67th Day of School, our students and staff shared lots of laughs celebrating this silly, lighthearted moment that brought smiles across the building.

Gobble, Gobble SVE Style!

Staff enjoyed a Thanksgiving-themed game of Gobble, Gobble, where players had to “gobble” at each other to pass along turkeys and earn small prizes. It brought plenty of laughter and joy to the halls of SVE!

Thankful Notes

A special thank you to Mrs. Hillesheim, our school counselor, for creating the “THANKFUL for You” turkey notes for staff to share with students. Each child received a heartfelt message from an SVE staff member. Thank you as well to the families who filled out THANKFUL for YOU certificates for staff. You’ll see these displayed on classroom and office doors around the building.

And of course, Thanksgiving Break, giving everyone time to rest, relax, and recharge.

The Hiltunen Happenings Newsletter is emailed monthly to families and posted on our SVE Learning HUB on the district website for easy reference. 🌟

Warm regards,
Mrs. Heather Hiltunen
SVE Principal

(Photo: Left to right-Crystal Niemann (Administrative Assistant), Heather Hiltunen (SVE Principal), and Tiffany Thompson (Medical Office Assistant).

Join us on Friday, December 12, for an afternoon of musical delight featuring our K-3 students! Performances will take place in the Performing Arts Center (PAC):

• K-1 Concert: 1:00–1:30 PM
• 2nd & 3rd Grade Concert: 2:30–3:10 PM

Please allow time for concertgoers to transition between performances by waiting in the foyer of the PAC.

Can’t make it in person? No problem! The concerts will be streamed LIVE on our SVE Facebook page. Be sure to join and/or share the page at Sioux Valley Elementary Facebook.

Please park in the lot south of the PAC. After their performances, all students will return to their classrooms and follow the regular dismissal schedule and procedures. We look forward to seeing you there, whether in person or online!

Our Title I Interventionist is Mrs. Bezdichek. This month's focus is on educational games that could be used for holiday gift ideas.

As kids are learning to read and spell, they need many repetitions to make the information stick. One of the ways I find helpful to practice and check in on their understanding is by playing literacy games.

These literacy games are great for family game night or Christmas gifts. You can use reading games to practice skills such as: Oral Language, Phonological and Phonemic Awareness, Vocabulary, Reading Fluency, Spelling, Comprehension

Here are some favorite games and the skills they support:

• Speedy Words – Oral Language

• Tapple – Phonemic Awareness

• Boggle – Word Building

• Word Around – Decoding

• My First Bananagrams – Spelling

• Dabble – Vocabulary and Spelling

• Alphabet Island – Phonological Awareness

• Word on the Street Junior – Oral Language and Vocabulary

• Word Snap – Word Building

• Kangaroo Cravings - High Frequency Words

These games make reading practice fun, interactive, and meaningful, helping children strengthen literacy skills while having a great time with family!

November’s SEL Focus: Conflict Resolution & Management

During November, our Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons centered on conflict resolution and how to manage disagreements in positive, productive ways.

Grades 3–5: STEP Method
Students in grades 3–5 have been learning the STEP method, a structured approach they can use when navigating conflicts with others. This method helps students:

• Learn ways to cool off before responding

• Practice expressing their feelings respectfully

• Understand the three types of conflict styles and how to recognize them

• Brainstorm multiple solutions

• Work together to choose the best solution

Conflict—big or small—is a natural part of everyday life. These skills empower students to communicate effectively, collaborate with others, and respond calmly when they are upset.

Grades K–2: Kelso’s Choice
Younger students have been working with the Kelso’s Choice curriculum, a developmentally appropriate program designed to help children understand the difference between big problems and small problems:

• Big problems are scary, dangerous, or unsafe and require immediate help from an adult.

• Small problems are everyday disagreements students can try to solve on their own using Kelso’s Wheel of Choices.

Students learn through five engaging stories featuring Kelso at Willow Pond. Each story highlights what makes a problem big or small and demonstrates different solutions students can use. After each story, students participate in hands-on activities to practice identifying problems and applying solutions in real-life situations.

By teaching these strategies, we help students build independence, strengthen collaboration skills, and learn to “talk things out.” They also discover that if one solution doesn’t work, there’s always another choice to try!

Click the title above to explore "Kid Whisperer Nation Tips for Parents" from Scott Ervin on building strong relationships with students, sharing control, and promoting positive behaviors. All current Sioux Valley staff have been trained in-person by Mr. Ervin, which is why we’ve introduced classroom names, Delayed Learning Opportunities (DLOs), explicit teaching strategies, "Nows & Laters," greetings at the door, and more! These techniques help create a supportive and positive learning environment for all students. You might also find these techniques helpful at home—our hope is that your children will carry over what they are learning at school into everyday life. THIS MONTH'S TIPS: Give Yourself a Break, True or False Does Exist, Cute Parenting Can Hurt Them, Allow Failure to Act as an Extra Parent, Feel No Shame, Avoid Parenting Advice,

We have several community members that reach out to us every school year about the needs for the school. Here are some needs (wishes) from our SVE staff to be used in their classrooms. If you are able to provide and/or to give, please deliver the item requests to the school and we will put it under our Christmas tree for the staff to come and get! Thank you.

Lunchroom and Recess Times:

• Lunchroom Times:

  • K-2: 10:50-11:30
  • 3rd-5th: 11:25-11:55

• Recess Times

  • K-2: 11:15-11:50
  • 3rd-5th: 11:45-12:25

You are even welcome to stay and volunteer to supervise recess. Please check-in with the elementary office staff to get a sticker.

When your child is ill, has a doctor’s appointment, is going to be with you on family business, or will be absent for other reasons, please contact the school before 8:50 a.m. If we do not hear from you, we will make every attempt to call you at home or work to make sure your child is safe. A written excuse sent with a sibling is necessary unless parents have called the school beforehand. Please note that if your primary students have a change in dismissal routine, a note or a call to the office or teacher is needed before1:00PM, if possible.

For the protection of your children, no student is permitted to leave the school at any time during the school hours without permission from the office. Students should call their parents from a school phone and/or on their cell phone (if they have one) with permission of a staff member and with the staff member present.

Parents desiring early dismissal for students with appointments should send a note of explanation to their child’s teacher or call the elementary office prior to dismissal. Students will be released only to parents, guardians, or other authorized persons registering at the office.

If the student becomes ill during the day, the school administrative assistant or the principal will contact the parents and a designated adult will pick the student up at the office.

We prefer a phone call or email to the elementary office as teachers are busy teaching and may not be able to check email and/or to take the time to let the office know. It is important for the office to know so we can make sure attendance is recording correctly and to be aware of the whereabouts of all students.

As part of our ongoing efforts to keep our Lost & Found organized, any unclaimed clothing and other items will be donated on the last Friday of each month. We kindly ask for your cooperation in labeling your child’s belongings to help ensure they are returned if lost. Recently, we made 7 large garbage bags of donations of clothing and water bottles to the Brookings Area Goodwill. We already have a handful of hats, gloves/mittens, and boots that have been left behind by his/her owner. 😮

December 5-SV 3rd Annual PTO Kids Night In Event. 6:30-9pm. (See Event Flyer Below)

December 10-NO STARR CLUB for students in 3rd-5th (SV DISTRICT STAFF HOLIDAY GATHERING)

December 11-Breakfast with Deputies. Local deputies will have breakfast with our SVE students.

December 12-Elementary Christmas Concerts: K-1 at 1-1:30pm and 2nd-3rd at 2:30-3pm in the PAC.

December 15-Grade Checks for students in grades 4th & 5th

December 22 & 23-Student Dress Up Days (see image above)

December 23-Holiday Movie in the PAC for our K-5 students & Christmas Parties in the afternoon

December 24- Grades DUE

January 5-School Resumes. Welcome back.

January 6-13-Middle of the Year (MOY) DIBELS Assessments for all JK-5 students

January 9-SVE Assembly 2:45 (Cossack Gym). Review of Expectation. Hiltunen/Trigg Led.

January 7-STAAR CLUB/Homework Help for students in 3rd-5th

January 14-STAAR CLUB/Homework Help for students in 3rd-5th

January 16-NO SCHOOL for STUDENTS. Professional Development Day for Staff

January 19-NO SCHOOL (Martin Luther King Jr Day)

January 21-STAAR CLUB/Homework Help for students in 3rd-5th

January 22-RTI MOY Start Date

January 26-SVE Assembly 2:45 (Cossack Gym). 1st Grade Student Led.

Remaining 2025-2026 Elementary Concert Dates:

April 13-5th Grade Music & Band Concert. 7pm. Cossack Gym.

April 27-4th Grade Spring Music Concert. 6pm. PAC.

Other VIP DATES:

February 11-12-Conferences and Book Fair

February 13-NO SCHOOL

February 16-NO SCHOOL

February 20-Kindergarten Screening for students starting kindergarten in 2026. Must be 5 by Sept. 1

March 12-13-NO SCHOOL (Spring Break)

March 27-Staff Development Day (NO SCHOOL for students)

April 3 and 6-NO SCHOOL (Easter)

May 13th-Kindergarten Signing Night (for incoming 2026 kindergarten students)

May 15th-Moving On Up Day (students meet their teachers for the 2025-2026 school year)

May 18th- SVE Field Day (afternoon)

May 19th- 5th Grade Send-Off (11:45)

May 19th-Last Day of School (12pm Dismissal)

BASE will be open during Christmas vacation.

December 23—open after an early out

December 29—open all day

December 30—-open all day

December 31—-open until 4pm

January 1 and 2-CLOSED

If you plan on having your BASE member attend, please either send Director Mary a note or mark in the notebook when you drop off your kiddos. That will help her with planning.

FYI: Have your BASE member bring a lunch. We also have movie time and/or a quiet time in the afternoon so if you they wanted to bring a blanket or a pillow to be more comfortable that is perfectly fine.

In case of SD weather during that time period, Director Mary will make any decisions as quickly as possible and will send out an email to BASE families ASAP.

Q: What is the best way to find out any special activities or events that are happening in a specific classroom?

A: This is a great question. If the activity or event is an annual event or is posted on our elementary calendar, I will try my best to post it on the calendar of events above. If it is something more specific to a grade level, I recommend contacting your child's teacher directly to get any updates on classroom activities and events planned.