Office: 605-367-7643
Website: https://www.ems.sf.k12.sd.us/o/ems
Email: SFSDEdisonOffice@k12.sd.us
Counseling Center: 605-367-8331
Fax: 605-367-8457
Edison is now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Facebook: @WeAreTheCats
Twitter: @EdisonCats
Instagram: @sfsdedisoncats
Newsletter Date:
March, 2025
Volume 3, Issue 36
Tips From the Office...
Ms. Erin - Reception
Ms. Rebecca - Attendance
Ms. Jenny - Lead Clerical
You can email us @ sfsdedisonattendance@k12.sd.us.
Student Check In/Out Procedure- You do NOT need to walk your student in to school to check them in if they are late or returning from an appointment. When a student is checking OUT we do need to see the adult that is picking them up in the office. If you are unable to come inside, call the office and we will have a staff member walk your student out to their ride to verify who is picking them up.
Infinite Campus Absence Reporting Information
The Parent Portal can ONLY be used for FULL DAY absences!
Any partial days must be completed via email (sfsdedisonattendance@k12.sd.us) or calling
(605-367-7643).
Please call or email the office if you have any questions.
605-367-7643
From the desk of Mrs. Blume
Hello Edison Families,
As we begin March, we are in a busy and exciting time of the school year! Thank you to all the families who have participated in Parent Teacher Conferences. These conversations are a valuable opportunity to strengthen the partnership between home and school, ensuring your child is set up for success. If you were unable to attend, please feel free to reach out to your child’s teachers to check in on their progress.
Looking ahead, SD Assessment is right around the corner in April. Now is a great time to reinforce good habits at home—consistent sleep schedules, healthy routines, and encouraging students to do their best each day. We will continue supporting students with strategies to build confidence and stamina as they prepare.
On the extracurricular front, we are wrapping up our winter sports season and looking forward to the starts of spring sports! We love seeing our students showcase their talents and teamwork on and off the field. Thank you to our coaches and families for your support!
March brings a variety of events to our students, and we are looking forward to them!
March 6- 8th Grade CTE Girls will participate in Pizza, Pop, & Power Tools Field Trip to the CTE Academy
Mar 12- 8th Grade Girls will participate in a Women in Science Field Trip
Mar 17-21 Our Kindness Club has planned a Kindness Week and each day activities will be planned to engage our student body in spreading kindness!
Mar 24-26 Our 7th graders will participate in a Junior Achievement Finance Park field trip. This trip will allow them to put the knowledge they have learned about finances in practice as they apply their skills in career and life scenarios.
Thank you for your ongoing support as we navigate this busy season together. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
Sincerely,
Amber Blume, Principal
"Historian of the Month" (Historiador del mes)
Team 6-3 Historian of the Month (Marzo)
Periodo 1: Bristol Bosler & Elliott Loane
Periodo 2: Aubrey Bausch & Paula Colón Pacheco
Periodo 5: Charly Dybsetter & Camille Sternick
Periodo 7: Lluvia Landry & Bennett Paulson
Periodo 8: Mara McChesney & Derek Polanco Sánchez
March Music Notes
MAIN CONCERTS -
Mar. 25 EMS Orchestra Concerts in Gym 6th grade-6:00 p.m., 7th grade-6:45 p.m., 8th grade-7:30 p.m.
Apr. 29 EMS Band Concerts in Gym 6th grade–6:30 p.m. & 7th/8th grade–7:30 p.m.
May 6 EMS Choir Concerts in Gym 6th grade – 6:30 p.m. & 7th/8th grade - 7:45 p.m.
OTHER IMPORTANT DATES -
Mar. 22 Band Solo/Ensemble Contest at Memorial MS 8:00 am–1:00 p.m.
Apr. 3 Brio Concert with 5th Grade Orchestra Festival Concert 6:00 p.m.
Apr. 11 Brio/Inventions/Jazz Band Tour Day All Day
Apr. 15 5th Grade Area Band Festival with Jazz Band 6:00 p.m.
April 25 Inventions Friends and Family Concert in auditorium 6:30 p.m.
April 26 Orchestra Contest at Susan B Anthony Elementary All Day
MUSICIAN OF THE MONTH~
Each month the band, orchestra, and chorus areas will each recognize a 6th, 7th, and 8th grader that shows exceptional dedication, responsibility, and character each and every day. Lewis Drug supports our Musician of the Month program by donating packages of M & Ms to hand out to the musicians we recognize.
Musicians of the month for FEBRUARY are:
Band: Makayla Grauf (8) Eli LaDeaux (7) Karla MaldonadoGarcia (6)
Choir: Tenley Scott (8) Morgan Brouwer (7) Eleni Reynoza (6)
Orchestra: Lucy Bender (8) Marijana VanEngen (7) Jody Grev (6)
ORCHESTRA CONTEST~
Your student will have the option of performing in a small group contest where they play in front of a judge and get a rating on how well they perform. Contest is not until April 26, however, we will choose music soon to start working on. We will help students choose music during orchestra class.
ENSEMBLE SCHEDULE~
Jazz Band meets on Monday and Wednesday mornings from 7:45 – 8:45 a.m.
Brio meets on Wednesday and Friday morning from 8:10 – 8:45 a.m.
Inventions meets on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 7:45 - 8:45 a.m.
PRIVATE LESSONS~
Now is a great time of year to consider starting private lessons on your instrument/voice. Individual lessons with a skilled teacher are a great way to learn, grow, and excel as a musician. The private lesson list can be found on the Edison Music Dept. website at http://emsmusicdept.weebly.com/private-instructors-list.html
SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER~
Please notify your child’s director if you need a sign language interpreter for the spring concert. Notify the director at least ONE MONTH before the concert date. (Concert dates and director emails are included in this ECHO.)
EDISON MUSIC DEPARTMENT WEBSITE~
The Edison Music Department has a website! Refer to this website for information and dates.
http://emsmusicdept.weebly.com/
Band directors – Rick Jensen - Rick.T.Jensen@k12.sd.us & Emily Deinken – Emily.Deinken@k12.sd.us
Choie director – Amber Sundvold – Amber.Sundvold@k12.sd.us
Orchestra directors – Stacy Sip – Stacy.Sip@k12.sd.us & Shannon Abels – Shannon.Abels@k12.sd.us
“Music to me is like breathing. I don't get tired of breathing, I don't get tired of music.” - Ray Charles
News from the Counseling Office
Mollie Weflen - ALL 6th grade
Phil Biteler – ALL 7th grade
Emma Nelsen – ALL 8th grade
Carly King - counseling registrar
This month, Edison will be hosting two “Surviving Middle School” nights for incoming 6th grade students and parents. This will be an opportunity to learn more about Edison and what middle school is like, as well as a chance to familiarize yourself with our building and staff!
LIBRARY
Food for Fines
The library will once again be doing Food for Fines in honor of National Library Week, April 7th-11th. Students that owe money for lost or damaged books can reduce or erase their fines by bringing nonperishable food items to the library anytime between April 8th and 12th. One food item equals one dollar off a fine. This is a limited time offer. No food will be accepted before April 7 or after Friday, April 12th.
Everybody Reads
The 4th Annual Everybody Reads has begun!
Everybody Reads is a collaborative initiative with Siouxland Libraries and Augustana University, designed to inspire a love of reading in our schools and the broader community. Our theme this year is "Reach for a Sweet Read." For every book logged, a piece of candy will be added to the displays in schools and the public libraries. We encourage adults to participate as well.
Our goal is to read 350,000 books between now and March 31st! If we reach our goal, we will celebrate by donating to our friends at Reach Literacy!
Service Work
In February, the Student Council demonstrated its commitment to community service by raising money to support the Humane Society. To help students learn more about the organization’s mission and efforts, Dana Konzem visited the school and brought along an adorable kitten. She shared insights into the Humane Society’s work, including their mission to rescue and care for animals in need.
At the end of her visit, the Student Council was proud to present Dana with a check for $77, a contribution that will go toward helping animals find safe and loving homes. This event not only raised funds but also increased awareness about animal welfare and how students can get involved in supporting local shelters.
School Board
School Board member Dawnmarie Johnson invited our Student Council members to attend a local school board meeting. While only one student was able to attend, she was able to see the similarities and differences between school board meetings and our Student Council meetings as well as gaining valuable insight into the decision-making process that affects her education. Thank you, Dawnmarie, for the invitation!
Edison Athletic Information
Edison Students and Families,
We have are on the downswing of Winter and that means outdoor activities are starting up soon! 7th and 8th Grade Track and Field as well as 8th Grade Soccer will both be starting on Wednesday, March 19th! Make sure you get your athlete signed up on Bound using the information below if you have not already!
7th Grade Boys Basketball will be coming to an end on Friday, March 7th and 8th Grade Boys Basketball will be done on Monday, March 10th! Please make sure that your athlete brings a change of clothes so that they can turn their uniforms in that day! Our Performance Dance Showcase is set to take place on Tuesday, March 18th! Make sure you get over to Memorial Middle School by 7:00 PM to support the dancers!
Please check our Edison Middle School Bound Website for our full practice schedule and game schedule under the Programs tab and then either the Practice or Events tabs!
Please note: practices will not be updated on the RSchool calendar the way that they have been in the past!
SPRING SPORTS REGISTRATION IS LIVE! If your athlete has an interest in track and field or soccer, please sign them up on Bound! Here is the flyer to use!
We are excited to have your support of your athletes and at Edison Events this year! We will be holding all of our Edison Community Members to the following standards during our events:
ATHLETIC CORE VALUES
These are the values that we are trying to align ourselves with at EMS Athletics. Please promote these with your athletes as much as you can!
Compete - Edison Athletes will always try their best
Attitude - Edison Athletes are positive with their words and actions
Teamwork - Edison Athletes will work together to reach a common goal
Selflessness - Edison Athletes put the team before themselves
SPECTATORS
Please cheer for our Edison Athletes!
Please sit in your designated areas on the bleachers or on the track. It makes supervision much easier when we have families in the family section and students in the student section.
Please do not comment on the officiating in the games. There will be good calls and there will be bad calls, but the officials are doing their best!
If you are going to drive your student home from an event instead of picking them up at Edison afterward, you must have a signed Parent Transportation Release Form turned in the DAY BEFORE the event! If they do not, it is a Class 2 Activities Violation and the athlete will be suspended from the next game/match/meet.
Once again, Edison is excited to have you and your athletes a part of Edison Athletics! We look forward to seeing you at all the Winter Events!!
As always, Go Cats!
A message from your Edison Middle School PTO: Thank you to everyone who donated time, products and financially to conferences. Without you, we couldn't do it! We appreciate our teachers and staff and trust us when we say they really appreciate what we do!
We are excited to announce two open positions on the board for the next two school years! We have a co-president position and a secretary position available. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Bobbi at bobbi.clayton@k12.sd.us. Serving on the PTO is a great way to be involved with your child's education on a different level and support those who are supporting our kids!
Summer 2025 Residential Camps
Summer 2025 Residential Camps (Registration Opens in the Spring):
- GenCyber High School Camp is June 8th – 13th
- Girls in CybHER Security Camp is June 16th – 20th
- Camp Cyber for Middle School Boys is June 22nd – 25th
- Cyber Espionage Camp for High School Students is June 23rd – 25th
