SVE Hiltunen Happenings

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

💙 February at Sioux Valley Elementary 💛

Cossack Pride in Full Swing!

February is packed with learning, heart, and connection at Sioux Valley Elementary! From conferences and our Book Fair to celebrating healthy hearts and strong habits, we’re excited to partner with families all month long.

🗂️ Parent-Teacher Conferences

We look forward to connecting with families during February Conferences. This is an important time to celebrate student growth, share progress, and discuss goals moving forward.

📅 Conference Dates & Times

• Wednesday, February 11 | 2:00–6:00 PM

• Thursday, February 12 | 4:00–8:00 PM

Your child’s teacher will share specific sign-up details. Thank you for making time to partner with us. We truly value these conversations.

📚 Paper Pie Book Fair (formerly Usborne)

The PaperPie Book Fair will be open during conference hours in the SVE Library. This is a great opportunity to build home libraries and encourage a love of reading!

📖 Book Fair Hours:

• Wednesday, February 11 | 2:00–6:00 PM

• Thursday, February 12 | 4:00–8:00 PM

Every purchase supports literacy and learning at SVE. We hope you’ll stop by!

❤️ Kids Heart Challenge – Heart Month at SVE

February is Heart Month, and our students are participating in the Kids Heart Challenge! Through physical activity and service learning, students are learning how to take care of their hearts and help others.

🏃‍♀️💓 Students will:

• Learn heart-healthy habits

• Practice kindness and teamwork

More information will be sent home this week, including how families can participate if they choose.

💌 Valentine’s Day Parties

Valentine’s Day parties will take place on Thursday, February 12.

💝 Party Reminders:

• Students should bring their own decorated Valentine’s Day box from home

• Boxes should be Kleenex-box or cereal-box sized

• Boxes will be used to collect valentines from classmates

📅 No School Reminder

Please remember:

🚫 No School on Friday, February 13
🚫 No School on Monday, February 16

We hope families enjoy the extended weekend!

🎭 Dakota Players at SVE

We are excited to welcome Dakota Players (an outreach of the Black Hills Playhouse) to Sioux Valley Elementary for a week of theater and creativity!

📅 Dates: February 23–27
📍 Location: Performing Arts Center (PAC)

Important Dates & Times:

• Monday, Feb. 23: Auditions begin after school

• Practices: Monday–Thursday, 3:45–8:00 PM
  (Students may not be required to stay the entire time each night; schedules will be shared.)

• Friday, Feb. 27: 🎉 Grand Performance at 6:00 PM

More detailed information regarding auditions, practice schedules, and student expectations was emailed home and is also shared below. We can’t wait to see our students shine on stage!

❄️ February Reminders

• Please continue to dress students for winter weather and recess. Boots for the mud.

• If your child will be absent, call the office as soon as possible.

• Keep students home if they are sick and need medication to keep their fever down.

• Be sure to watch for classroom and teacher updates through Seesaw.

Don’t forget, these SVE FAMILY newsletters are emailed monthly and are also available on the SVE Learning HUB on our district website for easy reference. 🌟

Warm regards,

Mrs. Heather Hiltunen

SVE Principal

Feb. 10-20-Kid Heart Challenge Assembly/Wellness Week/Playground/Turf Fundraiser

Feb. 11 & 12--Parent/Teacher Conferences on the 11th from 2pm-6pm and 12th from 4pm-8pm along with a Paper Pie Book Fair in the library. Regular dismissal times on Wed and Thursday.

Feb. 12-Valentine's Day Parties. Bring your child's decorated Valentine's Day boxes to school.

February 13-NO SCHOOL

February 16-NO SCHOOL

February 17-SVE NEW ART LOGO Winners will be announced

February 17-20-Kid Heart Challenge Dress Up Days (another flyer to be sent home)

February 18-FFA Coloring Sheets due to Mr. McMullen (FFA Advisor)

February 19-4th Grade NAEP TESTING

February 20-Kindergarten Screening for students starting kindergarten in 2026. Must be 5 by 9/1. NO SCHOOL for our current kindergarten students. ALL Day BASE available.

February 20-3rd-5th Grade DEUEL School Teachers Visit

February 27-National FFA Week-Petting Zoo.

March 1-31-Music in our School Month

March 12-13-NO SCHOOL (Spring Break)

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

April 2-5th Grade Developmental Talk

April 3 and 6-NO SCHOOL (Easter)

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

May 14th-K-5 School-wide FUN DAY. Please do not plan any trips or anything on this day.

May 15th-Moving On Up Day (students meet their teachers for the 2026-2027 school year)

May 18th- SVE Field Day (afternoon)

May 19th-SNOW MAKE-UP DAY. We do have a full-day of SCHOOL on this day.

May 20th- 5th Grade Send-Off (11:45)

May 20th-Last Day of School (12pm Dismissal)

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.

Our students are already off to an amazing start for the KIDS HEART CHALLENGE, and I couldn’t be prouder:

🎉 $3,172.27 raised so far
🎉 27 students signed up
🎉 10 students have already completed Finn’s Mission

Wow! That is an incredible beginning, and these students were recognized during our kickoff.

We are also excited to celebrate Boedy Gatzke (a 5th Grader, shown below with his mother), who has already raised $1,295 and has a personal heart story. He also received special recognition during our kickoff event. Thank you to Mrs. Jess Gatzke for sharing their family's heart story about her mother. Much love to all of our families and their heart stories.

📽️ Important for Families to Know

To help make the kickoff extra successful, here is a Kids Heart Challenge video explaining the program and its message before the kickoff. This ensures students understand the purpose and feel excited to participate.

🔗 Kids Heart Challenge Video:
https://vimeo.com/1037554184

💙 How Families Can Support

Families are encouraged to talk with their child about:

• Heart-healthy habits

• Helping others in meaningful ways

• Setting personal goals they feel proud of

Participation is always optional, and every level of involvement, learning, cheering others on, or fundraising, is valued and celebrated.

Thank you for supporting healthy hearts, kindness, and community impact at Sioux Valley Elementary. We are so proud of our students and grateful for your continued partnership.

Students must be 5 years old by September 1st to enroll in Junior Kindergarten (JK) or Kindergarten. Currently, we are not accepting open enrollments for JK. The district uses a scoring system to determine the most suitable placement for each student. While parent input is valued, the final decision on whether a child is placed in Junior Kindergarten or Kindergarten will be made by the district. This decision considers the overall needs of all eligible students, with priority given to those who demonstrate the greatest need for Junior Kindergarten. The capacity for the Junior Kindergarten program is limited to 14 students.

SVE Welcomes the Dakota Players, an outreach of the Black Hills Playhouse, for a K–5 Space Pirates Play! 🎭🚀

We are excited to welcome the Dakota Players to Sioux Valley Elementary for a week-long theatre residency (Feb. 23-27) featuring the Space Pirates play! Auditions will be held on Monday, February 23 at 3:45 PM in the Performing Arts Center (PAC). Any K–5 student interested in auditioning will meet SVE staff and/or PTO members by the SVE workroom hallway and will be walked to the PAC. Please let your child’s teacher know if your student plans to audition so we can plan accordingly. All students who audition are guaranteed a part. Families are asked to return to or be at the PAC by 5:30 PM on audition day to learn about the role your child received and to receive the rehearsal schedule. Important Note for Main Roles: If your child is selected for a main role, families will be notified at 5:30 PM on audition day. Students with main roles will be asked to remain at the PAC until 8:00 PM, with a supper break built in after auditions and before the first rehearsal. Please plan ahead and send a sack lunch for your child if they are assigned a main role.

Rehearsals will take place February 24–27. Due to the large number of students involved, we will have an increased need for adult supervision during rehearsals, and families will be expected to help in some capacity. Rehearsal schedules may vary by day, but generally run from 3:45–5:30 PM, followed by a supper break from 5:30–6:00 PM, and then continue from 6:00–8:00 PM for lead roles. (Friday rehearsals will look slightly different due to the evening performance.)

Performances will be held on Friday, February 27, with a 2:00 PM matinee for all K–5 SVE students and a 6:00 PM community performance.

If you have any questions, please call Crystal at 605-627-5657 ext. 404 or email Mrs. Hiltunen at heather.hiltunen@k12.sd.us.

As we look ahead to spring, we would like to share the state assessment testing windows for students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades. At this time, these dates are only APPROXIMATE testing plans by grade level. More specific details (including daily schedules and expectations) will be shared at a later date. Please reach out to your child's teacher if are you planning an extended absence.

We appreciate your support in helping students arrive at school well-rested and on time during these important weeks.

📅 Testing Windows by Grade

3rd Grade

• April 13–17: English Language Arts (ELA)

• April 20–24: Math

4th Grade

• April 13–17: ELA

• April 20–24: Math

5th Grade

• April 20–24: ELA

• April 26–30: Math

• April 27-28: Science

We want to take a moment to celebrate the positive trends we’re seeing in student behavior at Sioux Valley Elementary! 💙

As of February 9, 2026, our referral data shows strong progress compared to this time last year:

• 2025–2026: 371 referrals

• 2024–2025: 656 referrals

🎉 That’s a 44% decrease in office referrals compared to last year!

⭐ What This Data Tells Us

• 68% of SVE students have ZERO referrals

• 86% of students have 0–2 referrals

• 56% of all referrals come from just 6% of our students, allowing us to focus supports where they are most needed

This reflects the impact of our PBIS expectations, consistent routines, positive relationships, and proactive supports across the building.

🏫 Referrals by Grade (Since 1/1/26)

• Kindergarten: 13

• 1st Grade: 9

• 2nd Grade: 15

• 3rd Grade: 23

• 4th Grade: 15

• 5th Grade: 9

💙 What This Means

These numbers remind us that the vast majority of our students are meeting expectations every day, and that our systems are helping us respond thoughtfully and intentionally to those who need additional support.

Thank you to our students, staff, and families for continuing to live out the Cossack Creed by being respectful, responsible, and safe. Your consistency, care, and teamwork truly make a difference.

Cossack Strong—Together!

Our Title I Interventionist is Mrs. Bezdichek.

📘 Emily’s Hope Curriculum

This month, students will be participating in the Emily’s Hope curriculum. Emily’s Hope provides age-appropriate, research-based lessons designed to educate and encourage healthy choices, aligned with national health education standards.

The curriculum is taught annually, with each grade level building on learning from previous years. Lessons are delivered through stories, videos, hands-on activities, discussion, and songs, helping students develop understanding in a developmentally appropriate way. This curriculum also aligns with and supports the 5th grade D.A.R.E. program, providing additional education at that level.

Families will receive more detailed information about the program. If you would like to learn more or have questions, you are encouraged to visit the Emily’s Hope website:
👉 https://emilyshopeedu.org/

📚 Grade-Level Focus Areas

• Kindergarten (3 weeks):
  My Body, Staying Healthy, My Feelings

• 1st Grade (5 weeks):
  My Body, My Brain, My Health, Medication Safety, Emotions

• 2nd Grade (5 weeks):
  My Body, My Brain, My Health, Emotions, Pressures

• 3rd Grade (8 weeks):
  My Body, My Brain, My Health, Medication Safety, Substance Use Disorder, Emotions, Pressures

• 4th–5th Grade (8 weeks):
  My Body, My Brain, My Brain on Substances, My Health, Medication Safety, Substance Use Disorder, Emotions, Pressures

As a reminder, if Sioux Valley Schools have a third snow day, that day will become an e-learning day for students. We have had ONE SNOW DAY. It will be made-up at the end of the school year. We appreciate your partnership in helping students be prepared if this occurs.

The SVE Learning Hub(click here) serves as our one-stop location for e-learning information, assignments, and expectations. On an e-learning day, students will be provided with developmentally appropriate activities that align to what they are currently learning in class and can be completed at home.

💻 Teacher Availability on E-Learning Days

Teachers will be available to support students and families through their regular communication platforms (Email or Seesaw) during the following times:

• Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday: 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM

• Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 1:45 PM

Teacher Assistants will also be available Monday–Friday from 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM to help support students as needed.

📋 Attendance & Assignments

• Students will submit completed e-learning activities through Seesaw or email.

• Students will have one week from the e-learning day to complete assignments, allowing flexibility for families.

• Assignments may be completed at home or when students return to school.

🤝 Support for Students Receiving Special Services

Students who receive special education or other support services will continue to receive assistance from their teachers and teacher assistants through Email, Seesaw, and/or Zoom during posted office hours.

Thank you for your support and flexibility as we work together to keep learning consistent during winter weather. Our goal is always to return students to routine as smoothly as possible while maintaining meaningful learning experiences. If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher or call the elementary office.

🌱 Still Dreaming Big: Turf for the SVE Playground

Yes, we are still dreaming and hoping for TURF at Sioux Valley Elementary! 💙 Our school is excited to continue planning playground enhancements through multiple phases, with the long-term goal of adding turf surfacing to create a safer, more inclusive, and more enjoyable play space for all students.

Our vision includes six key areas of the playground that could be upgraded over time. We are currently seeking community partners, families, and businesses who may be interested in supporting all or part of this project.

💡 How You Can Help:

• Donations can support specific playground areas or individual phases

• Larger donors may receive naming or recognition opportunities for their contribution

• Every level of support helps move this dream closer to reality

🏞️ Playground Areas Available for TURF Adoption

• Main Playground – $150,450

• Little Playground – $58,650

• Swing Area – $147,700

• Gaga Pit Area – $82,000

• Sidewalk & Safety Improvements – $9,400

• Removal of Monkey Bars – $4,800

Donations may support a full area, a specific component, or be combined with others to complete a phase of the project.

If you are interested in making a lasting impact on our students and school community or would like to learn more about sponsorship options, please contact:

📧 Heather Hiltunen
📨 heather.hiltunen@k12.sd.us
📞 605-627-5657 ext. 404

Thank you for helping us dream big for our students and for supporting spaces where they learn, grow, and play every day.

Cossack Strong!

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 our 4th donation of one large bag 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. 😮

If you’ve got something you’re wondering about, don’t be shy! Shoot me an email, and I’ll make sure to tackle your question in next month’s newsletter.