Edison ECHO

Hello Edison Families,

We are excited to welcome you to the 25-26 school year! We are busy getting the building ready for students! Veteran staff return to work on Thursday and will be spending the next week preparing their classrooms, learning about their students, and getting ready for the first day of school.

If you are new to Edison we welcome you! Please know that we have a team of staff ready to support you this school year! If you have any questions or need anything! Please don’t hesitate to reach out! Our office is open Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:00pm. You can contact us at 605-367--7643 or email sfsdedisonoffice@k12.sd.us.

Here is some information for families prior to the start of the year. This information includes reminders for students and changes for the upcoming school year.

1. Student Schedules- Students will receive their schedules during our CATapult Day on Monday, August 18. Students and families will also be able to view their schedules beginning at noon on this day via Infinite Campus.

2. Backpacks- Last school year our 6th and 7th grade students were not allowed to carry backpacks around the building to their classes. This will be true for 6th, 7th, AND 8th grade for the 25-26 school year. Students can use zippered binders to carry their belongings to classes. Backpacks can come to school each day but must be stored in lockers during the school day. We find the use of binders helps our students with organization and routines. It also encourages locker use around the building.

3. PRO Time- PRO stands for People Relations to Others. This time is scheduled daily and focuses on building community within a student’s team. For the 25-26 school year the PRO time class period is scheduled daily and will be right after lunch for all grade levels.

4. Cell Phones- The Sioux Falls School District has recently reviewed their policy regarding cell phone use at school. There were not many changes for the middle school age student, however this is a good time to remind families and students of our expectations. These practices are not new and are what we have been following the past few years at Edison. Cell phones are allowed on campus but must be off and stored in lockers during the school day. This is our expectation from the first bell at 8:55am to the last bell at 3:48pm. Students using cell phones in the classroom or hallways during the school day will face consequences. The first time the cell phone will be confiscated by the teacher during the class period and returned to the student at the end of the class period with a warning. The second time the cell phone will be confiscated by the staff member and the phone will be turned into the office. The student can pick up the cell phone at the end of the school day. The 3rd time a detention will be assigned. The fourth time an additional detention will be assigned and an individual plan regarding the student cell phone will be put in place.

5. Chromebooks- Students are expected to take chromebooks to and from school each day. They need to bring their chromebooks charged so they are able to be used during class throughout the day. In previous years we have had chromebook loaners available in classrooms for students that forget their chromebooks or don’t have their chromebooks charged. For the 25-26 school year we will move to a centralized loaner system in the library. Students forgetting their chromebooks will need to have a loaner checked out to them for the day. The use of loaners will be tracked and students consistently needing loaners will meet with administration. Please help encourage your student to bring their chromebook fully charged daily to school.

6. Edison Webpage- Our Edison website has additional information for families- https://www.ems.sf.k12.sd.us/o/ems. This also includes a Frequently Asked Questions doc that can be helpful to families new to Edison, as well as our Student Handbook.

7. Breakfast- Breakfast will be served for students beginning at 8:40am each day in the cafe.

8. Before School Dropoff- Supervision outside begins at 7:45am. Students can enter the building at 8:40am. Our first period bell rings at 8:55am. If inclement weather occurs before school students will be allowed to go to the cafe.

9. After School Pickup- If students are not involved in an after school supervised activity they must be picked up and off school property no later than 4:10pm. Supervision outside ends at this time.

We look forward to the upcoming school year and are excited to welcome our families and students to Edison!!

Sincerely,

Amber Blume, Principal

Edison Students and Families,

Edison Athletics are BACK! We are excited to have you coming to our events and supporting your athletes! We have a proud, long-standing tradition of excellence in athletics and look forward to your students continuing that this year! Below are Athletics-related reminders:

#1. Your student must have an active physical. In Middle School, this means one physical for their entire Middle School career! Example: if your 8th-grade student got a physical as a 7th grader and went out for sports last year, they DO NOT need to get another physical to compete this year.

#2. Any information you need about Sports, Timeframes, Equipment Needs, How to Sign Your Athlete Up for Sports, etc. can all be found on this link - EMS Middle School Sports and Activities Presentation

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!

We are excited to have your support for 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 and help us keep the athletes in their sections. It makes supervision much easier when we have families in the family section and students in the student section. During soccer games, this is anywhere off the BLUE turf and not on the same side as the athletes. During track meets, this is in the grandstands under the announcer.

• 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.

• FOOTBALL PLAYERS must ride the bus to and from all events. This is a change from last year!

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 Events this year! If you have any questions, please reach out to our Athletic Coordinator Tyler Robel at tyler.robel@k12.sd.us.