District Dialogue

This season of gratitude offers us a chance to celebrate the many ways we come together to inspire learning, foster growth, and create opportunities for all. Whether you are teaching in the classroom, supporting behind the scenes, or leading in countless other ways, your efforts make a difference each day!

We hope this break provides you with time to rest, recharge, and connect with loved ones.

Big news for Sioux Falls School District students! The Barrel House's Hungry Hearts non-profit has pledged to match donations to the Sioux Falls School District school lunch fund "Angel Fund' up to $100,000.

The Angel Fund supports students with negative meal account balances, ensuring they have access to nutritious meals throughout the school year. This generous matching campaign will double the impact of every donation, creating a lasting difference for families who need a helping hand.

Mark Fonder, owner of The Barrel House, shared, "No child should worry about having a meal. We're proud to support this vital cause and help students thrive."

Donations of any size can be made via cash, check, PayPal, or Venmo—and will be matched dollar-for-dollar. Let’s work together to turn $100,000 into $200,000 and make a powerful difference for children in our community!

The Sioux Falls School Board received an update on SFSD's 2023024 Advanced Placement program and Dual Credit participation. Highlights include:

• Advanced Placement:

  • 30 AP courses available.
  • 1,814 students took 3,250 exams, with a 74% pass rate (compared to 69% state and 64% global averages).
  • 573 students earned AP Scholar Awards.

• Dual Credit:

  • 445 students earned 2,401 college credits.
  • Eligibility is set by the South Dakota Board of Regents and post-secondary institutions.

View the full report by clicking below! 👇

The allocation of staff is determined through the budget process, with a focus on keeping class sizes manageable. The Sioux Falls School Board has prioritized maintaining the current class sizes rather than increasing them for budget savings.

Currently, our allocation ratios are:

• High School: 25.12 students per teacher
• Middle School: 24.41 students per teacher
• Elementary School: 24.30 students per teacher

View the full report by clicking below! 👇

The Sioux Falls School Board approved the proposed timeline and guidelines for developing the FY26 budget.

Here are the key takeaways:

• Two public work sessions (to allow for public input) are scheduled for March 26, and April 2, 2025.
• The tentative budget will be adopted at the April 14 School Board Meeting.
• Priorities of the budget include, maintaining class size ratios at all levels and evaluating programs for effectiveness by using data and research. Also, making sure spending is aligned with the SFSD mission and strategic plan.

View the full report by clicking below! 👇

Since 2006, this incredible event has brought warmth and comfort to those in need. Over the years, more than 40,000 fleece blankets have been lovingly crafted and distributed to children and families facing challenges such as poverty, homelessness, illness, and loss.

Join us for the biggest blanket-making party in town!

SHINE stands for Scholarship, Honors, Innovation, Networking and Exceptionalism. We’re looking for stories we can tell about high school seniors, any-age students, staff (yes, you can and should absolutely fill out this form for yourself!), projects and programs. Have a new partnership that is benefitting the classroom? Win a grant you think the world should know about? Get nominated for or receive a state-wide, regional or national honor? Know a senior stand-out on a team, in the fine arts arena, or in the classroom? How about younger students who are leading by example, making giving to charity a priority, or are making the most of a bad situation? Should a program or portion of your school be highlighted? What about some current projects: experiments, field trips, new collaborative lessons?

We are excited to recognize Geoff Smith, an 8th-grade math teacher and team lead at Ben Reifel Middle School, as this week’s SFSD All Star! Geoff was nominated by his colleague, Danyelle Cleveland, who had this to say:

"Geoff is a humble servant leader who consistently meets the needs of our students, team, and his family. One of the first things you notice about him is his positive attitude—he’s always smiling and greets everyone cheerfully throughout the day. He goes above and beyond to help students achieve their academic goals, working patiently with small groups to ensure they understand math concepts. Geoff doesn’t just care about academics; he genuinely cares about people and strives to make a difference every day.”

Geoff’s dedication to supporting students, improving his team, and spreading kindness does not go unnoticed. Whether it’s volunteering for tasks or celebrating student accomplishments, he is someone who makes BRMS a brighter place for everyone.

Congratulations, Geoff, and thank you for all you do for our students and staff!

Do you have a coworker or colleague who is constantly going above and beyond? Do you notice when somebody is going out of their way to make a student's day just a little bit brighter? Do you have a staff member who consistently brings their best, day in and day out? We want to hear about it! We know that amazing things happen every day in every building of the Sioux Falls School District, and we need your help to tell those stories. Recognize a coworker for their amazing dedication to the work of SFSD.

The Lincoln High School Band has officially made it to New York City where they will perform at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!

In honor of their achievement, Governor Kristi Noem and Mayor Paul TenHaken have declared Thursday, November 28th as Lincoln High School Band Day across South Dakota and Sioux Falls.

Join us in celebrating their hard work and dedication, and be sure to tune in to NBC or Peacock this Thursday to cheer them on!

Any teacher in the Sioux Falls School District can apply for up to $10,000 to purchase materials that will give students hands-on, immersive opportunities. The Education Foundation awarded $120,000 in funding in 2024, and expect to award a record number of grants in 2025.

Applications are due NEXT MONDAY (December 2nd) at 12 pm! ⏰

Apply by downloading the application below (it's only three questions!) and send the completed form as a Word document to Allison.Struck@k12.sd.us 👇👇👇

Their first of three events will be held at Garfield Elementary on Tuesday, December 3rd, from 4:30-7 pm. These family-friendly events are a collaborative effort between the Sioux Falls School District and Community Learning Centers, local healthcare providers, and health and wellness professionals across the community.

Here's what you can look forward to at this FREE come-and-go event!

• Over 50 vendors providing free community resources
• Free health screenings
• Interactive activities for kids
• $1,000+ in door prizes at each event.

Door prizes will be announced every hour. Bring the whole family to explore health and wellness in our community! We hope to see you there!

The Sioux Falls School District Office of Indian Education is hosting its 7th Annual Winter Solstice Gathering at Axtell Park on Friday, December 6th, 2024!

Please consider signing up to volunteer or donating to our hygiene kit fund for students this holiday season!

Monetary donations can be sent to the SFSD Office of Indian Education

201 E. 38th Street. Sioux Falls, SD 57105. Memo line: Winter Solstice

Sign up to volunteer by clicking the button below!

Just a reminder the wellness program will need to be completed by March 1st, 2025, to qualify for the wellness discount. Below is the link to the wellness program and the physician form to bring to your wellness visit.

https://sfsdwellness.com

Preventative Care Form

Questions? Contact the Benefits Office at (605) 367-7662

SandCreek, our Employee Assistance Program, is free, confidential, and available to ALL Sioux Falls School District employees and their family members. As a part of their extensive list of offerings, SandCreek offers FREE monthly webinars that cover a variety of topics. Below are a couple upcoming ones!

Unable to attend the webinar live? SandCreek has recorded versions of all past webinars available in their Webinar Library. Visithttps://allonehealth.com/webinars/ to view the library!

To register for a SandCreek account, visit www.SandCreekEAP.com and click the “Sign Up” link just below the Log In button. Enter siouxfalls as your company code and complete the signup process! A confirmation email will be sent to complete the registration.

The Connection Between Exercise and Mental Health

Wednesday, December 11th, 2024 | 12:30pm to 1:30pm

Register Online!

As of January 2025, SandCreek will be using the WebEx Platform for their webinars. Multi Language closed captioning will be available at that time!

Taking Control of Your Finances

Wednesday, January 8th, 2025 | 12:30pm to 1:30pm

Register Online!

PrudentRx Your employer has chosen to utilize PrudentRx for copayment assistance for specialty medications. PrudentRx will assist you by helping you enroll in drug manufacturer copay assistance programs. If you are taking a medication included on the PrudentRx drug list, PrudentRx will contact you directly to enroll.

If you enroll with PrudentRx to get copayment assistance for your eligible specialty medication, you will have $0 out-of-pocket responsibility for prescriptions covered under the PrudentRx drug list.

If you do not enroll in the PrudentRx program, by expressly refusing to enroll, or by not responding to PrudentRx’s attempts to contact you, you may be responsible for the full coinsurance related to specialty medications, but said coinsurance may not count toward your out-of-pocket maximum.

The PrudentRx drug list can be found at Wellmark.com/member/prescriptiondrugs.

PrudentRx drug list

Your mental health and well-being matter to us, and we are proud to offer an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that provides mental health counseling and a range of whole health support services for you and your family.

Our EAP partner, SandCreek, recently announced that effective January 1, 2025 will be changing its name to AllOne Health. While the name is changing, you can rest assured that your access to all the benefits will continue seamlessly through the transition.

Curious about what’s included in your EAP? Click HERE to check out their flier and explore the resources available to you.

Chronic stress can be bad for your body and mind. It can put you at risk for health problems such as high blood pressure, stomachaches, headaches, anxiety, and depression. Using relaxation techniques can help you feel calm. These exercises can also help you manage stress and ease the effects of stress on your body.

How Relaxation Helps

When you feel stress, your body responds by releasing hormones that increase your blood pressure and raise your heart rate. This is called the stress response.

Relaxation techniques can help your body relax and lower your blood pressure and heart rate. This is called a relaxation response. There are several exercises you can try. See which ones work best for you.

Deep Breathing

One of the simplest ways to relax is by practicing deep breathing. You can do deep breathing almost anywhere.

• Sit still or lie down and place one hand on your stomach. Put your other hand over your heart.
• Inhale slowly until you feel your stomach rise.
• Hold your breath for a moment.
• Exhale slowly, feeling your stomach fall.

Meditation

Meditation involves focusing your attention to help you feel more relaxed. Practicing meditation may help you react in a calmer way to your emotions and thoughts, including those that cause stress. Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years, and there are several different styles.

Most types of meditation usually include:

• Focused attention. You might focus on your breath, an object, or a set of words.
• Quiet. Most meditation is done in a quiet area to limit distractions.
• Body position. Most people think meditation is done while sitting, but it can also be done lying down, walking, or standing.
• An open attitude. This means that you stay open to thoughts that come into your mind during meditation. Instead of judging these thoughts, you let them go by bringing your attention back to your focus.
• Relaxed breathing. During meditation, you breathe slowly and calmly. This also helps you relax.

Progressive Relaxation

This is another simple technique that you can do almost anywhere. Starting with your toes and feet, focus on tightening your muscles for a few moments and then releasing them. Continue with this process, working your way up your body, focusing on one group of muscles at a time.

Adapted from the National Library of Medicine