Garfield Elementary
A LEADER IN ME SCHOOL
January 2021
From the Principal, Mrs. Skogstad
It is hard to believe that we are almost finished with the first semester of the school year. We are thrilled that we have been able to be in school learning and growing together this whole time! This is a great time of the year because our leaders are becoming more independent and are really growing towards reaching their goals. We are excited about what the second half of the school year will bring.
Our students have been working on their WIGS- Wildly Important Goals. Each day I get to visit with students who have made progress towards reaching their goals. They are very proud of their hard work and how it is making a difference in reading and math. If your child has not shared his or her goals with you please take time to ask about them. They have several lead measures, or strategies, that they can use to help them reach their goals. Maybe as a family you can think of things that you can do at home. We are all a part of a team that is focused on helping each of our students find success! Our school-wide goal is that all students will increase by one percentile in both reading and math on the NWEA MAP Assessment. We have a goal to read 10,000 books and to complete 100,000 Dreambox and/or Bridges Map Lessons. The picture below shows our progress on these goals!
Thanks again for sharing your children with us. We love each of the 530 Early Childhood-Fifth grade students who enter our doors each day. Our Garfield staff members are the BEST- they go above and beyond to ensure that all students know that we love them no matter what! We appreciate your partnership as we strive to meet our mission “To Educate, Teach, and Empower Leaders to Succeed.”
Mrs. Kristin Skogstad
Garfield Principal
Oyate Community Center Safety Information
If you have students who attend the Oyate Community Center after school please take time to visit with them about the importance of making safe choices. I have noticed several of our students out walking in the neighborhood. We have also had some problems on our playground after school with students who do not attend Garfield. When children leave the Community Center to play on the playground or in the parking lot, they are not supervised and they are not allowed to return to the community center. Please make sure that your child knows what your expectations are for them during these after school hours.
Morning Student Drop Off Challenges
We have been having some challenges with the morning drop off in the front of the school. I understand it is not an optimal spot as the road is narrow. One way we can solve this problem is to make sure that we pull all the way up in the cut-out drop off lane before stopping. Now that we have snow on the ground it is somewhat dangerous to drop kids unless you are in the drop off lane. Another option for families is to drop off students along 16th street by the playground as there is more room on that side of the school.
Please remember not to stop in the middle of the street to drop your child off as this is not safe. Also, if you stop on the opposite side of the street please walk your child across the street or have them cross with the crossing guard. This will help to keep all students safe.
I have asked our School Resource Officer to help monitor the traffic in the mornings and I will also be trying to help families navigate the drop off in the mornings. Thanks for your cooperation as we work to keep all students safe when they arrive at school.
Upcoming Conference Schedule
Conference schedule
Monday, January 18 11:30am to 2:45pm
Thursday, January 21 3:30pm to 7:00pm
Monday January 25 3:30pm to 7:00pm
We are looking forward to talking to our families during conferences which begin next week. Your child should be bringing home a conference confirmation slip that will have information about your child’s conference, including the time. This is a time when we can celebrate student growth, both academically and socially. If you are unable to make your scheduled time work, please call the school and we will arrange for a different conference time.
The Leader in Me
The Leader In Me continues to be an important part of who we are at Garfield. Our students have been working hard to show leadership throughout our school and our community. We celebrate our leaders in many ways. Daily students are recognized with Leader Cards. When they earn a card they bring it to the office and we celebrate with them. Students also have a copy to bring home to share with you.
Each month we celebrate students at a Leader Lunch. This year these lunches are held virtually. Last month we ate with the new Superintendent and other leaders in our school district. We are looking forward to our January Leader lunch which will be held the last week of January.
Finally, one time per month we surprise six and recognize them as Leaders of the Month. They are students who have been nominated by a staff member because they are outstanding leaders.
We feel it is so important to celebrate all of the wonderful things that our students are doing. You can learn more about our Leadership events on our Facebook page. Also please watch for a special Family Night Leadership bag to come home in February. This will be full of activities you can do together at home that are centered around the 8-Habits.
Hearing and Vision Screenings for 1st, 3rd & 5th grade students
Due to the need for many volunteers and the sharing of equipment, the Sioux Falls School District will not be completing our mass hearing and vision screenings for all 1st, 3rd, and 5th grade students this fall. Please know that we will still be conducting screenings for Special Education evaluations as well as any staff or parent referral. If you have any hearing or vision questions or concerns regarding your student, please reach out to your school nurse for assistance. We will continue to evaluate this plan and look forward to re-starting our large screenings when it is safe to do so.
Garfield Elementary School
Mrs. Jaime Bell, Administrative Intern
Location: 705 South Roberts Drive, Sioux Falls, SD, USA
Phone: 605-367-6180