Office: 605-367-7643

Website: https://www.sf.k12.sd.us/edison/home

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:

September 10, 2021

Volume 2, Issue 2

Please make sure to log in to your Parent Portal to complete your family's Annual Update:

Parent Portal Link. These MUST be completed by September 13th.

If you need help logging, in, please call the office at (605)367-7643.

Attendance Matters
One of the most important things students can do to achieve success is also one of the most basic: attend school every day and on time! Students who attend school regularly achieve at higher levels than students who do not have
regular attendance

Please remember to call or email the office if your student will be absent for any reason. If your student needs to leave early for an appointment, let the office know before the school day if possible. The office will provide students with a pass before school begins to avoid classroom interruptions. You can email the Edison Attendance Office at SFSDEdisonAttendance@k12.sd.us

Hello Edison families,

The start of the 21-22 school year has been a great one. We are getting into the swing of things and digging into the learning in our classrooms! This year we have begun a new program at Edison called PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Support).

What is PBIS?

PBIS is a proactive system approach to help school staff create and maintain a safe, supportive learning environment, promote positive life skills, and reduce negative behaviors so that all children can succeed in school.

PBIS at Edison

At Edison, we have developed a set of expectations for all our students. We will teach those expectations to our students and recognize students who meet them. Edison’s mantra is “One Team, One Dream” and we work hard to instill that in our school every day. Along with that mantra our DREAM characteristics are taught and reinforced each day to our students. These characteristics are…

D- Driven

R- Respectful

E- Excellence

A- Act Responsibly

M- Motivated

PBIS Positivity

To reinforce positive behavior in our students, teachers and staff will award points to students who are displaying our DREAM characteristics and meeting our building-wide and classroom expectations. These points will be redeemable for various prizes or special privileges (i.e. sitting with a friend at lunch, wearing a hat, sitting in a teacher’s chair, etc).

Thanks for all your support as we begin the 21-22 school year! Please reach out if you have questions! We are excited for the year of learning that is to come!

Sincerely,

Amber Blume, Principal

Counselors

Middle school students are characterized by rapid physical growth, curiosity about their world and an emerging self-identity. Middle school counselors have an impact on these years by implementing a school counseling program and collaborating with school staff, parents and the community to create a safe, respectful learning environment whereby young adolescents can maximize personal and academic achievement. Middle school counselors enhance the learning process and promote academic, career and social/emotional development. School counseling programs are essential for students to achieve optimal personal growth, acquire positive social skills and values, set informed career goals and realize full academic potential to become productive, contributing members of the world community.

Binders Needed… Every year we have students that are unable to purchase binders and try to unsuccessfully organize themselves in other ways. We try to help provide students with binders that cannot afford binders and need one.

We can always use more zipper binders to help our students in being more successful. If you would feel the urge to help some of our less fortunate students out, we would appreciate donations of binders to the Counseling Center. OTHER school supplies are also excepted including pens, pencils, folders, pencil pouches, notebooks, composition books, etc.

Counselors at Edison follow their students throughout middle school.

Mrs. Murphy – ALL 6th grade (pictured left)

Mr. Biteler – ALL 7th grade (pictured middle)

Mrs. Plaine – ALL 8th grade (pictured right)

Catapult Day Thank You
THANK YOU to all our volunteers who helped during Catapult Day! Hundreds of students and their families got a great start to the new year with your help!

PTO Meeting – September 15th @ Noon
If you want to learn more about the happenings at Edison then come to our next PTO meeting, September 15th at noon, via Zoom. Principal Blume and the PTO Board will give updates on school activities. We will also discuss whether to hold meetings on Zoom, in person, or a hybrid approach. We want to hear your input so we hope to see you then!
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88144870067
Meeting ID: 881 4487 0067

Spiritwear
The last day to place Spiritwear orders was September 6th. You should receive those items in 2-3 weeks. The next time the Spiritwear Store will be open is during Parent-Teacher conferences in early October.

Color Run! – October 15th @ 4:15pm
The Color Run IS happening this year! This is a lively community event that raises funds for Edison and our students. Come out to watch your students be doused in color during the run, while enjoying music by a local DJ. If you want to help with the event or be one of the “color throwers” then please sign up to help! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C054AAEAC29A0FE3-edison5
More information will be sent home with your student on September 10th.

Parent Teacher Conferences – October 5 & 7
Please save the date for Parent Teacher Conferences! Edison’s PTO will be organizing meals for teachers and staff on these days, and we appreciate any help we can receive from families! In a few weeks we will send out a sign-up asking for food and monetary donations.

Edison PTO
edisonsiouxfalls@gmail.com

September Music Notes

Important Dates for First Semester~

Make sure your child’s concert dates are on your calendar. High school concert times or rehearsal times might be different than what is listed here and will be communicated with your child if they are an 8th grader in band or chorus.

Sept. 21, 22, 23 Inventions Auditions in the Chorus Room 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Sep. 28, 29, 30 Variety show auditions in the Auditorium 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Oct. 18 LHS & WHS Fall Choir Concerts w/8th graders (rehearsal 6 pm) 7:00 p.m. @ LHS & WHS

Oct. 19, 20, 21 Brio Auditions in the Orchestra Room 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.

Nov. 1 JHS Fall Choir Concert w/8th graders 7:00 p.m. @ JHS

Nov. 8 RHS Fall Choir Concert w/8th graders 7:00 p.m. @ RHS

Nov. 16 WHS Band Concert w/8th graders (6:00 rehearsal) 7:00 p.m @ WHS

Nov. 18 Edison Orchestra Concerts 6th grade–6:00 p.m., 7th grade–6:45 p.m. & 8th grade–7:30 p.m.

Nov. 18 LHS Band Concert w/8th graders (rehearsal on 11/17 at 7:30 a.m.) 7:00 p.m. @ LHS

Dec. 7 Edison Band Concerts 6th grade–6:00 p.m., 7th grade–6:45 p.m. & 8th grade–7:30 p.m.

Dec. 9 & 10 Variety show performance in auditorium 7:00 p.m.

Dec. 14 Edison Chorus Concerts 6th grade – 6:30 p.m. & 7th/8th grade – 7:45 p.m.

Dec. 16 RHS Band Concert w/8th graders (7:30 am rehearsal) 7:00 p.m. @ RHS

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 in rehearsal. We will always list these students in this section of the ECHO. We will announce our first Musicians of the Month in the October ECHO.

Ensemble Schedule~

Jazz Band will meet on Monday and Wednesday mornings from 7:45 – 8:45 a.m. Our first rehearsal is Wednesday, October 6.

Brio - Students who audition and are selected for the string ensemble, Brio, will meet on Wednesday and Friday morning from 8:10 – 8:45 a.m. Audition dates are 10/19, 10/20, & 10/21 from 4:00-5:00.

Inventions - Students who audition and are selected for the vocal ensemble Inventions, will meet on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 7:45 - 8:45 a.m. Audition dates are 9/21, 9/22, & 9/23.

All-State Band~

The South Dakota Middle School All-State Band is a special event designed to inspire and encourage top band students from across the state. Tryouts are held in December, but interested students need to start practicing the required music now. For more information, please contact Mr. Jensen or visit http://sdmea.net/ and look under the Events list and MSASB (Middle School All-State Band). We encourage you to give it a try!

Jazz Band~

Jazz Band is open without auditions to any 7th or 8th grader who plays a jazz instrument. Jazz instruments are saxophone, trumpet, trombone, baritone, piano, drumset, bass guitar, and sometimes electric guitar. If we have more students than we have room for on drumset, bass guitar, or electric guitar, we will do an informal audition during the first two weeks of Jazz Band rehearsal. Contact Mr. Jensen with any Jazz Band questions.

All-State Orchestra~

The South Dakota Middle School All-State Orchestra is in its sixth year! The top orchestra students in the state of South Dakota come together to perform for this special event. Auditions are held in October and the first week of November, but interested students need to start practicing the required music now. For more information please contact Mrs. Sip or visit http://sdmea.net/ and look under the Events list for: Middle School All-State Orchestra. All the information you need and the audition music is there for you!

Inventions Auditions~

Inventions is a show choir open to 7th and 8th grade chorus students. Those interested in auditioning for this group should sign up on the door by the chorus room. Auditions will be held after school on Sept. 21, 22, & 23 from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. in the chorus room. Students can audition in groups of 1, 2, or 3. They should come prepared with a song of their choice and they will individually sing the first verse of “My Country Tis of Thee”, which we will practice in chorus.

Got Talent??~

Got a talent or unique skill you'd like to perform?? Auditions for the Edison Variety Show will be on September 28, 29, & 30 after school in the auditorium from 4:00- 6:00 p.m. Sign-up sheets are posted by the chorus room. ANY Edison student can audition for the variety show with any type of act. Students can audition in multiple acts if they would like. The variety show will be performed Dec. 9 & 10, 2021.

Edison Music Department Website~

The Edison Music Department has a website! Refer to this website for information and dates.

http://emsmusicdept.weebly.com/

“Like” us on Facebook!~

Edison Music Department has a Facebook page! This page will be used for informational purposes only. We will NOT have any pictures of students posted, it will strictly be used for getting information out to you!

The page is: www.facebook.com/EMSMusicDept

There are other Edison schools out there so check before you “like” our site!

Thank you for encouraging your child to participate in Band, Chorus and Orchestra at Edison! We look forward to making music with them!

• Band directors – Rick Jensen - Rick.T.Jensen@k12.sd.us & Emily Deinken – Emily.Deinken@k12.sd.us

• Chorus directors – Amber Sundvold – Amber.Sundvold@k12.sd.us & Mollie Weflen – Mollie.Weflen@k12.sd.us

• Orchestra directors – Stacy Sip – Stacy.Sip@k12.sd.us & Shannon Abels – Shannon.Abels@k12.sd.us

“Music is a world within itself, it is a language we all understand.” – Stevie Wonder

Welcome back! We are so excited to see you in the Edison Library!

The library is open from 8:00-4:00 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. On Wednesdays, the library is open from 8:40-4:00. Students may check out three items at a time.

Library items are due two weeks from the date of check out. However, items can be renewed. We do not charge late fees, but if an item is lost or damaged, students will be charged the amount of a replacement copy. (This includes audiobooks which can cost up to $80 to replace.)

To access the library, go to libcat.sf.k12.sd.us and choose Edison. Please also visit our library website at www.catsread.com! If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Smith at kjerstin.smith@k12.sd.us.

Congratulations to Oleksii Leuta, the winner of the summer library give away! Oleksii and several other students took advantage of Edison's summer library hours. Students that checked out books during this time were entered into the drawing for a pair Beats headphones, and Oleksii was the randomly drawn winner. He reports that they work great!

Hello Edison Families,

The 2021-22 fall sports season is off to a great start with more than 200 students participating in football, volleyball, and cross country. We are looking forward to our first contests in each activity. There are currently no restrictions on the number of spectators at each event, so we are hoping to fill the gym and the sidelines in football and cross country with sports fans. Hope to see you there cheering in a positive manner.

The next season will be Girls’ basketball with sign-ups taking place in October. First practice November 8th.

All our athletic information can be found here

https://sfsdathletics.k12.sd.us/middle-schools/edison-middle-school

If you have any questions about athletics, please feel free to contact me

David Christian

David.christian@k12.sd.us

Go Cats!

“In purrsuit of Excellence”