EdisonEcho
Edison Middle School
Our Vision and Mission: To educate and prepare each student to succeed in a changing world
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:
August 5th, 2022
Volume 2, Issue 12
Dates to Remember...
August 22nd
- CAT-apult Day 3pm-7pm
August 25th
- First Day of School (8:55am-3:48pm)
September 2nd and 5th
- No School, Labor Day Break
Tips From the Office...
Save time at CAT-apult Day! You can complete the following items anytime through Parent Portal and avoid long lines:
Online Registration and Annual Update
Chromebook Insurance and Fees
Apply for Free and Reduced Lunch
Add Money to Lunch Accounts (My School Bucks)
Link to Parent Portal:
https://parentview.sf.k12.sd.us/campus/portal/parents/siouxfalls.jsp
Link to My School Bucks
https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/getmain?requestAction=home
Please let the office know as soon as possible if your child is going to be tardy or absent from school. You can call the office or email sfsdedisonattendance@k12.sd.us
Please call or email the office if you have any questions.
605-367-7643
Principal's Corner
Hello Edison Families,
We are busy preparing for the 22-23 school year, and we look forward to seeing our students walk through the doors on the first day of school! We welcome those that are new to Edison and those that are returning. August is a busy time of year as we close out the summer and prepare for the busy school year. Included in this newsletter is a list of important dates, as well as back to school supply lists. We are excited to see all our families and students at our CAT-apult Day on August 22 from 3:00-7:00pm. Prior to coming to our CAT-apult Day, please make sure you complete your Annual Online Student Registration. Along with the addition of new students to Edison, we also welcome new staff. Below is a list of staff for the 22-23 school year.
If you have questions prior to CAT-apult day on August 22, please give us a call! We are happy to help! We look forward to seeing you soon!
-Amber Blume, Principal
Edison's PTO
The PTO would like to welcome all of our Edison families back to school. We are excited for the 2022-23 school year and hope that you will take the opportunity to get involved with the Edison PTO. As a parent (or grandparent, aunt, uncle, guardian, etc) of an Edison student, you are automatically a member of the PTO and a valuable part of this organization of people who support our school.
Why do I need to get involved?
Family involvement at school is very rewarding and important to the success of your child. The PTO needs your voice and commitment in order to provide enriching events and opportunities to our students and to provide support for our amazing staff.
What does PTO do?
· assists with Catapult Day
· organizes fundraisers, like the Color Run on October 14th, to purchase items for the school and support our staff and students
· sponsors school assemblies and student enrichment experiences, like the school dance and 8th grade party
· sells Edison Spiritwear
· provides meals for staff during parent-teacher conferences, and daily treats during staff/teacher appreciation week
· helps with bookfair during parent-teacher conferences
Does it cost to join?
No! There are no membership fees. To raise funds PTO hosts the Edison Color Run in October and sells Spiritwear throughout the year. Your support and participation make a HUGE difference for our school. You can also donate directly to the PTO at https://general-donations-to-the-pto.cheddarup.com or send cash or check to the main office in an envelope marked “Edison PTO”
When are the meetings?
Our first meeting will be on Wednesday, September 21st at noon, via Zoom. Watch for an email or check our website for the Zoom link. Please join us! Your attendance is vital to ensure the PTO is meeting the needs of families and teachers of Edison Middle School.
How do I learn more?You can contact us at edisonsiouxfalls@gmail.com or visit our website at https://edisonsf.org for the latest information, past meeting minutes and
budget information.
Please take note of upcoming events!
Save the date:
Aug 22nd - CATapult Day! Please see the link below to sign up to volunteer!
Sept 21st - First PTO meeting at noon, via Zoom
Oct 14th - Color Run!
Volunteers needed!
Sign up here https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C054AAEAC29A0FE3-emscatapult to volunteer for a shift at Catapult day Aug 22nd.
Get your CATS Spiritwear!
Look for the Spiritwear booth at Catapult Day on Aug 22nd! Spiritwear is great for students and all members of the family!
We hope you have a great year!!
PTO Officers
Co-Presidents: LeAnn Minister & Peg Preston
Treasurer: Kristina Sipma
Secretary: Shannon Huber
Music Notes
August 2022 Music Notes
Welcome~
The Music Department at Edison welcomes you to a new school year! We are excited to see students returning to band, chorus, and orchestra and we are eager to get to know our new students and make music with them. Mr. Rick Jensen and Miss Emily Deinken are the Edison band directors. Mrs. Stacy Sip and Miss Shannon Abels are the Edison orchestra directors. Mrs. Mollie Weflen and Mrs. Amber Sundvold are the Edison chorus directors. You can read more about them on the Edison Music Department website at: http://emsmusicdept.weebly.com/ Please call the school office or e-mail any one of us if you have questions.
Band/Chorus/Orchestra!~
These groups meet every other day during the school day. Students can be in two performance groups as they meet on opposite days. Each group performs two evening concerts per year. If you were in band or orchestra last year we hope you continue!! It’s never too late to try chorus if you enjoy singing! If your child did not get signed up for band, chorus, or orchestra last spring please call the Edison office now! (605.367.7643)
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. 20, 21, 22 Inventions Auditions in the Chorus Room 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.
Oct. 17 WHS Fall Choir Concert w/8th grade chorus students (rehearsal 6 pm)7:00 p.m. @ WHS
Oct. 18, 19, 20 Brio Auditions in the Orchestra Room 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Oct. 21 LHS Fall Choir Concert w/8th grade chorus students (rehearsal 6 pm)7:00 p.m. @ LHS
Nov. 7 RHS Fall Choir Concert w/8th grade chorus students 7:00 p.m. @ RHS
Nov. 8 Edison Orchestra-City Wide 6-12 Orchestra Festival SF Arena Time TBA
Nov. 21 LHS Band Concert w/8th graders (rehearsal on 11/18 at 7:30 a.m.) 7:00 p.m. @ LHS
Nov. 29, 30, & Dec. 1 Musical auditions in the Auditorium 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Dec. 6 Edison Band Concerts 6th grade–6:30 p.m., 7th & 8th grade–7:30 p.m.
Dec. 8 RHS Band Concert w/8th graders (7:30 am rehearsal) 7:00 p.m. @ RHS
Dec. 13 Edison Chorus Concerts 6th grade – 6:30 p.m. & 7th/8th grade – 7:45 p.m.
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. This program starts in September.
Ensemble Schedule~
Jazz Band will be meeting two mornings a week from 7:45 – 8:45 a.m.
Brio - Students who audition and are selected for the string ensemble, Brio, will be meeting two mornings a week from 8:10 – 8:45 a.m. Audition dates are listed above.
Inventions - Students who audition and are selected for the vocal ensemble Inventions, will meet two mornings a week from 7:45 - 8:45 a.m. Audition dates are listed above..
**The exact mornings that our ensembles will meet will be determined in the near future.
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 should start practicing the required music soon. For more information, please contact Mr. Jensen or visit http://sdmea.net/ and click on the Middle School All State Band button. We encourage you to give it a try!
Jazz Band Auditions~
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. Once school starts, you may 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/early 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 swing choir open to 7th and 8th grade chorus students. Those interested in auditioning for these groups should sign up on the door by the chorus room in early September. Auditions will be held after school on Sept. 20, 21, & 22 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.
SD Junior Honors Choir~
7th and 8th grade singers have the opportunity to audition for the 2023 SD Jr. Honor Choir. Around 175 voices from around the state of SD will be chosen from all the auditions submitted for these choirs. Students in grades 7, 8, and 9 are eligible to be chosen as part of either the mixed choir or the women’s choir. The honor choirs take place January 20 – 21, 2023, in Rapid City, SD. It costs $15 to audition and $145 to participate if you're chosen. More info to come in the next ECHO or watch for info on the music dept. website.
If you know your child will be auditioning, please e-mail Amber.Sundvold@k12.sd.us.
Edison Musical Auditions~
We will hold auditions for this year’s musical at the end of November. We are not sure what musical we are doing yet. All chorus students will be given details and there will be some all school announcements for those that are not in chorus but interested in auditioning. The performances will be in mid-March.
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 enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music.”
- Sergei Rachmaninov
Library News
SUMMER READING
Please encourage your child to read regularly over the summer and visit the Siouxland libraries often. They offer several free classes in addition to all the items they have available for check out. To find out more, go to www.siouxlandlib.org. Also, please remember that free digital books are available for downloading at any time from the Edison Library Home Page. Have your student log into Class Link and choose either SORA or MackinVia. They should already be logged into both sites, but if they are not, the login information for both can be found below.
If your child is entering 6th, 7th or 8th grade in the fall:
All Sioux Falls middle school libraries are doing A BINGO SUMMER READING PROGRAM. Prizes for participation in the summer BINGO challenge will be awarded next fall. Students will receive the BINGO cards at the end of the school year but may not begin marking the BINGO card until Thursday May 26.
News from the Counseling Office
ATTENTION 6TH GRADERS! You are invited to our 6th Grade WEB (Where Everybody Belongs) Orientation - PLEASE COME!
Your Edison 6th grader is invited to attend a WEB Orientation on Thursday, August 11. WEB stands for Where Everybody Belongs and is designed to help 6th graders with the transition to middle school. Adult WEB Coordinators and 8th grade WEB leaders will spend 1.5 hours working with the 6th graders. When your child comes to the WEB Orientation on August 11, they will get to meet the 8th grade WEB leaders that will come to their homeroom once a month throughout the year. 6th graders will participate in some fun activities to help them get to know others from their homeroom, in addition to receiving a tour of the building. We hope your child can make it to this event! (No need to RSVP, just show up at the correct time! There is no cost for this event.)
Schedule for Thursday, August 11:
If your child is in the Spanish Immersion program, their session is from 8:30 – 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 11.
If your child is NOT in the Spanish Immersion program, their session is from 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 11.
Please bring them to the correct session.
Please drop your child off at the NORTH ENTRANCE of Edison (the large parking lot). We prefer that they get dropped off between 8:15-8:30 for the first session, and between 10:15-10:30 for the second session.
Please pick your child up promptly at the time their session ends. (This event is only for STUDENTS.) 6th graders do not need to bring anything with them to the WEB Orientation. Encourage your child to attend!
Athletic Information
Edison Families-
Fall sports are quickly approaching! Sign up for Football, Volleyball, Cross Country, and Performance Dance open on August 7th. You MUST have a sports physical completed and a copy sent to the school office in order to participate. You must also have the parent permission packet completed and you can do that through your Annual Student Update or find it online.
Please reach out to me if you have any questions at all.
Dave Christian
Athletic Coordinator
Edison Athletics Website
SFSD Child Nutrition Newsletter
Box Tops!
YOU CAN SCAN ANY RECEIPT FROM PLACES LIKE TARGET, WALMART, HY-VEE, SAMS, COSTCO, ETC. AND IT WILL TELL YOU IF YOU HAVE ANY BOX TOPS ITEMS!!!
Contact us
Email: SFSDEdisonOffice@k12.sd.us
Website: https://www.sf.k12.sd.us/edison/home
Location: 2101 South West Avenue, Sioux Falls, SD, USA
Phone: 605-367-7643
Facebook: facebook.com/WeAreTheCats
Twitter: @EdisonCats