Susan B. Anthony School News
2020-21 ~ January Edition
Notes from Mr. Sheets, SBA Principal
Greetings Susan B. Anthony Families! December is underway, and we've been very lucky with the mild weather. However, we know that can change quickly. Please be sure to send your child with the proper clothing each day, as we do go outside as long as the temperature and wind chill are at 0 degrees and above. The fresh air is good for our students, especially with our COVID precautions.
Our students will be very busy over the next 3 weeks of school. Beginning next week students will take the winter MAP assessment. This assessment will provide us with information on each student's growth since the beginning of the year. Teachers will analyze the data to know how best to support each student as we move into the new year. Please encourage your child to do their very best when they take their MAP assessment. It's also very important for your child to always get a good night's sleep and eat a good breakfast each morning to prepare their brain for learning. Thanks for all you do to support your child's learning and well-being!
December Dates To Remember
Dec. 22nd ~ 1:30 P.M. Classroom Parties - Due to COVID Restrictions, NO Outside Visitors
Dec. 23rd - Jan. 1 ~ Winter Break - No School
Jan. 4th ~ School Resumes
If you ever have any questions, please contact us by e-mail (jeff.sheets@k12.sd.us or laura.siebenborn@k12.sd.us) or phone (367-4560). Let's work together to continue to have a great school year learning together!
Mr. Sheets & Ms. Siebenborn
Who Do You Know?
As educators, we often say graduation is the culmination of a student’s K-12 experience. But, in our school district, there are a number of learners who choose to never graduate. It’s not because they didn’t complete their coursework or fulfill all of the requirements for graduation, but rather because they are life-long learners who stay in school to teach others.
These people are voracious learners, always searching for something more to accomplish, some way to make an impact, and approach their work with an attitude of service. They embrace the challenges presented by their students and enjoy the conquest of cracking the code that allows them to connect with each learner.
It takes a special kind of person to be a teacher, and a super-human person to be a teacher during a pandemic.
Nominations are now open for the 33rd Annual Dr. John W. Harris Sioux Falls Teacher of the Year. For more than three decades, local business Vern Eide Motorcars has sponsored this award because it believes success is a two-way street. Strong businesses need strong schools and successful public schools need successful, locally owned businesses that are invested in the community.
Perhaps that reciprocal relationship became even more apparent during the 2020-21 school year. After schools and businesses closed in the spring, teachers went to work transforming in-person instruction to online learning in a matter of days. Was it perfect? No. But the school closure heightened the need for students, parents, staff members, and the community to access quality education, maintain a sense of normalcy, and practice resiliency.
Sioux Falls teachers turned their kitchens into classrooms mounting white boards and projecting virtual lessons on the walls to help their students stay on track. They held virtual meetings with students to check on their health and well-being. They managed their “classroom” of 25 students, some while also occupying their own young children in the background because daycares were closed.
Teachers were heralded as heroes at the start of the pandemic and they are still heroes today. We know they will continue to be viewed as such far into the future when the pandemic becomes a distant memory.
While the concepts they are teaching have stayed the same, nearly every other aspect of their profession has changed. Classrooms look different. Routine practices like lunch and recess have been modified. They wear face coverings, making it harder to teach and to connect personally with each student. These people, whose hearts are bigger than their bodies, pour every ounce of energy they have into children who are “educationally” their own.
Do you know a teacher who has gone above and beyond? Do you have a few minutes to tell us how that teacher has supported your child and others during the past year?
You have until Monday, January 25, 2021 at 5pm to submit a nomination. Thanks to Vern Eide, the winner of this prestigious award receives a $4,000 cash prize. While that prize is certainly a generous perk, we can guarantee that every nominee on the list will feel even richer just seeing their nomination and knowing their hard work is recognized and appreciated.
https://www.sf.k12.sd.us/parents/teacher-of-the-year-program
iPad & Chromebook Care - IMPORTANT!
School Related Cancellations and Postponements
It is important to be prepared for the winter storms and extreme cold that every South Dakota winter brings. Please read the following information so you are aware of the procedures for school related cancellations and postponements.
District leaders rely on experts from the National Weather Service and city/county officials when we make decisions on school cancellations, late starts or early dismissals.
Cancelling School/Late Start
When a severe storm hits the area, or is forecast, we start contacting local officials as early as 3:00 a.m. We communicate with our Operational Services Department, the Weather Bureau, the City Street Department, Sioux Falls Transit, and our transportation contractors. It is our goal to decide whether or not to cancel school by 5 a.m. to allow time for parking lots and sidewalks to be cleared, food services to prepare meals and the bus company to begin operations. In the event that school needs to be cancelled or delayed, families will be alerted via a ParentLink phone call. These calls will generally be sent between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. to accommodate families whose children are picked up by buses at 6:45 a.m. Announcements are also made on the District’s website, Sioux Falls School District social media sites (Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SiouxFallsSchoolDistrict/ and Twitter: twitter.com/SFSchools ) the SFSD app, and over the local radio and television stations.
Because the public schools have a limited rural area, it is often possible for Sioux Falls to have school when nearby towns may not.
Early Dismissal
Storms occasionally move in during the day, making it necessary to assess whether or not to dismiss school early. We choose early dismissal only under the most extreme circumstances. In most cases, it is safer for students to remain at school due to the need for transportation and proper supervision. In the rare instances when schools are dismissed early, families will receive a ParentLink phone call and the information will appear on the District’s website at www.sf.k12.sd.us, and our Sioux Falls School District social media sites (Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SiouxFallsSchoolDistrict/ and Twitter: twitter.com/SFSchools ). Announcements are also made over the local radio and television stations.
Notifications refer to dismissal “one hour early” or “two hours early” because of the number of different building schedules. In addition to noting the early dismissal, announcements about evening activities are normally included.
It is very important that every family has a plan for early dismissal. Be sure your student knows where to go in case no one is at home. Parents/Guardians are urged to talk with their student about his/her safety during winter weather emergencies.
Be Safe This Winter
The school system offers these suggestions concerning cold weather and
emergency situations:
1. Listen for a ParentLink phone call regarding school closings, late starts, or early dismissals. Check the District’s website at www.sf.k12.sd.us for updated information. Follow us on our Sioux Falls School District social media sites (Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SiouxFallsSchoolDistrict/ and Twitter: twitter.com/SFSchools ) for updated information. Announcements will also be made on local radio and television stations. (Please avoid calling schools or the Instructional Planning Center. Phone lines are needed for emergency communications.)
2. Make sure students are properly dressed for predicted weather conditions so they are prepared for walking or waiting for a bus in the cold or for being delayed on a bus in a weather-related situation.
3. Students should not arrive at school until the scheduled time for outdoor staff supervision or the breakfast program begins.
4. Develop a plan and inform your student about where your student will go if school is dismissed early.
5. School officials will use their best judgment about school closings, late starts, or early dismissals, but please remember that a parent has the right to keep children home or to pick them up from school early if they feel weather conditions require this action.
Birthday Treats
This year we are asking parents/guardians not to send their child with any food items
to share on their birthday. We continue to seek ways to maintain the safety of our students and staff throughout the school day. We are asking for your help in this manner to help protect those students who may have a food allergy. We also know with the COVID-19 pandemic still happening this will help us have an additional safety precaution in place.
More information regarding non-food birthday options will be communicated to parents by the classroom teachers in newsletters/notes home.