PASI News
Parent Advocates for Spanish Immersion | April 2021
PASI BOARD OF DIRECTORS
YOUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS FOR 2021-22:
Vice president:
SUZIE MUNCE
Board Members:
SAMANTHA BRANDT
ANN SARUTZKI-TUCKER
Treasurer:
SHELBIE KINSEY
Please thank these volunteers for sharing their time and talents to help make PASI a success!
Suzie Munce
I have been on the PASI Board as a General Board Member for the past two years. I will have three children in the Immersion Program next year, Sully (third grade), Greta (second grade), and Piper (kindergarten). I also work part time as a Registered Nurse at Avera McKennan Hospital. I am interested in pursuing the VP position with PASI because I want to continue to play an active role in my children's education. I am thankful for the knowledge I've gained and the relationships I have created through PASI and look forward to strengthening them through the VP position.
Shelbie Kinsey
I'm Shelbie, my daughter, Norah is a 1st grader in the program. I have enjoyed watching her learn and grow in ways I couldn't have even imagined were possible 2 years ago, because of this I am big advocate to anyone who will lend me their ear. Norah is our only child and as a family we spend a lot of time together. We enjoy getting outside, camping and riding bikes. I have been searching for ways to become more involved with Norah's education and I feel the board treasurer would be a great outlet. My career background is in Financial Operations and I find my work to be very fufilling. I feel this background would be a great asset to the treasurer role.
Samantha Brandt
I am Samantha Brandt, a wife, a mom, and a nurse. My husband, Jason, and I have 4 children; Madeline, 1st grader at Sonia, Jackson and Harrison, twin boys who will start kindergarten next school year, and Katherine, 8 month old baby. We are busy! And, yes our hands are full, but our hearts are fuller. I work as a cardiology nurse on the weekends- mostly for the adult interaction. I have wanted to become more involved with the kids’ school and hopefully sitting on the PASI board will be the perfect fit. I know first hand how important the interns are and how much the students love them. Madeline fell behind in kindergarten and we started tutoring after school with her intern and kept going through Skype when COVID hit. I am excited to be a member and see how I can help PASI.
Ann Sarutzki-Tucker
My daughter, Samantha, will be joining the Spanish immersion family this coming fall 2021. A little about myself- I am a nurse practitioner at Sanford Infectious Disease and my husband, James, works at CarsForSale.com. While preparing Samantha's application for Sonia Sotomayor Elementary I began looking for ways I could get involved and noted the PASI group. This group appears to be a good way to stay connected to the school and help support ongoing education for teachers and students alike. I believe in a strong education which requires parent support, which I believe the PASI group supports. Thank you.
PASI TEACHER SUPPORT
PASI is deeply grateful to the teachers in our program, who have just been through one of the most challenging teaching experiences of their lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of our teachers are not US-born and in addition to the stresses of the school year, they have not been able to see their families, even for short or socially-distanced visit, in a very long time. To show our support and our thanks, please remember Teacher Appreciation Week is May 3-7, and is a great time to give your children's teachers an extra note of thanks for all they do!
MIDDLE SCHOOL/HIGH SCHOOL NEWS
Graduation
Our first senior class is ready to graduate in a just a few weeks! We are so proud of the pioneering students of what has become an incredible program. PASI awarded two senior Spanish Immersion students with $500 scholarships in recognition of the hard work they have put in to not only become successful students, but biliterate as well.
Our 2021 scholarship recipients are Grant Graber & Reagan Olivier.
Grant's teachers and coaches describe him as someone with a passion for helping others who is genuinely interested in getting to know his classmates. His positive attitude is contagious and motivating to others and his work ethic and curiosity help him consistently earn excellent grades. He is someone of exemplary character who is involved in a wide variety of extracurricular activities from sports to arts to academics, giving his all in everything he does. Grant is a leader and PASI is pleased to award him with this recognition of that.
Reagan's teachers and instructors tell us she is a curious and gifted person who excels in everything she does through hard work and passion. Though the courses Reagan takes in school are challenging, she consistently ranks in the top of her class and acts as a leader in the classroom with an intensity and the confidence to gain the respect of her peers. In addition to receiving excellent grades in school, Reagan is a gifted dancer who passes her love of movement to younger children as an instructor at her dance school. While maintaining success in and out of school, Reagan has also dealt with a major change at home as her father was diagnosed with ALS during her junior year. Reagan has managed to find balance between her duties as a student and time spent with her family, and has done it while maintaining a solid footing in her daily life. We are proud to name Reagan as a 2021 PASI scholarship recipient.
SENIOR NEWS SPOTLIGHT
UPCOMING EVENTS
Kindergarten Play Dates
Have an incoming kindergarten student? Watch for information later this spring about our August Saturday kindergarten play dates at McKennan Park. It's a great chance for your little one to meet a few friends and have a familiar face in the classroom on the first day of school, not to mention a wonderful time for parents to connect with other Spanish Immersion moms and dads!
Great Gatherings 2021
GG2021 will be an in-person event! We can't wait to see you there!
Friday, Nov 5, 2021, 06:30 PM
ICON Events Center
STAY CONNECTED
- Make donating to PASI a snap with Gracias Giving
- Keep earning toward your students' trips with Scrip
- Find friends in our Family Directory
- Follow us on Instagram @sfspanishimmersionparents
Email: pasi.sf.sd@gmail.com
Website: pasisf.org
Location: PO Box 75 Sioux Falls SD, 57101
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PASIsf
Twitter: @parentsforspan1