EdisonEcho
Edison Middle School
Mission: To Prepare students to succeed academically, responsibly, and socially in an ever-changing world.
Office: 605-367-7643
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:
December 1, 2020
Volume 1, Issue 5
Dates to Remember...
December 10
- Band Concerts
December 14-16
- MAP Assessment
December 17
- Chorus Concerts
December 23-January 1
- No School-Holiday Break
January 4
- Classes Resume
January 14
- End of 2nd Quarter
January 15-18
- No School-Teacher Inservice
Principal's Corner
Developing compassion, empathy, and selflessness is something all parents strive to instill in their children. As parents, we want our children to look at the world through a lens of compassion, empathy, and selflessness to demonstrate a caring, loving, compassionate world. The Edison staff also strives to instill those character traits in all our students. We encourage ourstudents to demonstrate acts of kindness towards one anotherand towards staff each day, as well as an appreciation for everyone. I might be a tad biased, but I truly believe our staff and students do a wonderful job demonstrating compassion, empathy, and selflessness towards one another and championing for one another. Studies show that when we understand another person’s misfortune and the desire to alleviate that misfortune, we feel better about ourselves and exhibit a greater satisfaction in our life. In many instances, we benefit more from the act of compassion, a demonstration of empathy, and an act of selflessness than the recipient of the act.
One act of compassion, empathy, and selflessness that the students have been working on is the gift drive and blanket drive for the Heartland House. Students have gathered gifts and made fleece blankets for over 280 children that would not have otherwise received a gift during the holiday season. Over the past 23 years, Edison students have exhibited a compassionate, selflessness attitude by helping numerous children at the Heartland House, and we are blessed to be able to help again. I absolutely love seeing the caring attitude and excitement on our students’ faces when they can help someone else and put others’ needs before their own. They are truly exhibiting a compassionate and caring attitude, and I must say it is refreshing to witness.
At this time of the year, when life can be extremely hectic with all that goes on around us, I would like to encourage our Edison families and students to add at least one act of kindness a week in their lives. The challenge is not to make this a holiday challenge, but more importantly, a lifestyle challenge. A simple act of kindness can make such a difference in another person’s life. You can simply take the time to give of yourself by serving others, buying a stranger a meal, delivering a plate of cookies to an elderly neighbor, etc. The selfless and compassionate act that you do can make a tremendous difference in your home, at school, in the community, and in your life. I truly believe you will see a change in your daily outlook on life and your attitude towards others. If you are living your life with this philosophy and character trait, continue to do so and encourage a friend, family member, or neighbor to join you.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful children with us. We are blessed to be able to work with such a compassionate, empathetic, and caring group of students. From the Edison Family and my family to yours, we want to wish you a happy holiday season and blessed new year. Take care!
November Student of the Month
6th Grade
Connor Spaans
Aidan Kemnitz
Mytchel Aadland
Memphis Altena
Brenya Priebe
Ella Brue
7th Grade
Courtney Ulrich
Rayanna Fox
Milena Vercellino
Dayton Paz
Karl Hartmann
Nash Walters
8th Grade
Hunter Sieh
Max Anderson
Devin Christensen
Ava Johnson
Lucy Pederson
McKenna Fodness
News from the Counseling Office
8th graders getting ready to register for high school!
In January high school counselors will visit with 8th graders to introduce high school! Students will complete activities throughout the month during pro-time and then register for classes at the end of the month. Parents/guardians should expect to see a registration sheet come home to sign BEFORE January 28th! Please contact your student's counselor if you have any questions.
Edison Student Council
The goals of Edison’s Student Council are to build school spirit and pride, to assume responsibility as citizens in our school and community, and to promote a safe, caring environment.
Coats for Kids –
The winner was Mrs. Doyle’s PRO-Time! Thank you to everyone who donated. Mrs. Doyle’s PRO-Time enjoyed ice cream for their prize.
Heartland House Christmas – We have committed to providing the 239 kids at the Heartland House with Christmas presents and fleece blankets. If your family would like to contribute gifts, blankets, fleece, or funds, please contact Mrs. Sherard. (sherri.sherard@k12.sd.us)
Santa Letters for Make-A-Wish- Make-A-Wish is an agency that grants wishes to seriously ill children. Each year Macy’s donates $1-2 for each letter written to Santa to Make-A-Wish. Schools across the state participate in a contest to see which school can write the most letters. Edison has won the contest for the last 3 years. We wrote over 10,000 letters last year. Let’s top it this year! So, start writing letters. Letters should be written on ½ or ¼ sheet of printer or notebook paper. We are also able to write letters online using an URL assigned to Edison. The URL for writing letters is on the library home page.
Pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald house. Please collect pop tabs and deliver them to room 144. These pop tabs are recycled and help support the Ronald McDonald house which provides a temporary home for families who have seriously ill children.
Next meeting date: December 22
Edison's PTO
Happy Holidays from the Edison PTO!
Teacher Gratitude Activities
Thanks to all the students and families who contributed to the Thank You Video to teachers and staff. We got heartfelt, funny, and creative messages of appreciation that Edison alumnus Elizabeth Crawford wove together in an iMovie. The teachers were touched and loved it! We’re only sorry it’s too large to embed in this newsletter.
The Edison PTO, with the help of a donor family, also provided a Bagel Boy breakfast for teachers and staff the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.
The Edison PTO is looking for new ideas to let teachers know of our gratitude in the new year. Please let us know your ideas! Email at edisonsiouxfalls@gmail.com with any thoughts. We appreciate your help.
PTO Board Positions Open for Next Year: The Edison PTO is looking to fill several board positions for the 2021-22 school year. With the honors program moving to Patrick Henry MS next year, several of our current board members will be leaving. We will have openings for Secretary, Bookfair Coordinator, and Co-President. If you would like to get more involved with the school, would like to meet interesting people, and want to make a difference, please think about taking one of these roles. It’s not as much work as you think it is...and it's wonderfully rewarding! Contact us at edisonsiouxfalls@gmail.com to learn more!
Make a donation
As a PTO, we function solely from donations and fundraising as we have no membership dues. This year may bring more demand for PTO funds with little ability to fundraise. Funds raised will help enrich our student’s learning experiences, including continued library updates, as well as counselor, student, and classroom needs. If you would like to send money to support the PTO, you can send cash in an envelope marked “PTO” or send a check made out to “Edison PTO” and leave it with the office staff. You can also make a donation using PayPal or with a Credit/Debit card by clicking the link below.
Also, don't forget about AmazonSmile when shopping! Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your purchase to the charitable organization of your choice. Just start your shopping at Amazon Smile and choose Edison Middle School of Sioux Falls.
November Spiritwear Orders Ready Soon
Edison Spiritwear orders should be in by Wednesday, December 16 and handed out to students during Protime. We have so much to be thankful for. We hope you and your family enjoy this season and we look forward to a wonderful 2021.
Please join us at our next PTO meeting: Wednesday, December 16th at noon on Zoom.
PTO Zoom Meeting Link: click here
The Meeting ID is: 766 2166 3468
The Passcode is: 679743
If you cannot attend the meeting, minutes will be posted and we hope to have them recorded through Zoom. Check out the Edison PTO site for more information Meetings for the 2020-2021 school year are scheduled for the following dates:
- December 16
- January 20
- February 17
- March 17
- April 21
- May 19
Amazon Smile
Don't forget about AmazonSmile when shopping! Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of
your purchase to the charitable organization of your choice. Just start your shopping at
Amazon Smile and choose Edison Middle School of Sioux Falls.
PTO OFFICERS:
Co-Presidents: Nikki Schmaltz and Allison Pay Crawford
Treasurer: Kristina Sipma
Secretary: Katie Sumey
Book Fair: Karen Walters
Spiritwear: Mary Grandi-Koball
Go Cats!
Allison Pay Crawford and Nikki Schmaltz
2020-21 PTO Co-Presidents
Contact us
edisonsiouxfalls@gmail.com
www.edisonsf.org
Edison Middle School on Facebook
For the latest info, past minutes of meetings and
budget information, visit our website at edisonsf.org.
Music Notes
Concert Dates~
THERE WILL BE NO IN-PERSON EVENING PERFORMANCES THIS SEMESTER. INFORMATION ON HOW WE WILL HANDLE OUR CONCERTS WILL BE SHARED BY THE DIRECTORS OF EACH GROUP.
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.
Musicians of the month for November are:
Band: Avery Dorman (8) Victoria Deng (7) Maritta Sander (6)
Chorus: Elizabeth Spencer (8) Brooklyn Duffy/Samantha Tietjen (7) Elise Chap/Kenlyn Hart (6)
Orchestra: Madeinny Tuchez (8) Jacqueline Erickson (7) Juliet Meyers (6)
Variety Show~
Got a talent or unique skill you'd like to perform?? Auditions for the Edison Virtual Variety Show will be on January 26, 27, & 28 after school in the chorus room from 4:00- 6:00 p.m. Sign-up sheets will be posted at the beginning of January by the chorus room. Any Edison student can audition for the variety show. Students can audition in multiple acts if they would like. The acts will be recorded and a video will be made of the virtual variety show by mid-late March.
High School Band Auditions~
Students are not required to audition for band classes and marching band at the Sioux Falls public high schools. However, students may choose to audition for an upper level band class instead of the normal Freshman Band. Audition music will be available for LHS in mid-December and for RHS and WHS after Winter Break. Students are encouraged to get help on their music in private lessons or from Mr. Rygg/Mrs. Gage.
Cleaning Your Closets?
The Sioux Falls School District is always on the lookout for donations of gently-used band and orchestra instruments. Given our funding challenges, this is a great way to increase our instrument supply and allow more students to play in band and orchestra. Please contact Mrs. Sip or Mr. Rygg for more information.
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. Recorded auditions are due by December 11th. For more information, please contact Mr. Rygg, and/or Mrs. Gage, or visit http://sdmea.net/ and look under the Events list and MSASB (Middle School All-State Band).
Sign Language Interpreter~
Please notify your child’s director if you need a sign language interpreter for either the winter or spring concert. Notify the director at least ONE MONTH before the concert date. (Concert dates and director
emails are included in this ECHO.)
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. You can check concert dates, rehearsal dates, practicing tips, etc. on our page. 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!
Band directors-
- Jason Rygg - Jason.Rygg@k12.sd.us
- Holly Gage - Holly.Gage@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 and rhythm find their way into the secret places of the soul.” - Plato
Library Info
A Reminder about Library Fines
· We do not charge late fees at the EMS Library. The only time your child will be charged for a book is if it is lost or it is damaged badly enough that it must be replaced.
· If your student has overdue books or fines, they are unable to check out books until the fine is satisfied or the books are returned.
· If your child has an overdue book or a fine from another school, the fine can be paid or the book returned at Edison. We will get the payment or book to the appropriate school.
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.
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