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TEACHER FEATURE: Nothing beats rich text at Robert Frost Elementary “Today’s school library should be a buzzing, busy place. It should be the heart of the school, where students (and teachers!) come to discover answers to questions they didn’t even know they had,” says Korey Erickson, school librarian at Robert Frost Elementary in Sioux Falls.  |
Districts that choose to participate in the State Teacher of the Year program are invited to submit the names of their Teachers of the Year to the South Dakota Department of Education. Those teachers may then apply for Regional Teacher of the Year, one of whom will be named State Teacher of the Year in October. Congratulations to these District Teachers of the Year!
Special education staff honored at statewide conference
Congratulations to the Parent Nominated Special Education Staff of the Year, who were recognized at a luncheon in their honor at the recent South Dakota Special Education Conference in Deadwood. Shannon Merkouris, Sioux Falls School District, (front, with plaque) received the Outstanding Special Education Staff Award.
To address a critical need for special education teachers across the state and region, the South Dakota Board of Regents has approved offering a new online master’s degree in K-12 special education from Black Hills State University. The master of arts in teaching degree is a new degree for BHSU and the public university system.
Celebrating School Library Month
Thank you, school librarians, for all you do for South Dakota students! School libraries are hubs of activity where students study, research, collaborate, invent, and explore.
- Subscribe to Collect + Connect, the SD State Library’s school library blog
- Sign up for School Library Boot Camp
- 21st Century School Library Award application open until May 1
- 2018-19 Prairie Bud, Prairie Bloom, and Prairie Pasque Award winners
- 2018-19 Teen Choice Book Award winners
The South Dakota Department of Education will offer foundational reading training for teachers this summer. More details coming soon. Mark your calendars:
- July 1-2: Grades 4-8
- July 30-Aug. 1: Grades K-3
Apply by May 1 to become a mentor
The South Dakota Indian Education Summit targets educators of all content areas and grade levels, as well as administrators and school board members. The goal of the summit is to provide training on best practices in the field of Indian education. Have an idea for a presentation to share with your colleagues? Proposal deadline is June 3. The 2019 summit is scheduled for Sept. 22-24 in Pierre.
Have you been putting off learning about that “data stuff” because you think it’s only for your “numbers-minded” neighbor down the hall? Make the decision to harness the power of data this summer. Sign up for a data use course from SD-STARS and learn how to drive positive change in your classroom, school, or district.
A complete listing of events is available at GoSignMeUp.
English Learner Chats
April 23 (postponed from April 16)
State Historical Society History Conference
April 26-27, Pierre
Norms for English Learners Webinar Workshop
May 6 and May 13
Board of Education Standards
May 20, Brookings
SD Dept. of Education Annual Conference
May 29-30, Pierre
MTSS Summer Conference
June 11-12, Oacoma
The Fundamentals of Using Data for Educators
June 13, Rapid City
June 18, Watertown
June 19, Mitchell
Co-Teaching & Collaboration (for educators working with English learners)
July 22, Mitchell
July 23, Aberdeen
Save the Date! CTE Conference
July 28-30, Mitchell
Save the Date! Indian Education Summit
Sept. 22-24, Pierre
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