Spotlight: Conversations From the Sioux Falls School District

The end of the school year is upon us. For younger students, this means the anticipation of summer vacation. For high school seniors, this means the first step into a different reality. Different students choose different paths, and while those first steps seem insurmountably large at times, they're the most important, because they will set the pace for things to follow.

On this episode of Spotlight, Superintendent Stavem sits down with Michael Grismer, a high school senior from Roosevelt HS and a member of the class of 2023. Michael is an exceptionally bright student with high academic achievements and a passion for learning. This conversation covers a little bit of everything, from Michael's success as a student, to how school districts can cultivate a passion for learning, to the future of AI and it's role in education.

Join Dr. Stavem and Michael in this fascinating conversation that offers up a look at the Sioux Falls School District from the viewpoint of a student. As we close the book on another school year completed, the topics we cover here give us a moment to reflect on the past and look towards the future. *AND* Congratulations to Michael Grismer on a remarkable K12 student career! We look forward to seeing all of your future success!

We know that our teachers in the Sioux Falls School District do amazing things everyday inside their classrooms. In this mini-series 'By Day/By Night', we're taking a look at teachers who do amazing things outside of their roles as educators.

Laura Wiebelhaus was recently a nominated finalist for the Teacher of the Year award, and was the recipient of the Distinguished Educator award. She teachers kindergarten at Eugene Field A+ Elementary by day, and after her class is dismissed, she is up to....well, a lot!

Laura speaks about her involvement in basketball and volleyball, darts, gardening, summer camps, and GOATS! (Lots of goats).

Being an educator at any level is a demanding profession, and being a kindergarten teacher comes with its own set of challenges. It's important for teachers to recharge their batteries both physically, mentally and emotionally, and that looks different for everybody. This series offers a glimpse into what some teachers do to recenter themselves so they show up ready to provide the best education possible to the students of the Sioux Falls School District.

We know that our teachers in the Sioux Falls School District do amazing things everyday inside their classrooms. In our new-mini series 'By Day/By Night', we're taking a look at teachers who do amazing things outside of their roles as educators.

Today we're speaking with Amy Weber, who's love for plants has grown from a hobby into something she is able to integrate into her classroom. She started a 'plant corner' at a particularly well-lit hallway section at her school, Eugene Field A+ Elementary. She discusses how she is able to make this a learning experience for her students and the benefits of bringing some green space into the halls of a school. We'll also learn about how her daughter's seemingly innocuous letter to a postal service worker during the height of the Covid pandemic has turned into a nationally covered story involving book publishers and Taylor Swift.

*Editor's note*

This episode was previously recorded. Since that time, Amy's husband Hugh passed away unexpectedly. Our thoughts go out to the Weber family.

In the first new episode of 2023, Superintendent Jane Stavem sits down with recently hired Security Coordinator Dave Osterquist, who joined the Sioux Falls School District nearly six months ago. From humble beginnings, Osterquist’s passion for safety and security started as early as elementary school, where he served as a dedicated crossing guard. That passion followed him throughout his young-adult life when he worked as a military policeman throughout college and eventually became a police officer with the Sioux Falls Police Department. Dave brings his years of expertise to the Sioux Falls School District and works hard to go deeper into the District’s practices and efforts that make our schools a safe place to learn and grow. 

Listen as they discuss what it means to get ahead of potential safety problems, including student behavioral support, feedback from staff and parent/guardian advisory groups, and the See Something, Say Something efforts. 

In the first Spotlight episode of the 2022-2023 school year, Superintendent Stavem talks with Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) and Chairperson for the Office of Indian Education, Anna Brokenleg. Anna has been with the Sioux Falls School District for over 13 years, where she started her career as a teacher at Hawthorne Elementary. She taught at Hawthorne for several years before transitioning to her current role. Anna now works with Očéti Šakówiŋ Owáuŋspe (OSO, formerly known as Native American Connections) teachers across the District to bolster Native American education – along with creating relationships with partners from across the Sioux Falls community to strengthen opportunities for Native American families.

Over 10% of South Dakota’s student population is Native American, which is the second highest population served after Caucasian students. While Native American education was once limited, the Sioux Falls School District has taken steps to increase Native American learning opportunities significantly over the years. The District now offers several Native American courses, including Languages of the Oceti Sakowin, throughout our District at all levels.

Growing up in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Anna attended Sioux Falls Public Schools for elementary, middle, and high school. She also traveled back and forth to Rosebud, where she is a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. These experiences taught her the importance of bridging the gap between cultures. Throughout the episode, she discusses why successful bi-cultural communication is essential for our District, along with the importance of offering courses rich in Native American history.

“We are on the traditional homelands of the Oceiti Sakowin people, along with other tribal communities that were in this area as well through the course of history. I think it’s really important we consider that and think about that education not just for our Native American students but for all the citizens of our state and what it means to really understand the place that they live, the history of where we all live, and what those implications are for our communities today.”

Anna is an incredibly knowledgeable person focused on preserving the past but looking forward to the future. She is an integral person in our District, and you absolutely do not want to miss this episode!

On June 30, three individuals with a combined total of 108 years of experience will retire from the Sioux Falls School District. Bev Chase, Bert Keiser, and Anita Wheelhouse are some of our legacy employees who have given most, if not all, their working life to the District. In this three-part series, listen as Dr. Stavem sits down with each of these retirees to talk about how they got their start, what kinds of things have changed over the years, and what they have enjoyed most during their time with SFSD.

Our final legacy retiree quite possibly holds the record for the longest-serving Sioux Falls School District employee. Anita Wheelhouse is the payroll specialist and has served 48 hard-working years at the District. Her role in the District is critical as she ensures all employees are paid and their benefits are paid out each month. When she started, there were only 1,200 employees on payroll. That number has since grown to over 5,000. From managing physical timecards to moving to all web-based systems, many things have changed since Anita’s time with SFSD.

Listen now!

On June 30, three individuals with a combined total of 108 years of experience will retire from the Sioux Falls School District. Bev Chase, Bert Keiser, and Anita Wheelhouse are some of our legacy employees who have given most, if not all, their working life to the District. In this three-part series, listen as Dr. Stavem sits down with each of these retirees to talk about how they got their start, what kinds of things have changed over the years, and what they have enjoyed most during their time with SFSD.

If you’ve ever called or visited the Sioux Falls School District’s Instructional Planning Center, you certainly know our second legacy retiree, Bert Keiser. Bert is the receptionist at IPC who has a heart of gold. She is one of the friendliest, most helpful people you will ever have the pleasure of meeting. Starting out as a clerical substitute, Bert has been with the District for over 25 years. In her time, she has worked at Lincoln High School, Hawthorne Elementary, and has spent the last 16 years of her career as the receptionist at IPC.

Listen now!

On June 30, three individuals with a combined total of 108 years of experience will retire from the Sioux Falls School District. Bev Chase, Bert Keiser, and Anita Wheelhouse are some of our legacy employees who have given most, if not all, their working life to the District. In this three-part series, listen as Dr. Stavem sits down with each of these retirees to talk about how they got their start, what kinds of things have changed over the years, and what they have enjoyed most during their time with SFSD.

In Part 1, Dr. Stavem talks with Executive Assistant to the Business Manager, Bev Chase. Bev has been with the Sioux Falls School District for almost 35 years. When she walks out the doors of the Instructional Planning Center on June 30, she will be just one month shy of her 35th working anniversary. She started her career with the District as the adult education secretary and moved to her executive assistant role shortly after in 1990. In her time, she has worked with seven superintendents, three business managers, two comptrollers, conducted 32 school board elections (not including opt-out elections and bond elections), and has thrown the best office Halloween parties since 1992.

Listen now!

The Sioux Falls School District provides specialty and individually designed instruction to eligible students with unique needs from birth to age 21. These services are embedded within our schools and serve nearly 4,000 students. Services are designed to meet each student’s unique educational needs as identified in their Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) or Individual Education Program (IEP). 

In Part 1 (0:20-12:25) of this Spotlight episode, listen as Superintendent Stavem sits down with Director of Special Education, Dr. Kristy Feden, to talk about the different opportunities SFSD’s Special Education program provides to achieve its mission of providing quality special education and related services to help every student succeed. They discuss how the terms “services” and “supports” can mean various things, including intensive developmental delay services to Occupational Therapy or Physical Therapy for speech and physical function. They also discuss the importance of early intervention for students with unique needs and parents as partners. 

In Part 2 (12:28-27:51), Dr. Stavem talks with Bekah Cheppenko, mom to Skyler Dohrewend. Skyler started receiving special education services and supports when he was very young after being diagnosed with Autism at age 3. Now all grown up and about the transition out of the SFSD Special Education program, Skyler is thriving in society and will be attending college at Southeast Technical College for Graphic Design. Listen as Bekah shares how she started to suspect that Skyler may need additional support, what life was like after his diagnosis, and all the people, including the SFSD Special Education program, that helped them along the way. Bekah hopes Skyler’s story will provide reassurance for the future for families who may be experiencing something similar. She also hopes to be a resource for families during a time that may feel a little uncertain. “I would love for people to look at Skyler and say, look, he went to school, he graduated National Honors Society, he has a job, he is functioning in society…he is going to college, he is going to do all the things that he wants to do. And that might not be everybody, but it’s nice to know there is that hope, there is that peace, that your child is going to be fine.” 

This episode of Spotlight is especially special, as we welcome a Sioux Falls School District student onto the podcast for the first time ever! Taliyah Hayes is an insightful senior at Jefferson High School who is enrolled in our Teacher Pathway program. This unique pathway program exposes students to the education profession sooner. It provides high schoolers an opportunity to learn the ins and outs of teaching and work in another classroom to experience all the possibilities. In this episode, Taliyah shares with Superintendent Jane Stavem what inspired her to already make a firm decision to pursue a career in teaching Special Education, and how the Teacher Pathway program is helping her to achieve those goals.