A wonderful last January school day to everyone. There are opportunities in life for adults to put themselves in scenarios where we are humbled by the intelligence of our youth.
Today is one of those days. We invite our parents and community to join the 3rd through 5th grade Spelling Bee today at 2:00pm in the Bison Center.
Community Event:
Introduction to Ham Radio Class
Tuesday February 11th at 5pm. All Times Approximate.
From 5pm to 5:15pm meet and greet.
At 5:15pm to 5:30pm: a Presentation on Emergency Communications by Melissa Fleming (FRCSO Dispatch). Questions and Answers afterwards.
5:35pm Video Presentations: 2:48 min. What is Ham Radio
Rescued by ham radio – 6:14 min. The story of a roadside rescue courtesy of a ham operator.
From 5:45 to 6:05pm: Ham Radio presentation by Ernie Rolls (W0HP) & Mike Murphy (KB7DNN).
Parents of children age 3-5, please reach out to the school district to schedule time for a free screening for your child.
Seniors- make sure to complete this scholarship application. These were funds raised BY your community FOR you.
Our elementary students are hard at work today. Mrs. Trevillyan had a morning meeting today with 2nd and 3rd graders. So proud of our elementary students.
Cannot believe we are sharing these already!
Elementary February Lunch: https://5il.co/36f66
MS and HS February Lunch: https://5il.co/36f68
February Breakfast: https://5il.co/36f67
Goldenwest scholarship information.
Dakota Dreams Career Exploration Camps to return
An extension of funding will allow the state to offer its Dakota Dreams Career Exploration Summer Camps again this coming summer. The FREE, five-day residential camps hosted on college campuses are for South Dakota students entering 7th and 8th grade in the 2025-26 school year. You can view the dates and locations of the camps on the Summer Camps page. The camps are a collaborative effort of the Board of Regents, technical colleges, and Department of Education. More information will be available and shared with school counselors soon.
https://ourdakotadreams.com/elementary-middle-school/career-exploration-summer-camps/
Pictures from last week's wrestling dual. It was awesome to have our cheerleaders there.
Stay warm with Hot Springs School District crewneck sweatshirts! This week only, save $10 on all crewnecks! Shop at https://1stplace.sale/114508
Thank you again to our two guest speakers last night at the Wesleyan Church. We did share with parents in attendance the information about using the district's online monitoring program at home. It is a great tool that a parent can place limitations on what a child is able to access on their school computer at home along with limits on time. Please see the information on the link below.
https://5il.co/36e0t
Community Event. See you tonight.
Parents and community members: A reminder that we have organized and partnered with the Wesleyan Church to provide a presentation for online safety for our youth. Our presenters are coming from the Human Trafficking department at DCI and the director of Phoenix Rising. Monday, January 27th from 7-8pm
https://atg.sd.gov/OurOffice/Media/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?id=2344#gsc.tab=0
https://www.kotatv.com/2024/10/03/kota-cares-phoenix-rising-education-program-helps-educate-child-exploitation-trafficking/
Parents of middle and high schoolers. Please encourage your child to join us Tuesday during their lunch time to learn more about the Educator Rising Chapter that we will be organizing in Hot Springs. This is a great program for those interested in the career of teaching, but also is an opportunity to build leadership and speaking skills.
Our guests will have several activities, including a VR headset demonstrating what it looks like to be a teacher, a Choose your Own Adventure game, and specifics about what the dual credit classes look like. There are several grants and funding available that are making these dual credits free to take.
Current sophomores and juniors. Please see Mr. Deming if you are interested.
CYBER ACADEMY INFORMATION
The Governors Cyber Academy at Dakota State University expands awareness of and access to cyber education and career pathways to students throughout the state of South Dakota through transferrable, university-level dual credit cyber coursework and K-12 cyber enrichment programming.
Dual Credit Cyber Coursework: Registration is open for Spring 2025 dual credit courses. These courses are an awesome opportunity for students to learn about cyber concepts and explore cyber career pathways. All students that qualify for dual credit courses through the Board of Regents are eligible to participate in the dual credit Cyber Academy courses and there is no additional cost to participate beyond tuition and course materials. Students can join the Cyber Academy any term and take the courses that fit with their interests and schedules. We have recently received approval for a Cybersecurity Support Technical Apprenticeship occupation that aligns well with the dual enrollment coursework – reach out if you would like more information!
Spring 2025 Cyber Academy Courses:
· CSC 134: Introduction to Cyber Operations – no prerequisite, online or in-person at the CTE Academy in Sioux Falls
· CSC 150: Computer Science I – online, no prerequisite
· CSC 163: Hardware, Virtualization, and Data Communication – online, no prerequisite
· CSC 147: Artificial Intelligence Survey – online, no prerequisite
· CSC 250: Computer Science II – online, must pass CSC 150 first
· CSC 247: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence – online, has prerequisites
· CSC 285: Networking I – has prerequisites, online or in-person at the CTE Academy in Sioux Falls
· CSC 388: Computer Forensics Fundamentals - online, no prerequisite
Here are great opportunities for our students to explore careers in cybersecurity. Many of these are free because they are grant funded and/or private companies are investing in (possible) future employees.
https://dsu.edu/camps/
Summer 2025 Residential Camps (Registration Opens in the Spring):
GenCyber High School Camp is June 8th – 13th
Girls in CybHER Security Camp is June 16th – 20th
Camp Cyber for Middle School Boys is June 22nd – 25th
Cyber Espionage Camp for High School Students is June 23rd – 25th
4th and 5th grade concert.
Parents of middle schoolers:
At Georgia Morse Middle School in Pierre where I was principal for 18 years, I often joked with parents, especially those that just had their oldest join us in sixth grade, to "buckle up and enjoy the roller coaster ride." This is a good 2 minute clip that reiterates that when our middle school students and children tell us "I don't know why I did that" or "I don't know what I was thinking when I said that," that they are 100% telling the truth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dISmdb5zfiQ
Seniors:
Scholarship Opportunity.
Link - https://5il.co/35ve2
Middle and High Schoolers: More information about the Educator Rising event January 28th for interested students.
One may want to know what a VR set would show about being a teacher. Read on.......
The Meta Quest 3S is a VR headset designed for wireless experiences. We have the larger 256GB version, which offers ample storage for a variety of applications. The Meta Quest 3S is known for its standalone nature, meaning it does not require a connection to a PC or console, making it easy to use and highly portable. This headset provides an immersive VR experience with high-resolution displays and advanced tracking capabilities, allowing users to interact with virtual environments seamlessly.
Ovation VR is an innovative tool that combines virtual reality with AI-powered avatars to help improve public speaking skills. It offers realistic AI avatars that can engage in intelligent dialogues, provide AI-generated feedback, and simulate various speaking scenarios such as presentations, interviews, and conversations. Some key features of Ovation VR include:
• AI-powered speaking scenarios with realistic audience members who can smile, clap, ask questions, and get distracted by their phones.
• AI-powered feedback and analytics to help users improve their performance.
• Endless customization options, including importing text, slides, and slide notes, and adjusting the audience's attire and attitude.
• Real-time training with notifications for filler words, gaze, hand movements, and more.
• Recording and playback of practice sessions in 3D to identify areas for improvement.