Parents of current 7th and 8th graders. This is such a great FREE opportunity. The deadline is March 31st.
Dakota Dreams Career Exploration camps are back!
The FREE five-day career camps for rising 7th and 8th grade students will be back this summer. Applications are open through March 31. The Department of Education and Board of Regents are asking principals at these levels to spread the word among your families. Our promotional toolkit contains social media graphics you can use, as well as a parent letter template. Roughly 100 participants will be accepted at each camp location. Visit the Dakota Dreams website to find dates and locations for the six Career Exploration Camps to be offered summer 2025.
Parents of high schoolers:
For all of our current juniors (Class of 2026) and seniors (Class of 2025), the window to enroll in dual credit summer school for the 2025 term is now open!!
For next the Class of 2026 and Class of 2027, please mark your calendars for April 1st. That is when the window to enroll in dual credit classes for the Fall 2025 term.
Please read the email below for more information. Please note the code to use to enroll is: The access code for the Summer/Fall 2025 application will be: 2025enrollment
Good morning! I’m reaching out on behalf of SDBOR to update you on the upcoming dual credit application periods. First, Summer 2025 registration will begin on March 1, with Fall 2025 registration opening one month later on April 1. The application for both new and continuing HSDE students can be accessed starting tomorrow on the SDBOR Dual Enrollment webpage.
Application Access Code
As we did last semester, in order to allow schools to gatekeep the application process (should they so choose), an access code will be included at the start of the application that will be required for all students completing the application. Students will select their high school, and then will need to enter a code to access the rest of the application.
The access code for the Summer/Fall 2025 application will be: 2025enrollment
Schools can handle the access code as they see fit, whether that is giving it out individually to students after meeting with them on their courses, giving it to a group of students after a dual credit meeting, or simply sending it out to all eligible students at your school.
Gateway Certificates
SDBOR universities have developed new Gateway Certificates that HSDE students have the option to enroll in, which will allow them to earn a postsecondary credential while still in high school. More information on the Gateway Certificates can be found on Our Dakota Dreams. Certificates are currently approved for Teacher Education, Agriculture, Business, and Engineering. Four new Gateway Certificates in the areas of Health Sciences, Architecture and Construction, Digital Technology, and STEM are set to be approved in April by the Board of Regents, and will be available for selection on the application.
Students will indicate their interest in the certificates on the application, and High School Officials will either confirm or deny enrollment in the certificate. Students will only be enrolled in certificates that are confirmed by the High School Official. These fields will be located on the page of the application where students select their courses.
As always, you can find all dual enrollment resources from BOR in one place on our webpage, including troubleshooting articles and reference guides for students, parents, and school officials. If you have any questions on the application, please reach out. Thank you!
Sharing pictures to get everyone ready for the production of the musical Legally Blonde. We hope to see everyone at one of the performances this Thursday, Friday, and/or Saturday.
From our PTA:
Good afternoon! The PTA is doing an outer space craft night on Thursday from 4:30-6:30 during elementary conferences and providing dinner for the teachers. How can you help? If someone is able to help out with the craft time and clean-up that would be great. Or if someone can help clean after the dinner around 7, that would also be fantastic. Finally, can’t volunteer time, but can bring food or drinks? Sign-up using the link below and bring your items to the lounge by noon on Thursday!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4AA5A72CABFAC25-55740244-elementary
Information from Lake Area Technical College-
We are excited to invite you to participate in Student for a Half Day, an immersive experience that provides hands-on exposure to one of the 31 programs offered at Lake Area Technical College. This event offers a unique opportunity to explore our state-of-the-art facilities and gain firsthand insight into the skills and training our programs provide.
What to Expect:
Hands-on, engaging classroom experiences
A fresh perspective on the programs and opportunities at Lake Area Tech
A fun and enriching experience to share with colleagues, friends, and family
Please note: This is not a recruiting event, and there will be little to no interactions with current students. It is simply an opportunity for you and/or your coworkers to explore what Lake Area Tech has to offer in a relaxed, interactive setting.
Registration & Details:
Student for a Half Day Registration
Space is limited – register soon!
Flyer attached with more details.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out!
Melissa
Melissa Waldner
Business Partner Specialist
Lake Area Technical College
PO Box 730 | 1201 Arrow Ave. | Watertown, SD 57201
www.lakeareatech.edu | O 605.882.5284 Ext. 263
Melissa.Waldner@lakeareatech.edu
The Hot Springs School District Spring Sale is underway, featuring all new designs! You'll save 20% with code: SPRING. Shop at https://1stplace.sale/114508
Spread the word
Hot Springs High School in Hot Springs will present Legally Blonde JR. on March 20, 2025 at 7pm, March 21 at 7 pm and March 22 at 2pm at The Mueller Center at 801 S. 6th Street, Hot Springs SD. Tickets are $10 General Entry and $7 for Students, Vets and Seniors 65 and over. All tickets to be purchased at the door. There is no dress code, but please don’t wear white after Labor Day.
Our honor roll lists from third quarter are being generated for our middle and high school students.
We plan to host a third quarter Night of Academic Excellence the week of March 24th for our students that have achieved a 4.0GPA.
Our initial lists show quite a few students that will be recognized and more 4.0 students for third quarter.
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
Cyber Enrichment Programming: The intent of the cyber enrichment programming is that we bring the cyber expertise to your schools and communities so that it is accessible to your students. Students will have interactive opportunities to learn about a variety of cyber-related concepts including programming, cybersecurity, networking, and artificial intelligence. Connect if you are interested in a roadshow or a classroom takeover.
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
Bison Nation: Let's always choose to be the kind kid!
This awesome graphic was made by high school student Olivia Moffit. Thank you, Olivia!
Thank you to both Bethesda Lutheran Church and Wesleyan Church for allowing our secondary students to practice an evacuation drill. Evacuation would be used if we needed to leave any or all of our school buildings and could not return; this would also prompt the reunification process with parents. For about 400 some students, our first attempt at practicing for an evacuation went really well.
7th grade girls participated in women in science today at School of Mines! Photos include careers in chemical engineering, pharmacy, wildlife conservation, nutrition, dentistry, biomechanics, wind tunnel, mechanical engineering!
Another post about how amazing our students are. The LEADS business group met at our CTE building today. They were met with this!!!! Our FACS students provided the charcuterie boards. Our FFA students used this opportunity to practice for state competitions and provided the flowers. And finally our Tech Ed students made the boards that were used. Quite a few local business people wanted to take one of those boards home.
Thank you to Mr. Dryden, Mrs. Estep, and Mrs. White for supporting your student groups for hosting this community group.
I was wandering through classrooms and came across this kiddo and this artwork. Holy buckets.... this is amazing. (The smile is because I didn't give him much of a choice to get his picture taken!!)
Thank you to BOTH our Elementary Student Council and High School Student Council for presenting last night at the school board meeting. Our kids are amazing and are making a big difference in all of our buildings.
The Hot Springs School District Spring Sale is underway, featuring all new designs! You'll save 20% with code: SPRING. Shop at https://1stplace.sale/114508
Seniors: Another local scholarship opportunity.
https://mammothsite.org/scholarships/
From Mr. Deming to high school juniors and seniors:
There’s an opportunity to learn more about Western Dakota Tech on Thursday, March 20, 2025. It begins at 8:45am and goes through 12:30. This FREE camp is focused on career awareness and exploration and is open to high school juniors and seniors.
I have a sign-up sheet in the office for those interested in coming.
If we have enough interest, the school can transport you there.
For more information, visit this link:
Career Exploration | Career Exploration Activities | Western Dakota Technical College
