With the help of this grant, eighth-grade English students participate in an online learning platform that encourages student engagement in language arts skills. Through this platform, students develop deeper connections to the text they read, allowing them to expand their thinking and explain their answers in more detail. Articles and short stories can be uploaded using this program, and teachers can embed questions within the text, allowing students to read smaller portions at a time to answer questions. Teachers can review answers and provide feedback so students can redo their answers immediately, helping them achieve at a proficient level or above.

This grant provides an authentic language immersion experience for 8^th-grade Spanish students. Students are evaluated (through the use of a speaking exam rubric) on their language mastery, pronunciation/enunciation, usage, vocabulary, and fluency as they order meals in Spanish.

Avera eCARE School Health partners with K-12 school districts to provide nurse coverage for the entire school day and ensure immediate response to student needs. Using high-definition video technology, school faculty and staff are able to connect with dedicated providers at eHelm – the Sioux Falls hub for Avera eCARE. Avera eCARE was implemented at Mt. View Elementary. The grant covered the equipment cost as well as the technology fee and a portion of the user fee. 153 students were impacted.

Creekside, Title 1 – Barton Reading System is designed to explicitly and systematically teach dyslexic students to read. Many students, even those who have not yet been diagnosed as dyslexic, will benefit from this Orton-Gillingham based approach to reading.

This is a SMS student council project idea to decorate the bathrooms with artful pictures and sayings.    Understanding that the bathroom is sometimes a place a student seeks quiet solitude from the hectic pace of middle school they thought this would be a great place to cheer it up with art.   All students from the art classes have been actively designing ideas for the bathrooms.  The funding for this project is for paint, rollers, and brushes.

Mountain View Elementary. Kindergarteners at Mountain View will receive at one book through this grant as well as meet storybook/non-fiction characters who “come alive” from the books they receive to create excitement about reading.   Supplies include the books and costumes.

BreakoutEDU boxes are used to facilitate inquiry, critical thinking, collaboration, creativity and communication.  They promote interaction and social learning in the classroom by utilizing the provided platforms in areas of math, science, social studies, ELA, world languages and more. There are physical games, digital games and game builders which offer students and teachers access to build their own content-aligned games for classroom sharing.   Due to the increased interest and demand from students and teachers utilizing their current box, they would like to invest in 7 more boxes.

There are more than 500,000 current openings in computing, and this field represents the #1 source of new wages in the US. These jobs grow at twice the rate of all other jobs. In the US we do not have enough graduates in computing, STEM or Computer Science to fill this demand. The goal of this project is to increase the exposure our students have to coding. Next year our Middle School will have a laptop for every student. My hope is that our students will have the opportunity to integrate computer science and coding into their core content classes AND have another way to show their learning through the power of coding. The more exposure a student has to coding the more likely they are to pursue a path through high school and college that leads to the profession of Computer Science. Tynker is an easy to use platform that ANY teacher can integrate into their classes, with or without a background in Computer Science. It is a benefit to our students and community if we have more teachers who are comfortable and familiar with Computer Science and coding. The Tynker platform teaches coding and is used to program our drones and robots. Tynker is currently developing lessons for augmented and virtual reality, they will be one of the first platforms of computer science curriculum to have these lessons developed for students. If we are approved and able to purchase the license immediately we can start exploring Tynker at the end of the school year AND offer staff professional development during our end of year PD. SMS staff will go into the summer having ideas of how to incorporate cross-curricular coding projects with their students next year. Next school year my goal is that we use Tynker lessons during FLEX and study hall for all students to have exposure to another platform and medium of coding. Tynker is fun and students love using it. As students and staff become comfortable and familiar with the platform we can create cross-curricular projects. There are STEM specific lessons that integrate into Science and Math courses. Our middle school ELA teachers do book projects, students could easily use Tynker to code their presentation on their book. The full access of a site license would also be used in our Makerspace with our drones, robots, and iPads.

SMS.  This is a daylong event at the Ft. Meade in Sturgis sponsored by the SD National Guard.   Students are divided into teams with the Guard soldiers and teachers to experience learning about that the training and life is like as an Army soldier.   Some of the hands-on experiences include land navigation, marching, hazardous materials care, medical and fire safety, experiencing MREs, using night vision tools, packing and exploring military clothing for survival, American flag etiquette, etc.   This is scheduled around the middle school’s yearly Veteran’s Day assembly which draws over 80 veterans each year in our middle school.    Funds are to help over the bussing of the students to Sturgis.

This program is a hands-on system of learning that fosters student’s creativity, courage, and curiosity through open-ended academic challenges in the field of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).

Spearfish Middle School. EmWave2 information page: https://store.heartmath.com/emwave2
– Two EmWave2 device will be used with students by the counselors in their offices at the Middle School.
– Three EmWave2 devices will be available for independent use by students.
– Students that frequently access school-counseling services will be trained in the EmWave2 Quick Coherence Technique by the counselors (with help from the computerized training protocol).
– Students that frequent the counseling office will be allowed to use the EmWave2 device and the Quick Coherence Technique (guided by the computer) with the counselors or on their own after they are comfortable with the process when they arrive at the counseling office.
– Students that have been trained in the use of the EmWave2 and the Quick Coherence Technique will be allowed to use the devices to facilitate social/emotional breaks in the counseling office (with counselor permission) throughout the day.
– Students that show interest and benefits from the use of the EmWave2 and the Quick Coherence Technique will be allowed to check out an EmWave2 device for use on their own with parent permission.
– Up to 30 students that frequent the school counselors’ services will be impacted by the project. Additional students will be impacted moving forward as this project will be ongoing year-after-year if deemed successful.

Strength through Swimming. In collaboration with BHSU and the Young Center Pool, 20 APE students will have an opportunity twice a month during the Spring semester (8 trips total) to utilize the facilities.   This program would introduce swimming as a lifetime fitness activity for individuals with varying physical abilities, a mental exercise to help promote mental health and well-being and allow their bodies to be less effected by the force of gravity, which allows them to move without pain or be uncomfortable in space.   The pool allows individuals to experience a sense of autonomy and they are in control of their movements.   This program funds equipment used in the pool.

Math surrounds us in our daily lives! This project is designed to provide our first-grade team of teachers a method to encourage our students to make math connections with their families outside the classroom. The grant purchased the materials needed to create and maintain a binder system for each student to take home with a weekly math task.

Spearfish Middle School. Because her classroom will become the Library classroom, this grant would be used to purchase materials to provide students with flexible seating opportunities. Her goal is to create a classroom space that is welcoming and safe to students. In her STEM and computer Science courses students do work that is independent, partnered, or in groups. Students need to be able to move around in a variety of ways. Her classroom next year will have regular height tables with some standard chairs.  Stability ball chairs will help students who need to move more.  They are great for posture and strengthening core muscles.  The bottoms are smooth and curved so students can rock if needed.  The bean bag chairs, cushions and reading pillows will be for student to work on the floor independently or with partners. They can use the foldable tabletop stands to hold laptops or paperwork while sitting on the floor or floor seating.  Giving students a choice provides increased student engagement. This will be utilized in Makerspace and Spartan Tech Squad groups as well.

SHS.  Libraries are places where students not only read, study, and collaborate, but create and innovate as well.   They are becoming a learning commons area available for all students.   Makerspace within libraries are spaces where students have access to supplies and materials that are meant to spark their creativity, allow them to innovate, and help them experience the benefits of trying and learning something new.   Each item provides opportunities for active and participatory learning while challenging them to activate their brains in a different way.   This grant is for a 3D printer $2,000 and the film cartridges $1,000.

Spearfish High School. SHS Game Club is a weekly student group that meets for card, strategy, board and role-playing games.  This grant would supply the Game Club with our own school sponsored materials, rather than depending upon borrowed materials; these games will remain SHS property and provide a sense of legitimacy to the Game Club members.  Game club provides a positive outlet for students who normally do not engage in school activities and focuses on social interaction during games.  Attendance ranges from 12-25 SHS students.

Mt. View Elementary plans to build three raised garden beds for students to participate in gardening activities as part of their science instruction.  Students will prepare ground, plant, weed and harvest throughout the seasons. This project not only teacher about the life cycle, but also real-life application of learning – nutritional information, weather components and sensory activities.  Students learn to work together, tend to living things and contribute to their community.

Fifth-graders get 60 minutes each week for one semester to study any topic they want with a guiding question in mind. This project is based on the business practice that Google allows their development team to use. The idea is that when individuals are allowed to concentrate on something they are interested in, productivity goes up. For students, it provides a path to intrinsic motivation. Possible topics/projects include writing a book, writing a code, and developing a plan to help communities lessen light pollution. Funding covers supplies for the projects and the Genius Hour Showcase.

This program encourages 3^rd– through 5^th-grade girls to be healthy, joyful, and confident through a non-competitive running program that encourages positive emotional, physical, social and mental development.

Harvard Business School is conducting a nation-wide project on case studies in American History.   Spearfish High School has been offered a chance to participate in this project.   Chosen school will present a selected number of case studies involved in American History to measure the effectiveness of this curriculum.   Mr. Gainey.    Students impacted would be 11^th and 12^th grades.

This project allows the high school technical theater class to experience hands-on, practical learning. The grant purchases practice paint supplies, including different colors and sheens of paint and specialized painting tools, including stipple brushes, wood grain tools, and extra materials to practice painting on. Students also learn how to use pyrotechnic supplies such as flash paper and cotton, igniters, and flash pots. Safely measures are also taught.

HOSA – Future Health Professionals is the only nationwide student organization whose focus is 100% health care. In order to attend state, students must participate in one competitive event. There are six categories students can choose from:

1) Health Science Events – Dental & Medical Terminology

2) Health Professions Events – Biomedical Labs, Clinical Nursing, Dental Science

3) Emergency Preparedness – CPR/First Aid, Public Health, EMT

4) Leadership Events – Prepared Speaking, Job Interview Skills, Research Writing

5) Teamwork Events – Biomedical Debate

6) Recognition Events – Service Projects.

Preparing for state will require students to put in time outside of the school day and in many cases, utilize community members to gather the necessary information and training to be successful in their projects.

An interdisciplinary unit was incorporated into all 7^th-grade core classes. The book, “In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse,” by Joseph Marshall, was read and analyzed with the objectives: 1) to increase cultural understanding within the population of our school and 2) to be proactive in cultural inclusiveness in the state, incorporating the Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings and Standards for South Dakota Social Studies into the English-Language Arts curriculum.

This grant is for KEVA Planks for the middle school library. These would be available to students and staff throughout the school day.  KEVA planks are durable maple planks that help spark interest in building and design.   They also help students learn STEM basics such as balance and proportion.  This project has the ability to impact every student and staff member in the middle school, should they wish to visit the library to explore.  Building challenges would also be available at specific time of the school year for students to participate in.

The SHS Academic Knowledge Bowl team qualified for the national championship. Due to COVID 19, the competition took place virtually.  Students worked together for a common goal with this new online platform to showcase their academic achievement.  To prepare for competition with other schools, regionals, and nationals, students worked hard by studying many different academic fields. Some specialize in certain niche subjects to better accomplish this goal. The team finished with a record of 5-1 during the preliminaries and advanced to the playoff rounds.

The high school journalism class is tasked with the job to capture the school year through photos and create the yearbook.   This brings life to their school year.   Pictures are an essential part of this project and high-quality cameras are a necessity.   Cameras and accessories purchased will be used this year and in years to come to tell the story of their school year, while affording students the opportunity to learn photojournalistic and photography skills.

Automation and Robotics is currently offered as a course taught by Mrs. Bauerly at the Middle School. Due to the increase in interest of students enrolling in the course, combined with increasing enrollment, we would like to offer additional sections of Automation and Robotics. During the 2018-2019 school year, one additional section will be offered by Mr. Dagit. The course will continue to be offered as an elective to eighth-grade students in subsequent school years. VEX Robotics kits for student use in the course have already been purchased through a curriculum buy cycle. Approximate Number of Students Impacted During the first year of implementation, approximately 25 students will take the Automation and Robotics course taught by Mr. Dagit. The course will continue to be offered at the Middle School for as long as it is supported by Project Lead the Way.

Analyzing and responding to world events in the 8th grade classroom. The 8th grade teachers’ quest: how do they improve reading skills using leveled content that is aligned to standards and connects instruction to real world experiences? They found it in Newsela! Newsela is an online news-as-literacy platform that features current, high-interest articles on current events in everything from literature to science. Content is updated daily, with stories from a wide range of sources. All articles are Common Core-aligned and available in five Lexile levels. Each leveled text features a quiz tailored to that particular article plus a writing prompt that asks students to write and respond to what they’ve read. Each student will have access to Newsela on their school laptop and this will allow teachers to use the reading and writing features of the program in an unlimited capacity. Newsela has the capability to be incorporate into Google Classroom, which is the learning platform used by 8th grade ELA teachers.

SHS.  This creates the opportunities for students to direct plays at SHS and, thus, increase the number of students who can participate on and off stage in our one act show.   Under the supervision of Mrs. Meyer, and building off the success of last year’s performances, this year would increase to three shows.   One of the student productions will be chosen to attend the State One Act Play Festival in Aberdeen.    Grades are 9-12 and impact 30+ students.    Program funds the cost of supplies and scripts.

As a part of the state standards for Child Development – Preschool through School Age Children, students are required to study nutritional guidelines for children ages 4-10, understand that healthy eating habits are critical for growth and development in preschool and school aged children, as well as develop an activity that could be done with school aged children. Taking the standard a step beyond just developing activities, Foods 2 class is working with the elementary-school principal to coordinate times when students go into the classroom and present mini lessons on nutrition with students ranging in age from preschool through second-grade. Funding purchases fruits and vegetables the elementary students can eat as part of the lesson. (Due to COVID 19, this program did not take place.)

Oglala-Lakota artist Joseph Pulliam came to demonstrate his artwork which incorporates history, symbolism, and Lakota culture. He will present, demonstrate and work with art students and World History students who will be studying Lakota culture, history, art, and music. His art is innovative in that he uses ledger paper from the 1880s to paint Lakota history, ensuring that it is historically authentic. Journalism students will cover the project and write a report on his residency visit to the high school. 100+ students impacted.

Approximately, 60-75 students will be able to use the iPads to build skills accommodate their areas of disabilities.  Apps specialize in skill building, memory, basic reading, reading fluency and comprehension and others. This grant is for ten iPads and headphones.

This program created fun and exciting inspirational as well as educational quotes to display on the bathroom stalls at Mt. View. The project incorporates the new PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) matrix and incorporate those words and expectations into the design. Funding covers the costs of a Cricuit machine to print wall vinyl, the vinyl needed for the project, and the tools required to get the vinyl on the walls. The Cricuit machine may also be used for other projects to improve the learning environment at the school.

Science Day Camp offers students a field opportunity to learn about lessons studied in life science during the school year in a natural setting.  Presenters are science professionals in the life science areas.  Setting is Spearfish City Park.  250 seventh grade students.

Tenth- through 12^th-grade band students travel to Los Angeles to work with professional clinicians and recording artists. Students focus on sight reading skills.

With an increase in interest and participation, the SHS has formed a book club for the entire school. Their goal is to read three books and meet on a regular basis to discuss the book. Upon completion, they have a movie celebration.

SMS students read age-appropriate books and meet to discuss the books. Some books are teacher-selected and some student-selected. Book discussion questions are guided by instructors. Many students have mentioned that they love to read but they don’t have anyone to talk to about their books. This book club allows them that opportunity, fosters their love of reading, and encourages them to continue to explore literacy concepts. Students meet during lunch or after school.

Spartan Robotics was established at SHS during the 2017-2018 school year and is coached by Ben Sayler. The team utilizes the VEX robotics program, focusing on hands-on STEM learning. The team typically meets after school two or three times each week for 90 minutes per session. In the weeks leading up to competition, they work considerably more hours. The team has made presentations to area youth groups and have showcased their robots at SFPE’s Three Cheers event. Funding covers the costs of robot kits, parts and supplies, team registration fees for local, regional, state, and possibly national competitions.

This project hopes to generate kindness throughout the school district and spread it into the community by placing vinyl banners that read “BE KIND” outside of Mt. View, West, Creekside, and SMS/SHS. The banners are placed in highly visible locations for World Kindness Day and Random Acts of Kindness Week to bring awareness for the community and others. During these banner display times, school counselors and community team members (local retired teachers) will visit each school to share a specific book about kindness and complete an activity with each class. This grant funds four banners for the Spearfish schools and impacts all students.

A Swivl is a device that couples with a phone/iPad and records the teacher teaching. It provides a way for students to customize their learning and teachers to deeply reflect upon their teaching. The grant allows for each grade in the middle school to have one device for the teachers to share.

The mission of TeamMates Mentoring to positively impact the world by inspiring youth to reach their full potential through mentoring. This is in-school/on-campus mentoring for 3^rd– through 12^th-graders.

Imagining will allow us to take an abstract concept for our students and make it concrete. The thermal camera will be used in all 6th grade science classes and Flight and Space. The camera will allow students to capture images on convection currents, radiation, and conduction. These types of transfer of thermal energy are hard for the students to comprehend. By allowing the students to use the thermal camera to capture the world around them we will be helping them connect the concepts in the classroom to their everyday lives. Right now our data shows us that our students struggle with connecting thermal energy, kinetic energy and density. This is an essential learning outcome in 6th grade. The camera will be utilized throughout the school year in order to let our students create connections between these concepts easier. Approximate Number of Students Impacted There will be over 200 hundred 6th grade students impacted along with 120-150 8th grade students. The students will be able to use the thermal camera to investigate the effects of thermal energy around them. The classes will utilize the camera continuously throughout the school year in order to increase their depth of understanding. Students will use the thermal camera to take pictures of different experiments and projects to see how the changes in thermal energy occur. Flight and Space students will be utilizing the camera to see how the temperature of air affects the flight of fixed wing aircraft along with hot air balloons.

SHS.  Steve Gabriel.  This project takes place at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (Surface, 2000, 4100 and 4850-foot levels).  Funds have been previously provided by SFPE.  The first flow meter was installed at the 4850 level in the fall of 2012.  With the help of three SFPE grants, a South Dakota Earth and Space Science Grant and two rounds of science curriculum purchases the flow meter network now has six networked flow meters with data being consolidated and graphed on a laptop located on the surface of the lab.  The flow meter network is being utilized by scientists and engineers at the lab to help design the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) for the Long Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE).  The flow meter network data has been analyzed by freshman in physical science and seniors in physics for the past five years.  This year’s students will do the analysis with a few highly involved students to monitor, maintain, configure, upgrade and travel underground with me to perform maintenance on the underground flow meter network.  130 students impacted, grades 9 and 12.

As part of our social studies curriculum, a number of our fifth-grade students participate in the We the People program. Part of the program is the Simulated Congressional Hearing Showcase. Throughout the year’s lessons, mock hearings, guided debates, and discussions, the students learn about our Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the rights of citizens. We team with the SHS government class that also participates in the We the People program and prepare statements to present to a panel of judges. This project involves two social studies classes, as well as assisting with two other classes. Each class typically ranges from 25-28 students. 100+ students are impacted at Creekside Elementary and SHS.

Tenth- through 12^th-grade band students travel to Los Angeles to work with professional clinicians and recording artists. Students focus on sight reading skills.