Learning in our schools does not stop when the academic school day is finished.

Extracurricular activities are an important aspect of our work to provide a well-rounded education. Fine Arts, athletics, and student clubs provide impactful learning opportunities for students. Participating in an extracurricular activity has tremendous benefits. Several research studies have demonstrated that students involved in extracurricular activities have higher rates of academic achievement, higher rates of school attendance, and are more likely to graduate from high school. In addition to the academic benefits, extracurricular activities teach valuable life lessons such as commitment, teamwork, leadership, the acceptance of a role and perseverance during adversity.

I would encourage all patrons to attend student activities and support our children. While in attendance, it is imperative that spectators act appropriately. If attending a Fine Art production, arrive on time, silence cell phones, and remain seated during the entire performance. If attending an athletic event, remain seated while the contest is in progress and cheer in a positive and sportsmanlike manner. The modeling of positive and appropriate behavior by adults while attending activities is important for our students’ development.

Regardless of a child’s interest, there is an activity for them. Encourage them to get involved. Activities are a critical component of providing a well-rounded education and teach valuable life lessons.

Go Lynx!

As families gather around the Thanksgiving table this year, let us take a moment to reflect on all that our communities and school district must be thankful for. It is an opportunity to recognize the hard work and dedication of our teachers, staff, and administrators who strive every day to create learning environments that result in success.

We are grateful for our laser-like focus on the fundamental basics, in addition to innovations that have enhanced our classrooms, allowing our students to explore their passions and reach their full potential. We are thankful for the strong partnerships we have built and continue to build with families and the wider business community. Their support and involvement in our schools have been instrumental in creating an environment where students can thrive.

This Thanksgiving let us also express gratitude for the growth and success we have witnessed in our students. We celebrate their achievements, both big and small, and acknowledge the effort and dedication that has gone into each one. As we give thanks, let us remember the power of public education and the countless opportunities it provides. Student success reflects the collective efforts of everyone involved.

There will be no school in the Brandon Valley School District for Thanksgiving Break November 27-29.

Together, we foster a climate and culture of student success – Happy Thanksgiving

It is hard to believe with the excellent Fall Season weather we have experienced, but “Weather” we like it or not, it is on the way. As we all know, winter in South Dakota means cold, snow, and ice. Whether riding the bus, driving, or walking to school, dressing appropriately is extremely important for all students during the upcoming winter season.

• Dress in layers
• Wear appropriate winter clothing (Coats, Hats, & Gloves)
• Winter Driving – Ice & Snow, take it slow
• Defrost / Scrape car windshields and windows completely

In addition to discussing winter driving with our teens, all vehicles in South Dakota should contain a winter survival kit. As outlined on their website, the National Weather Service advises a winter weather safety readiness kit to be placed in your vehicle to prepare for the winter season. Talking with your child about weather safety will help with their winter weather preparedness. In the unlikely event school is in session and your child is unable to attend due to travel issues, contact your respective school, and the absence will be excused. Together, we can promote winter weather safety for our children.

As we celebrate American Education Week, a special “thank you” to all the individuals working within the Brandon Valley School District and all the other schools across the country – Thank You! Your work makes educating our children possible.

There will be no school in the Brandon Valley School District for Thanksgiving Break November 27-29.

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American Education Week is November 18-22. Next week, across our great country, communities celebrate America’s public education system during American Education Week. The process of educating our youth takes many individuals, serving in a wide variety of roles.

American Education Week festivities honor the entire team of people who work in our nation’s public schools. Everyone within our school system plays a critical part in our ability to educate our 5,171 students. Each individual plays an essential role in our ability to educate our children. Every day within our schools, staff work to promote positive learning experiences and create learning environments that result in success for our students.

To all the individuals working within the Brandon Valley School District and all the other schools across the country – Thank You! Your work makes educating our children possible.

There will be no school in the Brandon Valley School District for Thanksgiving Break November 27-29.

Go Lynx!

As Veterans Day approaches, it is essential to reflect upon the sacrifices made by those who have served in our nation's armed forces. This day serves as a reminder to pay tribute to the brave men and women who have dedicated their lives to uphold our freedom and protect our country. It is a time for us to express our gratitude and appreciation for their service, valor, and unwavering commitment to safeguarding our democracy.

Within the Brandon Valley School District, schools organize educational activities for children to learn about the importance of patriotism and service. Schools play a crucial role in teaching our younger generation about the significance of Veterans Day. These activities foster a sense of appreciation and encourage a deeper understanding of the sacrifices our veterans have made.

As we celebrate Veterans Day on November 11, let us remember the extraordinary sacrifices made by our military members. It is an opportunity for us to express our gratitude and show support to these heroes who have selflessly defended our nation. By educating our youth and involving our communities in honoring veterans, we ensure that their legacy lives on and their service is never forgotten.

With tremendous respect, we thank all our military veterans this Veterans Day. The freedoms and liberties afforded to our great nation are the result of incredible sacrifice endured by the men and women of our military forces. As we honor our veterans this 2024 Veterans Day, we extend our sincerest appreciation for all those who have and are serving. Thank you, US Military Veterans!

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It is essential for young individuals to recognize the significance of community service and actively engage in efforts that benefit our community. At Brandon Valley Intermediate School (BVIS), the importance of community service is promoted through participation in service projects. Recently, BVIS students took part in the "Rake the Town" event organized by the Brandon Valley Area Chamber of Commerce. Our students demonstrated their commitment to giving back but also highlighted the importance of developing actively involved citizens within our community.

The enthusiastic response from BVIS students to participate in "Rake the Town" was inspiring. Armed with rakes, gloves, and a strong Lynx spirit, they set out to assist individuals in the community. From elderly residents to individuals with disabilities, our students’ efforts supported those in need of yard-work assistance.

Engaging in community service activities offers tremendous benefits to both the recipients and the volunteers themselves. By participating in events such as "Rake the Town," BVIS students gain firsthand experience in empathy, kindness, and teamwork. It allows them to develop a sense of responsibility and social awareness. Through these experiences, students cultivate a deep understanding of the challenges faced by various members of the community and contribute to making a positive impact. Further, we recognize the importance of nurturing socially responsible individuals who actively contribute to society. While engaging in events like "Rake the Town," students develop a sense of belonging and civic pride.

The participation of BVIS students in the Brandon Valley Area Chamber of Commerce event "Rake the Town" not only showcased their dedication to service but also emphasized the significance of building actively involved citizens. Together, we continue to develop and build our community through service.

Go Lynx!

It is hard to believe with the incredibly warm Fall Season we are experiencing, but “Weather” we like it or not, it is on the way. As we all know, winter in South Dakota means cold, snow, and ice. Please take the time to make certain your contact information in Skyward is updated to ensure you receive weather related announcements by completing the Skyward Family Access Update. In addition to updating your contact information, it is also important to review the following winter weather safety guidelines with your child. Whether riding the bus, driving, or walking to school, dressing appropriately is extremely important for all students during the upcoming winter season.

• Dress in layers
• Wear appropriate winter clothing (Coats, Hats & Gloves)
• Winter Driving – Ice & Snow, take it slow
• Defrost car windshields and windows completely

In addition to discussing winter driving with our teens, all vehicles in South Dakota should contain a winter survival kit. As outlined on their website, the National Weather Service advises a winter weather safety readiness kit be placed in your vehicle to prepare for the winter season.

Talking with your child about weather safety will help with their winter weather preparedness. In the unlikely event school is in session and your child is unable to attend due to travel issues, contact your respective school, and the absence will be excused. Together, we can promote winter weather safety for our children.

A special “thank you” to all our dedicated BV Transportation Employees for your commitment to safety and the success of our students during the 2024 National School Bus Safety Week observed October 21-24.

Go Lynx!

We want to thank all our parents and guardians for attending Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences!

Overall, we had an excellent turnout. This is great news because kids need an adult that values their education. Research demonstrates an engaged adult is important for a student’s success.

Engaging in a child’s education and encouraging the importance of learning is powerful. The active participation of an adult in a child's education leads to improved academic outcomes, improved school behavior, and reduced absenteeism. Communication with your child’s teachers is not and should not be limited to conferences. In the event you have questions, please contact your child’s teacher(s). Together, we promote student success.

The South Dakota Department of Education will publicly release school report cards in the near future. In November an overview of the Brandon Valley School District’s student achievement data will be provided at a Board of Education Meeting. Report card information can be found at the South Dakota Department of Education website, once publicly available.

In the end, the absolute most critical factor as an educational system is that we utilize the information and data available to best meet the needs of our students in the areas of curriculum and instruction. We should be very proud of our students and staff for their levels of achievement, but continually strive for improvement and excellence in education. Be proud – not satisfied.

Go Lynx!

National School Lunch Week will be celebrated October 14-18.

Meeting the foundational needs of our children is critical to student learning and development. The Brandon Valley School District operates a school kitchen, offering breakfast and lunch, in each of our school buildings. Our kitchens serve over 4,500 meals per day to our students.

Research demonstrates that school nutrition programs positively affect student learning, benefit student health through improved dietary intake, and reduce food insecurity for children receiving free or reduced priced meals. Further, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs clearly demonstrates that the physiological need of food is critical to mental development, learning, and self-actualization. Simply put, hungry kids cannot learn.

It takes everyone within our organization to promote student learning and our Child Nutrition Services Staff play a vital role in student success. They are a group to be proud of! A special thank you to Director Kruse, Assistant Director Eddy, and our entire Child Nutrition Staff for their work and commitment to excellence in the area of food service. Their daily efforts fuel classroom success.

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Adult engagement and involvement in a child’s education is critical for their success. Research demonstrates that students with an engaged adult in their education perform better academically, have fewer behavioral issues at school, and have much higher graduation rates.

• Monday, October 7 - Elementary Buildings / Brandon Valley High School
• Tuesday, October 8 – Brandon Valley Intermediate School / Middle School

We strongly encourage all parents and guardians to participate in conferences and be actively engaged in your child’s education. We would like to challenge you to: Connect - Engage - Discuss. Connect with your child’s teacher(s) at Parent Teacher Conferences. Engage with your child in conversation about what they are learning in class. Discuss what was shared in the conference with your child.

As we wrap-up Attendance Awareness Month, we greatly appreciate our Lynx family’s commitment to regular school attendance. Making school attendance a priority today will positively impact your child tomorrow. Thank you for making school attendance a priority!

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Digital Citizenship is an extremely important topic as technology and social media have become mainstays within our society. Over the last decade, we have seen the explosion of technology use, with the most recent technology advancements occurring in artificial intelligence. Things have changed and continually change in our digital world. The evolving social media applications and technology create an environment where it is critical for our children to have an adult continually engaged in conversation about the importance of digital citizenship.

Monitoring children’s technology usage and activity is very important. Connectsafely.org provides a variety of resources and tips for adults in their efforts to keep their children's on-line activity safe and digital footprint appropriate.

As social media and online dangers to kids continually change, it is near impossible to develop specific safety messages for all the inappropriate posts, apps, and games our children may be exposed to. However, the resources listed above support digital citizenship, on-line safety, and the on-going efforts of parents to keep their children safe. As a school district, we utilize a wide variety of approaches to teach our students about appropriate technology usage and digital citizenship.

Together, we can promote student safety, quality digital citizenship and appropriate technology use.

Go Lynx!

• Monday, October 7 - Elementary Buildings / Brandon Valley High School
• Tuesday, October 8 – Brandon Valley Intermediate School / Middle School

We strongly encourage all parents and guardians to participate in conferences and be actively engaged in your child’s education. We would like to challenge you to: Connect - Engage - Discuss. Connect with your child’s teacher(s) at Parent Teacher Conferences. Engage with your child in conversation about what they are learning in class. Discuss what was shared in the conference with your child.

• Inquire daily about your child’s school day
• Assist your child with homewor
• Discuss books or read together

No matter the strategies utilized, communicating the importance of education to our children is essential. Together, we promote an outstanding educational experience for our kids.

Go Lynx!

In a child’s academic life – Every School Day Counts. September is Attendance Awareness Month and to be an “Active Learner” students must have consistent and regular attendance. The benefits of great attendance extend far past a child’s current year of schooling.

Research studies demonstrate the strong relationship between student attendance and student achievement. Chronic absenteeism, defined as 2 school days per month or 18 days for the year, has been directly correlated to deficiency in student reading. Specifically, Kindergarten and 1st grade students who are chronically absent are much less likely to read proficiently by the end of 3rd grade. This finding holds significant value because 3rd grade reading proficiency is a strong indicator of a student being a grade-level reader throughout their entire academic career.

Additional research findings demonstrate a non-proficient 3rd grade reader is four times more likely to drop out of high school. While further examining the importance of attendance, a recent study found that 9th grade attendance was significantly correlated to high school graduation.

To make it as simple as possible, school attendance at every age matters. Every school day counts. Making school attendance a priority today will positively impact your child tomorrow. Thank you for making school attendance a priority!

Go Lynx!

Extracurricular activities are an important aspect of our work to provide a well-rounded education. Fine Arts, athletics, and student clubs provide impactful learning opportunities for students. Extracurricular activities have tremendous benefits for kids.

Activities promote and teach students valuable life-lessons such as: commitment, hard-work, discipline, and acceptance of a role. Digging in deeper, research studies have demonstrated that students involved in extracurricular activities have higher rates of academic achievement and are more likely to graduate from high school. In addition to the academic benefits, extracurricular activities teach valuable skills such as communication, teamwork, and leadership. Activities expand learning opportunities outside of the classroom and are a critical component of a well-rounded education.

Supporting students in a positive sportsman-like manner is essential. Appropriate behavior while participating in or attending activities is essential. Regardless of the event, spectator conduct is a crucial factor in creating a positive and appropriate climate for an interscholastic event. Sportsmanship is respecting our team, the opponent, and officials. As adult spectators and role models, we must demonstrate, and model appropriate behavior as little eyes are upon us.

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As summer break has come to an end, we are excited to welcome our students back to another year of learning and growth. As we kickstart this academic year, let us remind ourselves of the three key fundamental items that will lead to success - Attendance, Attitude, and Effort.

Attendance plays a crucial role in achieving academic excellence. When students attend school consistently, they perform better academically and build strong relationships with their teachers and classmates, fostering a sense of belonging and support. Let's make a commitment to prioritize attendance and make the most out of every school day.

A positive attitude is also important in shaping our children’s educational experience. It sets the tone for engagement, resilience, and overall well-being. It is important to approach each day with a growth mindset, while embracing challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. Setbacks are steppingstones towards success, and a positive attitude will help our kids overcome any obstacles they may encounter.

Effort is the fuel that drives achievement. Whether it's completing assignments, participating in discussions, or preparing for tests, putting in an outstanding effort will yield remarkable results. It is important for students to cultivate a strong work ethic and embrace the joy of learning while doing hard things.

Let's challenge ourselves to make school attendance a daily priority, all while bringing a positive attitude and giving an excellent effort.

Together, we can promote an outstanding educational experience for our children!

The first day of school for children in the Brandon Valley School District is August 21. As the start of school is upon us, excitement is in the air, and we are thrilled to have our Lynx back in the classroom! For the most up to date information for school news and activities, patrons should monitor our district’s website.

The Brandon Valley School District continues to utilize our district-wide character program “The Lynx Way” to promote positive student behaviors and instill the fundamental traits we want in all students. Creating consistency and common language throughout our schools supports positive behavior intervention systems and promotes easier transitions between school buildings. We encourage all Brandon Valley families and patrons to utilize the common language and engage with our kids on the importance of being respectful, responsible, safe, kind, and active learners.

If your child is riding the school bus, please talk with them about bus riding etiquette and appropriate behavior. When the bus approaches the bus stop, stay back, and wait for the bus to come to a complete stop. Once onboard, students are to always remain seated and conduct themselves in an orderly fashion. Appropriate behavior on the bus is critical to student safety.

Thank you for your assistance in promoting fundamental character traits and helping keep our kids safe. Together, we create learning environments that result in success.

Go Lynx!

As summer break is coming to an end, I cannot help but be impressed at the quantity and quality of work done by our Custodial, Building & Grounds, and Maintenance Staff. In preparation for the coming school year, these valued individuals have maintained, prepped, and cleaned the over one million square feet of school buildings and grounds within the Brandon Valley School District. Their valuable role makes providing a great education possible. Great work and thank you to all our Custodial, Building & Grounds, and Maintenance Staff!

The bus pass purchase deadline has come and gone. I want to extend a GIANT THANK YOU to all the families that met the cutoff date. Your timely cooperation was critically important to our planning and preparation for the Fall. With bus passes purchased, the start of school is right around the corner, and it is important to engage our kids in conversations about traveling safely to school.

Engaging our children on the topics of stranger danger, distracted driving, crosswalk rules, and bicycle safety is a proactive measure and supports your child’s safe commute to and from school. Kids need to be aware, cautious, and prepared for their school commute. Together, we promote student safety.

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Last call for Bus Passes and Ridership Notification! Bus passes and ridership notification will be available until July 26. Arrangements must be made with the Transportation Department for all students using district transportation for the 2024-2025 school year. Bus Passes can be purchased online with a credit card or with check or cash at the Transportation Department. The Transportation Department will be hosting one last open house night to allow families to purchase passes, provide notification of ridership, and ask questions. The remaining open house will be held from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. on July 26 at the Transportation Department.

The deadline for purchasing a bus pass or notifying the Transportation Department of ridership is Friday, July 26. Students whose passes are purchased, or ridership confirmed after the deadline will be eligible for transportation no earlier than Monday, September 30, 2024.

Brandon Valley Transportation Department
812 E. Redwood BLVD
Brandon, SD 57005
605-582-3514

We greatly appreciate the timely cooperation from our parents and guardians regarding the purchase of bus passes and ridership notification.

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With the school year approaching, a wide variety of fall extracurricular activities are scheduled to begin in the coming weeks. We strongly encourage all students to get involved. Participating in an extracurricular activity has tremendous benefits.

Research studies have demonstrated that students involved in extracurricular activities have higher rates of academic achievement and are more likely to graduate from high school. In addition to the academic benefits, extracurricular activities teach valuable life lessons such as commitment, teamwork, leadership, and the acceptance of a role. Encourage a child to participate in an extracurricular activity. Activities are a critical component of providing a well-rounded education.

On the topic of activities, if you are interested in the coming school year’s activities, the 2024-2025 Master Activities Calendar is a valuable resource for activity dates. It can be found on our district’s homepage. As always, schedules are subject to change, but the activities calendar provides great information on all the district’s activities.

Lastly, ALL Families utilizing school district transportation services for the 2024-25 school year must contact the Brandon Valley School District Transportation Department to be placed on the ridership roster. The Bus Pass deadline is Friday, July 26. We greatly appreciate our families’ timely cooperation as we prepare for the start of the school year.

Go Lynx!