School news: Native American culture, first state champ, class of 2039

Amazing things happen in our schools every day — if you know where to look! Do you know some school news others would love? Let us know at [email protected].

How great is this? Today is Native American Day, which means no school, so last week Native students at Washington High School arrived before dawn to set up a tipi for classmates to check out throughout the day. And, over the lunch hour, they even put on a tribal dancing demonstration for their peers.

Add this name to the record book: Avery Summers, whose No. 1 flight singles tennis title makes her the first state champ at Jefferson High School, and she’s only a sophomore! Congratulations!

Speaking of first, we like this new tradition at Ben Reifel Middle School. These students received positive referrals this week for demonstrating The Bison Way!

Colton, Crooks and Lyons volunteer fire departments visited Tri-Valley Elementary in honor of Fire Prevention Week.

We’ve seen some memorable challenges at school, but this is among the biggest and best. Mrs. Dobberpuhl and Mr. Wagner accepted the challenge to kiss a pig if students at John Harris Elementary were able to raise $50,000 for the John Harris Elementary PTO Fun Run.

Click here to watch them make good on their promise. 

And this school apparently is full of good sports, as students also had a chance to silly string a teacher. They earned that fun with Hurricane HERO slips for being Helpful, showing Excellence, having Respect and taking Ownership. Students voted on which grade-level teacher they got to silly string, and then students were randomly drawn to silly string that teacher.

When you turn 130, your birthday cake should be delivered by a bulldog. Happy birthday, Lowell Elementary!

And the fun continued at Lowell with a visit from GreatLIFE’s Play Everything program, which brought a football clinic to Lowell for fourth and fifth graders.

And finally, it’s never too soon to be thinking senior year. Although, Sioux Falls Lutheran School class of 2039? Not sure we’re ready to feel that old, but Theodore, who began in infant care at Memorial Lutheran Church Sioux Falls is just getting started.