School news of the week: Kids wish happy birthday to 100-year-old neighbor

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].

Happy birthday, Betty! Sioux Falls’ newest centenarian turned 100 last week, and her neighborhood school helped celebrate. Betty attended Riverside, one of the city’s first schools, which was rebuilt in 1963 and renamed Laura B. Anderson Elementary. Get this: Betty was taught by Laura B. herself — who actually was her favorite teacher. In honor of the milestone birthday, LBA students took turns walking to her house to sing “Happy Birthday” and deliver handmade cards while she watched from the porch, answered their questions and shared some laughs.

Congratulate Memorial Middle School’s Marta Benson for being nominated for the national Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Award. The National History Day award is sponsored by Behring in recognition of the pivotal role teachers play in the lives of students. Each of the 58 National History Day affiliates may nominate exceptional educators, and Benson is this year’s nominee from South Dakota.

Every nominee for the $10,000 award is a teacher who demonstrates a commitment to engaging students in historical learning through the innovative use of primary sources, implementation of active learning strategies to foster historical thinking skills and participation in the National History Day Contest. The national winner will be selected by a committee of teachers and historians, and announced June 18.

University of Sioux Falls players and coaches read to first graders at Oscar Howe Elementary.

Work has started on big improvements at Hayward Park — great news for Hayward Elementary too!

Check out the Washington High School band on stage at Universal Studios in Florida!

Congratulations to Shay Harvey at Memorial Middle School, whose documentary, “The Economic Causes of the Civil War,” has been selected to represent South Dakota at the National History Day Conference in June.

Bet you didn’t know last week was National Banana Day — but they did at John Harris Elementary, where students in grades K-2 received a special “bananagram” delivered to them in their classroom, featuring inspirational and positive messages. Thanks to the east-side Fareway for donating actual bananas for the day too.