School news of the week: Student entrepreneurs, memorable middle school trip

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 info@pigeon605.com.

Eighth grade students at O’Gorman Junior High put their classroom learning around entrepreneurship into action. They marked and sold products to student and staff during lunch periods, including pizza, desserts and 3D-printed objects. Students work in teams and begin by “taking out a loan” from the school or their parents, or they self-fund their project. They must determine how much it costs to start the business, market it and pay back all loans before they claim a profit.

“Many of these concepts are brand-new to them — marketing, loans, gross/net profit, etc. — so I try to teach and support them the best I can,” said teacher Ali Ohayon, who started Market Day. “I also try to help them predict how many units they will sell because that is difficult. They have to consider the number of lunch periods, the number of students and other products being sold.”

On the last day, students have an auction where they can bid on items for purchase. Market Day happens quarterly as the class is taught. A new group of students starts this week.

Thanks to the Promising Futures Fund, students from multiple middle schools, including these from Ben Reifel Middle School, went to SDSU and were able to engage with staff and students about the college experience, enjoy a delicious lunch, tour the Jackrabbit Athletic Complex and finished the day by attending the SDSU versus USD football game.

Washington High School students proudly participated in the Native American Day parade downtown.

O’Gorman High School has been named a 2022 Cognia School of Distinction for excellence in Education. Cognia is a global nonprofit school improvement organization that recognizes pre-K through grade 12 education institutions that exemplify excellence in education and service to learners. Cognia selected O’Gorman as one of the 96 schools and 38 systems out of more than 1,500 institutions that were eligible for its 2022 Cognia Schools and Systems of Distinction. The process includes a third-party review by education experts of evidence, interviews and classroom observations. The evaluation covers leadership, learning and resource capacities, as well as a demonstrated commitment to continuous improvement.

O’Gorman High School reports its ACT scores for the graduating class of 2022 averaged 25.4, which is steady year over year, compared with the average score statewide, which dropped to 21.5, and the average score nationally, which fell to a 30-year low of 19.8.

Congratulations to George McGovern Middle School’s Richie Hutchinson for being named South Dakota’s region two assistant principal of the year. In his nine years at the school, Hutchinson “has worked with three different lead principals in this time, and all three will say that he was the one person that helped them have success in the building,” his nominator said.

Two years ago, he led a team of teachers, students and parents through the process of reviewing and adopting a behavior management plan for the school. The past two years, he worked to develop alternative options for those students who need the most support. “Mr. Hutchinson is the consummate professional and leads with passion,” his nominator said. “His zeal for working with students who come from difficult backgrounds and poverty is unmatched. His ability to manage the most demanding situations is unparalleled.”

We bet they loved this. Thanks to a donation from Vern Eide Motorcars, the Sioux Falls Public Schools Education Foundation treated staff members at Jefferson High School, McGovern Middle School, John Harris Elementary and Pettigrew Elementary with 23 dozen doughnuts from Flyboy Donuts.

And finally, they celebrated with a cake at John Harris Elementary for custodian appreciation, but we say it can apply to those at all schools! Thanks for all you do!