R. F. Pettigrew Elementary is Sioux Falls School District's newest elementary school located at 7900 W. 53rd Street in Sioux Falls, SD. The PreK-5th Grade school opened in the Fall of 2009.
The school includes 85 students in Early Childhood Blended classrooms with children who qualify with a special education need or whose family is Head Start eligible. During the 2012-2013 school year, the Early Childhood capacity will increase to 102 students.
Currently there are about 625 Kindergarten through 5th Grade students in 25 regular education classrooms. Pettigrew Elementary offers gifted education services, resource room services, speech/physical/occupational therapy services, orchestra in 4th & 5th Grade, and band in 5th Grade. Each elementary student participates in weekly library, physical education, music, and art classes.
Pettigrew Elementary has an active Parent-Teacher Organization that promotes family fun activities and a variety of supports for the school. Recently, the PTO sponsored a Spell-a-thon that raised over $10,000 to purchase a new climbing wall for the gymnasium.
Friday, May 11th is set for the 3rd Annual Field Day for all K-5 students. Mr. Stubkjaer is lining up many rigorous and fun events for students to participate in on the blacktop of the playground and field area next to the school. Each grade level will have 1 1/2 hours of uninterrupted games, field events, and opportunities to stretch and use large body muscles. The schedule is as follows:
Students are encouraged to wear sunscreen and to bring a waterbottle! The PTO will treat the students to "freezies" after their field events. Let's hope for sun, warm weather, and little wind!
As the school year wraps up, students at Pettigrew Elementary are encouraged to join hands with Diversity Kiwanis of Sioux Falls to collect used crayons for the children of Haiti. Kids in Haiti often do not have crayons to use for coloring and drawing. They have appreciated the large donation that Sioux Falls children have sent them the past several years. Pettigrew Elementary has generously collected boxes of crayons the past two years for Haiti children.
When students clean out their desks, they may wish to donate crayons they have used this school year that the Haiti children would love and appreciate! Collection boxes or bags will be set up in each classroom and boxes will be set up centrally near the main office for the collections. Any family who has used crayons at home to donate are encouraged to bring crayons to the school as well. Someone from Diversity Kiwanis will pick up the collections after the last day of school.
Thank you for your generosity!
Parents/Guardians of upcoming Kindergarten students are encouraged to register their child for Kindergarten. Children must be age 5 by September 1, 2012 to be eligible. Parents/Guardians are asked to come to the R. F. Pettigrew Elementary Office to register. They should bring their child's original birth certificate and immunization records they have to date.
Parents/Guardians will be provided a packet about upcoming dates and information pertinent to Kindergarten.
Parents/Guardians: You have much information available to you about your student from the Parent Portal. The following information can easily be accessed from this site: discipline records, attendance records, assessment information, lunch account information, and grades. Please find the information on how to access this information on the document attached above.
Weekly Classroom Meetings Teach Four Main Bullying Rules
The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program is being implemented in all Sioux Falls elementary and middle schools. Starting in November, each classroom will hold 15-30 minute classroom meetings to discuss bullying and its negative effects on children and adults. Students will learn how to recognize bullying, learn what to do when they see it happening, and learn how to support those who are being bullied. The goal of this anti-bullying program is to minimize and eliminate bullying in all of its forms. The four main rules students are learning to combat bullying are as follows:
1. We will not bully others.
2. We will try to help others who are bullied.
3. We will try to include students who are left out.
4. If we know that somebody is being bullied, we will tell an adult at school and an adult at home.