Education Online 2013 - South Dakota Department of Education Newsletter

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Secretary Schopp sat down with School Administrators of South Dakota’s Rob Monson to talk about the department’s aspirations for the future.

2013 legislative session begins Tuesday
The 2013 Legislative Session gets underway on Jan. 8 with the Governor’s State of the State address beginning at 1 p.m. (Central). You can listen in via South Dakota Public Broadcasting. You can also follow any education-related bills by visiting the Legislative Research Council’s webpage.

Final public draft of Next Generation Science Standards to be released Jan. 8
A second draft of the Next Generation Science Standards is scheduled to be made available for comment on Tuesday, Jan. 8. South Dakota was one of 26 lead states involved in development of the standards. Click here for more information.

Farm to Schools grant winners announced

Congratulations to Flandreau Indian School on its successful Farm to Schools grant application. Flandreau received a planning grant for $39,463. U.S. Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan recently announced more than $4.5 million in grants for 68 projects, spanning 37 states and the District of Columbia, to connect school cafeterias with local agricultural producers.

Flandreau will be working on implementing a new farm to school program that will complement its current food program. The grant will allow for the creation of partnerships with local producers, train staff on how to integrate fresh produce into their menus, educate students about producing healthy foods and developing healthy eating habits, and establish an on-site community garden.

For more information, visit the Department of Education’s TEAM Nutrition webpage.