This Is Teacher Appreciation Week

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week.

The South Dakota Department of Education will be using the hashtag ThankATeacher on social media throughout the week. The public is invited to share a message of thanks for the teachers who are impacting students across the state and country.

As part of this special week, the South Dakota Department of Education is pleased to announce that two teachers have been recognized as South Dakota’s Regional Teachers of the Year.

Those are from region two Viborg-Hurley Kindergarten teacher Deb Jensen and region three Avon third grade teacher Loretta Knodel.

A statewide panel of educators will select one of these regional finalists to represent the state as the 2023 South Dakota Teacher of the Year. The 2023 South Dakota Teacher of the Year will be announced this fall. That individual will be South Dakota’s candidate for the National Teacher of the Year Award.