#271 News & Notes

Coeur d'Alene Public Schools — July 11, 2019

The School District is adding 14 health and safety positions for the coming school year, thanks to the increase in the two-year operating levy approved by voters in March. Passage of the levy has provided $871,000 to add the following personnel in support of our students:

SAFETY

Technology Security Technician John Pilmore

School Resource Officer Nathan Herbig, for Borah, Ramsey and Skyway elementary schools

Campus Safety Officer Edwin Couoh, Coeur d'Alene High School

Campus Safety Officer Connor Wilson, Lake City High School

Two additional high school campus safety officers will be hired.

HEALTH

School-Based Mental Health Coordinator Andrea West

School-Based Mental Health Specialist Keith Orchard

School Psychologist Tiffany Martin, Coeur d'Alene High School

Building Counselor Kelly Reynolds, Coeur d'Alene High School

Building Counselor Heather Gillis, Lake City High School

Building Counselor Emma Turgeon, Lakes Middle School

Additional counseling support, Venture High School

Two Behavior Support Assistants will be hired for Woodland and Canfield middle schools.

Boundaries for all school attendance zones in the district will be reviewed and possibly revised during the coming year in a process that will include multiple opportunities for parents and community members to provide their feedback on the changes. The boundary review is in response to growth and population shifts in the 318 square-mile school district, as well as plans to open a new elementary school on Prairie Avenue in 2020.

This summer the district will select a firm specializing in reviewing school boundaries to conduct a comprehensive boundary review for all 17 schools. Six firms have submitted proposals, and the Board of Trustees is scheduled to select one at its next regular meeting, Aug. 5. Under a preliminary timeline for the work, the boundary review firm will develop initial recommendations by mid-October. Stakeholder and community engagement will occur between mid-October and December. Deliberations and development of final recommendations will follow in January and February, and the recommendations will be presented to trustees on March 4, 2020.

We are thrilled to report that Ginno Construction Company will break ground soon on our new elementary school on Prairie Avenue. As the new home of Northwest Expedition Academy, the 53,355-square-foot school is scheduled to open in September 2020. It will serve around 600 students in kindergarten through grade 5.

This will be the final project from the $35.5 million bond measure approved by voters in March 2017. Ginno was the low bidder at $10.74 million. The total project budget is just under $12.5 million, which includes architectural and engineering fees, furnishings and fixtures, technology components, and contingency costs. (Go here for more details.)

“Our most recent new school was the rebuild of Winton Elementary, which we opened four years ago,” said Dr. Kate Orozco, Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Education and Instruction. “This new school will be equally impressive and serve families in one of the fastest-growing areas of our community. We can’t wait to see the foundations set and walls rise over the coming months.”

Architects West provided the following renderings of what the new school will look like.

Our Long Range Planning Committee reviews District plans for programs and facilities, taking into account student demographics and economic growth. The committee met six times this past school year and identified a list of pressing needs, which were presented to the Board of Trustees on July 1. In no particular order, the top 5 needs recommended by the committee are:

• A second new elementary school
• A new middle school
• Aquire property for another new elementary school, after liquidation of current land assets
• Continued school security upgrades
• Establish a budget specifically for addressing deferred maintenance

You can help chart the course for how our school district meets the needs of a growing population with new and improved school facilities by serving on our Long Range Planning Committee. We are looking for new volunteers to serve on this committee, which reports to the School Board.

The committee especially is in need of members representing the Borah Elementary and Venture High school zones. But anyone from any school zone is welcome to apply.

The committee creates and reviews the District's long-range plans for facilities. Participation is a four-year commitment. The committee meets once a month, generally on Mondays, from 4:30 to 6 PM at Midtown Center.

If you are interested in becoming a member, please fill out this application form and submit no later than 5 PM on August 16.

Katie Graupman, a North Idaho educator who was awarded the prestigious Milken Educator Award in 2013, has joined Coeur d’Alene Public Schools as our new Director of Curriculum. (See full news release.) Graupman oversees curricula and teaching standards for the district’s 17 schools.

Graupman has worked for the Idaho Coaching Network, providing coaching for teachers and administrators. She facilitated professional development throughout the Idaho Panhandle for educators in grades K-12 and across content areas to help teachers develop, deliver and assess curriculum and instruction aligned to the Idaho Content Standards. Prior to that, she spent 15 years as a junior high and high school teacher in the Lakeland School District. She also has taught dual credit courses through North Idaho College.

“We are excited to have Katie join our district team. She brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the position, and will be instrumental in developing and implementing the district's curriculum management plan,” said Dr. Trina Caudle, Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education and Curriculum.

On Monday, July 15, young readers are welcome to pick out two free books, take part in games and enjoy lunch on us at CDAReads, a celebration of summer reading hosted by Coeur d’Alene Public Schools. The free event will be from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at Fernan STEM Academy, 520 N. 21st Street.

CDAReads is designed for students in kindergarten through third grade. The goal is to promote a love of reading and support the elements of good reading instruction through the summer. Many children experience a summer slide in literacy skills, but those who read regularly – by themselves or with adults or older siblings – are more likely to start school in the fall reading at grade level.

CDAReads is part of the district’s K-3 literacy initiative. For more information go to www.cdaschools.org/cdareads or call (208) 664-8241.

Have you experienced the fun of a color run? You'll get your chance in September when we host the first Sources of Strength Color Run, in support of our middle school and high school students. The 1-mile, untimed event is open to runners and walkers alike.

The event will be held Saturday, Sept. 21, from 8-11 AM, at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds. The 1-mile will start at 9 AM. We will provide organic, biodegradable colors for the run. Individual packs of chalk will be available for purchase as well.

By participating, you can help promote healthy and happy living among the teens in our community. All proceeds will benefit the Sources of Strength program that we introduced in our secondary schools earlier this year. This program involves students from all walks of life coming together to create a school culture that empowers change through diversity and compassion. Sources of Strength is a student-led effort to help all students find their personal strength and focus on healthy activities.

Register today for the Sources of Strength Color Run via eventbrite. Even packet pickup will be Friday, Sept. 20, from 4 to 8 PM at Woodland Middle School.

More information and a list of sponsors can be found here. For questions, contact event director Azure Wilson at cdasourcesofstrength@cdaschools.org

Summer is flying by, and that means parents soon will get ready to send their kids back to school. Start off the school year strong with immunizations that will protect your child from harmful diseases.

Please take a few minutes to review the Idaho student immunization requirements our Health Services & Nursing staff has posted on our website. This includes the Tdap booster (Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis) and Meningococcal vaccine required for students entering seventh grade.

For your convenience, Panhandle Health District will offer Back to School Immunization Clinics every Thursday evening from August 22 through September 12, between 5 PM and 7 PM, at the Panhandle offices on Atlas Road in Hayden.

Panhandle accepts all major insurance, including Medicare and Medicaid. For those without insurance, the cost of the vaccine will be waived, and only a small administration fee will be charged. Please bring a copy of your child’s immunization record to the clinic for the Health District to review.

School supply lists for 2019-20 are now available on our website.

Need assistance with school supplies? School supplies donated to the district will be divided among our schools according to overall need. Staff members at each school will distribute supplies directly, with a focus on those students in the free/reduced-price lunch program. Families wishing to make a request should contact the front office or counseling staff at their student’s school between Aug. 18 and Sept. 5.

The 2019-20 Online Verification for all returning students will be July 15 through August 13. Please log onto your Skyward Family Access anytime during those dates and complete the form. Submitting this form will ensure your student's information in Skyward is correct and will complete their registration for the school year.

For students attending Coeur d'Alene High School or Lake City High School, please see the school website for important details regarding Student Check-In, scheduled for mid-August.

For all students new to our district who have not yet enrolled, please register at your zoned school on the following dates:

• All elementary schools: Thursday, August 15, between 12 PM and 6 PM
• All middle schools: Tuesday, August 20, between 12 PM and 6 PM
• Coeur d'Alene High School: August 19-20 between 9 AM and 2 PM, by appointment only

• Lake City High School: 9th grade only: August 13 between 8 AM and 2 PM; all grades: beginning August 15, by appointment only

• Venture High School: Wednesday, August 21, anytime between 12 PM and 6 PM

To enroll new students, please bring:

• Birth certificate
• Immunization records
• Proof of residency (current utility bill or rental/purchase agreement)

Students in our Summer PLUS program at Ramsey Magnet School are getting opportunities twice a week to play soccer, Ultimate Frisbee, basketball, dodgeball and other activities with School Resource Officers from the Coeur d'Alene Police Department.

The fun is part of the department's new Police Activities League program. Officers will visit and interact with our Summer PLUS kids twice a week for the next few weeks, building positive relationships and trust. The kids are sporting new PAL T-shirts and are rewarded for demonstrating core values such as respect, integrity, honesty and compassion.

Here are a few images from the first PAL day this week:

Families are invited to enjoy free outdoor movies and popcorn on select Saturday nights this summer, courtesy of the Coeur d'Alene Police Department. The "Movies in the Park" series will be held at the bandshell in City Park. Start time is dusk. Bring a chair or blanket.

Here's the lineup:

• July 13 – “Mary Poppins Returns”
• July 20 – “The Incredibles 2”
• August 17 – “ The House With a Clock In Its Walls”
• August 31 – “Dumbo” (2019)

Our 3rd annual Classified Job Fair will be Saturday, August 17, from 9 AM to to 1 PM at Coeur d'Alene High School. We are looking to fill part-time and full-time positions for bus drivers, custodians, food service workers, classroom assistants, special education assistants, crossing guards, playground assistants, substitute teachers and more.

Participants will have an opportunity to informally interview on the spot. Our classified jobs pay between $10.68 and $21.82 per hour. Benefits for eligible employees include medical, dental, vision and life insurance coverage; up to 10 paid holidays; paid vacation for 12-month employees; and PERSI retirement.

What are the summer screen time rules in your house? Dr. Delaney Ruston, who made the film "Screenagers," posed that question recently on the tech talk Tuesdays blog. In response, here are some rules people shared on Facebook:

• Reading first, then screen time
• All chores must be done daily in order to keep the phone
• iPad for math drills every day
• Limit of one hour of screen time three days a week
• Complete basic morning routine to earn 30 minutes of screen time
• Weekly allowance of 30-minute screen times on a punch card
• Model good behavior as parents

Read Ruston's full post and other tips here.

High school students ages 14 to 18 may serve as a volunteer on City of Coeur d'Alene boards, commissions and committees. The city welcomes student representatives on its:

• Childcare Commission
• CDA TV Committee
• Parking Commission
• Ped/Bike Committee
• Urban Forestry Committee
• Parks & Rec Commission
• Library Board
• Arts Commission

To be considered, submit an application and letter of recommendation no later than Sept. 30. Questions? Email amyf@cdaid.org or call (208) 666-5754.

Students at Winton Elementary School and Fernan STEM Academy will receive a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables during the school day this year, thanks to grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Winton was awarded $30,898 and Fernan was awarded $23,227 in the competitive application process.

The Idaho State Department of Education administers the program as an effective, creative way of introducing fresh fruits and vegetables as healthy snack options for students. Schools are reimbursed for providing fresh fruits and vegetables at times outside of breakfast and lunch periods.

The Nutrition Services Department for Coeur d'Alene Public Schools partners with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to make sure our community’s children receive healthy, well-balanced meals while school is out.

Any child ages 1 through 18 may eat for free. There are no income requirements. Adults may also purchase breakfast for $2.50 or lunch for $3.85.

We serve Summer meals at Skyway, Ramsey and Bryan elementary schools. Fernan STEM Academy also provides meal service, with limited dates and times.

Summer meals will be served through August 16.

Visit our summer meals website for complete schedule and menu information.

Our parent calendar for the 2019-20 school year is on our website under "Find it fast." You also can access it directly here. The calendar includes parent-teacher conference days, no-school days, winter and spring breaks, SAT test day and more.

Roya, age 7, describes her favorite book, "The BFG," by Roald Dahl. Thank you Opening Books, Opening Doors! Watch her book review and see how many stars Roya gives it.

Email: info@cdaschools.org
Website: www.cdaschools.org
Location: 1400 N. Northwood Center Court
Phone: (208) 664-8241
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cdaschools
Twitter: @cdaschools