Updates From D91 Supt. LaOrange
October Updates: Week of Oct. 9
From The Superintendent's Desk ... .
Idaho Falls School District's three guiding values of Courage, Compassion, and Conviction are the foundation of all we do to serve our students. These values also guide the D91 community in helping all students learn.
This year, we will be reaching out to the D91 community and seeking your input and feedback on key questions that will shape the district's direction and the learning experiences of each child. This type of feedback and input comes from meaningful dialogue and discussions that explore different possibilities and the varied needs of our teachers, students, parents, and patrons.
How will we engage our community in these critical conversations? During the school year, each school will create a School Advisory Council. The purpose of these council's will be to work collaboratively to provide input and feedback about the school’s academic programs. The school councils will also assist principals and teachers in planning for their school's continued growth.
Once each year, the School Advisory Councils will meet together as a District Advisory Council to share successes, challenges, and planning for continued growth. The District Advisory Council will also provide input and feedback to the D91 School Board. This feedback will help the district shape policy, address facility needs, and include our community in the important work of providing a quality education for all our students.
I am excited to partner with the D91 community to support our teachers and staff in the critical job of educating our children. Our collaboration to serve our students will demonstrate Courage to help students learn, Compassion to assure all students learn, and Conviction to provide all students with a strong learning experience. I am very grateful to be part of the Idaho Falls School District community and can’t wait to work with our advisory councils.
10th Graders Prepare For PSAT Testing
Good luck to all D91's sophomores who are taking the PSAT next Wednesday, Oct. 18! Some juniors also will be taking the test, which is a qualifier for the National Merit Scholarship program.
Even if your child isn't planning to attend college, the PSAT is a great tool to help students gauge their college and career readiness. Part of the suite of assessments tied to the SAT college entrance exam, it highlights areas where students are doing well and areas where they may need some improvement to ensure success beyond high school.
Traditionally, the PSAT has been a pencil and paper test. This year, the College Board has shifted to a digital test. Students will be taking the PSAT on their Chromebooks so please make sure your 10th grader has a fully charged Chromebook on test day.
Here are are some other tips to help your child do their best:
- Encourage your child to get plenty of rest and eat a good breakfast on test day
- Students should arrive early on test day and bring:
- An approved calculator (Approved devices include: #10-20, 4-function calculators.)
- A pen or pencil for scratch work. (It does not have to be a No. 2 pencil.)
- Snacks and a water bottle
- Students should NOT bring:
- Any electronic equipment including phones of any kind, computing devices, cameras, audio players/recorders, wearable technology or digital/smart watches.
- Highlighters, rulers, earplugs, dictionaries or other books or pens/mechanical pencils/colored pencils.
Students will be able to access their PSAT results a few weeks after the test through the College Board. They will need to set up a College Board account to see their results. Once students get their results and identify areas where they may need improvement, they can sign up for official PSAT/SAT Practice on Khan Academy. Khan Academy can create an individualized study plan for students that includes thousands of practice questions with instant feedback, video lessons and more. If you have any questions about the PSAT, please check with your child's counselor.
Don't Forget!
Make a date with your high school student and attend the annual Southeast Idaho College Fair at Thunder Ridge High School from 5 to 8 pm on Monday, Oct. 16. Register for the fair TODAY.
Calling All Seniors!
Seniors can now apply for Idaho's new Launch program, which provides up to $8,000 in tuition and fees for eligible colleges, universities or training programs. Learn more & apply here.
D91's Focus On College & Career Readiness
While our sophomores are taking the PSAT next week, a variety of activities are planned across the district on Oct. 18 to inspire students to think about what they want to do after high school. Teachers and staff across the district will be wearing gear from their favorite colleges or their favorite profession.
In our high schools, seniors will be encouraged to complete career pathway plans, which is one of the requirements for Idaho's new Launch program. In addition, many high schools are planning college application week activities the Week of Oct. 16 and the Week of Oct. 23 with visits from college reps and more.
Students in our elementary schools and high schools will take part in events that inspire them to learn more about different career options. At Westside Elementary School, for example, parents and community members will visit and talk about their careers.
It's never too early to start talking to your child about jobs that interest them. If you're not sure how to start that conversation, check out our Within Reach tools, a collection of resources for students in K-12. Through a partnership with Idaho Business For Education and the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, we've assembled a toolkit to help parents that includes activities, conversation starters and more about important topics such as: the Importance of Postsecondary Education, Career and College Exploration, the Many Paths to Career Preparedness and How To Invest in Education.
We encourage you to join our efforts this week to inspire our students to explore their passions and dream big about their future!
Your Chance To Meet School Board Candidates
You have the chance to meet the candidates running for the D91 Board of Trustees at a Meet & Greet on Monday, Oct. 16.
The Idaho Falls Education Association is holding the event on Monday from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at Skyline High School, 1767 Blue Sky Dr. The event will begin will each candidate having 2 minutes to introduce themselves. Then, they will each rotate through different groups of parents and patrons, answering questions and discussing issues.
Eight candidates are running for the seats up for election in November. The contested seats are in Zone 3, Zone 4 and Zone 5.
- In Zone 3, Patrick Jackson, Jordan Oseen and Jeremy Westsood are running for election. Zone 3 includes the Theresa Bunker, Edgemont, Longfellow, Linden Park and Sunnyside school areas.
- In Zone 4, Elizabeth Cogliati and Shay Ricks are running. Zone 4 includes the Erickson, Linden Park and part of the Hawthorne school areas.
- In Zone 5, Melissa LaPray, Hillary Radcliffe and Kari Vogel are running. Jamie Lea Braithwaite had filed for Zone 5, but has withdrawn from the race. Zone 5 includes the Longfellow, Sunnyside and part of the Hawthorne school areas.
The election is Nov. 7. Polls will be open from 8 am to 8 pm. Questions about the election? Check with the Bonneville County Elections office.
Important Dates In October:
- Every Friday! D91 schools start an hour later than normal so teachers can collaborate on student achievement.
- Oct. 16-20: National School Bus Safety Week
- Oct. 16: Parent-Teacher Conferences, Compass Academy
- Oct. 17: Parent-Teacher Conferences, Eagle Rock and Taylorview and IFHS, Skyline & CTEC
- Oct. 18: D91's K-12 Celebration of College & Career opportunities and pathways
- Oct. 18: PSAT for all 10th graders and 11th graders qualifying for the NMSQT
- Oct. 19: Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drill
- Oct. 24: Board Work Session, 4 pm, D91 District Office
- Oct. 31: Halloween
Eagle Rock, Taylorview PT Conferences
Taylorview and Eagle Rock will finish parent-teacher conferences on Oct. 17. Taylorview's conferences will be from 5 to 7:20 pm while Eagle Rock's will be from 4 to 6:20 pm.
Compass Wraps Up Conferences
Compass Academy will wrap up parent-teacher conferences on Oct. 16. These conferences will be by appointment.
IF, Skyline, CTEC To Hold PT Conferences
IFHS, Skyline and CTEC will finish parent-teacher conferences on Oct. 17. IFHS' conferences will be from 5 to 7:20 pm while Skyline's conferences will be from 5 to 7:30 pm. CTEC's conferences will be from 4 to 6:30 pm
We Are Celebrating National School Lunch Week!
A big shoutout to all our child nutrition staff as we celebrate National School Lunch Week this week. Making sure our students have healthy, nutritious meals everyday is critical to their success in the classroom, and our child nutrition staff are committed to making sure they serve the best breakfasts and lunches every day. As we celebrated National School Lunch Week this week, here are some of the things we learned about our child nutrition program:
- Every week, D91 serves 20,500 lunches and 5,500 breakfasts to students across the district
- To serve up all those meals, D91 has 40 kitchen staff, 13 cashiers, 18 satellite servers, 1 warehouse manager, 3 drivers and 4 office staff.
- D91's most popular breakfast foods are: Mini Cinnis, French Toast Sticks and Yogurt Parfait
- D91's most popular lunch foods are: the legendary Mini Chimi, Turkey Gravy with Potatoes, Chicken & Waffles and Pizza
- To cook all those meals, D91 has 8 kitchens, 12 ovens, 9 walk-in-fridges and 2 stand-alone fridges
- Every day at lunch, D91 serves 3,800 servings of fruit and 2,800 servings of veggies
- Besides serving breakfasts and lunches, our staff also prep special and sometimes exotic fruits and vegetables for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetables programs at Fox Hollow, Dora Erickson and AH Bush elementary schools.
- We have an experienced crew! Four employees in the child nutrition program have 20+ years of experience and 11 have 10-19 years of experience
Thanks again to all our child nutrition staff for everything they do every day to help make sure our students can be successful in the classroom!
We are #D91Proud!
IFHS Junior Lauren Beesley was honored at this week's school board meeting for her debate accomplishments. She has qualified for the national tournament two years in a row and is one of just 24 students to serve on the National Speech & Debate Association's Student Leadership Council.
Thank You!
As we celebrate National School Lunch Week, we want to give a big shoutout to Guadalupe Martinez, our longest serving Child Nutrition staffer. She's been serving D91's students and families for 29 years! Thank you!
We Are #D91Proud!
Congrats to all the IFHS, Skyline and Compass students who took part in the recent Hispanic Youth Leadership Summit. All together, D91's students brought home more than $100,000 in scholarships. Way to go, Tigers, Grizzlies & Lions!
Get Ready! District Musical Auditions Are Coming Up
We are excited to to announce the audition dates for this year's District Musical! This year's production is West Side Story, which tells the story of the great rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks.
Auditions are planned from 4 to 6:30 pm on Tuesday, Oct. 24, in the Idaho Falls choir room, and from 4 to 6:30 pm on Wednesday, Oct. 25, in the Skyline choir room. All D91 students in grades 8-12 are welcome to audition. These are open auditions and will be held on a first-come, first-served basis. Students should come prepared to sing 16 bars of a song of their choice.
Five performances of this year's District Musical are planned in April. There will be performances on April 12, April 13, April 15 and April 16. All the shows will be at Compass Academy. Watch for more information in the spring.
D91 Safety Check!
D91 Prepares For Great Idaho ShakeOut
As part of our ongoing efforts to prepare for any kind of emergency, all D91 schools and offices will be taking part in the Great Idaho ShakeOut Earthquake Drill at 10:19 am on October 19.
The ShakeOut is a worldwide effort to encourage people to participate in earthquake drills at work, school or home. The one-minute drill teaches the safest things to do during an earthquake, which is Drop, Cover and Hold On.
- DROP where you are, onto your hands and knees, a position that protects you from being knocked down and reduces your chances of being hit by falling or flying objects.
- COVER your head and neck with one arm and hand. If a sturdy tabe or desk is nearby, crawl underneath for shetler. If there is not nearby shelter, crawl next to an interior wall.
- HOLD ON until the shaking stops.
So far, more than 63,000 Idaho businesses, schools and organizations have signed up to take part in the Great Idaho ShakeOut Day. Learn more about the Great Idaho ShakeOut and other earthquake preparedness efforts happening around the country and around the world this month.
Teach Your Child How To Make Healthy Friendships
Through D91's ongoing partnership with ParentGuidance.org, this month we have tips for parents to help pave the way for their child's social success by making and maintaining health friendships. Friendships are the cornerstone of any child's social development, and as a parent, you can empower them with tools for success. Learn more in ParentGuidance.org's October newsletter.
And, remember, ParentGuidance.org provides a host of FREE resources to help parents help their children be successful, including online tutorials, "Ask A Therapist" and FREE parent coaching. The parent coaching program includes weekly calls, 24/7 texting with 24-hour response, guided, step-by-step resources, tools and tips to help you parent and confidential help. Learn more about the FREE parent coaching program.
Tigers Crowned District Champs!
Congrats to the IFHS girls soccer team, which clinched the district title Thursday night! And, good luck to the boys team, which will play Saturday at 11 am at Ravsten Stadium for their chance to to play in the state tournament.
We wish the Tigers football team all the best as they play the Broncos TONIGHT at 7 down in Blackfoot. Also, good luck to the boys and girls swim teams who compete in the Shelley Meet this Saturday starting at 8 am at the Aquatic Center. Click this link for all the latest in Tiger Sports News.
Skyline Celebrates Homecoming Today!
Skyline High School has been celebrating Homecoming all this week. The Grizz will play the Bonneville Bees tonight at Ravsten Stadium. Kickoff is at 7.
Congrats to this week's Skyline Athletes of the Week -- the boys golf team. The team had a come-from-behind win at the state tournament, overcoming a 13-stroke deficit to take 4th in the tournament. Congrats to Luke Peterson, Giles Anderson, Davis Mickelsen, Trayton Jensen, Jake Taylor, Tanner Cole and the team's coaches. Also, congrats to Skyline's swim teams! The girls team took second, and the boys team took first over Hillcrest, Century and Sandpoint at the Skyline Invite.
Good luck to the girls soccer team as they face district foe Hillcrest in a play-in game at 11 am Saturday at the IF Soccer Complex. And, all the best to the volleyball teams as they compete in Saturday's district tournament starting at 9 am with the freshmen at IFHS and the JV at Blackfoot. Click this link for all the latest in Grizz Sports.
Planning Ahead?
Give Your Input!
One of the school board's main roles is to approve policy. But, before they do that, they seek input from parents/patrons. Check out the current policies under review.