D91 Employee News: Dec. 8 & 15

It was my second year of teaching and the last day of school before the Christmas break. It had been a day filled with fun – singing carols, making presents, and playing games.

I sat down and started opening the gifts my students had so carefully carried to school and placed on my desk. My desk was soon covered with chocolate oranges, ornaments, a bracelet, and a lot of candy canes.

I grabbed a present that was wrapped a little haphazardly and began trying to pull back the tape. After a bit of wrangling, the wrapping paper and tape fell away to reveal a much used bottle of perfume. I smiled and wondered if the student’s mom knew where her perfume had gone when I noticed a card with the gift.

“Dear Mrs. L, I wanted to get you something that was nice like you. My mom said we don’t have money for a present but she said you could have her perfume. I hope you like it.” My eyes filled with tears thinking about the selfless gift from this little girl and her mother.

I’ve never forgotten that humble bottle of perfume. It has been a constant reminder of the privilege it is and has been to be a teacher and educator. And the card? I’ve kept the card in my box of treasured things. That card reminds me that simple gifts of the heart are often the ones we remember most.

During this holiday season, I hope you have time to rest, refresh, and that you are reminded of the tremendous difference you make every day in the life of children. I am grateful for and humbled by your dedication. Thank you for the honor of being a part of your important work. Best wishes for a joyous Christmas/Holiday Season and a Happy New Year!

The "Hunting, Not Fishing" series of professional development continues in the new year with classes focused on deliberate teaching – hunting for productive engagement, rather than fishing for random answers.

The topic of this second series of PD is “Conducting Direct Instruction Lessons,” which will review elements 6, 7 and 8 of the New Art and Science of Teaching model. It will include try-it-out-tomorrow topics. Credit is available for purchase through Northwest Nazarene University after 16 hours of instruction.

To attend Session 2, choose ONE of the following classes and sign up with this Google form:

• Jan. 8 | 3:30 to 5:50 pm | AH Bush, Room 18
• Jan. 17 | 3:30 to 5:50 pm | Erickson, Library
• Jan. 24 | 4:15 to 6:15 | Compass Academy, Room 204

ISAT Interim Assessments are now being used to assess progress in Grade 3-8 math rather than the curriculum check-up assessments used in the past. District administrators made the change so teachers have formative assessments that also will help students become more proficient with the ISAT platform before testing in the spring.

To learn more about the use of the ISAT Interim Assessments, see this document and the appropriate video: (grades 3-6) or (7-8). Questions? Check with Dr. Thomas Kennedy at kennthom@sd91.org.

In preparation for an overhaul of the assessment Idaho uses to assess literacy skills, the Idaho Department of Education is seeking input on the IRI, the state’s current early literacy assessment. All stakeholders are invited to provide feedback through a short survey. The survey will close on Dec. 22.

Since 2016, the Idaho Department of Education has contracted with Istation for the IRI. In the next several months, the Department will once again engage in the RFP process to select a product for future IRI implementation.

Survey results will help inform the department on what changes or additions may be needed on future IRI assessments. Following the survey, the department will convene stakeholder groups to review the results, which will help guide the RFP process and inform the creation of a new scoring rubric.

• Oct. 10-Feb. 23: ISAT interim Assessments, Optional Benchmark Assessments (To learn more, contact Thomas Kennedy, D91's Director of Intervention & Support. You can reach him at kennthom@sd91.org)
• Dec. 15: First Teacher Evaluations Due
• Dec. 18-Jan. 1: Holiday Break
• Jan. 2: First Work Day of 2024
• Jan. 6: D91 Teacher Job Fair
• Jan. 10: Board Business Meeting (Annual Board Reorganization), 5:30 pm
• Jan. 15: Martin Luther King Day
• Jan 15 & Jan. 16: Staff Development/No School For Students

D91 is kicking off its annual recruiting efforts with the first teacher job fair of the year scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 6. The district is looking for elementary, secondary and special education teachers for the 2024-25 school year.

To participate in the job fair, interested candidates must register and then complete a D91 application . The HR Department will follow up with eligible applicants to schedule a time for an interview on Jan. 6. Questions? Email HumanResources@sd91.org.

Please help spread the word about the Job Fair to help ensure D91 gets the very best candidates to replace teachers who are retiring or leaving the district. Watch for more information on future job fairs in the coming weeks.

As we start planning for the upcoming school year, certified staff should take note of Jan. 15, 2024, which is the deadline for voluntary transfer requests and early notice stipends. In-building staffing change notices are due Feb. 1.

Staff interested in transferring to a different school for the coming school year must submit transfer requests by Jan. 15 as per Section 7-1-2-1 of the Negotiated Master contract.

• All certificated employees who meet the Jan.15 deadline will be interviewed by either the superintendent or his/her designee prior to placement interviews of any out‐of‐district applicants. Individuals who request a transfer after the deadline may or may not receive an interview depending on staffing considerations at individual schools and across the district.
• All certified employees who meet the Jan. 15 deadline will be contacted within one week after the interview. Certificated employees chosen for a transfer will have three contract days to accept or decline the transfer.
• To request a transfer, please submit a Certified Employee Transfer Request form in laserfiche at. https://lficheweb1.d91.k12.id.us/Forms/CertifiedTransferRequest. (Please note: To complete and submit the form, you must first be logged into Laserfiche Forms using the Single Sign On, which will allow your name to be prepopulated in the form and allow you to submit the form when completed.)

Recruiting high quality teachers is more competitive than ever. In an effort to hire the very best teachers early in the recruiting season, D91 is again offering a $500 early notification stipend to certified staff who are not planning to return for the 2024-2025 school year.

• To qualify for the $500 stipend, certified staff must notify Kelly Coughenour in writing by Jan. 15th of their intent to resign or retire.
• The stipend is not available to staff with Category 1 or retiree contracts.
• Those who have already notified the district that they are not planning to return will also receive the stipend, which will be paid in the February paycheck.

In January, principals will ask certified staff for information regarding next year’s teaching assignments. Teachers will be asked to rank their preferences in grade and/or subject for the upcoming school year, and they must complete that form by Feb. 1. Those rankings and teacher input will be a factor in final decisions about 2024-25 teaching assignments.

Remember, help is just a phone call away with D91's Employee Assistance Program. It provides confidential, short-term counseling services for employees and their dependents to address concerns about marriage, family problems; stress, anxiety and depression; grief, job pressures, substance abuse and more. Call (888) 559-6558, text (208) 336-4275 or click this link.

Congrats to the more than 100 students and coaches that took part in D91's Winter Invitational eSports competition last weekend! Almost all of D91's secondary schools now have an eSports team, and it's been exciting to see this fun new sports league grow this year.

At the invitational, six teams took part in the Rocket League; 18 contestants took part in the Super Smash Brothers contest; 8 teams took part in the Mario Kart competition and 3 teams took part in the League of Legends competition. At the end of the day, the overall tournament champion was Eagle Rock Middle School. Compass Academy took second place, and Idaho Falls High School took third.

Thanks to all the coaches and advisers for making D91's eSports program such a big success! We appreciate your dedication and hard work.

We are pleased to announce that 46 lucky teachers from 17 different schools received mini grants funded by the $8,000 that was donated to D91 by the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office earlier this year.

Grants were awarded for books, science materials, incentives, supports for English learners, headphones and other materials that will enrich learning across the district.

In all, federal programs received 76 applications for grants to fund items, experiences or other things that would make a positive difference for their students and their learning. The winning applicants were selected based on how the requests aligned with D91’s learning goals.

Thanks again to the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office for the generous donation! And, thank you to all the amazing teachers who applied for these grants to better support our students

Taylorview Middle School is updating its collection thanks to grants and community support. Over the last year, librarian Liza Hartman has received more than $25,000 in grants for new books, wellness and art kits and technology.

The money will be used to purchase primarily nonfiction, narrative nonfiction, and high-interest/lower reading level materials in all genres. So far, 200 new books have been ordered, and students got a sneak peek at the new titles at a recent “Bagels & Book Tasting” activity. Another 1,000 other books are in the process of being purchased.

“Because of our limited annual budget, which is split between programming, processing/repairing supplies, and roughly 50 new books/year, our collection is worn and dated,” said Hartman. “With the grant money we have received, we have been able to purchase materials that students and teachers suggest, as well as update the collection.”

In addition to books, the library has received $2,000 from the INL for new ipads, which are being used by Taylorview’s technology classes to program mini robots and student wellness and art kits courtesy of a VOYA Unsung Hero Award.

Thanks to the Idaho Commission for Libraries, the Idaho Community Foundation, the INL and VOYA for supporting this effort. We are so lucky to have such great community partners!

During the upcoming Christmas break, D91's StopIT and Linewize reporting systems will be temporarily paused for schools. However, urgent notifications will continue to be directed to district office employees to ensure prompt attention and action when necessary.
StopIT is a platform that students, parents and staff can share safety concerns, and Linewize monitors the use of school issued technology to access unauthorized or unfiltered content. The temporary pause for notifications to schools will begin this afternoon starting around 4 p.m. and will resume on Jan. 2.

If you're looking for a new computer or other technology, make sure you take advantage of D91's exclusive HP Computer Discount Program, which offers our teachers and staff significant savings on top-of-the-line HP products.

Through this program, D91 staff can get discounts of up to 35 percent on high-performance laptops, desktops, and accessories. This program is a fantastic opportunity for you to upgrade your personal technology at a special rate.

Click on the "Click Here to Sign Up" green button in the middle of this special webpage to register for the program, and then follow the directions to take advantage of this great deal. If you have questions, call the IT Help Desk at ext. 50556.