Updates From D91 Supt. LaOrange

While a lot of us were focused on the Super Bowl last week, students from Idaho Falls and Skyline high schools have been zeroed in on their own Souper Bowl.

The annual Souper Bowl, now its 18th year, is a canned food drive that helps to fill the Community Food Basket's needs for more than three months. Yes, three months!

The real story of the Souper Bowl is our students. Working tirelessly behind the scenes months in advance, students from Skyline and Idaho Falls high schools secure donations and organize drop-off sites. Setting aside time with friends, student leaders seek out community organizers to join in the cause and use their social media skills to generate support.

The result? The area's second largest food drive for the Idaho Falls Community Food Basket. This year, the students outdid themselves. Both schools beat their school goals and set a record. Together, they collected 327,470 cans of food! That is about 94,000 cans more than last year. Wow!

So the next time you hear someone talking about lazy or apathetic students, let’s remind them our students are leaders who serve their community. Let’s remind them our students do whatever it takes to help those most in need. Most of all, let’s remind them our students give selflessly to make a powerful difference in our community.

• Feb. 15: Board Business Meeting, 5 pm, District Office
• Feb. 19: President's Day, No School
• Feb. 26: Lion King by Longfellow's Drama Club, Noon, Colonial Theater
• Feb. 27: Board Work Session, 4 pm
• Feb. 29: End of 2nd Trimester
• March 7: Elementary School Parent-Teacher Conferences
• March 8: Elementary School Parent-Teacher Conferences/At-Home Learning Day
• March 13: Board Business Meeting, 5:30 pm
• March 13: 5th Grade Patriotic Program, Skyline High School
• March 18-22: Spring Break (D91 Schools & Offices Closed)

We are #D91Proud of D91's students, teachers and staff who spread the love this week!

Many D91 schools and student clubs like Idaho Falls High School's National Honor Society participated in JustServe's Valentines for Seniors project again this year. They created hundreds of handmade Valentines that JustServe delivered to senior citizens in eastern Idaho. Last year, the organization delivered more than 9,000 Valentines. They hope to beat that number this year, and I know our students were happy to help.

Sunnyside Elementary School's 3rd graders also made Valentines for seniors. Rather than exchanging Valentines with each other, students created colorful cards and delivered them to the residents at Lincoln Court Senior Living Center. They make us #D91Proud!

The Intervention Committee continues to research intervention models, which may change D91's school schedule in 2024-2025 to include four days of traditional instruction and then one day of interventions.

Committee members recently visited Bonneville School District 93's middle schools and high schools to see an intervention model at work. Students who need additional help to complete work or understand concepts attend school on Monday morning. This half day of school provides teachers with time to work with the students who need the most help. During the second half of the day, teachers meet in teams to plan learning experiences and address how to help close students’ learning gaps.

Committee members visited classrooms and talked to teachers, administrators, and students. The committee was able to observe small groups of students receiving instruction while another small group was working on a test or completing unfinished work.

Bonneville School District 93 has held intervention day on both Mondays and Fridays so we also heard the differences between hosting interventions on Mondays and Fridays. The primary differences reported by D93 teachers and administrators were that on a Monday intervention day, students and teachers felt less stress as they started the week. Teachers also shared that students were more focused and prepared to work on Mondays. However, Fridays offered families the opportunity to start their weekend early with family activities and travel. Fridays also gave athletes time to travel to games without missing classes. Finally, Friday intervention days had higher student absenteeism rates than Mondays.

There is a lot to consider as we evaluate how to best use time to serve our students. This week the Intervention Committee will evaluate student achievement data from the districts that have implemented an intervention model. The committee will also begin to discuss how an intervention model could be used to serve students in D91. Please watch for more updates and chances to provide input in upcoming newsletters!

To graduate from D91, students must meet all the necessary requirements for graduation. Apart from the regular high school diploma, D91 now provides three additional specialty diplomas -- biliteracy diploma, a STEM diploma, and a CTE Diploma.

Earning these specialty diplomas can help students better prepare for college and careers, said Shelly Smede, D91's executive director of instruction and learning. The awards also lead to additional honors at graduation, and they can also help students secure scholarships, jobs, internships and college acceptance.

The requirements for the STEM Diploma include: Meet graduation requirements, PLUS

The requirements for the Biliteracy Diploma include: Meet graduation requirements, PLUS

The requirements for the CTE Diploma include: Meet graduation requirements, PLUS

Good luck to the Lady Grizz! After winning at districts, they are heading to the state basketball tournament. We wish them all the best as they face Minico at 7 pm on Thursday, Feb. 15. Make us #D91Proud!