![page background](https://cdn.smore.com/_fr/BAdyJ-GDKU7EV1cga3lUTA.816b029d.jpg)
![page background](https://cdn.smore.com/_fr/BAdyJ-GDKU7EV1cga3lUTA.b8d8b1d5.jpg)
Updates From D91 Supt. LaOrange
October Updates: Week of Oct. 2
Thank You To Mountain America Credit Union!
Our friends at Mountain America Credit Union visited A.H. Bush Elementary School last week for Operation Warm, which provides brand new winter coats to children. In all, more than 400 coats were distributed to A.H. Bush students with the help of players from the Idaho Falls Spud Kings. Thank you to everyone involved in this project! We are D91PROUD of our community partners!
Calling all D91 Seniors!
Visit With Colleges Reps, Learn About Future Options
If you have a child in high school who isn't quite sure what to do when they graduate, make plans to attend the annual Southeast Idaho College Fair from 5 to 8 pm on Monday, Oct. 16, at Thunder Ridge High School.
Organized by high school counselors and college and career advisors from D91 and the surrounding school districts, the fair will feature dozens of representatives from local, state and regional colleges and universities. Representatives from the armed forces as well as other career pathways and training programs will also be there. Register for the fair TODAY.
Don't Miss Your Chance To Take Advantage of Launch
The state is now accepting applications for Launch, and if you have a high school senior, you won't want to miss taking advantage of this great program, which provides up to $8,000 in tuition and fees for eligible colleges, universities or training programs.
The goal of the state's new LAUNCH program is to prepare Idaho's students for Idaho's workforce needs by providing grants for not only colleges and universities but also apprenticeships and training programs for in-demand careers.
To participate in the program, students must graduate from an Idaho high school, be an Idaho resident, be enrolled in or have applied to an eligible Idaho institution, begin their post-secondary program by fall semester after graduation and complete a Career Pathway Plan. All D91's seniors will have the opportunity to complete a career pathway plan on Oct. 18 when our 10th graders take the PSAT.
Students are encouraged to apply for Launch by the Nov. 30 priority date. The application window for the Class of 2024 closes on April 15, 2024. If students don't apply for the program during their senior year, they will lose their chance to use this money. Learn more about the Idaho LAUNCH program.
Important Dates In October:
- Every Friday! D91 schools start an hour later than normal so teachers can collaborate on student achievement.
- Oct. 9-13: National School Lunch Week
- Oct. 11: Board Business Meeting, 5:30 pm, IFHS Library
- Oct. 10 & Oct. 17: Parent-Teacher Conferences, Eagle Rock and Taylorview and Idaho Falls and Skyline high schools
- Oct. 11 & Oct. 16: Parent-Teacher Conferences, Compass Academy
- Oct. 13: Skyline Homecoming Parade
- Oct. 16-20: National School Bus Safety Week
- 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
Eagle Rock, Taylorview PT Conferences
Taylorview and Eagle Rock middle schools will hold parent-teacher conferences Oct. 10 and Oct. 17. Taylorview's conferences will be from 5 to 7:20 pm both days while Eagle Rock's will be from 4 to 6:20 pm both days.
Compass Sets Conference Dates
Compass Academy will be holding parent-teacher conferences on Oct. 11 & Oct. 16. Conferences will be from 4:30 pm to 6 pm with an Open House format on Oct. 11 and by appointment on Oct. 16.
IF, Skyline To Hold PT Conferences
Idaho Falls and Skyline high schools will hold parent-teacher conferences on Oct. 10 & Oct. 17. IFHS' conferences will be from 5 to 7:20 pm both days while Skyline's conferences will be from 4 to 6:30 pm on Oct. 10 and from 5 to 7:30 pm on Oct. 17.
D91 Safety Check!
D91 Gets Securing Our Future Grants For Safety
Idaho Falls School District 91 has received $282,688 from the state in Securing Our Future grants to pay for safety updates and improvements to schools around the district.
The money will be used to fund a number of high priority projects including window film installation, door access updates, stairway cameras, new digital radios, and installation of replacement fencing.
Schools that will benefit from the grant money include: Ethel Boyes, Theresa Bunker, Linden Park, Sunnyside, Longfellow, Fox Hollow, Dora Erickson, Edgemont, AH Bush and Westside elementary schools; Taylorview and Eagle Rock middle schools; Skyline and Idaho Falls high schools; Compass Academy; Emerson Alternative High School; and the district's Career Technical Education Center.
Do You Know D91's Safety Protocols?
- Evacuation: Move students in a safe and orderly fashion to an on-site or off-site evacuation area when there is a need to remove students from a school building in response to a fire alarm, report of smoke, gas leak or other hazardous condition.
- Reverse Evacuation: Short-term safety protocol to move students and staff into a school building in case of a threat outside such as a danger on the playground, mountain lion in the neighborhood or law enforcement activity nearby.
- Shelter In Place: Short-term safety protocol to keep students and staff safe from hazardous outside conditions such as an earthquake, toxic chemical spill, etc.
- Hall Check: Secure the building and protect students, staff and visitors from external threats such as a suspicious person or object nearby or police action in the neighborhood or to minimize hallway traffic due to a medical emergency or law enforcement activity in the building. Students remain in their classroom, but learning activities and school business continues as normal.
- Lock Down: Protect students and staff when the threat is inside the building such as an armed intruder or outbreak of violence within the school. Safety and survival is the priority and teachers should be prepared to lead without prompts if they become aware of unsafe situations.
Make sure your contact information is current in PowerSchool so you can receive the district's emergency texts and notifications. Not sure if your information is up-to-date? Check with your school.
Thanks For Coming!
Free Resources For Parents
Free Resources for Parents!
Online classes, parent coaching and other helpful resources are available to parents for FREE through D91's partnership with parentguidance.org. Check them out!
D91's Esports Clubs Gearing Up For the Season
D91 is pleased to offer esports clubs in most of our secondary schools this year, and the clubs are gearing up for the coming esports season this winter.
The after-school clubs in our middle and high schools are welcoming students who are interested in taking part in competitive and team-based esport games. The current focus of the clubs is on sportsmanship as well as building problem-solving and logical sequence skills.
Tryouts for the esport teams will take place in January through mid-February, and then the teams will compete in Idaho's high school and middle school esport leagues, as well as leagues around the country.
"Working with these students has been an absolute joy and seeing them grow as students and individuals has been extremely rewarding as an educator," said Valarie McAllister, the esports assistant advisor at Taylorview Middle School.
Esports is a booming program across the country. Students are earning college scholarships and finding job opportunities in the growing field of esport competitions. D91 is excited to be able to offer these opportunities to our students.
If your child would like to learn more or join a club, tell them to reach out to the coach at their school. Coaches include: Ashlee Golding and David Wilbanks, Skyline High School; Bryan Shigihara and Connie Daley, Idaho Falls High School; Gericke Kohn and Kenzie Walker, Eagle Rock; and James Ballinger and Valarie McCallister, Taylorview. Greer Saechao and Billy Saechao are also starting an esports club at A.H. Bush. Watch for more information in the coming weeks.
Connect w/Remind!
Remind is D91's supported and approved tool for teachers, coaches and staff to use for two-way communications. If your child’s teacher or coach chooses to use Remind, you'll get a text or email asking you to set up an account. Follow these step-by-step instructions.
Planning Ahead?
Making holiday plans or organizing a trip for spring break? Make sure your child doesn't miss any school days. Review the 2023-24 calendar before you confirm your plans.
Don't Get Behind on Lunch Charges!
Remember, it's easy to pay for breakfasts and lunches, to check meal balances and to look at menus using the D91App. Just download the app, customize it for your family and then click on the LINQ icon.
D91 Staff Development Focuses On Student Success
While students were out of school last Thursday and Friday, D91's teachers were involved in two days of staff development to tackle the district's goals of increasing student achievement and D91's graduation rate.
Elementary teachers attended workshops on the district's new English language arts curriculum (CKLA/Amplify) as well as the new math curriculum (Into Math). Secondary school teachers focused on getting the most out of their professional learning communities. Additionally, SROs and counselors were invited to a school safety conference, world languages teachers trained on practices in language instruction and ELA teachers took part in a dyslexia simulation. We missed our students but will have lots of new ideas to share in the weeks ahead.
Congrats to IFHS Girls Golf Team!
We are D91Proud of the Idaho Falls High School girls golf team, which was crowned district champs before heading to the state tournament last weekend. They took 8th at state. Congrats!
Congrats to Grizz Boys Golf Team!
We are D91PROUD of the Skyline's boys golf team, which took 4th at state after winning districts! Plus, Kysa Shippen qualified for state as a single player. Congrats!
More in Grizz Sports News ...
Skyline's Athletes of the Week for the Week of Oct 2 were senior Kysa Shippen, who qualified for the state golf tournament as a single player, and sophomore Amani Morel, who continues to improve after fantastic play in the Emotion Bowl.
Congrats to the boys and girls cross country teams, which took top honors at the recent Bee Invite. The Skyline swim team recently took second in the Brave-Knight invite, and the girls team took 5th. Click this link for all the latest in Grizz Sports.
More in Tiger Sports News ...
Good luck to IFHS soccer teams as they continue district play this week and to the cross country teams that will be taking part in the City-County Invite on Wednesday. Also, a shoutout to the Tigers' varsity volleyball team as it faces Hillcrest TOMORROW and also celebrates senior night. Click this link for all the latest in Tiger Sports News.
Keeping Up With Karla
Last week, Supt. LaOrange took part in Operation Warm at A.H. Bush, visited with the Sister Cities delegation at CTEC, and joined teachers and staff at the staff development workshops that took place all day Thursday and Friday.
We Need You!
Want to make a difference? D91 is looking for substitute teachers. Starting rates range from $13.33 to $14.26 with bonuses. Come and join our team. (Click on Employment Opportunities)