Post Falls High School

2024-25 Empowering Parents program grant applications are open. Applications will close when funding is exhausted, so we’re hoping families apply right away!

Parents of Idaho students ages 5-18 who filed a 2023 Idaho tax return are eligible. Families with adjusted gross incomes (AGI) of under 60k receive priority. Grants are $1,000 per student and up to $3,000 per family. The grant funds can be used for a huge range of items to support student learning – including laptops or technology, extracurricular classes, camps, and school athletic fees, driver’s education, tutoring or speech therapy – and more!

PFHS would like to thank all of the Veterans in our community. Your service to our country is appreciated beyond measure. Thank you!

Congratulations to Melody McLeod, one of this year's Vandal Outstanding Educator Award recipients! Melody was honored at a halftime during a Vandal game.

Art II students are also starting a new project inspired by Ancient Greece, where they will create designs for a Amphora, an ancient ceramic jar.

Art III students are working on their Personal Project, where they create a piece that inspires them to work on for the semester.

🍂 A Warm Welcome to Fall!

Dear WalkFit/Health Families,

As we embrace the beautiful fall weather, we are thrilled to share some updates from our WalkFit/Health classes! The warm weather and more recent crisp autumn air have made our daily walks outside not only enjoyable but also a wonderful opportunity to get to know our students better. It has been heartwarming to see everyone engaging with nature and each other.

🌟 Transitioning to the Classroom

As we prepare to transition into the classroom for the next 18 weeks, we are excited about the engaging topics we will be covering in Health class. Here’s a sneak peek at what we will explore together: Substance Use & Abuse, Social Media, Healthy Relationships, Human Growth & Development, Diseases, & Nutrition. Our classroom activities begin on Monday, November 4th.

📚 What to Expect

Throughout this course, we will dive deep into each topic, encouraging discussions and critical thinking. Our goal is to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to make informed decisions about their health and well-being; now and in the future. Assignments, projects, tests, & quizzes will be given throughout each unit topic covering important aspects of unit material. Each teacher will have content posted in their Google Classroom for students and parents to access online.

🌼 Stay Connected!

We encourage you to engage with your child about what they are learning in class. Feel free to reach out to their teacher if you have any questions or if you would like further information about any upcoming projects or events. Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to fantastic 2nd & 3rd quarters filled with learning and growth!

Warm regards,

PFHS WalkFit/Health Teachers

On Saturday, October 26, twenty-three Trojan Theatre students joined Mr. McDougall and Ms. Tremblay at the Inland Northwest Theatre Arts Festival in Spokane, Washington. They attended workshops on acting, improv, stage combat, dance, wig creation, and more—taught by local theatre artists—alongside nearly four hundred other high school students. Additionally, our Theatre Club President, senior Alyssa Dufur, was selected to perform a monologue at the closing ceremonies in front of all attendees!

Honors Biology students participated in Water Quality Testing and Macroinvertebrate Collection at Corbin Park on October 18th as part of the Confluence Project. Expert Scientists from the University of Idaho, Department of Environmental Quality, and Idaho Panhandle Health were on scene to help facilitate the learning process and data collection techniques required for students to learn what it is like to be an authentic scientist in the field. The goal of the trip was for students to identify how overall water quality influences the Biodiversity and Health of the CDA Watershed/Ecosystem.

The PFHS Wind Ensemble, Troubadours and Women's Select Choir are having their annual Veterans Day concert on November 7 at 6:30 PM. The free concert will be held in the PFHS Auditorium and is open for anyone to attend. Come out and support our talented music students as they present a musical program honoring our Veterans past and present.

December is the perfect time for your students to put their ACT strategy into action.

The ACT helps younger students plan their courses to meet college goals and helps older students qualify for admissions, scholarships, and majors. Plus, starting now means building their Superscore – a highlight reel of their best results!

Don’t let your kids just chase their college dreams — with the ACT they can catch them!

The regular deadline is Friday, November 8.

Register now to avoid late fees. ACT will be at Post Falls High School on Saturday December 14th.

In lieu of a fall production, Trojan Theatre is putting on a one-night-only showcase of student talent! On Wednesday, November 20, at 7:00pm in the PFHS Auditorium, come see students perform monologues, scenes, songs, and more!

Some of the material presented on this night will then be performed in front of judges the following Saturday for the District Drama Competition at Lakeland High School.

November 13th is World Kindness Day, a reminder to be kind to each other, ourselves, and our world.

Acts of kindness, no matter how small, create a ripple effect of positivity and community.

Here’s how you can celebrate:

Share your pledge to acts of kindness on social media with #worldkindnessday and #makekindnessthenorm.

Visit the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation for ideas to incorporate more kindness into your life.

Join the PFHS Student Council on November 16th for a Turkey Trot Fun Run! Registration begins at 9:30am, first race starts at 10am. There will be prizes for best costume, race winners and more! All proceeds benefit Village of Hope in CDA!

In November, Sources of Strength focuses on the strength of gratitude. With an attitude of gratitude we are hoping to cultivate an environment of both thankfulness and kindness this month at school! Here are some examples on how you can cultivate gratitude in your own life!

Last month, Key Club made a difference in the community by cleaning up trash off Cecil Road and Poleline Avenue, volunteering at a 5k fun run, passing out candy at Trunk-or-Treat, helping out at local harvest festivals, and trick-or-treating for more than 300 lbs of canned goods for the food bank. Great job, Key Clubbers!

In November, Key Club plans to clean up litter on campus, volunteer at Give Hunger the Bird, babysit at Greensferry Elementary, and host a Blood Drive with the American Red Cross on November 20th at PFHS.

For more information on PFHS Key Club, please contact Mrs. Hen-Jen (cherise.hensley-jenkins@sd273.com)

Have you ever wanted to try out a new winter sport? Do you spend all day trying to land that one trick in the terrain park? Or maybe you just enjoy spending long days shredding the gnar? If you answered yes to any of those questions, then this is the club for you. All skill levels are welcome! We take up to 5 trips to local mountains, including Lookout, Mt. Spokane, and Silver. All Transportation, lift tickets, rentals, and lessons (as needed), are included in the club fees. There are also options to fundraise for your club fees. If interested, join our club Google Classroom using code: rw6odpw and join our Text Remind by texting "@wytepowder" to "81010". Please see Mrs. Shaber (rm222) or Mr.Stewart (rm219) for paperwork. All paperwork and fees are due by Dec. 12th. Feel free to contact us for more information.

The Opportunity Hey Idaho Teens! Get ready for our biggest contest of the year! What are the Good Things in your life that drugs or alcohol could really mess up? Sign up below and then comment your answers on our Social Media Post and you could WIN unbelievable prizes like SEASON PASSES to your favorite amusement park! We’re talking REAL rewards for creative, real answers. Once the post reaches 1,000 responses from Idaho teens, 3 winners will be chosen to choose from these prizes: A Gold Pass to Silverwood, A Season Pass to Roaring Springs, OR a Season Passport to Lagoon! The first 100 people to enter get a Youth Vision T-Shirt!

Campaign Instructions While you probably shouldn’t use artificial intelligence to write an essay, this time, we are all for it! We’re offering a giant prize for the best answer to this question: “What is a good a thing in life that drugs and alcohol could mess up?” And yes, we highly encourage you to use the IDFY Chatbot to help craft your response.

Steps to Participate

1. Sign Up Below!

2. Ask the iDFY Chatbot: After signing up for the campaign, use the iDFY Chatbot (Located at the bottom of the page) to do some research.

Ask the Chatbot: What is a good a thing in life that drugs and alcohol could mess up? Want another response? Continue asking the Chatbot… What is another good thing that drugs and alcohol could mess up?

3. Submit Your Answer to the Contest: Once you have used the IDFY Chatbot to collect ideas, think of a specific thing in your life that you care about deeply. What’s your “good thing?” Share your response on our 1,000 Good Things contest on the iDFY Instagram. Only Idaho students in grades 6-12 are eligible to win! Prizes are non-transferable and non-redeemable for cash.

4. Win Big: We’ll review all responses and select the most genuine or creative. There will be three winners, one from each region: Northern Idaho, Southeast Idaho, and Southwest Idaho. Only Idaho teens in grades 6-12 are eligible to win! You may submit multiple entries. You must register for the campaign and post on Instagram to be eligible to win.

All people who SIGN UP will be mailed a Youth Vision Shirt!

3 winners get to choose from these epic prizes:

Gold Pass to Silverwood (Athol, ID)

Season Pass to Roaring Springs (Meridian, ID)

Season Passport to Lagoon (Farmington, UT)

Remember

The goal is to be genuine and thoughtful in your response. Use the iDFY Chatbot (Click the Logo on the bottom right of this page) as your assistant, but let your voice come through in your post. We are excited to see your answers and choose a winner from each region!

The Idaho LAUNCH Grant is an opportunity for students to receive 80% of tuition and fees up to $8,000 for an Idaho school/training program that he or she may be attending for an in-demand career. Students can apply for Idaho LAUNCH at scholarships.idaho.gov

The in-demand career list and school/training providers that are LAUNCH aligned are listed on the Next Steps Idaho website. Students can also stop by room 137 for assistance when applying. The priority deadline for Idaho LAUNCH is November 30th. If you have questions, please email Mrs. Newsom at spencer.newsom@sd273.com.

Attention all seniors who plan to apply for the FAFSA...the application opens on December 1st this year. PFHS will be hosting their first FAFSA night on December 11th - Grand Canyon University will be providing pizza for the parents and students that join us! Please watch for emails to sign up for the December 11th FAFSA night.

Important reasons to apply for the FAFSA:

Potential Pell grant eligibility. Many scholarships require the FAFSA as an application requirement. Colleges use the FAFSA to create a student's financial aid package. Federal student loans typically have a fixed and lower interest rate over private loans.

If you have any questions, please email spencer.newsom@sd273.com

Seniors can use Apply Idaho to apply to one or more Idaho colleges and universities on one account. Please go to apply.nextsteps.idaho.gov to create an account if you have not yet done so. This account allows students to apply to the following schools in Idaho:

North Idaho College

University of Idaho

Boise State University

Lewis-Clark State College

Idaho State University

College of Idaho

Northwest Nazarene University

College of Eastern Idaho

College of Western Idaho

College of Southern Idaho

Seniors can stop by room 137 with any application questions they might have! Or email Mrs. Newsom at spencer.newsom@sd273.com

Counselors at Post Falls High School will be working with students this year and throughout their entire high school career to explore career possibilities, hone their interests and develop a plan to reach their individual goals. Students will be creating a profile on Next Steps Idaho that they will be able to access each year, complete new tasks and access resources.

Students can use the following link to create their online profile now and start exploring: https://nextsteps.idaho.gov/login?token=dKVhgdNXNoF4vfxOcToQGRpX9fwGa99G

Sponsored by the Idaho State Board of Education, in partnership with Idaho’s employers and the state’s Workforce Development Council, Next Steps Idaho is a comprehensive clearinghouse of resources and tools pertaining to education, training, and career exploration and development that intends to demystify the process of planning for your future, breaking it down into actionable steps.

Students and families can find grade-by-grade timelines and checklists to help them keep track of everything they need to do and think about as they prepare for life after high school. Browse the Idaho Colleges Directory, Idaho Scholarship Listing, and the College Cost Estimator.

If you’re trying to figure out what you truly want to (or should) be “when you grow up,” Next Steps offers numerous fun and revealing self-assessment and planning tools that help you get clear about your interests, strengths, and workplace preferences—as well as the jobs and careers that might truly tap into those personal qualities.

*The Interest Profiler can help you discover what your interests are and how they relate to the world of work and specific careers.

*The Work Values Inventory comes at the career question from the standpoint of what values you cherish most and how those values can find expression in the work you do.

*Plan Smart can help you figure out how much money you need to make to support the lifestyle you desire

*Future Finder can then help identify careers that meet those salary requirements, as well as show you careers that map to your interests and strengths.

Website: https://pfhs.pfsd.com/
Location: 2832 East Poleline Avenue, Post Falls, ID, USA
Phone: (208)773-0581