D91 Employee News:

Saturday evening, as I was walking to my car, a young man caught my attention. Though I couldn’t immediately understand what he was saying, I noticed the $20 bill in his hand and quickly realized I had walked away from the checkout without my change. I thanked him for his honesty and kindness, and as I continued to my car, I couldn’t help but reflect on how fortunate we are to live in a community where people genuinely look out for one another.

That same reminder of the goodness of our community was evident this week as businesses from across the community joined the District in honoring our Education Support Professionals. These incredible individuals tirelessly support our teachers and students every day. Some teach small groups or work one-on-one with students, others serve meals, ensure students get to and from school safely, or work behind the scenes to keep our schools running smoothly.

Sharing the remarkable contributions of our Education Support Professionals with leaders throughout the community was a privilege. Seeing our community partners so willingly recognize the important contributions of our Support Professionals was heartwarming. Once again, I was reminded of how lucky we are to be part of a community that values and supports all educators in our mission to help every student succeed.

My heart has also been filled with joy hearing from principals and teachers about their students’ accomplishments. Whether it’s improved reading skills, high school writers excelling at constructing arguments, recovering lost credits, or celebrating merit finalists, these stories are a testament to the life-changing work happening in our schools.

This work of the heart truly takes an entire community. It takes our dedicated teachers, administrators, and Education Support Professionals, as well as the families and community members who stand behind them. Together, we are helping each child grow, learn, and achieve more than they ever dreamed possible.

I am continually reminded of the goodness and dedication of our D91 family and the community that supports us. It is an honor and a privilege to be part of such meaningful work. Happy Thanksgiving!

Superintendent Karla LaOrange

Janelle Chaffin of Eagle Rock Middle Schoo shares what she likes about the Intervention Model.

Question: Why do we have school on Veterans Day? Schools should have this day off.

Answer: Idaho Code requires schools to include content about Veterans Day and the citizenship and sacrifice associated with the day. Many schools honor veterans on Veterans Day with programs, research projects, and visits from veterans. It is a day to help students appreciate and understand the sacrifices veterans have made for all of us.

Schools could teach this content and honor veterans on another day. This would require us to add an additional instructional day to the calendar. That day could be added to the beginning or end of the year, replace another holiday, or placed elsewhere in the calendar. The Calendar Committee is currently working on the 2025-2026 school year calendar.

Question: There’s some uncertainty about what teachers should assign and grade online for intervention Fridays. If we are assigning enrichment activities, should we grade those assignments? Some teachers in the district do, while other schools say we shouldn’t grade them.

Answer: Great question! Let’s review assignments for students designated as Online Learning for Friday Intervention School Day.

• 1. Assignments should be provided for each course. These assignments are intended for practice or extension only and do not include new content. Examples of practice or extension assignments are editing writing assignments, conducting research, completing lab write-ups, or solving math problems, etc.
• 2. Assignment Accessibility: Assignments must be easily accessible for students. Students can find their assignments based on the school attended.
• a. Middle School & Emerson: Schoology
• b. Compass: Echo
• c. IFHS & SHS: School or Teacher Option
• 3. Submission: Teachers decide how assignments are submitted (online, paper, presentation, etc.)
• 4. Grading:
• a. Teachers are not required to grade independent work, but grading is allowed. If a teacher opts to grade a Friday intervention assignment, the following apply.

· Independent work grades should not cause a student’s overall course grade to inflate or disproportionately lower a student’s overall course grade.

· Students attending in-person sessions on Intervention Friday, whether required or not, are exempt from the assignment.

· Any students required to attend school in person on Intervention Day are exempt from the assignment.

· Some practice or extension assignments are given on a Wednesday and due the following week. These assignments may be required for all students.

Please feel free to submit any inquiries through the following link: Ask the Superintendent

We’re thrilled to announce some exciting changes in the Human Resources and Payroll Departments, designed to improve our customer service and streamline how we support you!

Starting January 6, 2025, employees will have access to the Human Resources Department through the district’s ticketing system, Incident IQ. Just like submitting an IT help ticket, you’ll now be able to submit a Human Resources or Payroll ticket.

Here’s how this change will benefit everyone:

• Improved Tracking: We’ll be better equipped to track requests and task completion.
• Data Insights: The system will allow us to analyze response times, high-traffic areas, and accuracy, helping us identify areas for improvement.
• Feedback Opportunities: Employees can rate their satisfaction with response times and customer service, providing valuable feedback for continuous improvement.

We’re excited about this transition and believe it will enhance your experience with Human Resources and Payroll. Your feedback will play a vital role in ensuring this new system works effectively for everyone.

Thank you for all you do, and we look forward to continuing to serve you!

We’re excited to announce a new improvement to the open enrollment process! The District is partnering with American Fidelity to enhance how employees review and select their benefits.

Here’s what you can expect:

• January 2025: A representative from American Fidelity will meet one-on-one with each employee to review your benefits information.
• April Open Enrollment: Employees will sign up for benefits through an online portal, which will reduce errors and streamline the process compared to traditional paper forms.

The District has enjoyed a long-standing partnership with American Fidelity, and we’re confident this new service will improve employees’ understanding of their benefits and simplify the enrollment process.

We’ll share additional details as we get closer to January. If you have any questions in the meantime, don’t hesitate to reach out to Human Resources at Human Resources@sd91.org.

If you need to the send an email to the HR department, please direct those to humanresources@sd91.org.

I’m thrilled to announce an exciting new way to connect with you—our very own district podcast! This podcast will provide insights into the incredible things happening in our schools and give you a behind-the-scenes look at how we’re working to support student success.

As we begin this journey, I’d love your input. What topics would you like to hear about? Here are a few ideas to get us started:

• Updates on district initiatives and programs
• Tips for supporting your child’s learning at home
• Highlights of student achievements and teacher innovations
• Insights into how the district operates (e.g., budgeting, curriculum decisions, safety measures)
• Interviews with educators, students, and community partners

Your feedback will help us create content that’s meaningful and engaging. Please share your suggestions using the following link. Podcast Ideas Survey

Thank you for being such an integral part of our district family. I’m excited to embark on this new adventure together and keep the lines of communication open in a fun and accessible way!

Longfellow Elementary School’s Kari Augustus has been nominated for Idaho State University’s Mentor Teacher of the Year award, a recognition that highlights her dedication to supporting and shaping the next generation of educators.

Augustus decided to become a mentor to pay forward the guidance and inspiration she received from her own mentors throughout her career. “I have had such incredible mentors throughout my career, and I know what a difference that has made in shaping my pedagogy as a teacher,” she explained. “I hoped to be able to do that for someone else.”

The experience has been mutually rewarding. Augustus shared that she has loved watching her student teacher grow in both content knowledge and teaching strategies. “I also have learned a lot of fun and exciting new techniques from her that I’m adding to my teaching toolbox,” she added.

When asked what advice she would give to other teachers considering becoming mentors, Augustus acknowledged the natural apprehension of being observed in the classroom. “The scariest part of being a mentor for most of us is just having someone watch you teach all day and wondering what they think,” she admitted. “To that I say, just be you! You have a lot of valuable advice, experience, and enthusiasm to share with someone who is finding out what kind of teacher they want to be.”

Thank you to all the D91 Community Supporters for helping us celebrate our Education Support Professionals!

Thomas is a New York native. He grew up in Poughkeepsie and graduated from Roosevelt High School in Hyde Park, New York.

After graduating, he came west. Thomas earned an Associate’s Degree in Arabic from Monterey Peninsula College in Monterey, California. He got a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Brigham Young University and a Master’s and Educational Specialist Degrees in Educational Leadership from Idaho State University. Thomas went on to earn a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho.

Thomas started his career in the military. From 1997-2003, he was an Arabic Linguist for the U.S. Marine Corps. In 2005, he entered the classroom as a 3rd grade teacher with stops at Barnett Elementary (Payson, Utah), Iona Elementary (D93), and Bridgewater Elementary (D93) schools.

In 2011, Thomas moved into administration. He served as Principal at Rocky Mountain Middle School (D93), Ucon Elementary (D93), and Bonneville Online Elementary School (D93). In 2023, Thomas joined District 91 as Director of Intervention and Support.

In his spare time, Thomas likes to read books about learning and leadership. He also likes building this with wood and running.

Thomas and his wife Carmen have been married for 25 years. They have six children Angelica (22), Anastasia (20), Illyria (17), Clark (13), Oliver (10), and Genevieve (8). They also have a cat named Yeti.

• Nov 25-29: Thanksgiving Break, No School
• Dec 4-5: Parent Teacher Conference- Elementary Schools
• Dec 6: On-Line Learning Day-Elementary Schools/Teacher Comp Day
• Dec 23-Jan 6: Christmas Break, No School
• Jan 28: D91 College and Career Fair, Mountain America Center

Elementary schools will be holding Parent Teacher Conferences on December 4th and 5th. Here's a breakdown of how it will affect the school schedule.

• Elementary School Students
• Thu Dec 5: Early Release
• Fri Dec 6: On-line Learning Day/Teacher Comp Day, No in-person classes
• Middle and High School Students
• No change. Regular School Days

In support of the NFHS and the IHSAA, District 91 is encouraging sportsmanship at athletic events by participating in the #BenchBadBehavior campaign. Watch for videos like this one below when you attend D91 home events this winter season. Thank you to the student athletes for helping us spread the word.

Longfellow Elementary: Reading Intervention Tutor Part-time

Child Nutrition Department: Assistant Kitchen Manager-Full-time at Fox Hollow Elementary

Child Nutrition Department: Kitchen Worker-Part-time at A.H. Bush

Eagle Rock Middle School: Resource Room Aide-Limited Full-time

Skyline High School: Assistant Tennis Coach

A.H. Bush Elementary: EL Tutor Limited Full-time

See all current openings here.

Work-life balance is often discussed in the education sector but can be difficult to achieve. One of the difficulties in finding a balance is that life constantly changes, as does the amount of pressure at work. The key is to have strategies and techniques ready to use when needed.

With Thanksgiving here and the Christmas Break approaching, this week's tip involves the holidays.

Do not fill the holiday with work you have not been able to do during term time. Allow yourself time to rest properly and do not over schedule yourself so you feel overwhelmed. Everyone’s comfort-level is different – be honest with yourself about yours.

Do not try to accommodate everyone else’s needs. Prioritize what you want to do and give yourself permission to serve your needs first.