School Community
West Ada Update - October 14, 2021
West Ada School District (WASD)
2021-22 School Year Theme: Reflect on the past, embrace the present and build on the future.
Email: communicate@westada.org
Website: https://www.westada.org/
Location: 1303 East Central Drive, Meridian, ID 83642, USA
Phone: 208-855-4500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JointSchoolDistrictNo2/
Twitter: @westadaschools
Important Dates:
- October 17-23 - National Bus Safety Week
- October 20 - Parent/Teacher Conferences (No School Kindergarten, Tuition K in session)
- October 21 - Parent/Teacher Conferences (No School Grades K-8)
- October 22 - NO SCHOOL: End of Quarter 1
- October 23-31 - Red Ribbon Week: "Drug Free Looks Like Me"
- October 25 - Regular School Board Meeting
- November 22-26 - NO SCHOOL: Thanksgiving Holiday Break
PLEASE NOTE: To meet our goal of all students achieving at high levels, the West Ada School District Service Center is closed from 8:00-9:00 AM every Wednesday for collaborative team meetings and the work of Professional Learning Communities (PLC). In these meetings, teams review data, establish goals, and monitor school/district improvement strategies.
What's BUB-ling?
This week was National School Lunch Week. I had the pleasure of attending Eagle Hills Elementary lunch service and Willow Creek's breakfast service and it was a blast! Mr. Heller, Deputy Superintendent, also got in on the fun attending Ponderosa Elementary's lunch service and had a roaring good time! (photos below) Thank you to Jessica Hild, School Nutrition Supervisor, and all of our kitchen managers and food nutrition personnel for your commitment to our students and welcoming us to your schools to join in on the fun of celebrating National School Lunch Week - "Wild About School Lunch". West Ada is serving FREE meals to students enrolled in district school buildings for the 2021-2022 school year.
As I mentioned last week, the West Ada Education Foundation has begin their annual "Thank a Teacher" campaign. Through this campaign parents, guardians and community members are able to make donations directly to classroom teachers for school and classroom projects. For more information or to make a donation, CLICK HERE, or scroll down in the newsletter for more information. We thank you for your continued support of the students, teachers and programs of the West Ada School District!
Graduation dates for the Class of 2022 have been finalized and posted below. We thank you all for your patience in this process as we work with various facilities and schools to plan commencement ceremonies.
Principal Pride: Jill Lilienkamp, Meridian High School
This week our PRINCIPAL PRIDE spotlight is on Jill Lilienkamp, Meridian High School:
Number of Years in West Ada: 8
Number of Years at Meridian High School: 8
- What I like about West Ada: We always focus on kids.
- The best thing about being a Principal is...The relationships with the MHS kids, staff, and parents. They are true Warriors and work hard to uphold Warrior STRONG in everything they do. We have a longstanding tradition of greatness and pride at MHS.
- Family: I am married, I have two sons, Kody is 25 and Karson is 22!
- Favorite Food: Tacos
- Favorite TV show: This is Us
- Hobbies: Jeeping and hiking
- Fun Fact: My family were some of the first cherry growing farmers in Emmett, Idaho.
We are so lucky to have such exceptional leaders in West Ada. Thank you for your continued leadership, dedication, service and compassion to those you serve!
Lifelong learners in West Ada!
Congratulations to RMHS Girls Soccer District Champions!
College Application Month!
College Application Week is a nationwide program to encourage every high school student apply for postsecondary training. Through Next Steps Idaho / Apply Idaho, Idaho high school students are able to apply for FREE to a common college application to 10 in-state colleges and universities. No SSN is required (though it is recommended).
Apply Idaho is an initiative of the State Board of Education in partnership with Idaho’s employers. Next Steps Idaho is designed to help students understand and pursue the many education and career opportunities available to them.
NEW THIS YEAR, students will be able to see their GPA and SAT/ACT scores prior to application submission. Only Idaho high school seniors can use Apply Idaho. Learn more at nextsteps.idaho.gov
Apply Idaho opens on October 1, 2021!!
Idaho Statesman Athletes of the Week
- VOLLEYBALL: Delaney Bub, Eagle: Tallied a combined 21 kills and 12 digs in wins over Kuna and Centennial.
Way to represent West Ada! For more information and to read the full article by Michael Lycklama, CLICK HERE.
Did someone say zucchini chocolate chip muffins?
CTE Culinary students show off their skills!
Congratulations to Meridian Middle School Volleyball on being named this year's District Champions!
Congratulations Mrs. Harris Dalmas!
Congratulations Kayleigh Philipi!
Harun Topalovic and Sierra Nielsen, Yes I Can! West Ada Award Recipients
Congratulations to the winners of the Idaho Council For Exceptional Children's 2021 Yes I Can! Awards, Sierra Nielson, Jessica Mondragon, Cooper Sutton, and Harun Topalovic!
- Sierra attends Mountain View HS and wants to become an author when she graduates from high school!
- Harun Topalovic attends Lowell Scott Middle School and is a proud peer tutor and lunch server at his school! Way to go!
Read more about the winners: CLICK HERE
A virtual field trip with Guru Donuts!
McMillan Elementary Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Congratulations Echo Mansfield!
Idaho Opportunity Scholarship
Idaho high school seniors and graduates of an Idaho high school, apply now for the Idaho Opportunity Scholarship! This is a need-based award for Idaho residents who have graduated or will graduate from an Idaho high school and will attend an eligible Idaho college or university. The Opportunity Scholarship awards eligible applicants up to $3,500 per academic year and is renewable for up to four years. Find more details on eligibility and apply on the Idaho State Board of Education's website: https://boardofed.idaho.gov/.../idaho-opportunity.../
Eligibility:
To qualify for the scholarship, a student must meet all of the following criteria:
- Have an unweighted, cumulative GPA of 2.7 or above
- Be an Idaho resident
- Graduated or will graduate from an Idaho high school or its equivalent or Idaho home school (GED/HSE from Idaho)
- Complete the State Board of Education scholarship application by March 1
- FAFSA Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid by March
- Maintain satisfactory academic progress for financial aid purposes. (See program rules for more details.)
Details and application tutorial at https://nextsteps.idaho.gov/scholarship-idaho
Congratulations to Rocky Mountain's Freshman Volleyball team on being named District Champions!
Student Spotlight
Thank you to Eagle High School senior Jenna Beckstrom for sharing about your hygiene drive at this evening’s board meeting and congratulations on being crowned Miss Idaho Teen USA!
Thank you MVHS senior Nathan Badger for sharing about your experience with the American Boys Legion Nation at this evening’s board meeting. Nathan was chosen out of 20,000 boys to attend the American Legion Boys Nation. While there, Nathan led campaign efforts for the President and he was appointed to the position of Chief of Staff. Nathan submitted a bill that was only one of 20 that was passed and is now stored in the Library of Congress!
Mrs. Edwards Owyhee Drawing students hard at work
Rocky Mountain High School Wrestling Dinner & Auction
- Saturday, November 6 - doors open at 5:30pm
- Sockeye Brewing Warehouse, 12542 W Fairview Ave. Boise
- For tickets visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rocky-mountain-wrestling-dinner-auction-tickets-176741367187 OR scan the QR code below
- $30 per ticket
- email mobullock22@gmail.com with any questions
West Ada Supplemental Levy
West Ada School District is proposing to renew its existing supplemental levy at the current amount, $14 million per year over the next two years. The funding from the supplemental levy is used for the school district's general operations. The district has maintained the 14 million dollar levy over the course of the past ten years with voters first approving the $14 million supplemental levy in 2012. At that time, the levy rate for the supplemental levy was $91.60 per $100,000 of taxable property value. At the end of fiscal year 2020, the supplemental levy rate is $52 per $100,000 of taxable property. The current estimated average annual cost to the taxpayer on the proposed levy is $46.92 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value, per year, based on current conditions. This is not a new tax, it is a renewal of an existing levy that is expiring.
Election Day is November 2. You can register to vote, request an absentee ballot, view your ballot and find your local polling station here: https://adacounty.id.gov/elections/
West Ada Supplemental Levy Facts: #7-12
Candy Buyback
IMPORTANT CHILD NUTRITION UPDATE
Food shortages are nationwide, and our district is also experiencing unavailable items or last-minute replacements. Menus are subject to change. Online menus are available and we will do our best to update with any changes. We appreciate your patience and understanding. We look forward to serving students free breakfast and lunch in our school buildings during the 2021-22 school year.
Optional Device Protection Plan
West Ada School District offers optional device protection to families to cover the accidental breakage or damage that might occur to a child’s iPad or laptop. This voluntary protection plan is available for $25 per device and covers repairs or replacement due to accidental damage from drops, spills, vandalism, loss, theft, and incidental damage to another student’s device. Device protection does not cover intentional damage to a device, or damaged or lost accessories such as district provided cases, chargers, pens, or hotspots. Please see the Parent Student Device Handbook or Optional Device Protection Plan in the Student Handbooks for detailed information on the District’s Optional Device Protection Plan.
The optional device protection plan enrollment period is August 16-October 31. Families may sign up and pay for optional device protection through the Payment Portal located in PowerSchool. Please refer to the image below for instructions on accessing the optional device protection form in PowerSchool.
Families are responsible for the repair or replacement of devices which are damaged, lost, or stolen outside acceptable use guidelines published in student handbooks. Device protection is a voluntary, non-refundable, yearly cost for each device. Families may be able to add devices to their homeowner’s or renters’ insurance plan and may consider these alternatives prior to purchasing optional device protection.
Mitigating Measures in the Classroom
- Teachers and students must sanitize their hands upon entering the classroom. Building custodians will check wall mounted hand sanitizer dispensers daily to check levels and replace cartridges. Teachers are responsible for requesting individual bottles of hand sanitizer from administration.
- Student desks should be distanced as much as possible, at least three (3) to six (6) feet apart is ideal.
- Remind students of the need to maintain distancing and that students should only get up to move around the classroom with teacher permission and supervision that ensures adequate physical distancing as much as possible, three (3) to six (6) feet is preferable.
- Remind students NOT TO SHARE laptops or computer keyboards, drinks, food, snacks, gum, writing utensils, tissues, face masks, make-up, chap stick, eating utensils, musical instruments, or personal items.
- Student desks, chairs, keyboards, or other items frequently touched at the student’s desk should be cleaned between use by different students.
- In those school buildings in which the building maintenance staff indicates that it is not possible to perform at least four air exchanges per hour, consider opening your classroom door and the classroom windows if weather allows and the open door and windows do not create excessive noise in the classroom. You can learn more on this page Modifying Facilities.