Pirate News

Greetings Families,

We are in the final sprint with ISAT testing wrapping up and students working hard to complete all their work. The teachers will start signing off to qualify for our Wahooz field trip on May 13th, and the deadline to qualify is May 17th.

On that note, we would love to keep our field trips free to all students, so if you or your business would like a tax free write off, we need to raise around $3,600 for all our students to attend. Thank you all for your generosity as these students really have worked hard to earn it!

Staff appreciation week is next week. Because each staff member is a vital part of our students' success, we celebrate all staff members. Please encourage your students to take a moment to thank a staff member who has impacted them. We appreciate all our staff and look forward to celebrating with you!

Finally, we will have our 8th-grade celebration on May 22nd at 6:00. 8th graders will be sharing with you their Points of Pride PowerPoint, where they discuss their journey at Pathways and what they have learned. It's always a powerful and fun night.

Take care and see you 8th grade parents soon!

Dr. Eric Eschen

• April 9 - May 3 - ISAT Testing (click for schedule)
• May 6-10 Staff Appreciation Week (lunch sign up)
  
• May 9 - ALL Library books due
• May 13-17 - IP Free Sign Offs
• May 15 - Fire Drill
• May 17 - 3:00 PM - ALL IP work due for IP Reward Trip
• May 22 - Permission slips due, 8th Grade Celebration 6 PM
• May 23 - ALL Chromebooks AND chargers due (be sure to check out device insurance below)
  
• May 24 - Last day of school, IP Free Reward Day/IP Work Day

All District Calendar Link

Teacher Appointment Times

Here are the current student interest groups. If your student would like to join a group, they just need to show up!

• Mondays - Tick Cards Room 136 at 11:40
• Tuesdays - Pokemon Room 128 at 11:40, Guitar Room 126
• Wednesdays - Art Room 150 at 11:40, Volleyball Gym
• Thursdays - Chess Room 140 at 11:40, Sewing Group in 150 after school, Rockenbox Club 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month after school
• Fridays - Football Field all Lunch, Board Games 150 at 11:40

All library books are due to the library no later than May 9. All Chromebooks and chargers are due to the school by May 23. If you know you will be out of town on these days, please return these items before leaving.

Well folks - it is your lucky day! Our order is higher than we thought so we have 40 extra yearbooks - first come first serve. You can order them today online at https://www.balfour.com/student-info?smi=129054. Call Heidi with any questions.

We love to celebrate our whole staff at Pathways. Each member does an incredible job supporting student growth and learning. Please consider showing your appreciation through a note, card, or an email to Dr. Eschen. We will also be hosting a teacher lunch so please consider signing up here (lunch sign up). Thank you in advance for participating in celebrating with us!

Parents and Guardians,

All parents/guardians currently have the option to select device protection for the 24-25 school year. It is available now at the reduced price of $20.00. It covers your child's Chromebook ($545.00) and charger ($30.00) from damage or loss. It will cover their district issued technology until Oct. 2025.

Even our most responsible students have had accidents, so please pay for this NOW so you don't have to pay for a cracked screen ($150.00).

Instructions are included below:

Step 1 - Sign into PowerSchool:

• Sign In to the PowerSchool Parent Portal - https://ps.westada.org/public

Step 2:

• Click the “Payment Portal” link in the left menu navigation.
  The link will take you to the payment services web site.

Step 3: Opt into the Optional Device Protection Program:

• Select your Student's specific account by clicking their name in the page header

• Click the "Optional Device Protection" button at the bottom of the page.

Step 4:

• Please click the "I agree to the optional device protection program charge"

• Please provide your signature

• Click the "add to Cart" button
  
  NOTE: you will need to repeat steps 3 and 4 for each student.

Step 5: Payment

• The Payment Portal will display your student's specific account.

• You will be able to review and pay current fees on this screen.

• A credit card will be needed for this service and a convenience fee will be charged.

• Pay the Optional Device Protection Charge by clicking the “Shopping Cart” icon in the upper right corner.

Step: 6

• On the payments option page, complete all of the required fields.

• Click on the check box that indicates that you agree with the included service charge.

Step 7:

• Once you have submitted the payment you will see a receipt screen

• You can click on the Print button to save a copy of the receipt for your records

• Click on the Submit Payment button

America's Best Contacts & Eyeglasses in Meridian, Idaho has the goal of making eye care available to everyone, regardless of their circumstances and especially for individuals that may need it but may struggle to afford it. They would love to help individuals or families at Pathways who need assistance. The recipient will receive a Complimentary eye exam by a licensed Optometrist and a Complimentary pair of eyeglasses. Please reach out to Dara McCarthy for a referral.

The heads Women's soccer coach at Eagle High School and the Men's head coach are teaming up to run a Middle School camp this summer. Although Pathways does not directly funnel into Eagle, there are likely a few kids who will. This is also an opportunity for students who are not going to Eagle but want a little more soccer this summer. We look forward to growing our relationship with our community.

https://forms.office.com/r/xUNnhyRPGK

We are accepting applications for next school year. If you know of some great kids who would benefit from our program, please share our website with them! https://www.westada.org/o/pathways/page/information-about-pathways

Current students do not need to reapply - once a pirate, always a pirate!

Parents - Along with your child, please make note of when your they must have all of their work turned in in order to go on the quarterly fieldtrips. Beginning with the end in mind will help all of our students reach our school goal of having everyone complete their learning and attend the field trip!

If your student is absent, have them follow the steps below on the absent checklist. This list helps empower students to complete their learning and avoid IP work.

PowerSchool is a great place for you to help your studnet keep track of their progress and missing work. Set aside regular time to view your student's grades with them. Celebrate success and build time in for catch up. For complete instructions on how to check grades and IP work, go here: https://www.westada.org/o/pathways/page/how-to-check-my-students.

Please note that each teacher posts weekly overviews so you can see what the students are learning throughout the week.

Tutor.com provides 24 hour access to academic support to all West Ada students. This is a great opportunity to help support families when IP and homework are brought home.

Our teachers have set aside time to work directly with students on concepts and IP work. We call this time Teacher Appointment Times. If your student would like help from a teacher, look at the graphic below to see when the teacher is available. Then, email or see the teacher in person to schedule the appointment time. Appointments must be scheduled in advance.

• Safety in our schools is of utmost priority. In an effort to further ensure student safety, West Ada School District recently implemented See Tell Now. This program is a free tool that students and the greater school communities can utilize to submit tips regarding any suspicious activity.
• Once a tip is submitted, it is automatically reviewed by the See Tell Now team and escalated to the proper authorities. Tips can be submitted online, via iOS or Google Pay app, or by phone at 888-593-2835.
• The See Tell Now website can be accessed on the header of the West Ada School District and all WASD school’s websites. Thank you for helping keep the West Ada community safe!

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pathwaysms_wasd/

Email: eschen.eric@westada.org
Website: https://www.westada.org/o/pathways
Location: 1870 East Heritage Park Street, Meridian, ID, USA
Phone: 208-350-4040