Superintendent May Newsletter

SMSD 41 wants to officially appreciate our hardworking and dedicated teachers and staff for the week of May 13!

Teachers and staff mold future productive citizens through guidance and education. Teachers and staff build relationships with students that enable young people to believe in their own potential. Teachers and staff work long beyond the normal school day to instruct and grade their students. Teachers and staff care about their students and work to teach skills, develop content knowledge, and foster confidence and responsibility!

A strategic plan is comprised of goals for students and action steps the district and schools can take to support students in reaching the goals. Different measures and data points are used to write and monitor the plan. The plan is utilized as a road map for staff, students, and families. The plan is reviewed and adjusted accordingly every year.

The 2024-2029 District-wide Strategic Plan review and revisions are underway. We held three different input sessions. There were about a total of 135 people involved. There were another 40 people who replied in writing. In March, the Board provided input for the Plan. On March 22nd, the staff gave some final thoughts regarding the mission and values.

You can read the input at this link = https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1X3uyMD_pifF6SpgFiS80gVzR473EA_-M

Next Steps:

The District team continues synthesizing the input to build an updated and new District-wide Strategic Plan for 2024-2029.

There will be one more Strategic Plan Input Session May 23rd as a Board Workshop. We are looking for community input! Then, the final version should be approved at the June Board Meeting.

The Plan is a road map of goals and action steps, value statements and a vision/mission statement, that the school district will use as a guide. The plan is reviewed and monitored annually.

High School Baseball and Softball teams are off to the District Tournament next week! Go Lumberjacks.

In Golf, the boys took 1st place in the tournament and the girls took 2nd place in the tournament (despite inclement weather).

The Food Drive. SMHS hit it out of the park as they gathered over 2000 pounds of food! Way to go Lumberjacks!

The Hall of Fame. Kippy Silflow was added to the teacher Hall of Fame. Kippy was a hardworking and dedicated math teacher. Her colleagues and students appreciated how much she cared and how well she taught math!

City Cleanup. The schools and students also dedicate a day to School/city clean-up. The resident turnout and the school dedication illustrate the community pride people have in St. Maries and Fernwood.

• The architect should have enough information to design a conceptual map for both construction sites, allowing St. Maries to do a cost analysis and decide where to build.
  
• The architect visited the construction sites on Thursday, May 2nd.
• The second construction site, strategically located near the goal trail, county road, and hillside, presents a promising opportunity for the new CTE Shop. With the concept map and price estimates, SMSD can take the possible next steps:

* Get the construction designs/itemized cost analysis, and then go out for RFP

* Find a General Contractor through the RFP process.

* Stay tuned for the next steps.

Purpose. Review SMSD 41's 490 policies. In the review, the members ensure that the policies have current legal content and that St. Marie's customized content remains.

Goal. Review the policies. Review and prepare policies so the Board can adopt legal policies that work for St. Maries.

Process. A review committee and legal service is being used to help prepare the policies. Then, SD 41 holds two readings for the public to review, study, comment, and recommend revisions. The Board will adopt legal policies that also work for St. Maries.

The process may take up to three years.

Building Safety Projects

• Surveillance cameras at SMMS and UpRiver.
• Perimeter fencing at SMMS.
• Exterior lighting at all four school sites.
• Intercom systems, assessed with a 3 -4 year plan for updates per site.
• Secure exterior doors at Heyburn.
• Exist Door at the Heyburn Gym
• Secured entrances at UpRiver and SMHS.

Facilities Projects

Heyburn

• Upgrade the plumbing in the first floor bathrooms.
• Reframe the exit door between the bleachers in the gym.
• Repair in the gym at the Southeast corner. Replace some bricks and repoint the water.
• Add a fob key entrance near the gym and the new wing.
• Improve the landscaping at Heyburn with a sprinkler system.
• Envelope Projects at Heyburn.

UpRiver School.

• Remodel the Pre-School cafeteria/classrooms adding classroom and office spaces.
• Add a Fob Key Entrance at the side entrance.
• Repair/replace 2 surveillance cameras.
• Install a new paging/audio intercom system.

SMMS

• Build perimeter fencing at the outside field
• Install 4 new surveillance cameras
• Install a new intercom system

SMHS

• Construction of a new CTE shop
• Plans for a more secure entry way

• The math curriculum committee is comprised of 19 members, a blend of parents, staff, and a board member. The committee members are committed to finding a quality math curriculum for St. Maries students and staff.

  The notes and agendas for each meeting are on the Teacher and Learner Page on the District Website. The public can also attend the math curriculum committee meetings.

  The next meeting is scheduled for May 28 at 3:30 pm. The proposed agenda is the following:

  • K - 5 evaluated enVision and Dimensions. They should be ready to make a final recommendation.
  • 6 -8 grade evaluated Dimensions, IntoMath, and enVisions. They should be ready to make a final recommendation.
  • High School is ready to recommend a math curriculum for adoption, IntoMath. The recommendation will go before the Board at the May 13 Regular Board Meeting.

• The Month of May. Students are still state testing. Students get a chance to show all they learned this school year.
• May 6. Board Workshop on the 2024-25 School Budget. 5:30 pm start time.
• May 12. Mother of the Year brunch at the Elk's Lodge. Grade 2 students write essays and the top three essays are selected. The mom's are recognized May 12th.
• May 13. Regular Board Meeting. 6:30 pm start time.
• May 21. A possible additional board workshop on the school budget.
• May 23. A tentatively scheduled Board Workshop on the Strategic Plan.

The Regular Board Meetings are now being broadcasted through this link https://www.youtube.com/@SD41YouTube/streams

Next Board Meeting is Monday, May 13, 2024. At this board meeting, the calendar for the 2024-25 regular board meetings will be established.

While we focus on student achievement for this school year, we are also starting to plan for the 2024-25 school year. The School Calendar will be approved at the May Regular Board Meeting. Principals are also building their master schedules with a wealth of student course offerings. Furthermore, staff and principals will be gathering information from students and parents/guardians to place each student into a school-day schedule for the 2024 school year. At this time, we are fully staffed!