D91 Employee News:

Welcome to a New Year!

A new year brings a fresh start, brimming with promise and possibilities. It’s a time to reflect on the good in the world and dream big about what lies ahead.

As we step into this new year, I want to express my deepest gratitude to each teacher and staff member in District 91. Every day, you inspire our students to reach for their potential, to dream big, and to never give up. One of the most remarkable qualities of our team is the way we embrace those who might feel overlooked, nurturing them with care and helping them thrive. It’s this dedication that makes District 91 a special place for our students to learn and grow. Thank you for all that you do!

Superintendent Karla LaOrange

This year, we’re placing you—our incredible educators and staff—at the heart of our efforts. On January 20th, we’ll focus on your wellness and professional growth. The morning will feature sessions with Dr. Janet Allen, Dr. Daniel Allen, and Dr. Matt Larsen, who will share valuable insights on:

• Managing expectations
• Cultivating hope and optimism
• Strategies for navigating difficult emotions
• Finding joy and fulfillment in teaching

In the afternoon, you’ll collaborate with fellow educators to:

• Define priority standards
• Develop Common Formative Assessments
• Refine teaching resources

It will be a day filled with inspiration, connection, and meaningful learning—and yes, a little fun too!

Here’s to a year of growth, collaboration, and positivity. Together, let’s make 2025 an incredible year for our students and our District 91 family.

Last spring, District 91 was awarded a grant to support our ongoing work with Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). This grant has provided an incredible opportunity to further strengthen collaboration and focus on student success across our district.

As part of the grant requirements, administrators received specialized training, and the district partnered with a state-provided coach to establish a guiding coalition. This coalition is responsible for planning and guiding PLC work throughout District 91.

The coalition has already crafted a mission statement to steer their efforts, and their work builds upon the strong foundation District 91 has established using the Solution Tree PLC model. For years, our teachers and administrators have worked together to collaborate, focus on curriculum, and meet student needs. The coalition’s work continues this legacy, refining and enhancing our practices.

One key focus for the coalition is developing PLC guidelines to ensure consistency and effectiveness. While these are not yet finalized, one example of a non-negotiable is that principals will consistently attend PLC team meetings. The coalition is also reviewing Solution Tree’s four PLC questions to align them with our district’s goals. Once this evaluation is complete, a District 91 PLC cycle will be developed.

Teacher input is critical to this process. The district will work closely with teacher leadership groups to gather their insights. This feedback will be shared with the coalition, and the process will continue until a final PLC cycle is established. Principals will then share the finalized non-negotiables, PLC questions, and cycle with their staff.

Stay Tuned for Updates!

We’re excited to share progress and updates in future newsletters as this important work continues. Your input and feedback are invaluable in creating a PLC model that empowers our teachers and meets the needs of our students. Together, we’re building something extraordinary for District 91!

The D91 School Board is pleased to announce that its members will host listening sessions to hear from individual teachers about their concerns and challenges. These sessions will be during Teacher Development Day on January 20th at Taylorview, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Time slots will be available for sign-up on the day of the event on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note that discussions about personnel matters are not permitted. We look forward to hearing your thoughts.

You may have heard the recent news about a PowerSchool breach that compromised student and parent information. We’re thrilled to share that District 91 remained completely unaffected—no breach, no compromised data, and no disruption.

This incredible outcome is thanks to the proactive planning and expertise of Tito Paredes, our Technology Director, and his outstanding cybersecurity team. Their dedication to implementing robust security safeguards made all the difference. In fact, District 91 stands out as the only PowerSchool user in the area that avoided a security breach.

Our Technology Department works tirelessly to prioritize safety for our district. While this occasionally means certain websites are blocked or emails from some addresses don’t come through, these measures are crucial for protecting our systems and ensuring minimal downtime.

A huge thank-you to Tito and his cybersecurity team for their forward-thinking strategies and hard work to keep us secure. Your efforts are a testament to the excellence we strive for in District 91—another example of how our teams work together to make this district a great place to be.

Let’s celebrate this win for D91!

The Board is implementing a new visitor screening system in each school. This system will scan a visitor's driver’s license to check background information for those accessing areas beyond the office. The system also logs the visitor's details and prints a badge featuring a photo, enabling all school staff to verify that the visitor has completed the screening process. Screening systems are being installed at each school during the month of January.

The district received one-time funds that the board authorized to provide improved safety and security, with some of the money set aside for curriculum resources. We are grateful to the Idaho Falls School Board for their dedication to creating a safe environment for everyone in our schools. The safety of our students and staff is our top priority!

We’re thrilled to announce that District 91’s brand-new website will officially launch on January 21st!

Our updated site features a sleek design with more intuitive navigation, making it easier than ever to find the information you need. The new platform also enhances accessibility for all users and provides the flexibility to include dynamic content such as photos and videos, allowing us to keep the site fresh and engaging.

While the district site will be fully revamped, school websites will initially have a more basic design as we continue to finalize their individual layouts. Rest assured, all the

essential school-specific information will still be available on each school’s site. The final touches for these pages are underway, and we look forward to showcasing them soon!

The new website retains all the same great content you rely on, now with improved navigation and a refreshed look that reflects the vibrancy of District 91.

We can’t wait for you to explore our updated site. Stay tuned for the official unveiling on January 21st!

We are thrilled to announce the return of One District, One Book! This special program invites every family with elementary-aged students to come together and enjoy the shared experience of reading children’s books as a community.

Here’s how it works:

• Each family with an elementary-aged student will receive a novel from the district, along with a reading calendar outlining which chapters to read each day.
• Families can enjoy videos and recordings of each chapter being read by local celebrity guest readers. Recordings will be available in both English and Spanish to ensure everyone can join in the fun.
• Additional resources will be shared as we get closer to the program kick-off to make the experience even more enriching for families.

Mark Your Calendars!

The One District, One Book program will kick off on Monday, February 3rd. On that day, the youngest child in each elementary family will bring home the book we’ll read together.

Guess the Book!

Each week leading up to the big reveal, we’ll share a hint about the book we’ll be reading. Here’s your first clue: the book we’ve chosen is a cherished family favorite! Can you guess what it might be?

We can’t wait to embark on this literary adventure with you. Stay tuned for more updates and resources, and get ready to read together as a community!

W-2 forms will be mailed before Jan 31 and be sent to the address in the Tyler system. Please log on and confirm that your address is current. This is how you can do that.

• Idaho Falls School District 91 Website → Single Sign-on → Tyler ERP Pro → click Employee Access → click My Information → click Profile → view Mailing Address to confirm its correct. To change the address → click on the pencil icon → enter the new full address → click Submit

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

• Jan 1-15: Window to Submit a Transfer Request. Certified Employee Transfer Request Form.
• Jan 11: In-House Job Fair at the District Office. Click here for more details
• Jan 15: Early Notice Stipend Deadline for Teachers not returning for 2025-26 School year
• Jan 17-18: Tiger-Grizz Wrestling Tournament
• Jan 20: MLK Day, No School
• Jan 28: D91 College and Career Fair at Mountain America Center

Especially for Athletes is a program that inspires athletes to be socially responsible and to make differences in the lives of others. All high school and middle school athletes and their parents are invited to come on Jan 13 to learn how they can use their influence to assist others. IFHS and Taylorview athletes and parents will meet from 6:30-7:30 pm at Taylorview. Skyline and Eagle Rock athletes and parents will meet at Skyline High School from 8-9pm.

All sophomores, juniors, and seniors are invited to the D91 College and Career Fair January 28 at the Mountain America Center. Find more information below. We want to give a big thank you to our sponsors and vendors for making this event possible.

Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper recognized a group of parents known as the Tiger Parents Club on Thursday night. Mayor Casper gave the group the Mayor's Choice Award for their efforts in raising funds for Frontier Fields. The athletic complex will be the new home for Idaho Falls baseball, softball, and soccer. Thank you for your efforts and congratulations on your recognition.

Congratulations to Skyline's Duncan Howell for winning the slam dunk contest during the East Idaho Holiday Shootout over the Christmas break. Skyline and Idaho Falls High School hosted some of the games and were among the 52 schools participating. With both boys and girls teams, including JV and freshmen squads, 118 different teams took part.

It was also a successful East Idaho Holiday Shootout for the Idaho Falls Boys JV team. They beat Ogden, UT on Saturday 56-54 to win the Army Rangers bracket championship. They also picked up wins over Westlake, UT and Evanston, WY. Congratulations!!

The staff at Taylorview Middle School held its staff vs staff basketball game right before the Christmas break. The event is a fundraiser for the school. The students and the staff were excited for this event. What a fun way to head to break and raise money for a good cause.

The Idaho Falls wrestling team shined at many high-level tournaments over the break. Jacob Jenks (pictured) went undefeated in seven matches at the High Country Conference Tournament. For the Lady Tigers, Alyssa Johnston (pictured) placed 1st at the Ririe Rumble with Lily Botcher and Zora Dickinson also making the medal stand. At the Rollie Lane Tournament, one of the toughest in Idaho, DJ Neider took 3rd, Saxton Scott finished 5th, and Mya Bolander placed 6th. There's much more than we have room to tell you about here. Great work, Tigers.

Sunnyside Elementary: Afternoon/Evening Custodian-Full-time

Elementary Teachers K-6 (2025-2026 School Year)

Middle School Teachers 7-8 (2025-2026 School Year)

High School Teachers 2025-2026 9-12 (2025-2026 School Year)

Special Education Teacher 2025-2026 All grades (2025-2026 School Year)

Dora Erickson Elementary: PASS Teacher (Behavior Program Teacher-Elementary)

We will also be having our in-house job fair at the District Office on Saturday January 11, 2025, for certified teaching positions for the 2025-2026 school year. If you would like to be considered for an interview, please fill out an interview request form using this link. This information can also be found on our website www.ifschools.org

See all current openings here.

Claudia Hammond, author of 'The Art of Rest', argues that smaller moments of re-charge when done frequently throughout the day have a greater impact on our overall wellbeing than single but larger moments of pause or celebration.

Here are some ideas that can be used throughout the day to create moments of pause:

• Try stretching. This can increase mindful awareness of our body and help to release feelings of stress.
• Shaking or walking it out can release tension.
• Look at a photograph. Revisiting a cherished memory or looking at someone we love can release oxytocin, 'the love hormone'.
• Send a text to someone you love and tell them.
• Get out of the room your are in (if possible) and change your view.
• Go outside (if possible).
• Take a brief stroll and only notice the good you see.

Try and think of other ideas that will work for you. It is the regularity and frequency that has the impact on our wellbeing and resilience.