School pictures will be taken on Tuesday, September 10 by Speelman Photography. Speelman photography provides free pictures to Calder school families.

Parents are welcome to bring younger siblings to get their photos taken this day too.

Julie Speelman and her husband, owners of Pizza Factory, are providing pizza for lunch on picture day as they have done in the past. We are so grateful for their generosity.

We are so excited that the Calder School was once again chosen by the Space Grant Consortium to receive a grant that will allow us to participate in the annual Plant the Moon Challenge organized by the Institute of Competition Sciences!

Mrs. Renee will serve as the team's coach, and she is certain that year two of this program will prove to be even more successful than the first.

Maintenance workers worked tirelessly this summer to ensure students were welcomed to a beautiful campus once again this year.

Students are enjoying a newly painted ball court that will be utilized for sports like basketball, tennis, pickleball, and badminton.

Fresh woodchips generously donated by Sibert Trucking make for a soft landing around playground equipment that was installed a few years ago.

Hopscotch, four square, and ball court lines were touched up also.

This year, with the help of an Innovia grant, the Avery School District is serving optional breakfast and snacks free to all students. In the past, all students have gotten a mid-morning snack. This year, we've been able to expand on our snack options as well as furnish more nutritious foods.

The first week of school, students enjoyed fresh fruit and sourdough pumpkin muffins with apples and sprouted pumpkin seeds made fresh from the St. Joe Tastery.

We are excited to launch a new initiative called the “Citizen of the Month” program, which aims to recognize and celebrate the outstanding contributions and character of our students.

The “Citizen of the Month” program will highlight a student each month who has demonstrated exceptional qualities such as kindness, responsibility, and leadership. This initiative not only motivates our students to strive for excellence but also reinforces the values of good citizenship within our school community. Each month's citizen will be featured in the local newspaper and our school's newsletter.

To make this program a success, we are seeking support from local businesses and individuals. Your sponsorship would greatly assist us in providing awards, certificates, and other incentives to honor our deserving students. In return, we would be delighted to recognize your generous contribution through:

• Prominent acknowledgment in our school newsletters and the Gazette Record.
• Public recognition during school events and assemblies.
• Display of your business’s name on our program materials.

We believe that partnering with local businesses and individuals will not only enhance the impact of this program but also foster a stronger connection between our school and the community. Your support would be greatly appreciated and would contribute significantly to the success of our initiative.

There are three ways for you to help:

1. You can provide an incentive for one of our Citizens of the Month. Incentives can be small or large from gift certificates, to fidgets, to food. You can choose to donate one item or something for each month of the school year.

2. You can reinforce positive character traits among our students by handing out Star tickets from your business. The District will provide you with Star tickets, and when you see one of our students doing something positive, you can hand them a Star ticket. They can then turn in their star ticket at the school for points.

3. Sponsor the Citizen of the Month in the Gazette Record. Each sponsor's name or business logo will be printed in the newspaper with a picture of the Citizen of the Month.

We would love to discuss this opportunity with you in more detail and explore how we can work together to make a meaningful difference in the lives of our students. Please feel free to contact Megan at 208-245-2479 or megan@calderidaho.org to set up a meeting or to answer any questions you may have.

Thank you for considering this request. We look forward to the possibility of partnering with you and working together to celebrate the achievements of our students.

Click the link below to watch the Character Trait presentation for September.

The Avery School District values our time with your child. We aim to honor stakeholders' values and parent expectations by making sure that every minute that your child is in class counts!

As we work together to ensure every child's success, we want to emphasize the critical role that regular attendance plays in their academic development and overall well-being.

Why is attendance important?

Consistent attendance helps students:

• Stay on track academically: Missing school can lead to gaps in learning, making it harder for students to keep up with lessons and assignments.
• Build essential skills: Daily participation in class activities helps students develop important social, emotional, and cognitive skills.
• Develop responsibility and good habits: Regular attendance fosters a sense of responsibility and discipline that will benefit students throughout their lives.
• Strengthen relationships: Attending school consistently helps students build strong connections with teachers and classmates, which supports their learning and personal growth.

We understand that absences due to illness or emergencies are sometimes unavoidable, but every effort should be made to minimize missed days. Please communicate with us if your child is facing any challenges with attending school regularly, as we are here to support you.

Let’s work together to make sure your child has the best chance at success by ensuring they are present and engaged every day.

We want to recognize students who are making every attempt to be at school on time each day. Staff understand that life happens and perfect attendance is wonderful but sometimes unrealistic; therefore, the Calder School Leadership Team came up with a plan to reward students with honorable attendance.

Awards will be handed out to students who have illustrated honorable attendance each month at our monthly assembly.

Hot lunch: Pizza Factory on September 10!

Reading Challenge: Staff is working on an exciting reading incentive program this month. Stay tuned for more information.

September 27: The Shiloh Ranch hosts Kids' Club (grades K-6). Older students may come and help.

The Calder School was identified as needing schoolwide improvement in 2022. Teachers and students have worked incredibly hard to improve student success in our school district since then.

One of our requirements is to have a parent stakeholder on our leadership team to discuss various school improvement issues and remedies.

The leadership meets monthly on a Friday.

If you are interested in volunteering to help with school improvement this school year, please contact Megan at the District Office.

Staff and student safety is of utmost priority in the Avery School District. We are continually working to improve our policies and procedures to help keep everyone safe.

Last school year we created a safety team comprised of representatives from various emergency agencies and community members. The safety team has reviewed and revised the Avery School District's evacuation procedures and is currently working on a reunification plan.

Staff and students are informed of and practice various emergency drills to help our students stay safe in the event of an emergency.

As a parent, you should know that in the event of an emergency that requires staff and students to evacuate campus, the Avery School District has worked with and will continue to plan with other area entities and emergency responders to ensure staff and students arrive safely at an alternative location.

In the event that it is unsafe to return back to campus, parents/guardians will be contacted to pick up their students at a pre-determined location. To best keep students safe, students will only be released to parents, guardians, or emergency contact individuals. Under no circumstances will students be released to anyone else.

Power/phone outage forms were sent with registration packets this year. This form helps us determine what is an appropriate and allowable avenue to get students home in the event that we lose power and phones and are unable to reach parents, guardians, and emergency contacts. If you have not returned this form to the office, please do so.

All middle school students will take an online elective class provided by Idaho Digital Learning Alliance. Parents, you can stay in the loop with the parent app. Please watch the video below to learn more.

This website is also helpful.

A special thank you for these individuals, business, and organizations that have supported recent and/or upcoming programs for the Avery School District students:

• Panhandle Health District

• Idaho State Police
• Shoshone County Sheriff's Office
• Idaho Office of School Safety and Security
• St. Joe Tastery
• TFP's in Avery
• The Avery Store and Motel
• Innovia Foundation
• Idaho Community Foundation
• Calder Parents' Club
• Speelman Photography

We couldn't do it without you!

Youth Empowerment Services (YES) is a mental health system of care designed with your child and family in mind. If your child is under 18, is a resident of Idaho, and has a mental health diagnosis that impacts their ability to participate in family, school or community activities, YES may be able to help.

Visit yes.idaho.gov for more information.

Unused prescription drugs pose a risk of misuse and accidental poisoning, but improper disposal can harm the environment and contaminate our water supply. Deterra Pouches are a convenient, environmentally sound option for proper drug disposal right at home.

The Avery School District Office has Deterra drug disposal pouches available for all community members free of charge with no questions asked. Call or stop by to get yours today.

Getting a locking medication box can offer several key benefits, particularly when it comes to safety, organization, and peace of mind. Here are some reasons why you might consider getting one:

1. Preventing Accidental Ingestion

• Children: If you have children in your home, a locking medication box can prevent them from accidentally accessing and ingesting medications, which can be dangerous or even life-threatening.
• Pets: Pets may also get into medications and suffer harm, so securing them helps avoid accidental ingestion.

2. Controlling Access

• Teens and Visitors: A locked medication box can help control access to prescription drugs, particularly those with potential for misuse, like painkillers or anxiety medications.
• Shared Living Spaces: If you live in a shared space, such as a dorm or with roommates, locking up your medication ensures that only you have access to it.

3. Preventing Misuse

• Medication Abuse: Certain prescription drugs, especially opioids or stimulants, can be subject to abuse. Locking them away helps prevent unauthorized access, reducing the risk of addiction or overdose.
• Identity Theft: Some medications contain personal information on their labels. A locked box helps protect sensitive medical data from theft.

4. Emergency Preparedness

• Disaster Situations: In an emergency, you can quickly grab the box, knowing that all your medications are secure and in one place.

5. Organization

• Neat Storage: A locking box keeps all your medications organized in one place, reducing the risk of losing or misplacing important drugs.

6. Meeting Legal or Insurance Requirements

• Some medications, especially controlled substances, may need to be stored securely according to legal guidelines or insurance policies.

By using a locking medication box, you're ensuring safety, security, and better control over your personal or family health needs.

The Avery School District office has several locking med boxes available for community members free of charge.

Dinner for this installment is provided by TFP's in Avery!

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/safety-summit-series-tickets-949989693747?aff=oddtdtcreator