D93 Weekly Family Update

This month, we are recognizing and celebrating positivity. If you know of employees or students who exemplify positivity by the way they treat others, by their optimistic outlook, by the way they overcome challenges and setbacks, please nominate them to be recognized in this month's cornerstone spotlight. https://d93.org/positivity

Remember to vote on November 8th! Here is more information about the D93 school measures on the November ballot: https://d93.org/elections

Thank you to everyone who shared your thoughts on our school calendars. Based on what our parents, teachers, and other employees shared, we have developed proposed school calendars for the next four years. These proposed calendars will be presented to the School Board on November 16th where they will make the final decision on approving them. Here are key updates in the proposals:

• Teacher collaboration time: Elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools will begin following the same schedule for teacher collaboration time with with half-days for students every Monday morning. Middle school and high school students may be excused from in-person attendance on Monday mornings by their schools / teachers, but should still participate in extended learning opportunities provided by teachers.

• School starts the week before Labor Day; School ends the week of Memorial Day.
• Christmas Break is scheduled for full weeks the week of Christmas and the week of New Year's Day. Next year, one additional day will be included in Christmas Break, the Friday before Christmas. We will align with District 91's schedule for Christmas Break in 2024-2025, but not next year (their currently adopted calendar had the least amount of support from both parents and employees).
• Spring Break will align with District 91's adopted calendars for the next two years. Then, beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, Spring Break will be scheduled to start on the last Monday in March.
• Thanksgiving Break will continue to be scheduled for one week. (One or two of these days are actually calendared as teacher work days or compensation days).

This week's episode of D93 News . . .

The Idaho State Board of Education is accepting applications for the Empowering Parents Grant. Eligible parents can to use grant funds to purchase education-related resources and services such as internet connectivity, computer hardware and software, instructional materials, tutoring and more from the Empowering Parents online marketplace. The program provides $1,000 per student or a maximum of $3,000 per family. K-12 students attending Idaho public or private schools or students who are homeschooled are eligible.

A portal is available on the State Board of Education website where parents can sign up to receive updates on the program. Visit https://boardofed.idaho.gov/empowering-parents-program/.

4th-6th grade student in Idaho, your child is invited to join the Elementary Orff Ensemble at the Idaho Music Educators Conference held at Idaho State University in Pocatello on February 2-4th, 2023. Click here for more information.

K-6th grade students may submit original art for the Idaho Department of Education holiday cards.

A winning entry from each grade level will be selected for publication on the State Department of

Education website. From these entries, one overall winner will be selected for use on the department’s

official holiday card. The winning artist will also receive cards for their own personal use. Artwork must be submitted or postmarked by Friday, November 11. Digital submissions are permitted, but the original artwork must be hand drawn. The form for digital submissions can be found here. Mail entries should be sent to: Idaho State Department of Education, Holiday Card Contest, attn. Taylor Baggerly, P.O. Box 83720, Boise 83720-0027.

Schoolhouse online tutoring is expanding their SAT prep offerings and are preparing to host four SAT Bootcamps, each a week long. The November SAT bootcamp is currently underway, but registration is still open for the November 5 – December 2 SAT bootcamp. Click here to find out more about the sessions and to sign up. Deadline to register is November 3.

Student drivers are invited to apply for the “What Drives You?” Jiffy Lube Teen Driver Scholarship Program online with a 500 word personal essay on the topics of ambition and “what drives you?” There are no other academic requirements. Applications for all regions are due on March 10. Find out more about your regional program and apply online using this link.

Festival of Trees runs from November 14th - 18th at the Elk's Lodge.

Students, parents, and employees can reach out for help with bullying, harassment, suicidal tendencies, self-harm, threats, or to report weapons at school by going to d93.org/gethelp or sending the text @gethelp to 855-528-0074.

Thank you to our community partners at EIRMC for supporting our D93 Family Update.