Sandpoint High School

March 2025

Dear Bulldog Students, Families, and Friends,

It’s always a great day to be a Bulldog, and February has been especially exciting! As we celebrate Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month, I want to highlight the incredible opportunities available at Sandpoint High School:

• State Competitions: This week, our talented Business Professionals of America (BPA) and Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) teams are traveling to represent SHS at state competitions.

• Future Growth: In June, we’ll break ground on the new CTEC Building of North Idaho, which will house our IT, CNA, and Residential Carpentry programs, with room to expand into new areas.

• JROTC Addition: SHS submitted paperwork last month to officially establish an Army Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) unit—a significant milestone for our school.

Our Bulldogs continue to make us proud on and off the field:

• Men’s Wrestling: Congratulations to our Academic 5A champions and Jorden Tyler, who earned a first-place finish at 190 pounds.

• Dance Team: Our team is celebrating a 5A District 1-2 championship win.

Looking Ahead

As we prepare for the 2025-2026 school year, students have completed forecasting registration and will meet with counselors in April and May to craft schedules tailored to their future goals.

Meanwhile, our campus is buzzing with activity:

• Thespians are hard at work preparing for their upcoming production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

• Aca Deca Students are studying diligently for the state competition.

• Spring Sports Season is kicking off, bringing energy and enthusiasm to our community.

I am filled with pride as I reflect on our students’ achievements and look forward to all the exciting events and celebrations the spring holds. Please remember, my door—and the doors of our administrative team, counselors, and teachers—are always open. If you have questions, ideas, or input, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Principal Jacki Crossingham

Spring is in the air! I think this especially rings true in high school where teenagers (and I think all parents can agree) seem to shift their priorities and may not have that laser focus on school, homework, and obligations that we see so valuable! I have put together, what I hope to be, tips that can get you through this important season of academics! We love our amazing parents and we see your efforts. There is no time in your life like the years of parenting a teenager and we are here to help! We have been there and we are there for you…as always, we are just an email away! The next month is critical to set the stage for a smooth 4th quarter. During our class meetings in January, I spoke to students really buckling down through March, so please help them check Schoology, email teachers, and help your student set/stick to schedules that will help them go into Spring Break without overload. The info is at your fingertips and being proactive is SOOOO much easier than the panic in June! ;)

“Talking to your Teen” Tips:

• Do talk in the car. When you’re in the car, it feels less threatening or aggressive. Plus, they may find it easier to open up about complex topics because you aren’t looking at each other as much.

• Ask “What…?” instead of “Why…?”. Asking “why” questions can feel accusatory while asking “what” helps them think through what they want to say.

• What is the type of friend you are looking for? What would your perfect day look like? What worries you most about...?

• Don’t be judgmental or critical. That’s the fastest way to shut down the conversation. Instead, ask a follow up question.

• Be willing to talk any time. Somehow, teens love speaking at the most inopportune times (e.g., 11:45 at night when you’re exhausted). You may lose the opportunity altogether if you shut down the conversation when they are ready to talk.

• Don’t hog the conversation. The conversation should include listening; teens have a lot going on inside their heads! Ask questions and give some wait time!

• Be curious and willing to listen to a new perspective.

• Validate how they feel, even if you don’t understand. Be interested in their insight and ask questions to keep them talking!

Maybe Questions like:

• What activities or subjects make you lose track of time?
• If you could spend a whole day doing something you love, what would it be?
• What kind of impact do you want to have on the world?

• What kind of work excites you the most?
• If money wasn’t a factor, what job or career would you choose?
• What skills do you think will be most valuable in the future?

• What challenges do you enjoy overcoming?
• What kind of person do you want to become?
• What values are most important to you when thinking about your future?

• What’s one goal you’d love to accomplish in the next five years?
• Who do you admire, and what about them inspires you?
• What’s something you’d love to try but haven’t yet?

And have fun in this crazy time of parenting! You will never have this time back and from my 25 years of experience with teenagers...they really do love and value your attention even when they tell you they don't! ;)

Kari Granier, M.Ed

Sandpoint High School

Assistant Principal

Liz was born and raised in the Finger Lakes area of New York. Liz moved out west after completing her Master's degree where she eventually got married and soon after moved to her husband's hometown- Sandpoint, 10 years ago.

Through her work in healthcare, Liz gained skills in managing diverse needs and expectations, impeccable time management, and attention to detail. She also prides herself as a professional chaos coordinator while raising twin daughters who are only 20 months younger than their older brother. In her spare time, Liz enjoys lake days, crafting and baking with her kids, and seeking out adventures with her husband, Taylor. Liz is excited to bring her skills to SHS and their amazing team.

Alton W. Dail, known as Fisher, is the son of Trey and Angie Dail and was born in Sandpoint, Idaho. He attended Sagle and Farmin Elementary Schools, spent his seventh-grade year with Classical Conversations, and continued his education at Sandpoint Middle School and Sandpoint High School. Fisher stands out for his remarkable balance of academic excellence, athletic achievement, leadership, and community service.

A committed athlete, he enjoys both soccer and tennis, earning accolades like the Mr. Bulldog award and Outstanding Athlete recognition. Academically, his dedication was acknowledged by the College Board’s National Rural and Small Town Recognition Program and the University of Idaho Math Competition, where he stood alongside his exceptional teammates Torrin Haesle, Lane Harris, and Maddie Mitchell. Fisher’s passion for STEM education is evident through his participation in the Idaho Space and Aerospace Scholars class and the U.S. Naval Academy Summer STEM Camp.

Beyond his academic and athletic pursuits, Fisher has been an active member of his community, volunteering at local events, teaching tennis, and serving as a youth soccer referee. With his drive and well-rounded experience, Fisher plans to attend Purdue University to study Aerospace Engineering, ready to embrace the challenges and opportunities ahead.

Calie is a very hardworking student who plans to pursue a degree as a fixed-wing pilot at Utah State University. She has a strong love of flying and has plans to build a career as a commercial airline pilot. She not only is very passionate about flying, but she enjoys playing volleyball and participating in band as well. She was captain of the Sandpoint Varsity Volleyball team for her senior year and continues playing quite frequently at the beach. Furthermore, she has been involved in Sandpoint's Jazz, Symphonic, and Pep band for four years and would say that band holds some of her favorite memories of her highschool experience. Moreover, Calie has been a member of the National Honors Society for the past three years and is always working towards more of a dedicated attitude to continue striving for her goals after graduation.

Gage is a dedicated student-athlete who excels both in the class and on the field. He plays varsity football while also competing in club lacrosse outside of school. A two-time All-League selection in varsity football, Gage also earned All-North Idaho honors. His achievements include the Hawkins Skill Player Award and the Verwolf Defensive Back of the Year. Recognized for his leadership, he was voted captain of both the varsity football and lacrosse teams. Outside of school, Gage loves to do outdoor activities such as fishing, swimming and camping. Academically, Gage ranks 43rd out of 214 students with an overall 3.9 GPA. After high school, he plans to attend the University of Idaho to pursue a degree in sports broadcasting, aiming to one day fulfill his dream of becoming a NFL sports commentator.

Sylvia Becker is a senior at Sandpoint High School who has been very involved with her school both academically and athletically. She has been a member of the high school's wrestling team for the past three years, being a captain for two of those years. Last year, Sylvia was a winner of the National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-American and Leadership All-American Awards, showing her dedication on and off the mat. She has maintained a 4.0 unweighted GPA, and is currently 15th out of her 213 classmates. Sylvia is also a member of the National Honor Society this year through Sandpoint High. After high school, Sylvia plans to attend college to earn her Bachelor's in Science of nursing, following that with her certification in midwifery.

Here are a few things people are saying about Mr. Tigert:

• Mr. Tigert is a really cool guy, he's great at his job and loves to teach his subject, he also has no problems with helping kids with their own problems during his free time.
• Mr. Tigert is incredibly nice and likable, and he does an incredible job of understanding what students at SHS go through and how to make his classroom enjoyable while also balancing the learning environment.
• Mr. Tigert is one of my favorite teachers, he is trust worthy, and is AMAZING! When I walk into class it feels like I can talk to him about anything and he is super cool and has your back about everything. He tries his best to work hard for his students everyday, and helps his students as much as he can. He won't judge you for anything and will help and listen to you if you want to talk to him about anything. He is the BEST!!!! Mr. Tigert teaches health; congratulations Chase!

Congratulations to Polina Lambert SHS February student of the month. Polina was nominated by teacher Becky Haag who had this to say about her, "Polina is a kind soul and positive contributer to our class. She is also exceptionally dilegent wiith an incredible work ethic. She works extra hard on everything she does. Polina is a wonderful addition to the class, and I am sure her other teachers would agree."

Other students nominated were, Jorden Tyler, Harrison Giles, Grayson Kinman, Gage McElroy, Jordan Guercio, Allison Petro, Ashlei Hawkins, Caleb Hunsinger and Travis Walker. You are all awesome!

Everyday Physics & Chemistry built and tested bridges. The winning bridge held 186.5 lbs!

Sandpoint's Academic Decathlon team completed their final home meet on February 8th in preparation for the state competition which will be held in March in Rexburg at BYU-Idaho. Preliminary analysis of student and team scores appear to put us poised to do very well at the state level again this year, continuing our tradition of excellence. We are permitted to bring 18 students and a full team has 9 students. We will be competing at the state competition with three incomplete teams due to student scheduling conflicts, but we are confident one of our teams will be able to qualify for the National Competition in May.

We are also starting to recruit for next year, so please consider taking Academic Decathlon and being a part of our stellar program. There is no GPA minimum to participate and all are welcome. The course earns an honors Humanities credit and you would get to be a part of a great group of students learning valuable skills that will benefit them for college and adulthood!

Great things are happening as we are in year two of the SHS Library re-birth. Popularity in the library has never been better. We easily average over 100 students coming into the library each day beyond the two learning success classes we host. Students are enjoying the many positive changes to the space, finding it to be a warm, fun and welcoming environment. Students are coming in daily to socialize, study, eat, access technology or even check out a good book!

Some of the highlights of the library improvements include:

• Brand new furniture! We have added a large sectional couch along with some comfortable chairs for students to relax, socialize or study in comfort. We also added cafe style tables and large round tables. The cafe tables are near our large windows allowing students to soak in some sun or catch a glimpse of a passing seagull. These items are great for collaborating or eating lunch together. Students can also plug in their chromebooks and get a charge for their next class. We also added all new chairs for the existing tables replacing the worn out pieces that we had. I would be remiss if I didn’t thank PAFE for granting us the funding to make the new furniture possible! The students are loving it!

• We have been working on expanding our book inventory. So far this year we have purchased close to 100 books. Our book selection was outdated and we needed to find books to appeal to our current students. Our ultimate goal is to encourage a love of reading and having the right books is vital. We have been working with The East Bonner County Library to create a strong connection and to help us bring in popular books for our students. We also allow students to request books and have used survey results to aid in our selection process.

• We are excited that we have our 3D Printer up and running. I was able to purchase this last year from an Idaho Lottery grant. Some helpful students have it running and have printed some cool projects.

• We continue to work on our online “presence.” We have an SHS Library website https://sh.lposd.org/library and Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/shsprogrum/ Check them out! When you click on these you will see we like to have a little fun! We definitely do not take ourselves too seriously.

I would like to conclude by thanking everyone for all of the help as we continue to improve and grow. Jake Palaniuk (JP) who is our Attendance Specialist, works from the library. He has been a big help in creating the current environment that students enjoy. He has also helped with many aspects of what we do each day. I also want to thank my amazing TA’s this year. Zella Lopez, Clara Campbell, Grayson Kinman, and Taylor Mire are fantastic.They laugh at most of our jokes and don’t mind putting in some hard work to help us get things done. They all have their strengths and I really enjoy working with them! ~ Derek Dickinson

Have you purchased a yearbook yet? The school year is going to be over before you know it and you don't want to miss an opportunity to buy a yearbook before they sell out! Cost is $75. Get one today!

Pay the bookkeeper; yes we take cards, Apple Pay, checks, and cash! Payments over the phone too!

Teagan's wrestling coach, Valerie Johansen, had this to say about her, "Teagan is a natural leader both on and off the mat, consistently giving 100% to everything she commits to. As the 145 lbs District I & II Champion and a 2025 State Qualifier, she demonstrates unparalleled dedication and skill. Teagan proudly represents her school, sport, and community with honor and integrity." Congratualtions Teagan, you are a great student athlete, and we appreciate you!

The Sandpoint Dance Team clinched the Districts Championship on February 15, 2025, with the lowest total ordinal score. They secured 1st place in both the kick and military categories. Their impressive performance earned them a spot at the state competition on March 1, 2025, at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa, ID. The team took three routines to state: kick, military, and hip hop. They were excited to represent Sandpoint at the state level.

Coaches Frances Clark and Mikah Little expressed immense pride in the team's achievements. "We are incredibly proud of what the team has accomplished. Their hard work, unity, and love for dance have truly paid off," they said. As the team prepared for the state, the community rallied behind them.

Has your residency changed since enrollment? If so, please complete this quick survey:

If students have ever attended the District, even if they have been gone for a while, they need to follow enrollment registration instructions for "Returning Students."

Discuss Solutions to Rising Levels of Anxiety and Depression Among Youth

Please plan on attending the district's informative parent education forum March 18 at 5:30 pm. The district will lead an exploration of the influential book The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Caused an Epidemic of Mental Illness. Presenters will delve into the dangers of social media, the role of cellphones in the classroom (or not) and much more. Copies of the book will be awarded as door prizes. Free dinner and childcare will be provided.