D91 Employee News

Acting with Courage, Compassion, and Conviction, our guiding values aren’t just for teachers and staff. Students are leading the way in using courage, compassion, and conviction to help their peers through the Hope Squad program.

Hope Squad is a suicide prevention program that involves students helping other students. The members are nominated by other students as trustworthy peers. Hope Squad members receive training from advisors. This training teaches Hope Squad members how to listen to peers and assist them in getting help when needed.

Hope Squads also plan fun activities to help students interact in fun and positive ways. A high school Hope Squad sponsored a Halloween lunch activity where students could wrap their friend up as a mummy using toilet paper. Recently, one of the middle school Hope Squads sponsored a fun musical chairs activity during lunch. There was high student participation and a lot of laughter!

Hope Squads also sponsor activities to help students feel they are accepted and safe at school. Hope Squad members do this by leaving positive, uplifting thoughts or notes on lockers, helping new students navigate their schedules and inviting students who are alone to sit with Hope Squad members during lunch. These activities aren’t limited to students. Hope Squads also write positive notes and leave sweet treats for teachers and staff. Known as “Love Bombs” at Taylorview Middle School, Hope Squad’s acts of kindness help students feel seen and safe at school.

Our Hope Squads are doing incredible things to help create positive and safe cultures at their schools. Thank you to our Hope Squads and their advisors for creating such environments in our high schools and middle schools. Their leadership and efforts to lift others are making a difference every day!

We know the key to increasing student achievement is identifying students who are struggling and implementing interventions that will help them be more successful. To help with this important work, all teachers now have access to a new D/F report that lists students who have a D or an F, grade issues or LCAs.

With our renewed focus on the use of data, especially in PLC collaboration, the new D/F report should provide teachers the information they need to quickly identify students who need help early in the trimester. Principals will be working with teachers to start integrating this data into PLC discussions beginning next week.

The new D/F report is easily accessible in PowerSchool, thanks to a lot of hard work by Tito and our IT team. To access the report, log into the Single Sign ON (SSO) --> Login to PowerTeacher --> Click on Grades and Attd Issues on the left-hand side of the page. If you have questions about the reports, contact the IT Help Desk at ext. 50556.

Congratulations to Shay Ricks! He is D91's newest school board member. He will represent Zone 4, which includes the areas around Dora Erickson, Linden Park and Hawthorne elementary schools.

Ricks beat incumbent trustee Elizabeth Cogliati by 359 votes to 358 votes in the Nov. 7 election. Those results were upheld after an official recount on Nov. 27.

Ricks will be sworn in in January. We look forward to working with him, and thank Elizabeth Cogliati for all her years of service to D91's students, families, teachers and staff.

Sealed bids for CTEC's Skoolie will be accepted through noon on Dec. 7. Students from the Career & Technical Education Center's welding, industrial mechanics and construction programs spent 11 months converting an old school bus into an RV. It has a queen bed, full kitchen with propane fridge, a stove/range, storage and a dining area that can be converted into an additional sleeping area.

Anyone interested in the converted RV can submit a sealed bid to Jessica Swartwood, D91’s Comptroller, at the D91 District Office, 690 John Adams Parkway, Idaho Falls, ID 83401 The minimum bid is $48,000. Learn more about the bid submission process. Those who would like to see the Skoolie, can call CTEC at (208) 525-7549 and make an appointment.

• Oct. 10-Feb. 23: ISAT interim Assessments, Optional Benchmark Assessments (To learn more, contact Thomas Kennedy, D91's Director of Intervention & Support. You can reach him at kennthom@sd91.org)
• Dec. 1-8: iStation District Universal Screener window
• Dec. 6: Try-It-Out Professional Development, Effective Grading Practices K-12 & D91 Structures of Teaching & Learning, 4:15 pm at Compass Academy, Room 204
• Dec. 13: School Board Business Meeting, 5:30 pm, IFHS Library
• Dec. 13: Tyler Visions Training for ALL secretaries, bookkeepers or administrative assistants. Two sessions. 9 am to noon OR 1 to 4 pm (If you haven't signed up or received an invite, plz do so ASAP or check with Jimmy Horsely in IT.)
• Dec. 14: Tyler Visions Training for ALL principals, directors, supervisors or administrators. Two sessions. 9 am to noon OR 1 to 4 pm (If you haven't signed up or received an invite, please do so ASAP or check with Jimmy Horsely in IT.)
• Dec. 15: First Teacher Evaluations Due
• Dec. 18-Jan. 1: Holiday Break
• Jan. 2: First Work Day of 2024
• Jan. 15: Martin Luther King Day
• Jan 15 & Jan. 16: Staff Development/No School For Students

Just a reminder, Jan. 19, 2024, is an Intervention/At-Home Learning day for Idaho Falls and Skyline high school students. Students attending Compass Academy and Career & Technical Education Center will have a regular school day, and D91's shuttles will run on a normal schedule.

The Board of Trustees approved the calendar change to accommodate the Tiger-Grizz Wrestling Tournament. The tournament draws hundreds of wrestlers from around the state, which raised some concerns about safety at IFHS and Skyline.

If you're looking for a new computer or other technology, make sure you take advantage of D91's exclusive HP Computer Discount Program, which offers our teachers and staff significant savings on top-of-the-line HP products.

Through this program, D91 staff can get discounts of up to 35 percent on high-performance laptops, desktops, and accessories. This program is a fantastic opportunity for you to upgrade your personal technology at a special rate.

Click on the "Click Here to Sign Up" green button in the middle of this special webpage to register for the program, and then follow the directions to take advantage of this great deal. If you have questions, call the IT Help Desk at ext. 50556.

The Tyler Drive program is up and running, thanks to great work by our IT, transportation and Theresa Bunker staff!

Parents with children who ride our buses can opt into this program, which will enhance the safety and security of our transportation system by allowing students to scan a card when they board or exit a bus. This will make it easier for transportation staff to monitor the status of students. When the system is fully functional, parents will be able to use the Tyler Drive app to track their children and get updates on pickup time, drop-off times and potential delays.

Theresa Bunker is piloting the program. Students started using their cards this week. We are getting ready to promote signups at Linden Park Elementary, and will gradually roll out this program throughout the district.

If you are a secretary, bookkeeper, admin assistant, principal, supervisor, director or administrator, make sure you've signed up for the upcoming Infinite Visions training. Infinite Visions will replace Skyward on Jan. 2.

The trainings for secretaries, bookkeepers and other office staff is Dec. 13. The training for principals and administrators is Dec. 14. There are two sessions each day -- 9 am to noon OR 1 pm to 4 pm. Pick the session that works best for your schedule. (If you haven't received an email with a link to sign up or an Outlook Invite, please check with Beth Davis or Jimmy Horsely in IT ASAP.)

Infinite Visions is scheduled to go LIVE on Jan 1 for all business functions such as purchasing, accounts payable, budgeting, etc., and for most payroll functions. Phase 2 will take place March 1. It will involve moving from Skyward's True Time system to Infinite Visions' time card system.