June, 2025
Dear Bulldog Students, Families, and Friends,
As we approach the final stretch of the 2024-2025 school year, I want to take a moment to celebrate our successes and share exciting updates from Sandpoint High School. This has been a remarkable year, and our students continue to inspire us with their achievements and dedication.
We are incredibly proud of our Aca Deca team who placed 2nd in the nation! SHS Track and Tennis teams captured individual titles for their outstanding performances at the recent state championships. From captivating band and choir concerts to stunning art displays, our fine arts students have showcased their creativity and talent. We look forward to tonight’s Drama Oscars—please join us in celebrating their hard work.
To our graduating seniors and their families, thank you for your unwavering support throughout this journey. Your grit and dedication have been inspiring. As our seniors prepare to step into their next chapter, their class motto, Thrive in 2025, reminds us all of their strength and potential.
Looking Ahead: Enrollment and Flex Fridays
If your student will be returning to SHS next year, please complete the enrollment verification process. We will be releasing schedules once we have received your updated information and ensure their spot is secured for the fall.
Starting in October 2025, we are introducing Flex Fridays! Eligible students have the opportunity for flexible learning days 1-2 times per month by meeting these criteria:
Academic Standing: 75% or higher in all classes.
Attendance: Better than 90% attendance with fewer than three tardies per week.
Behavior: No office referrals.
Parent Permission: Signed approval required.
Flex Fridays will provide on track students the opportunity to extend learning and allow for independent study time outside the SHS halls. A regular early-release Friday schedule with additional supports for intervention, college prep, or students needing access to their teachers will be provided. We are excited to recognize students’ hard work and responsibility with increased flexibility to pursue interests within our community. Please see the calendar and links below outlining these dates.
At SHS, our mission is to inspire a culture of learning that inspires students to reach their full potential. Thank you for trusting us to provide a rigorous, supportive, and challenging education. If you have any questions or input, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me, our administrative team, counselors, or teachers.
As we finish this school year strong, we look forward to an even brighter 2025-2026 school year together.
With Bulldog Pride,
Principal Jacki Crossingham
We are incredibly proud of our spring athletes for their outstanding achievements this season, showcasing dedication, teamwork, and Bulldog pride. In tennis, Pepper Rickert defended her state championship title for the second consecutive year, while Aubrey Knowles and Amelia Poulsen placed 6th overall. The girls' team also earned an impressive 3rd place at state. In track and field, Jetta Thaete broke the state record in Javelin and claimed the state championship, while Maverick Gomez shattered the school record in the 200m to take 1st place. Damian Porter and Matthew Kunde both secured 3rd place in Discus, and Noah Roark tied for 6th, demonstrating our strength across the board.
As we celebrate these successes, we’re excited to look ahead to the 2025–2026 school year. Online sports registration for all seasons will open next week through Big Teams—please check the SHS website for details. Thank you for your continued support of our athletes, who embody excellence both on and off the field. Go Bulldogs!
Amelia Cerise
Amelia Cerise is a highly motivated and outdoorsy senior at Sandpoint High School who enjoys hiking, camping, skiing, and spending time with her family and friends. Known for strong academics, Cerise has been on the Honor Roll all four years of high school and has maintained an unweighted GPA of 3.98. With this unweighted GPA, she ranks 23rd in her class of over 200 seniors. She will graduate high school with High Honors and is due to attend Montana State University in the fall to study Geospatial and Environmental Analysis.
Bryce Tyburski
Bryce is a senior at Sandpoint High School with a GPA of 4.38. His class rank is 7th, and he is the treasurer of the National Honor Society. Since his Freshman year, he has worked at Winter Ridge Natural Foods in the Deli. Outside of school, he enjoys hiking, skiing, traveling, and learning languages. In the fall, Bryce will attend the University of Chicago and focus on astrophysics and Spanish. He hopes to eventually receive a PhD in astrophysics and become a researcher.
Allison Sletager
Allison is a new addition to our staff and she has proven herself as an essential member of the team, she took on the role as yearbook advisor and is a member of the staff leadership team, along with teaching 9th grade English and 12th grade AP English!
These are comments students had about Ms. Sletager.
- She creates a bond with all of her students and it is clear that she really cares about us. She is also so funny and creates the best classroom environment. I have learned a lot in her class and wish that I could have her as a teacher again next year!
- Ms Sletager is such a great English teacher! She makes English so much more enjoyable than it otherwise would normally be. I think she is one of the best English teachers I have ever had, and I love her sense of humor.
- I always feel welcome in her class. She is good at connecting with her students, promoting an overall safe and educational environment.
Congratulations to Elizabeth Storms our SHS May student of the month. Elizabeth's English teacher Allison Sletager nominated her and had this to say. "Elizabeth is a very kind, respectful, bright, and hardworking student and athlete. When she sets her sights on reaching a goal she does everything in her power to achieve it. She is an amazing asset to Monticola and I can't wait to work with her for another two years!"
Other students recognized were Maki Norris, Poppy Howard, Keeton Day, Kate Gregory, Isaac Jordan, Bradye Bohm and Gage Martin. All of you are awesome and we appreciate you!
Jacob Dawson
Jacob has been a force on the tennis team for the past 3 years. He’s a very hard worker and a technician of the game. His hard work & dedication has resulted in some of the cleanest strokes we’ve seen in the District! His dedication to being “the best” has been a motivating influence to the entire team! It has been a joy coaching Jacob over the years & he will be missed as he moves on to his college experience!
The high school Aerospace class went on a field trip to get a tour of the Empire Airlines in CDA. The company is in the business of overnight cargo all over our country. They contract with FEDEx and other transportation suppliers. While piloting is one part of the business, Empire also converts passenger planes into cargo planes and has a full repair and maintenance shop. Our students heard from their head of maintenance, the chief pilot, dispatch and got a full tour of the conversion and maintenance hanger. We got a first hand glimpse of so many of the various careers in aviation in just one stop!
Students in International Relations were tasked with bringing one of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals to Sandpoint. One group developed an incentive program for elementary students to stay active, get outside, and stay off screens throughout the summer. This group met with Dr. Meyer and LPOSD's elementary school principals to flesh out the details.
Another group looked into how our community's veterans are able to access their VA benefits. They met with area veterans and employees of the VA to develop a plan to educate veterans on the benefits available to them, and also started a website with hopes to begin to inspire other community members to help educate veterans as well.
