Secondary students return to in-person instruction 4 days a week starting Monday
Middle and high school students will go back to attending school in person four days a week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday) beginning Monday, February 1, the first day of the second semester of the school year. Wednesdays will remain a remote learning day for all students in the District.
This change was approved January 20 by our Board of Trustees. The board’s decision was based on a favorable trend in COVID-19 activity, with a lower prevalence of virus transmission in our school populations.
We will proceed cautiously through the remaining weeks of winter as we monitor the number of cases among students and staff in all of our schools. If needed, we will make adjustments to a school’s operating status, on a case-by-case basis. That may include temporary closure of a building if a large segment of the student or staff population is absent after testing positive for COVID-19.
Replacement of 2-year school levy is on the March 9 ballot
Our 2-Year local levy supports a wide variety of instructional programs and other services in our school district. The levy provides $20 million a year, which is 25% of the district’s annual operating budget.
NO INCREASE IN THE LEVY: We are not asking voters to increase the levy. The district is seeking voter approval to replace the current levy with a new 2-year levy of the same amount.
Levy dollars allow us to bridge the gap between funding provided by the state and the cost of meeting the educational expectations of our community. Our local levy ensures our students continue to receive quality education in a safe and supportive environment.
Voters have approved our local levy continuously since 1986. The current levy will expire at the end of June 2021.
Learn more about our local levy on our website.
It's easy to request your absentee ballot for March 9
If you are registered to vote in Idaho, just point your phone camera at this QR code below to enter your ballot request form.
The deadline to request your ballot for the March 9 election is February 26. Or visit idahovotes.gov.
IMPORTANT DATES
Feb. 12 - Deadline to register to vote in the March 9 election.
Feb. 26 - Last day to request absentee ballot for March 9 election.
March 9 - Levy Election Day
You may hear your student mention zones of regulation. What are they talking about?
A MESSAGE FROM YOUR SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING TEAM: Welcome to the second half of the school year, families!
We know the first semester was challenging and called upon our best efforts to manage stress and support one another from a distance. We have continued to be impressed by our students' resilience in the face of pandemic schooling changes, including their willingness to learn about themselves and how to best cope with each changing circumstance.
In an effort to increase our students' self-awareness and self-management skills, we spent time teaching students and staff ways to communicate emotional changes, stress levels and feelings of overwhelm. You may hear your students talking about Zones of Regulation. This is a quick tool to help us identify how stress is impacting our functioning, and it's useful for all ages.
In the Zones Model, students use the above poster and associated colors to describe their emotions. Each color represents different emotions and states of regulation:
Blue: In the blue zone, students might identify as sad, tired or feeling “low”
Green: In the green zone, students are calm and ready to learn.
Yellow: In the yellow zone, students may feel emotional or identify being a little stressed. Being in the yellow zone is sometimes a good thing and the result of being challenged. We encourage students to identify when they are in the yellow zone, and teach them to persevere and return to the green zone with a calming strategy.
Red: In the red zone, students identify feelings of being overwhelmed or stressed and work to regulate their emotions so they can re-engage in learning.
We hope you enjoy learning about Zones of Regulation from your student and sharing with the whole family! It is a great way to communicate how we are feeling and name emotions to tame them.
As always, stay healthy and safe!
School Board begins planning process for superintendent search
The board will meet with the search team on Wednesday, Feb. 3, at 5 PM to begin outlining the search process to occur over the next couple of months.
SRO spotlight: Jacob Proctor, Lakes Middle School
Officer Proctor says the best part of his job is the direct impact he can have on kids. "I get a chance to influence the students I work with and hopefully change any negative experiences/perspectives some have of police officers," he explains.
"I have an open door and often invite the kids in to talk with them. I love being the person they run to as opposed to running from. Students also recognize me outside of the school and often seek me out to check in and fill me in on how things are going for them."
In his down time, Proctor likes to spend time with his own kids, play golf and coach basketball. He has coached for about 12 years and currently is coaching the 8th grade boys team at Lakes.
"We are very fortunate in the Coeur d'Alene School District. Your child's safety, along with their education, is clearly a priority to the community and the district. To have dedicated officers in all of the middle and high schools is a testament to that commitment. The SROs are not just police officers. We double as administrators, counselors, teachers, mentors, coaches, custodians and so on."
Sources of Strength Virtual Run set for Spring Break
Participants will set their own routes and pace, working toward a goal of covering 10 miles during the week: walking, running, using a wheelchair, hiking. All ages are welcome to participate!
This event allows our community to promote healthy and happy living on behalf of our local youth. Participation is free for anyone 18 and younger. Pariticpating adults are asked to sign up for a $10 fee. In addition, event T-shirts will be sold for $20 each. All proceeds from the Color Run will go directly to our secondary schools in support of the student-led Sources of Strength programs.
Through Sources of Strength, students from all walks of life create a culture within their school that empowers change through diversity and compassion. This dynamic club is student-led and assists in helping all students find their personal strength through a message of hope, health and strength.
Our students are doing phenomenal things at their schools, from a focus on healthy activities and finding a mentor, to being thankful and encouraging greatness within our peers.
College Board hosts Big Future Days
College Board is hosting BigFuture Days - virtual events for high school students to connect directly with college admissions representatives and take action on the most important steps for college.
What to Expect
- Explore colleges in a way that’s not overwhelming, and show them you're interested.
- Take action on key college planning steps like searching for colleges and exploring careers and majors.
- Listen, learn, and participate in live Q&A and online chat with admissions representatives and current students who have been through it all.
- Download college planning resources, and drop in with questions for a college adviser.
Learn more at https://pages.collegeboard.org/big-future-days
Virtual college fairs begin this weekend
Hear about student life, majors and programs, financial aid, scholarships and more, plus ask questions and text chat. Sign up now for free at virtualcollegefairs.org and start exploring. Families invited, too.
Free suicide prevention training available
In partnership with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, the State Department of Education is providing free online suicide prevention training through the Idaho Lives Project and the QPR Institute.
These trainings are intended for any adults in District 271 who interact with youth or young adults. This may include teachers, administrators, school staff, parents/guardians, grandparents, coaches, law enforcement, juvenile justice, clubs, and youth group staff.
After completing this form, you will be directed to the QPR Institute website to complete the course registration process.
The QPR Gatekeeper course is taught in a clear, concise format using the latest in educational technology and practices. The course takes about one hour to complete.
Key components include:
- How to Question, Persuade and Refer someone who may be suicidal
- How to get help for yourself or learn more about preventing suicide
- The common causes of suicidal behavior
- The warning signs of suicide
- How to get help for someone in crisis
Let us know when your student tests positive for COVID-19
If your student receives a positive lab result for COVID-19, we ask that you notify us immediately. This information will remain confidential, and will assist our school nursing staff in determining if other students or adults may have been exposed. You may be contacted by a registered nurse from the School District.
Please fill out and submit the form found HERE.
Even if the student was not present in school before they showed symptoms or began an isolation period at home, please let us know if they have tested positive so that our health and attendance records are complete.
Check our Family calendar for key dates in the school year
Have you downloaded a copy of the 2020-21 family calendar? It's available HERE.
As usual, February includes two NO SCHOOL days: Friday, February 12, is a staff flex day, which is time off in compensation for professional development or training time at other points in the school year. Monday, February 15, is a national holiday, Presidents' Day.
Looking ahead, Spring Beak is March 29-April 2.
Stay Connected
Email: info@cdaschools.org
Website: www.cdaschools.org
Location: 1400 N. Northwood Center Court
Phone: (208) 664-8241
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cdaschools
Twitter: @cdaschools