Goal 1. Increase the academic achievement of all students. The goal is to see 60% or more of our students reach grade-level ability in Language Arts. The goal is to see 45% or more of our students reach grade-level ability in Math. The goal is to see 62% or more of our students reach grade-level ability in Science.
Midyear Results: 58% of the students performed at or above grade level in ELA.
28% of the students performed at or above grade level in Math.
63% of our K -3 students showed early literacy proficiency.
Analysis: The staff and students are on track to meet or exceed the end of year achievement goals!
Goal 2. Expand the college and career readiness of our students. The goal is to see a 90% - 100% graduation rate and an 85% college-career readiness rate.
Midyear Results: 22% of the high school students demonstrate proficiency or above in Math
51% of the high school students demonstrate proficiency or above on ELA.
Social Studies and Science: Over 80% of the students have a passing grade with a C or higher.
Analysis. The staff and students are on on track to meet or exceed college and career readiness for students!
Goal 3. Provide a safe, healthy, and inviting environment for all students.
The goal is to have 75% or more of our students feel safe and connected to school.
Midyear Results. Halfway through the year, at least 65% of our students felt respected and connected to school.
Analysis. The staff are on track in creating a place where even more students feel safe and connected to school.
Goal 4. Improve communication between the school district and the community. The goal is to increase family engagement through different information platforms (i.e., newsletters, district/school websites, and the district/school Facebook pages). The goal is also to increase the number of parent and family events (i.e., parent conferences, college night, etc.)
Midyear Results. There has been an increase in the number of information platforms used and views.
The new CTE Shop is under construction. The new shop will house an auto-repair shop and a forestry shop. The contractors have rerouted the water lines, the electrical wires, and the wi-fi cable. The contractors have also upgraded the goal trail/stairway. Furthermore, the construction team has begun excavation to lay the foundation.
There are several ways to stay connected to the "happenings" in St. Maries Joint School District.
- The monthly District-Corner is published in the Gazette (the first Wednesday of each month in the back section).
- The monthly Superintendent eNewsletter
- The School and District-wide weekly Facebook posts
- The School and District websites, especially the calendar found on the front pages
- The Staff of the Month is published in the Gazette (the last Wednesday of each month)
- Weekly Wednesday Gazette articles covering different topics relevant to the School District
The Regular School Board Meetings are now being broadcasted through this link: https://www.youtube.com/@SD41YouTube/streams
The following Regular School Board Meeting will be held on Monday, February 10, 2025.
A Special Board Meeting on Policy Review will be held on Monday, February 24, 2025
Although St. Maries Joint School District recognizes the importance of technology in the educational setting. Electronic communication devices, like cell phones, pose a significant distraction to the learning environment. A growing body of evidence suggests that student access to cell phones and other electronic communication devices can be detrimental to students' well-being and academic success. Therefore, the use of electronic communication devices at school is prohibited, unless otherwise noted in this policy.
The Board adopts this policy to place safety controls on the use of student-owned electronic devices at school. The Board's priority is that all students are engaged in learning without distraction.
By placing limits on the permissible use of such electronic devices, the Board intends to:
1. Promote student safety;
2. Support staff in maintaining a school environment that is safe and focused on academic learning;
3. Promote responsible technology use;
4. Prevent cyberbullying
5. Mitigate privacy concerns; and
6. Optimize instructional time
The policy shall apply to any electronic device not issued by the District and that is capable of accessing the internet or sending an electronic message to another device.
Definitions
Devices: All personal electronic communication devices including, but not limited to, the following personal devices and accessories used for communication and entertainment: cell phones, smartphones, smartwatches, earbuds, headphones, video recording devices, personal digital assistants (PDA), iPods, iPads, laptop computers, tablet computers and other similar electronic devices.
School day: From the official school start time to the end of the day, school dismissal, including class periods, passing periods, free periods, lunch periods, recess, and assemblies.
During the School Day
Students must keep their devices powered off, out of sight, and not on their person (in PK - 8 grade) while on school campuses for the duration of the school day. Each school’s procedures will determine where students shall keep devices during the school day, such as in a separate backpack, bag, locker, cubby, purse, a designated location in the classroom, etc.
Restrictions on Location of Use
Students are prohibited from using their device as defined above.
1. During class time
2 During passing periods (PK -8)
3. During lunch (PK - 8)
4. At school activities during the school day (i.e. a school assembly)
5. In bathrooms, locker rooms, or changing rooms.
Students are permitted to use cell phones in the following times and locations:
1. Before and after school;
2. At school activities outside of school hours;
3. During passing periods and lunchtime for the high school only
Any use of an electronic device required by a student's 504 Plan, medical plan authorized by a licensed physician, or Individualized Plan (IEP) shall be permitted.
Students may use a personal electronic device in the case of an emergency to contact help. In this policy, an emergency is an event that poses an immediate threat to the health or safety of any person or a risk of damage to property. If a student needs to use a personal electronic device in such an emergency, they should ensure they are in as safe a location as is feasible.
If a student’s parent/guardian or their designee needs to contact a student in the case of an emergency at a time when student cell phone use is not permitted, the school staff should bring the student to the office to speak with the parent/guardian or designee by phone or in-person.
To be clear, students may use district-issued devices (i.e. Chromebooks) during the school day.
Consequences
If a student’s device is visible, stored on their person, or turned on during the school day, the following will happen:
1. For the first violation, the device will be confiscated by a St. Maries Joint School District No. 41 employee and may be retrieved from the school's front office by the student at the end of the school day.
2. For the second violation, the device will be confiscated by a St. Maries Joint School District No. 41 employee and may be retrieved from the school's front office by the student’s parents or guardian at the end of the school day.
3. For the third violation, the student cannot have the device during the school day. TThe school uses a check-in and check-out system.
Communication with the Parent or Guardian
A parent or guardian should not expect to communicate directly with their children using their devices during classtime. In case of an emergency, a parent or guardian can always reach the school’s main office. St. Maries Joint School District No. 41 knows there will be times when a student needs to utilize a telephone during the day. St.
Maries Joint No. District No. 41 also knows that there will be certain conditions or situations where an individualized plan will permit the use of a cell phone.
Conduct
Students may not use devices (nor district-issued devices) in any manner that disrupts the educational environment, violates student conduct rules, or violates the rights of others. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Using any devices (or district-issued devices) to take photographs in locker rooms or bathrooms.
- Cheating
- Creating, sending, sharing, viewing, receiving, or possessing an indecent visual depiction or non-consensual dissemination of private sexual images (i.e., sexting).
- Inappropriate use of any devices (or district-issued devices) at other school activities or events, on or off campus, either during or outside the school day.
Responsibility
SMSD 41 is not responsible for the loss, theft or damage to any device brought to school. If the device is confiscated for a violation of the SMSD 41 policy and/or procedures, the district and its employees shall not be responsible for safekeeping, loss, or damage.
This policy will be strictly and fairly enforced by all district personnel.
Understand that each building currently restricts where and when to use a cell phone during the day. For PK–8, the phones are not to be used in the school building. For high school students, phones should not be used in the classroom. Refer the school's student handbook to read more detail.
To be clear, students use district-issued devices (i.e., Chromebooks) during the school day.
In case of an emergency, parents/guardians can always reach the school's main office. SD 41 knows that there will be times or situations when a student needs to utilize the school phone or cell phone during the day.
The policy goes to the Board for its second read and amendment on February 10, 2025
SMSD works to establish a place where students are safe and secure and feel special and important. SMSD reaches out to families and the community to work in partnership as we provide a safe place and a quality education where we teach the necessary skills and knowledge so our children can be productive and successful citizens.
The school district has many good people, staff, students, and parents, making the school district a good place. You can click on the link to see a list of strategies used to support behavior, mental stability, training for staff, and security features for the buildings.
Below you will see a little extra message from each school grade span:
The Middle School and their family outreach:
Strategies to help your child be less forgetful:
Time Management strategies for middle school students: https://www.care.com/c/time-management-tips-for-middle-school-students/
The High School and their focus on job-related readiness: The juniors and seniors readied themselves for job interviews on Friday, January 31. The upper-level students wrote resumes, investigated jobs, and simulated interviews.
UpRiver School and Heyburn Elementary and their focus on student connectivity. The elementary schools used their morning meeting time to remember that each student is a part of a team.
