Groundhog Gazette

Happy New Year 2025!! I am happy to celebrate the new year, and new semester this school year!! We are looking forward to having your students back on Tuesday, January 7th. I hope each of you are having a restful and meaningful time with your family during this winter break. As we start the 2nd semester, please look at the key dates and reminders below.

Amity Instagram

Be sure to follow @amityelem on Instagram this school year!

Jan 6 - No School - Staff Workday

Jan 7 - Students return to school

Jan 7- First day of Boys basketball practice 4-5 pm

Jan 10 - Report Cards sent home

Jan 20 - No School: Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Feb 17 - President's Day - No School

Feb 21 - Amity PTA BINGO Night

All report cards should be coming home with your student on January 10th. If you do not receive one, please reach out to your child's teacher directly.

At Amity Elementary, the safety and welfare of our students and staff are our highest priority. We practice safety drills throughout the year, with monthly evacuation drills and earthquake drills annually, to help our staff and students know what to do in the event of an emergency. At approximately 9:45 AM on January 16, Amity Elementary, in conjunction with Ada County Sheriff’s and Boise Police Department will conduct a school-wide lockdown drill.

Our school and school district works with local first responders (Boise Police, Ada County Sheriff, Boise Fire, Ada County Paramedics, etc.) to correctly develop and implement safety procedures. The goals of drills throughout the school year are to improve our ability to protect students, save lives, and reduce injuries. Additionally, these drills provide opportunities for students and staff to increase knowledge of situational awareness and how to respond in the event of an emergency. These practice drills also allow us to evaluate our emergency operation plans and improve our response skills.

Prior to January 16th’s drill you may choose to talk with your child(ren), if you deem it appropriate, about the drill. Our goal, while practicing important safety procedures, is to be sure all students and staff feel safe.

If you have any questions or need further information, please do not hesitate to call us. We thank you in advance for your cooperation and support in this matter.

The deadline for new Open Enrollments is right around the corner. February 1st, 2025 is when the online application is available for the 25-26 school year. If your student is currently Open Enrolled with us (does not live in the Amity boundary), it is time to touch base with the office and let us know your plans for the 25-26 school year. There is no longer an Open Enrollment Continuation form to fill out.

We wish you a healthy and happy start to 2025! Students have been learning the importance of increasing fruits and vegetables in their diets during health lessons. Having to-go bags of cut up fruit or veggies in the fridge are a great way to get the recommended 4-5 servings a day.

The Central District Health Department will be coming to Amity January 28th for dental screening and fluoride treatment. You will be receiving a form to OPT-IN to this free program.

Please contact Tasha Hussman, RN for any questions or updates about your child’s health.

tasha.hussman@boiseschools.org or 208-854-6956.

Please review BSD’s illness guidelines for deciding when to send your child to school if feeling unwell: Boise School District Illness Procedure

Welcome back great Groundhogs! As we begin a new quarter our GRIT focus will be on Independence and Integrity. Last quarter we earned 595 GRITs and surpassed our goal of 550! Ending the quarter we enjoyed a school wide movie day. Our focus for the next quarter is on the letter 'I' of GRIT (Integrity & Independence). We are wanting students to show integrity and independence in the classroom, lunchroom, hallways, and playground areas. Some examples include, cleaning up trash and putting away equipment that isn’t yours. Keep working hard Groundhogs!

• Second Quarter/Semester PE Grades:

• Standard 1-Demonstrates skilled movement and movement knowledge.

• Volley Skills

• Movement Skills

• Standard 2-Understands a physically active lifestyle and personal fitness.

• Participation

• Instagram @groundhogpe

Thank you to all who attended the 3rd and 4th grade winter performance, and the Band/Orchestra/Choir performance. If you weren’t able to make it, we know you support music at home - and that makes a difference! Choir families - we have our quad concert at Borah High School the evening of February 20, 2025! There will be pizza, a short clinic, and then a performance. More information and the 2025 spring choir rehearsal schedule will be sent home in January. Amity's next class performance will be right before spring break. 5th and 6th grade will be presenting the Lion King, Jr. on Thursday, March 13th. There will be 2 identical shows at 10:30 AM & 2:30 PM. Please email Mrs. Bailey with any questions. Thank you to everyone who has donated items for the musical!

Spring is a busy time for the PTA and we are looking for volunteers to help plan the events below. Many hands make light work and we need more hands!

• BINGO Night: Feb 21, 2025

• Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week: May 5-9, 2025

• Amity Field Day: May 16, 2025

Please email us if you are interested in helping.

We are also looking for a few people to serve on the PTA board next year. If you are interested or have questions about serving on the board, please reach out to Molly.