Deadline is October 16 to submit your application
There's still plenty of time left to apply to be part of our first-ever Student Advisory Group. This new committee of students from grade second through high school seniors will provide our Board of Trustees and District leadership insights into what students think about their schools, the school district, and the decisions made on their behalf.
Students should have a voice in how the school district provides for student learning, and how schools can be improved. This is an opportunity to work directly with the Superintendent and District administrators, and to collaborate to help provide solutions to issues most important to students.
Students selected to be part of the advisory group will meet regularly during the school year to discuss their interests, priorities and ideas for improving schools and student learning. Representatives of the group will provide students in their schools with updates about School Board activities, and the Student Advisory Group chairperson will represent the group’s views to the School Board.
Interested in applying to be part of the first-ever Student Advisory Group for Coeur d'Alene Public Schools? Please visit our Student Advisory Group web page at https://www.cdaschools.org/sag. There you will find an application form, or your student can pick one up at their school office. Completed applications should be returned to your school office by the close of business this Friday.
Calendar update: Oct. 14 is a school day for all grades
The fall SAT day was changed some time ago (it's now October 28), and the family calendar was updated on our website. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE NEW VERSION OF OUR FAMILY CALENDAR. Some families may have downloaded the previous version of the family calendar over the summer, and we understand there may be confusion over whether students in Grades 9-11 attend school on October 14.
For the record, October 14 is a normal school day for students in all grades. (Don't forget it's late-start Wednesday!)
October 28 is our fall SAT day for seniors, and there will be no school that day for students in grades 9, 10 and 11.
What to know before you attend a game or event
If you plan to attend a game or event in the school district, please remember that attendees must comply with district regulations and procedures, especially in response to the coronavirus pandemic. We want to take an opportunity to review our regulations for attendees now that we are in the yellow category of risk:
- Wearing a mask or social distancing (6 feet of separation) is required
- Event capacity is limited
- Grandstand seating is limited to alternating rows
- Some events will be live streamed and available to view for a fee
We appreciate having a supportive community that attends school events and want to continue to have events that keep our community and students safe and healthy. If we are unable to maintain our procedures with spectators at school events, we will have to enforce further restrictions on attendance. This can include, but is not limited to:
- Tighter capacity restrictions
- Pre-purchased tickets only
- Booster ticket holders and immediate family members only
- Immediate family only
- No spectators
Please make sure to be aware of the categorical procedures for the events you attend and follow the safety requirements. We look forward to seeing you at our activities and appreciate your partnership in keeping our students and families safe.
Magnet School policies for public review and comment
The Board of Trustees is considering two new policies related to the District's magnet schools. One addresses how magnet schools are created and maintained. The second addresses magnet school enrollment standards, and includes model procedures.
The board had a first reading of these policies on October 5, and the revisions are now out for public review. Comments are due by 5 PM on October 26. Comments will be shared with the Board prior to the Board's second reading and scheduled action on November 2.
You may review the proposed policies here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW POLICY 9810 - School Facilities - Creating/Maintaining Magnet Schools
By submitting a public comment, you are consenting to the disclosure of your communication (in full and unredacted) to the official records of the Board of Trustees, and to the posting of such information on the District's website. To be included, the comment must include your first and last name. If you include information that would otherwise be protected (such as education records protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act FERPA), you are consenting to disclosure of the same. Public comments are subject to Idaho’s public records laws.
School Board monthly meeting is November 2
e-school transfer window opens this week
Our eSchool students who wish to transfer back to their affiliated school will be able to submit their request beginning Wednesday, October 14. The transfer request window will close on October 23. The transfer request form and process will be posted on our eSchool website here: https://www.cdaschools.org/eschool
We will inform families of their transfer options the week of November 2, and transfers will take effect November 9. Similar transfer windows will be available at the end of the first semester (January 28) and following Spring Break.
Parent Access for Schoology
As you may know, Coeur d'Alene Public Schools is using Schoology this year as our online learning platform across all grade levels.
We have now turned on Parent Access to Schoology.
To get access, you can go to this website, schoology.com, and click "Sign Up" at the top right, and then choose "Parent." You will then be prompted to enter a code for your student. Codes were sent out last week, but if you can't locate your code, please contact your child's teacher or techhelp@cdaschools.org.
After you paste that in, you'll be prompted to complete your account information. If you have multiple students, you can link them to your account after you log in, using the "Add Child" option in the menu at the top right hand corner. If you're a staff member, and already have an account, please submit a ticket for us to add your child to your account.
You can view a text based guide by clicking here, or a video tutorial by clicking here.
For technical assistance, you can contact techhelp@cdaschools.org. For questions about content or assignments, please contact your child's teachers or principal.
Thanks for your partnership in your child's learning.
Suicide prevention: Free QPR training offered
Idaho Lives is offering free training in the suicide-prevention technique called QPR Gatekeeper training. QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer. QPR Gatekeeper training can be performed by anyone, and it can save a life.
Winter can be a difficult time, and many people in our community suffer from the impacts of isolation, financial stress, and chronic fear. If you'd like to take the free QPR gatekeeper training, or for more information, please visit idaholives.org
School starts 1 hour later on wednesdays
STUDENTS AND FAMILIES: Please remember that school begins one hour later every Wednesday. Bus schedules and morning bells have been adjusted across the District.
The one-hour delay (formerly scheduled on Mondays) provides teachers and other school staff time for collaboration work and professional development. Some of our collaboration topics this fall include COVID-19 response priorities; developing teaching skills and dispositions for high-quality blended and online learning; and building awareness and understanding of our instructional framework, which is one component of our new strategic plan.
Why good students have bad Google results, and how to fix them
Josh Ochs with SmartSocial.com has just released the first video in a 3-part video series on How Good Students Can Fix Bad Google Results ... so they can shine online for their dream college or internship.
Josh helps students take the first steps to:
- Create a portfolio website to help your student to shine online
- Occupy the first page of your student's Google results
- Bury posts that negatively impact your student's online reputation
In the first video you’ll learn all the ways students can start building a positive digital footprint while in middle school and high school. Josh talks about building an online portfolio that shows up as soon as someone types your name into Google.
Keeping tabs on COVID cases in schools
You can keep an eye on the number of students and District staff who are isolating due to a positive COVID-19 test result, and how many are expected to quarantine after being in close contact with them. The information is updated daily on our coronavirus web page: https://www.cdaschools.org/coronavirus
These quarantine and isolation periods are a result of direction from Panhandle Health District and follow guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
When you visit that page, look directly below the information on the current risk level to find our COVID-19 Situation Report. It lists the number of individuals (students and staff) who are currently isolated after testing positive for COVID-19. They remain in isolation until 10 days after the onset of symptoms and 24 hours of being symptom free without the use of medication.
Below that is a table displaying each instance in which the District is informed of a student or staff member who has tested positive for COVID-19. It includes the date the District learned of the positive test result, the building where the student attends or the employee works, and the number of individuals instructed to quarantine as a result of being in close contact with the person who contracted COVID.
Screening for symptoms daily helps keep students in school
One of the most important strategies for controlling the spread of coronavirus in our schools is by doing a quick symptom screener every morning. Please stay home and call in sick if you have any of the symptoms of this virus. Stay home until you have gone 24 hours without symptoms. If you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, the health department direction is to stay home for 14 days.
Please check each student every morning. Take their temperature and ask if they have a sore throat, new cough, diarrhea, vomiting or abdominal pain, or new onset of severe headache.
You can view or download a copy of the student screening handout by clicking here.
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