March Update

Spring is in the air! As you are aware, we recently surveyed our parent community regarding the potential of building a second high school due to growth in Post Falls. We received 1,465 responses to our survey. While the results were overwhelmingly positive (89% said they would vote “yes” for a second high school) the survey was sent to over 6,400 parents and hundreds of businesses.

On Monday night, I received the board’s permission to continue the conversation about a second high school. It is essential for me to communicate correct information related to Idaho public school funding and the need for an additional high school, so people can make informed decisions. If you are a member of a group/organization and would like me to share information and answer questions, please email me at dena.naccarato@sd273.com or call the district office at 208-773-1658, so I can get you on my calendar.

The proposed high school would be built on property at McGuire and Prairie, and a formal recommendation to the board will be on the agenda in the coming months. Thank you for your input and stay tuned for regular updates.

~ Dena Naccarato, Superintendent

Mike Lancaster is the director of PFSD’s Instructional Technology (IT) Department and is a graduate of NIC’s Computer Information Technology Program. Mike joined the district’s technology team in 2007. Department responsibilities include maintaining the district’s hardware, software, Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), and wireless network; reporting district longitudinal data to the State Department; supporting the Google console for teachers and students; and managing all district security cameras. “Working with staff throughout the district to support technology in the schools, and the ‘family’ atmosphere our district embodies” are the things MIke enjoys most about his job.

In the past five years the school district has made amazing progress in strengthening our network infrastructure by upgrading network switches, re-cabling several schools, and installing new WiFi Access Points in schools. Further, federal stimulus funds allowed the district to purchase thousands of Chromebooks, so all eleven schools are 1:1 with student devices.

Looking toward the future, the IT team has some major projects on the docket. They are in the process of installing wireless access on all school buses. This will allow students filtered internet access to complete school work while being transported to and from school. We are also exploring a future application for parents to track their student’s bus, which will come in handy during inclement weather when delays occur.

• The IT department has received, configured, and distributed over 8,000 Chromebooks in the last two years.
• They have also replaced over 285 Wireless Access Points throughout the district.
• PFSD's wireless network has over 7,000 devices connected to it on a daily basis and is passing an average of 6 terabytes of data.
• The IT department has responded to over 1,300 Helpdesk tickets so far this school year.
• In over twenty years, only one IT tech has left the district. We have a great team!

Starting in 2007, the Reverse Job Fair is an annual event. It prepares high school seniors for marketing themselves to potential employers through classroom instruction and real-world interaction with local business professionals. The Reverse Job Fair is presented by the Post Falls Chamber of Commerce – Business and Education Committee.

High school students present themselves to business professionals at a 2-hour event in late March. Students come prepared to interview with a resume, cover letter, and presentation board. Interview time is approximately 10 minutes. Students are matched to business professionals based on their career interests. The business professionals evaluate each student, and feedback is given to the instructors, which is shared with the students.

How can you help?

• Volunteer on Wednesday, March 23 to interview students (11AM - 1PM)

Location: Real Life Ministries, 1860 N. Cecil Road, Post Falls, ID. For more Information, please contact Christina Petit at christina@postfallschamber.com

or Rana Cantrell at Rana.Cantrell@fib.com

At the end of February, the PFHS Jazz Band students participated in the University of Idaho Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. Through their positivity and respectful behavior, these musicians served as great ambassadors for our school and community. Thirteen schools competed in the D1 large school division, and our PFHS Jazz Band placed 1st. In addition, they were the second highest rated ensemble for the whole festival. Congratulations!

The Blessing Bike purchased by PFSD elementary students was delivered to Greensferry Elementary on Sunday, February 27th. (see photo above) Students in the district raised over $3,400 for the bike, which cost $1,600.

Some of the additional funds will be used to frame military and patriotic-themed artwork created at each of the seven Post Falls elementary schools to be displayed in the veterans home. The remainder will be used to sponsor a residential room at the facility. A gifting ceremony will be held later in the school year.

The $49 million dollar Post Falls Veterans Home is scheduled to open in October 2022 and is located at 1180 Clearwater Loop in the Riverbend Commerce Park, near the Buck Knives facility.

Open enrollment applications are a parent's request for their student to attend a school other than the one for which they are zoned. Per Idaho Code, open enrollments must be requested and approved annually.

Due to growth in the area, it will be unlikely any new out-of-district requests will be approved. In-district applications will be considered on a stringent space-available basis. Parents are responsible for providing transportation to and from school for students who are open enrolled.

Open enrolled students are expected to follow all discipline and attendance policies and regulations. Failure to meet these conditions may result in the revocation of the open enrollment approval. In such an event, the student(s) will return to his/her zoned school.

Forms are available on the district website (link), and hard copies are available at school offices or the district office.

Find Programs. Connect to Services. North Idaho Connections is a robust online search and referral tool that connects individuals with community resources to help meet healthcare and social service needs. Visit their website to find programs and connect to services for:

• Food
• Transit
• Education
• Housing
• Health Care
• Legal
• Goods
• Money
• Work

One of the pieces of Idaho’s new school accountability system is a parent survey. This survey asks for your input on several topics to help measure how our schools are doing in meeting your needs. The survey should take 5-10 minutes to complete, and your responses are anonymous. You can submit your survey until April 1, 2022.

To access the survey, click on this link, and then pick your student’s school from the drop-down menu. If you have students in different schools within our school district, please complete a separate survey for each student.

We will use these survey responses to identify opportunities to maximize satisfaction, engagement, and communication. Additionally, the state will report the results and the number of responses on Idaho’s new school report card.

Thank you for participating in the survey. If you have any questions, please contact your school’s principal.

Post Falls and River City Middle Schools competed in two First LEGO League (FLL) robotics competitions this year. Seven teams participated with four teams winning awards!

The following teams won at the Championship competition on February 12, 2022:

• PFMS Robovets: (2nd Place Champion’s Award) This team excelled in all FLL areas, including Core Values, Innovation Project, Robot performance and Robot design.
• PFMS Spongebots: (1st Place Award for Robot Design) This award highlighted the Spongebots' application of outstanding programming principles and solid engineering practices. Their robot was mechanically sound, durable, efficient and highly capable of performing challenge missions.
• PFMS Gift to Lego: (2nd Place Award for Robot Design)
• RCMS Anti-Thefty Gang: (1st Place in Innovative Solution) The team utilized diverse resources for their Innovation Project which helps them gain a comprehensive understanding of their problem and have a creative, well-researched solution.

Last summer we offered GAP childcare for students enrolled in PFSD. Unfortunately, this year we are not able to provide this service because we are unable to fully staff our summer program. We apologize for the inconvenience.

As you know, summer is fast approaching, and other local summer childcare programs will begin their registration processes soon. For your convenience, we are listing two other Post Falls summer childcare options below.

Please visit their respective websites for summer registration information:

• Boys and Girls Club: summer webpage link (more information coming in April 2022)

• Camp Ka-Mee-Lin day camp: webpage link (registration begins March 14th)

Questions? Contact Christina Magistrale, GAP Manager, at 208-773-5010 or email christina.magistrale@sd273.com

Email: info@sd273.com
Website: https://www.pfsd.com/
Location: 206 West Mullan Avenue, Post Falls, ID, USA
Phone: (208) 773-1658