Sandpoint High School

Dear Bulldog Students, Families, and Friends,

Welcome to November and the last week of the first quarter. I hope all of you have enjoyed this beautiful autumn. As we wrap up Q1 this week, I want to extend a warm welcome to visit with your student’s teachers during conferences on November 15 th and 16th. This is an opportunity to have face to face communication with the educators who spend their days with your young adult. We have planned events during these two days to showcase the talents of some of our SHS students as well. I also have a few tips as we move into November and as we prepare for the remainder of the school year ahead.

Parents - talk to your kids about school. I know this may seem unnecessary for some families now that kids are in HS, but I can tell you from experience that it is one of the single most impactful things you can do to keep them engaged and motivated in school.

• Attend conferences - Students, parents, and teachers who take time to discuss academic progress, attendance, and other expectations are better able to set goals and meet them.

• Talk about grades - and follow up by reviewing their grades with them frequently in Schoology.

• Talk about attendance & tardies - and again, follow up by reviewing their attendance.

• Talk to them about getting involved in clubs, sports, organizations, class opportunities, the college and career center and more - kids who are involved in school beyond their classrooms are typically more successful.

• Talk about their mental health - ask them “How are you feeling?” “What is going well and what is not?” “What things have you stressed, and how do you manage that stress?” “What can I help you with as your parent?”

• Talk about your expectations of them at school - believe it or not, sometimes kids act one way at home and another way at school (or the movies, or Walmart, or the park, etc.). Talk to them about how you want them to behave and engage in class. Simple things such as asking questions when you need help, using in-school Bulldog Time, going to Access* with your teachers, getting to class on time, being kind to others, etc. *Access, in case you did not know, is when students may access their teachers M-Th 2:50-3:20 to get additional help. Use it!

• Talk to them about their future - high school is an amazing time in their lives and ends in the culmination of their K-12 educational career. What’s next? College? Career? Military? It is never too early to start talking to them about it and recommending they visit our Counseling Center to answer any questions they/you may have.

I look forward to seeing you at conferences November 15th and 16th from 4-7 pm.

Sincerely,

Principal Jacki Crossingham

Sandpoint High School Athletics have been on fire this month. As we near the end of the fall season, there has been a lot of hardware handed out to each team. Teams performed well in our IEL district league and we brought some trophies back from the state championship. Our girls won 1st place for Idaho 4A, and the boys soccer took 2nd overall in the 4A Idaho division. Individuals played hard, committed themselves to the team, and faced adversity in life and yet they overcame all of it. I am so grateful for everyone who was able to experience winning on and off the field. We are bringing back Bulldog Pride and I thank you for your support.

Our girls golf team won 3rd place in the state 4A division and Taylor Mire placed 3rd overall in the state. Great job ladies!

Cross Country continues to grind out personal records and they won the district championship as well. Swim will be on the road to the state this weekend. Football is making a name for themselves and we hope to continue the 16 game playoffs each Friday. Cheer continues to support our teams and their competition season is on the horizon.

Believe it or not, basketball and wrestling are right around the corner. Parent meetings are being scheduled and I look forward to meeting each of you there. We will discuss expectations both on and off the field. I am super excited to see you cheering on your athletes.

Please join me in supporting your coaches. They work hard and give their everything. I believe the more we can work together, the better our teams become. See you at the games!

Photo courtesy of Jason Duchow Photography

This award is a tribute to work in and out of the classroom. Students are selected based on characteristics of Scholarship, Service, Leadership, Character and Citizenship and recognized by current and past teachers at Sandpoint High School as well as former recipients of this award.

Heaven Day was chosen as the October CARE Student of the Month. Heaven was nominated by band teacher, Mr. Gordon. He said Heaven is an outstanding student who always has the best attitude in band class. She is very encouraging to others and helps create a positive learning environment. I often catch her helping the freshmen out when they are struggling with different tasks. She does so with such a kind and giving heart. Heaven also sets a very good example for the other students by being prepared for class.

Other students nominated were: Vincent Campos, Jack Landon, Isaac Brown, Casey Higgins, Elizabeth Kluender, Colby Dyk, Kaitlyn Gafney and Jens Lopez. We also celebrated Hannah Harvey as the Coca Cola Athlete of the Month!

Here are a few of the things that students are saying about him:

"His female strength and conditioning is so much fun and he's a great motivator."

"He pushes his classes very hard but also encourages and motivates us to do our best."

"Yarno helps students to become their best selves. Not only does he help varsity athletes, but he also helps those who want to become better."

Life Skills and Spanish IV Honors work together decorating skulls for the Day of the Dead observance.

SHS Interact Club: a Rotary International Youth Organization held a fall gathering and pumpkin carving social on Saturday October 21st. Interact Clubs bring together young people to develop leadership skills while discovering the power of Service Above Self. Find out how serious leadership can be seriously fun.

During the month of November, Interact will be meeting in C1 from 3:00-4:30 each Tuesday to help out Panhandle Alliance for Education with a thank you project for donors. They have 100 wooden ornaments that will be spray painted gold on one side. On the other side, students will draw designs with repeating patterns, such as chevrons, snowflakes, etc. giving it a Christmas sweater look. The project is in cooperation with the Student Council and National Honor Society. Interested in joining a club? Students, all are welcome. Come Get Your Craft On!

From NHS, Emelle Dillon, Saige Smith, Carys Perilloux, Kaitlin Pereira, Phoebe Lang, Larissa Lippert, Elizabeth Craven, Sophia Capodagli, Lily Evans, Everett Gilman, Logan McGrann, Emmett Lowman, and Emmett Lowman, Lane Harris, Fisher Dail, Mary Imaz NHS Advisor, not pictured from NHS Hope Barnes

From Interact Katelyn Abbott, and Alexandra Buhaescu who is part of NHS and Interact.

On October 7th, Sandpoint Esports participated in an Idaho high school esports tournament hosted by Boise State University from our esports lab. They competed in both Overwatch 2 and Valorant events. The Overwatch 2 team, composed of Noah Berrios, Ronan Curto , Delano Daily , Ashton Johnson , and Preston Lemen ended up in 5th place. The Valorant team, composed of Noah Berrios , Ronan Curto , Delano Daily , Madden Perron, and Kole, wound up in 3rd place, beating out a team from Bishop Kelly in a close game at the end.

The esports team is trying to stream all games on Twitch and would like to remind anyone with an Amazon Prime account that they can subscribe at no cost to themselves, while the team gets $2.50 for each subscriber each month. You can check out https://sh.lposd.org/clubs-activities/esports for a how-to.

During the week of October 23-27 all Seniors at SHS had the opportunity to apply to Idaho colleges and universities utilizing the free Apply Idaho application provided by the State Board of Education. Students could choose to apply to all eight institutions or one or two. Counselors also discussed all the options students have after graduation: entering the workforce, joining the military, certification or apprenticeship, 2 year college or 4 year college/university. Seniors who are planning on going to work immediately after graduation were encouraged to work on their resumes and those who are military bound were encouraged to sign up for the ASVAB that is being offered at SHS on Friday Nov. 3. Scholarships were also a big part of Apply Idaho week; students were able to submit applications for both LAUNCH and Idaho Opportunity. There were lots of smiling faces and a very productive time for all!

The SHS Counseling Department will be available during conferences on November 15th & 16th from 4:00-7:00 to help answer questions and help families access the following resources.

Idaho Launch: Our counselors will be available to help answer questions related to the Idaho Launch scholarship (available to all Idaho Seniors) and help families apply for funds!

FSA ID: As we all eagerly await the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which will be available sometime in December, we are ready to help our Senior families create your FSA ID (Federal Student Aid ID). EVERY contributor will need an FSA ID to access the FAFSA. A contributor is anyone who is required to provide information on the FAFSA; that means the student, parent(s), and spouse might all be referred to as “contributors” in the FAFSA form. Our goal is to ensure every contributor creates an FSA ID before the FAFSA becomes available. All contributors will need to set up at least one form of multi-factor authentication. It could be a phone (device), email address, or via an authentication app. To apply for your FSA ID you will need; (1) your social security number, (2) your own mobile phone number or email address.

Schoology: The best way to know how your student is doing in school is to set up your parent account in Schoology. Counselors will be available to help you set up your parent account, provide your parent access code, and customize your notifications.

Scheduling “See Counselor”: If you have a “See Counselor” period on your Semester 2 schedule this means we were not able to schedule you into one of your requested courses. Students with a “See Counselor” are encouraged to stop by the counseling office to amend your schedule!

SHS will hold a special assembly in honor of Veteran's Day on Friday, November 10th

November 15&16 during parent teacher conferences our amazingly talented SHS Art students will be hosting a student art show. Come show your support and enjoy viewing the hours of work these students have into these gorgeous pieces.
Thank you. Zabrielle Dillon -SHS Art teacher

You may have found yourself wondering what is the difference between these two sites. Hopefully this can help!

PowerSchool - is our student management platform where all the important documents, schedules, and attendance are housed. It keeps track of the organization for student records across our district. You can use this site specifically to check your students' attendance! This is where the information comes from if you get a call about a missed class. You can log in and easily check to look for unexcused absences.

Schoology - This is our “Learning Management” site. This is where teachers post assignments and communicate grades, due dates, and also where they comment on assignments. You can log into this site and see a schedule of upcoming assignments, get links to course information, and monitor grades.

***Both of these sites are incredibly helpful to check in frequently with your student. Please contact the office if you need login information, or let us know if you have any questions!

On October 19th, SHS held a Safety Hold drill and participated in the Great American Shake- Out! Staff reviewed with students the safety hold protocol which is linked here and practiced how to protect ourselves during earthquakes. Protect Yourself During Earthquakes.

This month, students in Career Pathways participated in Mock Interviews. Students were able to interact with community members and practice life skills such as effective communication, professionalism, and self-confidence. While refining their interview skills they received constructive feedback and are better prepared for actual job interviews.

Email: beth.dean@lposd.org
Website: sh.lposd.org
Location: 410 South Division Avenue, Sandpoint, ID, USA
Phone: 208-263-3034
Facebook: facebook.com/SandpointHighSchool