Sandpoint High School
October 2022
Message from the Principal-
Dear Bulldog Students, Families, and Friends,
What an amazing beginning to autumn with the beautiful October weather as well as the fabulous start of our 2022-23 school year. Students have been able to take advantage of the myriad of courses available, join in athletics and activities, celebrate Homecoming, and connect with classmates. This first month of school is just the beginning of a year for building relationships, growing socially, and increasing academic learning.
One of our primary goals at SHS is to ensure that your students are safe. I want to thank all of the teachers, counselors, administration, resource officers, and staff who work with students daily to provide them with not only a safe environment for learning, but who also serve as trusted adults with whom students may connect. During our district-wide professional development last Friday, the focus was on building connections and relationships. Our presenter, George Couros, stated “A teacher's influence doesn't stay in school. It goes out into the world and cannot truly ever be measured. Every student you inspire to do something great goes on to inspire others. There is no limit to your impact.” I am daily amazed at the inspiration in each classroom at SHS, as well as the many inspiring ways students go above and beyond to positively impact our community.
Our monthly newsletter contains a great deal of information. As you read through, please know that the staff at Sandpoint High school is available to the students and the families of SHS. I strongly encourage students to get involved with the many different activities offered, and to continue to build relationships with peers and mentors. I look forward to seeing you at some of the many activities going on this month.
Sincerely,
Principal Jacki Crossingham
School Wide Testing Day 10/12
Wednesday School Wide Testing Day - No Student Signouts will be allowed.
This Wednesday is school wide testing day - There will be no student sign outs allowed.
Please plan ACCORDINGLY
Students should bring with them
- Snack
- Water Bottle
- Calcualtor
- Two Sharpened #2 Pencils
- Book to read or homework in case there is extra time after testing is completed.
8:05am Seniors - meet in SHS Gym at 8:05 students will walk togther over to the North Summit Church for the finance fair
8:05am - *12:15pm Juniors, Sophomores, Freshmen - Schoolwide testing
*12:15pm - 1pm Lunch students will be permitted to leave after lunch.
1:00pm- 2:10 pm Students riding busses will meet in the library.
2:10pm Early release and busses will pick up as usual.
*approximate times as we do not know exactly when a testing room might finish
Juniors - PSAT
Sophomors - PSAT
Freshmen - PSAT 8/9
Results will be available mid December
Welcome! New Staff @ SHS - more to highlight next month!
Mindy Roget - Geometry
I was born in Illinois, but I have lived in Sandpoint since Kindergarten. I have been teaching in the district for 15 years, but this is my first year as a teacher at SHS. I am an SHS graduate as well as my husband Andy, daughter Cienna and soon-to-be graduate, senior son, Stirling. I graduated from the University of Idaho (Go Vandals!) many years ago. I enjoy hiking, biking, paddle boarding, playing volleyball, and going to the beach.
Lindsie Murray - Life Skills/Academic Support
My name is Lindsie Murray and I am excited to work at Sandpoint High School! This is my first year at Sandpoint High but I have worked for the district for two years. I previously taught at Forks High School for 3 years. I love working with students and helping them make connections to the material. I am married with one son. I have 2 dogs and 16 chickens.
Attendance
UPDATE ~Attendance has a new email! Save this email
Please be sure to notify the attendance office when your student is absent. Either by calling 208-263-3034 then selecting 1 or dialing 4010 as the extension at anytime, or emailing us at shsattendance@lposd.org . Currently we are in the process of learning a new attendance system and hiring a new employee to cover this position. Please be patient as we go through the training stages. It is extremely important to us that we have all the correct information regarding contacts, their roles amd the accuracy of phone numbers and emails. You should have receivd notification from the district regarding your access to PowerSchool and how to log in and update this information, please take a moment to do this. It will save us time, confusion and chaos later. If you have any questions please call us at 208-263-3034
CARE Student of the Month - Will Clark
Will was selected as the CARE student of the month. Will was nominated by teacher Will Love. Will shared his reasons fo selecting Will saying he has produced a radio show with KRFY for the last two school years for the Cedar Post. He has done this despite not taking the class. All of his production happens on his own time. The show P@3 has become a staple and a great resource between the school and the community. Other recognizable traits of Will include his overall achievement, working to his highest potntial, his attitude, sense of leadership, community involvement, and cooperation. Other students chosen this month were Richard Andrews, Ivan Jones, Elizabeeth Couch, Ryan McElroy, Jaden Peratos, Lacelyn Benda, Elliot Kees and Spencer Addison.
September Teacher of the Month-Conor Baranski
This is what a student had to say about Mr. Baranski "I don't even have him as a teacher but he is just so friendly and inviting to people, I have a lot of teachers like this I just thought it was cool that I don't even have him as a teacher and how he always talks to me and made sure to say hi and ask me my name (and remember it!) even if I don't have him as a teacher.
Mr. Baranski always has something exciting and interesting planned for class, and he's good at keeping students invested.
He really knows how to engage his class and keeps everyone energetic and happy
Coca Cola Athlete of the Month
Ryan Knowles - Coach
September Elk Students of the Month
Congratulations CNA Teacher Liz Smith!
Congratulations to teacher Liz Smith, on acquiring a CTE Leading Idaho grant to fully fund "Body Interact" (a clinical simulator) for her classes. Sandpoint High School was one of 27 rural secondary schools to receive grant funding. With more than $50,000 awarded to SHS for the purpose of infusing new technology to strengthen CTE opportunities for students, the money will pay for 5 years of the virtual patient-simulator.
This year, roughly 65 SHS students (enrolled in Medical Terminology and CNA courses) will utilize the technology to develop critical thinking and teamwork skills. Bonner County's future doctors, nurses, and health specialists are being equipped with state of the art technology thanks to you, Mrs. Smith!
Watch the video below to learn more about Body Interact.
Kathryn Watkins earns many ribbons at the Bonner County Fair for her Pottery she created at Sandpoint High School. Kathryn is a Junior and besides studying pottery she is also taking classes in US History, Horticulture, Speech and Communications.
Sandpoint Girls Basketball
Tryouts start Monday, Oct. 31, at 3:30 in the SHS Gym
Girls must have all paperwork turned before they can participate
Contact Coach Love (william.love@lposd.org) for more information
We are Competitive, Accountable, Caring & Take Pride in what WE do.
Safety Reminders
Safety Update
SIngle-point of Entry - The front door is locked after the morning tardy bell. Mr. Watkins will supervise the entrance during school hours. Third party deliveries will not be accepted. Please do not order Door Dash, Uber Eats or any other outside delivery. Thank you for helping us keep your students safe.
Raptor System will be coming soon- this will allow us to screen visitors who come in to the building. The system will not be used for parents coming in to pay bills or to sign students in or out. Will be used for guests in classrooms or anyone needing a visitors pass. More logistics will be worked out.
Sandpoint High School held their first safety drills of the year: fire and lockdown potocol. October's safety drills will be Earthquake and Safety Hold Protocol in conjunction with The Great ShakeOut
Save the Date Parent Teacher Conferences in November
Tech Tip
Did you know that October is Cybersecurity Awareness month? Being cybersecure helps protect you, your family, your school, your company, and your country. Here are some helpful tips:
1) Update your software regularly. Many software patches fix vulnerabilities and bugs that hackers could exploit to take data or cause issues.
2) Be wary of ‘too good to be true’, prizes you never signed up for, or things that need you to do urgently. Most, if not all, of these are scams.
3) Have a secure password. Passwords over 12 characters and using numbers, symbols, lowercase, and upper case letters are best. It is best to use different passwords for different sites, or change your password regularly.
4) Use Multifactor Authentication (MFA) when possible. If MFA is annoying to you, imagine how frustrating it is for a hacker.
Thank you,
Dalton Hawkins
Computer Science Teacher - SHS
Technology Integration Instructional Coach - LPOSD
Counseling Corner
Counseling Department Mission: We will ensure and empower every student at Sandpoint High School to achieve academic success, strengthen personal and social growth, and develop achievable post-secondary plans.
Students are assigned to counselors by their last name:
A-G: Shannon Kerrigan; 11-12 A-F
H-O: Sara Gosling
P-Z: Tavi Brandenburg; 11-12 G
Post Secondary Transitions Counselor: Jeralyn Mire
College and Career Mentor: Angie Dail
Counseling Office Coordinator/Registrar: Amanda Skinner
Counseling Office Coordinator: Erricka Brownell
Here's how you can help us! - C.A.R.E. Caring Adults Recognizing Excellence -
School Messenger Alert
Alerts were sent out to LPOSD families last week via email, text, and through a phone call. Our reports show that some families had registered landlines, which are ineligible to receive SMS messages. Many families have also not opted in to our SchoolMessenger system.
Please help us to effectively communicate with LPOSD families. If you did not receive alerts yesterday, ensure the following:
1. That you have opted in to alerts via School Messenger, by following the instructions listed here.
2. If you have opted in, you can verify that your information is correct by calling your child’s school office.
Is the number on file a working cell phone number that allows for SMS messages?
Employees worked overtime–and helpers stepped up–to hand enter all information that did not transfer automatically when we changed Student Information Systems. Human error can occur so if you think you are not being notified as you should, it’s helpful to check that the number has been entered correctly.
3. Check your spam folder in your email inbox. The email message comes from: message.system@lposd.org
Amid fentanyl crisis, parents urged to warn students about treats in disguise -
Reminder
Students should not be selling, sharing, exchanging candy or baked goods with one another.
We want to keep all of our students safe and healthy.
See Tell Now
Coats 4 Kids Bonner County Winter 2022
Autumn Greetings to all!
It is that time of year again to collect coats for kids and adults here in Bonner County! Accepting donations of GENTLY USED OR BRAND NEW - WINTER COATS, HATS, GLOVES, MITTENS, SCARVES, SNOW PANTS, and SNOW BOOTS!
We accept checks and cash donations too! Make your checks out to KXLY Community Partners Foundation. (Tax Deductible 501 3c.) Mail or drop off Cash/Checks to Tomlinson Sotheby's International Realty, 200 Main St, Sandpoint, ID 83864. 100% of funds go to purchase new coats for Kids.
ACCEPTING DONATIONS
October 1 to October 31 at these locations
Safeway Store # 350, 702 N. 5th Ave., Sandpoint, ID
Tomlinson Sotheby's International Realty, 200 Main St, Sandpoint, ID
Selkirk Realtor's Association, 325 Marion,, Sandpoint, ID 83864
DISTRIBUTION FOR COATS WILL BE THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER
PICK UP COATS AT 2 Locations, you do not have to be a member of the Food Bank to Get A Coat. They are Free to ALL!
Special thanks to Debbie Love and her Team at Bonner Community Food Bank. They are an awesome group!
BONNER COUNTY COMMUNITY FOOD BANK
1707 CULVERS DRIVE, SANDPOINT
MON, TUES, THURS - 9:00AM - 2:30 PM WED and FRI 9:00AM to 12:00PM.
175 S. MCKINLEY , PRIEST RIVER
TUES and THURS 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM