Hornet Nation News
October 1, 2021
COVID-19 Updates
Expectations If Your Student is Quarantining at Home
The Boise School District follows CDC school protocols when a student is exposed, tests positive or has symptoms of COVID-19. The Exposure and Illness Decision Trees along with more COVID-19 information is available on our Boise School District Website.
If your student is quarantining at home, they are marked as “virtual learning”. Virtual learning means that students will be accessing each teacher’s Google Classroom to see what assignments they need to work on while at home if they are feeling well enough. Teachers will not be teaching via a Google Meet on-line while we are full-time in-person. If there is an assignment the student does not understand, they are encouraged to email their teacher for clarification. If the teacher can not explain things via email, they may set up a Google Meet to help the student with the assignment. If at any time you or your student is not understanding something, please reach out to their teacher.
Boise School District Announces New COVID Communications Protocol
Our commitment to you and our public is to provide the most transparent, timely and relevant COVID-19 data possible, and our COVID-19 tracking website is the best resource for this kind of information.
Currently, Boise School District notifies all parents and staff at a school of a positive or presumed positive COVID-19 case. In order to increase the relevance of the information that you receive, beginning Monday, October 4, 2021, only students and staff who have been identified as a close contact of a positive or presumed positive COVID-19 case will be specifically notified.
For those who have not been identified as a close contact of a positive case, but wish to continue to track positive and presumed positive cases by school, please refer to our COVID-19 Positive & Presumed Positive Case Data website. In addition to daily COVID-19 counts, the site provides links to a host of COVID-19 resources, including quarantine procedures, state and national recommendations, as well as current district and school-by-school health and safety protocols.
Thank you for your support of our COVID-19 mitigation strategies and our ability to continue to offer high-quality, in-person learning experiences for our students every day.
Picture Retakes - October 8th
Dorian Studios will be here October 8th for picture retakes. Below are a few tips for retake day:
- If this is the 1st time you're taking pictures this year, please give your picture order envelope to the photographer - envelopes are available in the office or order online
- If you are retaking your picture from August, please bring back your photo packet you received - you will get the same packet you originally ordered with your new photo
- Student ID cards will not be reprinted with new photos, only students that are having their photo taken for the 1st time will receive ID cards
Parent Teacher Conferences
October 15th is the last day of our First Quarter. Our Parent/Teacher Conferences are scheduled for the evenings of October 19 and 20 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Once again, all eight junior high schools in the district will be holding Parent/Teacher Conferences virtually. This will prevent large gatherings of hundreds of people in our gyms when meeting with your teachers.
By next Friday, October 8, you will be receiving an email from your teachers on how to sign up for a 5-10 minute virtual conference. Due to the limited number of time slots each teacher has, please remember that it is not necessary to schedule a conference if your child is doing well in class or if you do not have any concerns at this time. You do not need to feel obligated to schedule a conference. However, our teachers are always available to meet with you any time of the year if a concern arises. You can also communicate with your teacher through email. We will send out more information about our Parent/Teacher Virtual Conferences next Monday, October 4.
Southern Idaho Conference (SIC) - Athletics
SIC Issues Statement Regarding Crisis Standards of Care: The Southern Idaho Conference, of which Boise School District is a member, has issued a statement regarding the recent decision by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare to expand Crisis Standards of Care statewide due to the current surge in COVID-19 patients requiring hospitalization. Read the statement here.
Cross Walk Safety
NJHS Meeting
NJHS Meeting Monday, October 4th during 9th grade lunch in the small gym. Attendance is mandatory, please bring your lunch to the gym with you.
Virtual Learning Day - November 2nd
For the safety of our students and staff, November 2, election day, school will be all virtual in the Boise School District. Hundreds of community members will be entering many school buildings to vote on November 2. Since there will be hundreds of visitors within our school buildings, students will learn virtually from home. Teachers will be teaching through their Google Classrooms via Google Meets. The day will look similar to last year when everyone was learning virtually.
Holiday Poinsettias
Holiday Poinsettias are still on sale. Use the link below or pick up an order form in the office!
Singles - 41 available
Doubles - 13 available
Triples - SOLD OUT
Quads - SOLD OUT
Food Service Menu Changes
Our Food & Nutrition Services Department is experiencing difficulty getting the food and supplies needed to provide basic meal services, despite bidding supplies last March. In response, starting October 4th, we are simplifying our school menus to reflect what is reliably available to purchase until the nationwide supply chain starts functioning again. Highlights of the changes we are making include:
Simplified menus - one lunch entrée choice per day in elementary, two lunch entrees in secondary
More locally sourced items - Franz bread, fresh produce, eggs and dairy, Domino's Pizza
Fewer frozen and canned items (processed); more scratch prepared items
There is a non-pork entrée available daily
Secondary sites have a vegetarian entrée offered daily; elementary a vegetarian entrée is available most days
Updated allergy menus are being developed now and will be communicated with nursing and families soon
Website menus will be updated before October 4th
Breakfast menus will be updated after lunch production is adjusted
Upcoming Events
October
6 - 8th grade tennis vs. Les Bois; 8th/9th grade A volleyball vs. Les Boise; 8th/9th grade B volleyball @ Les Bois; heavyweight football @ Les Bois; lightweight football vs Les Bois
7 - Cross country @ Barber Park
8 - Picture retakes; 8th grade tennis @ Fairmont; 8th/9th grade A volleyball @ Fairmont; 8th/9th grade B volleyball vs. Fairmont
12 - 8th tennis vs. North; Girls basketball begins
14 - Cross Country City @ Ann Morrison; 8th grade tennis @ Hillside
15 - End of First Quarter
15 - 8th grade tennis @ Riverglen
18 - 8th grade tennis City Tournament;
19 - Virtual Parent/Teacher Conferences, 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
20 - Virtual Parent/Teacher Conferences, 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
21 - Wrestling begins
22 - No School
November
2 - Election Day and all schools will be Virtual Learning
Contact Us
Email: melissa.renz@boiseschools.org
Website: east.boiseschools.org
Location: 5600 East Warm Springs Avenue, Boise, ID, USA
Phone: 208-854-4730