December Update
Post Falls School District Newsletter
Superintendent's Message
Happy Holidays, Post Falls families!
It is hard to believe nearly a semester of school has passed. In an effort to keep you informed of all district activities and services, we will be publishing a monthly newsletter. Each will highlight a department or area of interest. We welcome your feedback and topic suggestions. I wish your family a very happy, restful holiday season and look forward to our continued partnership in 2022.
Cheers!
~ Dena Naccarato, Superintendent
December has been a busy month!
New Vision High School
Prairie View
District Invent Idaho
Department Highlight: Transportation
Susan has worked for Post Falls School District since 1999 and has been the Director of Transportation for the past four years. There is never a dull moment in the world of school transportation. Whether they are figuring out new routes based on the growth in our area, navigating around the Highway 41 road closures, or trying to recruit more bus drivers, Susan loves the way her department problem-solves together. What she likes best about her job is each day is unique, and she feels lucky to "work with such a fantastic team."
Transportation fast facts:
- This year our Transportation Department was awarded the Region 1 "Spot Inspection of the Year" award for their outstanding service and safety record.
- Our buses transport 2,906 students approximately 324,000 miles each year.
- The department maintains 47 yellow buses and 3 small white buses.
- Our district boundaries include approximately 64 square miles within Post Falls and portions of unincorporated Kootenai County.
Upcoming PFHS local events
PFHS Choir
PFHS Wrestling
PFHS Girls Varsity Basketball
New Semester Approaching!
Community Outreach Highlight: PFHS "Serve Week"
The Post Halls High School annual "Serve Week" was December 6-10. During this week students were encouraged to get involved in a variety of ways by supporting others in our community.
The following student clubs collected items or worked on projects to benefit our Post Falls community:
- ASB / Student Council held a food drive to benefit the PF Food Bank.
- Key Club supported a blood drive.
- JAM Club conducted a Ramen drive.
- LINK collected blankets and coats.
- Needlework Club held a clothing drive for the high school clothes closet.
ASB Serve Week
Key Club Serve Week
LINK Serve Week
Inclement Weather
The district takes very seriously any safety-related issues for students, staff, parents and patrons caused by severe weather. North Idaho winter months encompass a variety of weather conditions. Please be aware of the cold, wind and ice, and dress your child accordingly.
District schools may close for the day or start 2-hours later when weather creates hazardous road conditions. School closures or 2-hour late starts are announced between 5:45 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. on the following radio stations: KVNI, KCDA, KISS, KXLY, KDRK and on television stations KREM-2, KXLY-4 and KHQ-6. School closures or two-hour late starts will be posted on the district website. The district will also utilize the School Messenger notification system for parents with texting capabilities on their cell phones who have opted in to the School Messenger system.
* To receive school notifications you must opt-in to school messenger. Please follow the steps below to opt in:
Send a text message to 67587 with the word “Yes” or "Y" in the body of the text.
You will receive a confirmation text reply affirming your registration with School Messenger
Did you know . . .
How snow days are determined?
- The Director of Transportation sets an alarm for 2AM on those nights where the weather service is calling for heavy snow and/or freezing rain.
- She is out the door by 2:45AM and drives roads throughout our school district for about two hours. Specifically she is looking for drifting snow on the prairie, neighborhood clearance, and mountainous accumulations.
- By 4:45AM she is on the phone with neighboring districts to collaborate about the conditions each are seeing.
- At 5AM she calls the Superintendent to make a recommendation.
- Typically a decision is made by 5:30AM. Announcements are broadcast only when school is closed, or there is a 2-hour late start. In either of those events, local TV stations are notified; closure information is posted on the website, and school messenger alerts are sent to parents and staff.
- No announcements = school is in regular session.
Want to receive emergency notifications? Sign-up for School Messenger
The Post Falls School District has joined the School Messenger emergency notification system. The system allows the district to communicate via text messages to parents regarding important matters such as a safety alerts, school closure (weather or otherwise) or other issues affecting students.
To receive school notifications you must opt-in to school messenger. Please follow the steps below to opt in:
Send a text message to 67587 with the word “Yes” or "Y" in the body of the text.
You will receive a confirmation text reply affirming your registration with School Messenger.
Free, Online Suicide Prevention Training
The Idaho State Department of Education is providing free, online QPR (Question, Persuade and Refer) Gatekeeper Training for Suicide Prevention to Idahoans (ages 18 and over) who interact with students at home or at school! This includes all members of a school’s community: educators, parents, grandparents, school staff, staff at youth organizations, coaches, and more! The training only takes 1-2 hours to complete. Get started here.
Employment Opportunities with Post Falls School District
We currently have 22 open positions in Post Falls School District. Like many other employers in our area, we are experiencing a labor shortage. We are seeking motivated parents and community members interested in filling the following positions:
• Paraprofessionals
• Duty aides
• GAP workers (before and after school childcare)
• Substitute teachers
• Bus drivers
• Maintenance workers
• Custodial workers
Qualifications: High school diploma. Applicants should enjoy working with students.
We have full-time and part-time positions available. Full-time positions (more than 32.5 hours per week) include health, dental and retirement benefits. Depending on the position, the starting hourly wage ranges from $12.60 to $18.27 DOE.
Applicants will need to apply online and pass the State Department of Education mandated criminal history/background check. The applicant pays the required $35 background check fee.
If you are interested in any of our open positions, complete the online application. More employment information can be found on our district "Employment Information" webpage. Please call the District Office at 208-773-1658 with any questions.
Post Falls School District #273
Email: info@sd273.com
Website: https://www.pfsd.com/
Location: 206 West Mullan Avenue, Post Falls, ID, USA
Phone: (208) 773-1658