School Community
West Ada Update - October 7, 2021
West Ada School District (WASD)
2021-22 School Year Theme: Reflect on the past, embrace the present and build on the future.
Email: communicate@westada.org
Website: https://www.westada.org/
Location: 1303 East Central Drive, Meridian, ID 83642, USA
Phone: 208-855-4500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JointSchoolDistrictNo2/
Twitter: @westadaschools
Important Dates:
- October 10-16 - National School Lunch Week
- October 11 - Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples Day
- October 11 - Regular School Board Meeting
- October 13 - PSAT/NMSQT for 10th grade students - NOTE: This will be a remote learning / asynchronous instructional day for students in grades 9-12, excluding Meridian, Central and Eagle Academies.
- October 17-23 - National Bus Safety Week
- October 20 - Parent/Teacher Conferences (No School Kindergarten, Tuition K in session)
- October 21 - Parent/Teacher Conferences (No School Grades K-8)
- October 22 - NO SCHOOL: End of Quarter 1
- October 23-31 - Red Ribbon Week: "Drug Free Looks Like Me"
- October 25 - Regular School Board Meeting
- November 22-26 - NO SCHOOL: Thanksgiving Holiday Break
PLEASE NOTE: To meet our goal of all students achieving at high levels, the West Ada School District Service Center is closed from 8:00-9:00 AM every Wednesday for collaborative team meetings and the work of Professional Learning Communities (PLC). In these meetings, teams review data, establish goals, and monitor school/district improvement strategies.
What's BUB-ling?
We are excited to introduce an employee of the month program here at West Ada School District. Each month district leadership will recognize two elementary, middle and high school staff members as well as two district service center staff members in appreciation and recognition of all that our staff does to support West Ada and one another.
Congratulations to our September Employees of the Month in West Ada School District:
Elementary School:
- Glenna Newby, Music teacher at Eagle Elementary School of the Arts
- Kevin Albertson, Head Custodian at Eagle Elementary School of the Arts
Middle School:
- Megan Mason, Counselor - Lewis and Clark Middle School
- Megan Felter, Safe School Assistant - Lewis and Clark Middle School
High School:
- Julie Nimmo, Registrar at Centennial High School
- Hillary Redd, School Nurse at Centennial High School
- Abbie Sutherland, Special Education teacher at Centennial High School
District Service Center:
- Cesar Cortez, Service Desk Lead for Informational Technology (IT) at West Ada
- Loren Cornell, Systems Engineer for Informational Technology (IT) at West Ada
The West Ada Education Foundation has begin their annual "Thank a Teacher" campaign. Through this campaign parents, guardians and community members are able to make donations directly to classroom teachers for school and classroom projects. For more information or to make a donation, CLICK HERE, or scroll down in the newsletter for more information. We thank you for your continued support of the students, teachers and programs of the West Ada School District!
This past Wednesday was National Coaches Day. To all of our athletic directors, coaches, club advisors and teachers, counselors and staff involved in and supporting our school athletics programs, activities and student-athletes - THANK YOU! (photos included below) Our District Athletics and Activities Director Jason Warr (bio below) was able to get around to the six comprehensive high schools to drop off a little appreciation and gratitude for each building. Jason plans on visiting the middle schools in the spring for another appreciation. If you know a coach or had a coach positively impact your life or your child's, take a moment to let them know what a great influence they have been and send a shout out their way.
Employees of the Month, September 2021
Elementary School
Kevin Albertson
Glenna Newby
Middle School
Megan Felter
Megan Mason
Hillary Redd
Julie Nimmo
Abbie Sutherland
District Service Center
Loren Cornell
Cesar Cortez
West Ada School District Board Meeting - October 11 at 6:00pm
West Ada School District board of Trustees meeting will be held on October 11 at 6 p.m. CLICK HERE to access the agenda.
In person attendance will be subject to seats available in the room. When all seats are full patrons can view the board meeting broadcast live at this location: https://www.westada.org/Page/35419 We recommend patrons utilize this link.
Masks will be required in the board room. To accommodate patrons that do not want to wear a mask we provide a live broadcast of the meeting using this link: https://www.westada.org/Page/35419
Principal Pride: Dr. Khristie Bair, Hillsdale Elementary School
This week our PRINCIPAL PRIDE spotlight is on Dr. Khristie Bair, Hillsdale Elementary School
- Number of Years in West Ada: 27
- Number of Years at Hillsdale: 5
- What I like about West Ada: The administration, teachers, and staff of West Ada are forward-thinking, caring people who invest their lives into our students and our community.
- The best thing about being a Principal is...Hillsdale is an innovative community partnership school where I get the chance to make a positive difference in the life of a child every day!
- Family: I have been married 30 years in June to my husband, Bruce. We have raised five children together. I have been blessed to have my children and my grandchildren attend school with me.
- Favorite Food: Sushi
- Favorite TV show: The Office (past) and Manifest (current)
- Hobbies: Reading, waterskiing, riding my bike and walking my dogs.
- Fun Fact: I have a cheweenie dog named Bennie.
We are so lucky to have such exceptional leaders in West Ada. Thank you for your continued leadership, dedication, service and compassion to those you serve!
Sierra Nielsen, Yes I Can! Award
We would like to congratulate Sierra Nielsen, Mountain View High School sophomore, on being selected by The Yes I Can Committee for the 2022 Yes I Can Award in Self-Advocacy.
This is a rare and significant achievement. As one of the only 12 national award winners, Sierra will receive a trip to the national CEC conference in Orlando, Florida to receive this award.
Sierra is a great example of a self-directed learner, and she truly epitomizes the “Act” portion of our district's instructional model, demonstrating learner dispositions, ownership of learning, technology proficiency, and GRIT every day.
Technology Monthly Maintenance
The West Ada School District conducts monthly maintenance for District technology on the first Thursday of every month. The next scheduled maintenance and updates will be conducted this Thursday October 7, 2021, beginning at 5:00 PM. Minor interruptions to services can take place between the hours of 5:00 PM and 12:00 AM. There are several maintenance activities that students and parents should be aware of.
Destiny - Destiny will be offline between 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM for a system upgrade.
PowerSchool - PowerSchool will be offline between 5:00 PM and 8:00 PM for the installation of operating system and application updates.
OHS School Psychologist Lifetime Achievement Award
PSAT / NMSQT (Preliminary SAT / National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test)
The PSAT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test) measures a student’s ability to do college work. The PSAT is a short form of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and measures math reasoning and reading and writing skills and includes multiple choice and fill-in response questions.
All sophomore students in West Ada take the PSAT on October 13, 2021. It is recommended that students take the PSAT as a junior as well. For students who are enrolled in honors courses, it is recommended to take the PSAT as a junior because it is the qualifying test for scholarship competition such as the National Merit Scholarship (NMSQT).
- NOTE: This will be a remote learning / asynchronous instructional day for students in grades 9, 11 and 12, excluding Meridian, Central and Eagle Academies.
The PSAT is NOT used for college admissions. ALL West Ada School District sophomores (10th grade) will take the PSAT, during school hours, for FREE, on OCTOBER 13. Juniors interested in taking the PSAT / NMSQT for National Merit scholarship purposes should contact their School Counselor to sign up and pay assessment fees with their school bookkeeper. More information can also be found about PSAT on the College Board website page at www.collegeboard.org.
To link your PSAT score to Khan academy for SAT prep follow these steps:
- Go to satpractice.org. Create an account on Khan Academy or sign in to your existing account.
- When prompted, agree to link your Khan Academy and College Board accounts.
- Send your scores.
Eagle High School Counseling
The Eagle High School Counseling Office is excited to bring you their latest project! This is a "Student Need Corner". These shelves contains items that a student may need for school or home. It has items such as personal hygiene, feminine hygiene, and some things a student might need in the classroom like pencils, pens, notebooks, etc. This was put together with 100% donated money. If you're interested in donating please contact The EHS Counseling Office at 208-350-4247.
A special thanks to to Jacob Jarvis Orthodontics in Eagle for the donation of the personal hygiene items! Thank you for caring about our EHS students!
Meridian Academy High School
Meridian Academy High School's Mr. Bryant Weakley has been awarded a $3,000 grant from Whole Kid’s Foundation to expand an edible education Aquaponics garden on its campus. Meridian Academy HS will use the grant to implement solar power to offset the use of electric and harness the natural use of the sun for its Aquaponics program.
“The greenhouse and aquaponics program at Meridian Academy High School has been a breath of fresh air for many of our students. Students get to work in a hands-on environment to grow plants, fruits, and vegetables- all nourished by fish-- while studying how ecosystems and drought-tolerant farming work. Additionally, it is the students themselves that design and build the equipment, monitor the fish and crops, and participate in the yearly sales to support the program. This is one-of-a-kind opportunity in the area, and I am proud to have it at our school,” says Eian Harm, Principal of Meridian Academy High School.
Congratulations Bryant and Meridian Academy!
Ponderosa Elementary School Gives Back
Lowell Scott Middle School
West Ada Supplemental Levy
West Ada School District is proposing to renew its existing supplemental levy at the current amount, $14 million per year over the next two years. The funding from the supplemental levy is used for the school district's general operations. The district has maintained the 14 million dollar levy over the course of the past ten years with voters first approving the $14 million supplemental levy in 2012. At that time, the levy rate for the supplemental levy was $91.60 per $100,000 of taxable property value. At the end of fiscal year 2020, the supplemental levy rate is $52 per $100,000 of taxable property. The current estimated average annual cost to the taxpayer on the proposed levy is $46.92 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value, per year, based on current conditions. This is not a new tax, it is a renewal of an existing levy that is expiring.
Election Day is November 2. You can register to vote, request an absentee ballot, view your ballot and find your local polling station here: https://adacounty.id.gov/elections/
West Ada Supplemental Levy Facts: #1-6
STOP, COLLABORATE and LISTEN!
KNOT your average blanket!
Community Schools at Work
Last week was Diaper Awareness Need Week!! Our WASD Community Schools are so grateful to our partners over at the Idaho Diaper Bank for helping the students in the West Ada School District stay clean and dry!
Did you know necessities like diapers and female hygiene items aren’t covered by food stamps? We are grateful to our community for stepping up and helping to fill needs!
Stay tuned for upcoming info on a diaper drive to serve in our community!
Chaparral Elementary FUN RUN
Congratulations CTE Rehabilitation Services and Digital Media Production! (click images to enlarge)
Star Elementary PTO celebrates World Teacher's Day
Mountain View has a Drag Racing Team????
Meridian High School Homecoming Senior Teacher Appreciation
West Ada Sweeps the Kuna Marching Band Invitational!
CENTENNIAL HIGH SCHOOL:
Centennial High School Marching Band competed at the Kuna Marching Invitational. They represented their school and West Ada phenomenally, and won Best Percussion, Best Color Guard, Best Visual, Best Music, and First place in their division. Way to go Pats!
ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH SCHOOL:
Congratulations to the Rocky Mountain High School Marching Band for winning first place in group 2 Open during today’s Marching Band Competition in Kuna. The band received an overall score of 78.8 and won caption awards for Best Music, Best Visual, Best Guard, and Best Percussion! Great job!
MOUNTAIN VIEW HIGH SCHOOL:
The Marching Mavericks for getting 2nd place in our division at the Kuna Competition and improving from last week’s score!
OWYHEE HIGH SCHOOL:
Congrats to the Storm Cat 5 Band and Katee Seubert, the OHS Band & Orchestra Director, as they placed second in their division at their very first competition and took awards in their division for best color guard and music!
EAGLE HIGH SCHOOL:
Eagle High School won best General Effect, Best Visual Performance, Best Color Guard, best music performance, and first place in their division in Kuna this weekend!
West Ada School district was represented well with three schools finishing first in their respective divisions:
- Division V: Centennial
- Division III: Eagle
- Division II: Rocky Mountain
Centennial High School
Eagle High School
Rocky Mountain High School
Music and Motion at Eagle Hills Elementary!
This is Halloween....
Silver Sage FUND RUN
Last Thursday Silver Sage Elementary held their FundRun! Before the run students raised money for the PTO, and then they were given another challenge to see how many laps they could run in 15 minutes! Students excelled at both, raising almost $5,000 for Silver Sage and running a ton of laps!
The PTO got to help with video announcements today to award some prizes to kids and classes that excelled.
Mrs. Ellington’s kindergarten ran the most laps for primary - 110 laps.
Miss Bates class took home the top prize in the intermediate grades with 112 laps.
In total, all students ran 1,055 laps for the event. Mrs Jimenez’s class was the top money earning class!
Thanks to the DJ for keeping the music going for the runners! The Stallions showed their pride and had a great time! Way to go!
Candy Buyback
CTE Spotlight: Early Childhood Education
The West Ada Career Technical Education (CTE) Early Childhood Education program is designed to prepare students for a career in the field of early childhood care and related services. Through this program, students will acquire the skills needed to support elementary age children, helping them to develop emotionally, socially and mentally throughout their primary years. These classes are meaningful for future parents, educators, medical professionals or any human development related career. Prospective students must pass a background check to participate and provide self-transportation to off campus child centers and related program activities.
Pathway Course Sequence:
- Parenting and Child Development
10th grade, full year class - Early Childhood Education
11th grade, semester class - Advanced Early Childhood Education
12th grade, semester class
On-site Training!
To conclude the pathway, students will participate in an internship with a local early childhood center, as assigned by their CTE instructor. Students will get first hand experience on day-to-day operations of a child care center including tasks like record keeping, classroom management, learning techniques as well as earn a CPR credential.
A career in Early Childhood Education can be full of bright and rewarding experiences, as you help influence and shape a young child's life. In addition, statistics show that the population of children in pre-kindergarten (ages 3-5), is expected to increase, creating a demand for experienced professionals.
CTE Meridian High School Early Education teacher: Shannon Phillips, M.Ed., CFCS-HDFS
Shannon Phillips, Early Childhood Education, Meridian High School: Shannon has been teaching Family and Consumer Sciences at Meridian High for 15 years; she is currently in her 20th year in education. Shannon has a Bachelor's degree from University of Idaho in Family Life Education, a Master's degree from City University of Seattle in Integrated Technology, and is nationally certified in Family and Consumer Sciences with an emphasis in Human Development and Family Services.
Shannon has a passion for early childhood education, advocating for quality early learning experiences for all children in the state of Idaho, and educating her students on developmentally appropriate practices in an early learning environment. The most exciting part of the early childhood education program for Shannon is watching students' own investment in the profession, positive guidance techniques, and best practices in the classroom evolve throughout the three-year program. Although students can earn college credit through this program, Shannon's goal is to eventually add a Child Development Associates credential to program outcomes for students.
IMPORTANT CHILD NUTRITION UPDATE
Food shortages are nationwide, and our district is also experiencing unavailable items or last-minute replacements. Menus are subject to change. Online menus are available and we will do our best to update with any changes. We appreciate your patience and understanding. We look forward to serving students free breakfast and lunch in our school buildings during the 2021-22 school year.
FREE senior photos!
This event is open to ANY high school senior who may need assistance with a senior portrait!
Register for the event by sending the student name, parents name and phone numbers to GemStatePSA@gmail.com by October 23!
ACHD Art Contest
Calling all Ada County 6th to 12th grade student artists!
ACHD is having an art contest focusing on the "Seasons of Transportation" theme. The winning artwork will be added to our Street Sweepers and seen throughout Ada County. There are also lots of other great prizes!
Love and Logic Parenting Class
West Ada will host a six-week session of Love & Logic at Frontier Elementary for any West Ada School District parents/guardians who are interested.
Love & Logic is a parenting approach that provides parents with an opportunity to gain practical and proven tools for raising respectful and responsible kids. Classes will begin Monday October 11th from 6-8 pm in the Frontier gymnasium and will be held weekly. The last class will wrap up on Monday November 15th. The cost of the class is $15 per person/couple (to cover the cost of the workbook). The class will be limited to 20 people/couples in order to maintain proper social distancing. Given that this class is on school property, masks will be required.
Please email Buffington.sara@westada.org in order to reserve your spot!
- Location: Frontier Elementary – 11851 Musket Dr., Boise, ID 83713
- Time: 6:00-8:00 p.m.
- Class Dates: Mondays—October 11, 18, 25 and November 1, 8, & 15
- Facilitator: Sara Jo Buffington, School Counselor
- Class Fee: $15 per person/couple (Fee covers the cost of the class workbook)
- Register by contacting Sara Jo Buffington at Frontier Elementary School
- Registration Deadline: October 1, 2021 – or until full
Idaho Statesman Athletes of the Week
- GIRLS SOCCER: Allie Hansen, Owyhee: Scored twice in the Storm’s 2-0 win against Capital.
Way to represent West Ada! For more information and to read the full article by Michael Lycklama, CLICK HERE.
Apply Idaho!
Apply Idaho is a free, common college application to 10 in-state colleges and universities. No SSN is required (though it is recommended). Apply Idaho is an initiative of the State Board of Education in partnership with Idaho’s employers, Next Steps Idaho is designed to help students understand and pursue the many education and career opportunities available to them.
NEW THIS YEAR, students will be able to see their GPA and SAT/ACT scores prior to submission. Only Idaho high school seniors can use Apply Idaho. Learn more at nextsteps.idaho.gov
Apply Idaho opens on October 1, 2021!!
Optional Device Protection Plan
West Ada School District offers optional device protection to families to cover the accidental breakage or damage that might occur to a child’s iPad or laptop. This voluntary protection plan is available for $25 per device and covers repairs or replacement due to accidental damage from drops, spills, vandalism, loss, theft, and incidental damage to another student’s device. Device protection does not cover intentional damage to a device, or damaged or lost accessories such as district provided cases, chargers, pens, or hotspots. Please see the Parent Student Device Handbook or Optional Device Protection Plan in the Student Handbooks for detailed information on the District’s Optional Device Protection Plan.
The optional device protection plan enrollment period is August 16-October 31. Families may sign up and pay for optional device protection through the Payment Portal located in PowerSchool. Please refer to the image below for instructions on accessing the optional device protection form in PowerSchool.
Families are responsible for the repair or replacement of devices which are damaged, lost, or stolen outside acceptable use guidelines published in student handbooks. Device protection is a voluntary, non-refundable, yearly cost for each device. Families may be able to add devices to their homeowner’s or renters’ insurance plan and may consider these alternatives prior to purchasing optional device protection.
Mitigating Measures in the Classroom
- Teachers and students must sanitize their hands upon entering the classroom. Building custodians will check wall mounted hand sanitizer dispensers daily to check levels and replace cartridges. Teachers are responsible for requesting individual bottles of hand sanitizer from administration.
- Student desks should be distanced as much as possible, at least three (3) to six (6) feet apart is ideal.
- Remind students of the need to maintain distancing and that students should only get up to move around the classroom with teacher permission and supervision that ensures adequate physical distancing as much as possible, three (3) to six (6) feet is preferable.
- Remind students NOT TO SHARE laptops or computer keyboards, drinks, food, snacks, gum, writing utensils, tissues, face masks, make-up, chap stick, eating utensils, musical instruments, or personal items.
- Student desks, chairs, keyboards, or other items frequently touched at the student’s desk should be cleaned between use by different students.
- In those school buildings in which the building maintenance staff indicates that it is not possible to perform at least four air exchanges per hour, consider opening your classroom door and the classroom windows if weather allows and the open door and windows do not create excessive noise in the classroom. You can learn more on this page Modifying Facilities.