Headlines & Highlights
Headlines & Highlights
March 17, 2022
Important Dates
- March 18 - Open enrollment application window ends for middle/high schools (see below for details)
- March 18 - Math is Cool Competition (4th and 5th graders), 4 PM, Lake City High School
- March 21 - School Board workshop, 4 PM, Midtown Meeting Center
- March 24 - K-5 parent-teacher conferences, 4-7:30 PM
- March 25 - K-8 NO SCHOOL (K-5 parent-teacher conferences)
- March 28-April 1 - Spring Break, NO SCHOOL
- April 4 - School Board regular meeting, 5 PM, Midtown Meeting Center
- April 6 - Eighth grade parent night at Lake City and Coeur d'Alene High Schools
- April 8 - Hard Hats, Hammers and Hot Dogs at KTEC (see below for details)
- April 8 - Deadline to apply for Project Neighborly grants (see below for details)
- April 13 - SAT Day for all Juniors (NO SCHOOL for Grades 9, 10, 12)
- April 20 - Kindergarten registration for 2022-23 school year opens
More details on some of these events can be found elsewhere in this newsletter.
A message from Superintendent Shon Hocker
Open enrollment application window closes Friday for middle, high schools
The "open enrollment" application window for middle and high school students closes this Friday, March 18. For all students in grades 6-12 already attending a school through an open enrollment approved last year, you must complete and submit an online application to have your student continue to attend their school of choice next year. Continued attendance will depend on availability of space.
VISIT THIS PAGE for the application form for transfer requests. We will notify families of the decision on their requests before Spring Break.
Under Board policy, the district guarantees a spot for all students in their zoned school. Our community is growing and there is limited space in our schools. Therefore, not all open enrollment applications can be approved. Decisions on all applications will follow the priorities outlined in Board Policy 3010.
The elementary open enrollment window is May 1 to June 10.
Fifth grade health resources review
Proposed resources for fifth grade health and puberty education are available for public review at our District office, 1400 N. Northwood Center Court, during regular business hours. These will be available through March 30. After reviewing the materials, you may provide written comments that will be shared with the Board of Trustees prior to the April 4 regular board meeting.
Discover what KTEC offers this April at Hard Hats, Hammers & Hot Dogs
Freshmen and sophomore students in our District may sign up to attend the annual Hard Hats, Hammers, and Hotdogs tour of the Kootenai Technical Education Campus in Rathdrum. The event runs from 8 AM to 1 PM. Permission slips are available in the high school counseling offices.
A career technical program of the Coeur d'Alene, Post Falls and Lakeland school districts, KTEC offers hands-on courses in:
- Computer Repair & Networking
- Industrial Welding & Metal Fabrication
- Health Professions/Certified Nursing Assistant
- Automotive Technology
- Manufacturing & Design
- Construction Trades
- Diesel Technology
- Collision & Repair
- Heating, Ventilation & AC
- Technical Math/Science
Learn more about KTEC by visiting the school's website HERE.
School engagement surveys: Please share your feedback
Parents and guardians: We want to hear from you! Idaho schools are participating in the state's annual parent engagement survey. This is your opportunity to share how well our schools meet your needs.
The survey takes 2 minutes or less to complete, and your responses are anonymous. The feedback we receive helps identify areas for improving family engagement and communication. This is one easy thing you can do to strengthen our schools!
If you have students in more than one school in our district, you may retake the survey for each school.
Make your voice heard! Take the parent survey now by following this link and selecting your student's school:
https://eprovesurveys.advanc-ed.org/surveys/#/action/184180/p30861
Fernan teacher wins presidential award
Congratulations to Courtney Greene, fifth-grade teacher at Fernan STEM Academy, for being a recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching, our nation's top honor for STEM teachers.
Fernan Principal Kathy Livingston shared a little about what makes Ms. Green an outstanding teacher in our District: "She uses community contacts and a wide array of resources to create enriching and engaging math lessons and bring science and history to life for students. She establishes a classroom community in which learning and thinking are valued and applied to the rigorous and relevant issues found in our natural world. Courtney constantly seeks out professional opportunities to serve others as well as opportunities for personal and professional growth. She is an eager learner and leader who is in a continual search for new knowledge but never the limelight."
Sorensen teacher named finalist for presidential STEM award
We also want to congratulate Shanna Marshall, 4th grade teacher at Sorensen Magnet School of the Arts and Humanities, for being one of three elementary math and science teachers named Idaho's state finalists for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.
The award recognizes educators who have “deep content knowledge of the subjects they teach and the ability to motivate and enable students to be successful in those areas.”
BY THE NUMBERS - Participation in athletics
Discover Lakes, Canfield Middle Schools through the eyes of our students
Join us in celebrating our school librarians
Our librarians work tirelessly to connect kids to books and resources that help them better understand their world and themselves. They engage students' imaginations and teach them the power of stories. In addition, they ensure each classroom has the physical resources students and teachers need to teach and learn, they often provide support for testing and assessment, and they create joyful places to learn.
And during the disruptions caused by Covid, librarians worked to curate and share digital resources, provide technology support to students and staff, and serve as hubs of information and learning. We are grateful for our librarians' willingness and flexibility to rise to the challenges before them in service of our district's students.
We invite you to join us in celebrating our school librarians and library managers on April 4 during National Library Week.
We've made improvements to our mobile app
Don't forget to check out Coeur d'Alene Public Schools new and improved mobile app, where you will find:
- District announcements and alerts
- Bus Routes and Schedules
- School Board Information
- School Breakfast and Lunch Menus
- Skyward Family Access Log-in
- Health Services
- And a lot more!
You can download the app at the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.
We're hiring! Teachers, school psychologists, substitute nurses and more
Do you know someone who would be perfect for any of these job openings with Coeur d'Alene Public Schools? Encourage them to apply!
Certificated positions: Elementary and secondary teachers, special education teachers, school psychologists, speech-language pathologists, and substitute nurses.
School Health Aid: The health aide staffs the health room and provides care to students based on protocols developed and supervised by the registered nurse.
Classified operations positions: Sub Bus Assistant; Bus Driver; Campus Safety Officer; Custodian; Grounds Worker; Sub Custodian; Swing Shift Custodian; Mechanic; Nutrition Services Assistant.
School/classroom positions: School PLUS Coordinator; School PLUS Assistant; Special Education Paraprofessional; Technology Prep Assistant; Title 1 Paraprofessional; Remediation Assistant; Playground Assistant; Behavior Support Assistant; Behavior Intervention Paraprofessional.
Anyone interested in any of these positions may learn more and apply by clicking on the CAREERS tab atop any of our websites, or visiting https://www.cdaschools.org/jobs.
Elementary magnet school application window closes April 15
The application window for students to attend either one of our elementary magnet schools in the 2022-23 school year will close on April 15. (Returning magnet school students do not need to reapply.)
Even if you live in a magnet school attendance zone, new applicants are not guaranteed enrollment. Applicants will be accepted based on available openings. If there are more applicants than space available, a lottery process will be used to select students.
Applications will be accepted for these schools:
Applications will be available at the front office of each school, or may be downloaded from the magnet school’s website. Learn more at https://www.cdaschools.org/magnets
March and April School Board Meetings
The Board of Trustees will meet Monday, March 21, at 4 PM at the Midtown Meeting Center, 1505 N. 5th Street. This is the Board's monthly workshop.
The Board's next regular meeting will be Monday, April 4, at 5 PM at the Midtown Meeting Center.
Meeting agendas are available on our District website under the School Board tab. The meetings will be streamed live on the District's YouTube channel.
Share something that's worth a big shout-out
Help us celebrate the amazing teachers and staff, as well as volunteers, community partners and students in our District. We love getting "shout-outs" that we can share on social media, our websites and in community newsletters. Send a brief statement, including name, school, role, and how they went above and beyond, to celebrate@cdaschools.org. And please include a photo if you can!
Project Neighborly seeks to foster civility and community connections
CDA 2030, the Idaho Community Foundation and other community partners are launching an effort to foster civility and neighborliness in local communities throughout North Idaho. They will work with the community to inspire answers to "How can we be better North Idaho neighbors? How can we spark ideas to help start conversations among people who otherwise might not have interacted?"
Project Neighborly will ignite efforts by awarding grants up to $5,000 to support inspiring, actionable, relevant projects and activities that develop a sense of community and promote neighborliness in Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Kootenai and Shoshone counties. The deadline to apply is April 8. Grants will be announced by May 9.
Eligible recipients include nonprofit organizations, Native American tribal agencies, civic groups (Rotary, Kiwanis, etc.), religious institutions, public institutions (including public schools and local governments), informal grassroots groups (with a fiscal sponsor) and others.
Project Neighborly is led by the Idaho Community Foundation with support from funding partners Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health, Idaho Central Credit Union and Innovia Foundation. Project Neighborly’s community partners in North Idaho are CDA 2030, Civic Engagement Alliance, Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber, and United Way of North Idaho.
Learn more by selecting THIS LINK.
Have you activated your Xello parent portal?
If you are a parent or guardian of a middle school or high school student, please remember to activate your Xello parent portal. So far, 25 percent of our parents and guardians have done this.
Xello (pronounced Zello) is our district's college and career readiness software that helps develop each student's post-high school pathway to college or the workforce. Students engage in a variety of lessons and activities to develop a four-year plan, explore options, and complete collegiate applications.
By activating your Xello parent portal, you can:
- Gain a deeper understanding of your student’s interests, goals, and plans so you can support them along the way.
- View your student’s progress on lessons. These are assigned in grade level specific courses and are not expected to be completed independently at home.
- In 8th grade and beyond, view your student’s course planner where they will map out a draft of the courses they want to take all 4 years of high school.
SELECT THIS LINK to learn more about the Xello parent portal timeline.