West Ada School District Update
January 14, 2021
Spalding Families Donate Pajamas
Microsoft Teams Training for Parents and Guardians
Microsoft is providing two virtual training opportunities for WASD parents/guardians on Microsoft Teams.
Teams EDUCATION 100 – Click on the link to join the session.
- Held virtually on January 25 from 5:30-6:30 p.m.
- Geared for parents/guardians viewing the tool through the lens of their student.
- Covers Teams settings, channels, assignments, calendar (locating assignments), files as well as a question/answer time.
Teams EDUCATION 200 – Click on the link to join the session.
- Held virtually on January 27 from 5:30-6:30 p.m.
- Geared for parents/guardians viewing the tool through the lens of their student
- Appropriate for individuals who attended Teams EDUCATION 100, or are familiar with Teams basic
- Covers a deep dive into the settings, search/command bar, the waffle, and a deeper look at other areas covered in the 100 training.
Students and teachers are welcome to attend as well. The sessions will be recorded and stored for 180 days. You may click on the same link to watch/listen to the recording.
Board of Trustees Zone 4 Applicants, Interview Schedule
High School Mathematics Textbook Adoption
West Ada School District’s curriculum department is reviewing textbooks for high school mathematics. The committee is made up of parents, guardians, teachers and staff per policy 602.30. The adopted textbook would be used starting in fall 2021.
Committee meetings are held virtually via Microsoft Teams from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on the following dates. The public may observe these meetings.
- Wednesday, February 3 (Overview of our priorities/vision)
- Wednesday, February 10 (Review 2 textbook options)
- Wednesday, February 17 (Review 2 textbook options)
- Wednesday, February 24 (Review 2 textbook options)
- Wednesday, March 3 (Narrow it down to our top 2 choices)
- Wednesday, March 17 (Publisher presentation)
- Wednesday, March 31 (Publisher presentation)
- Wednesday, April 14 (Final decision for textbook to recommend to the school board)
- Wednesday, April 21 (If needed)
The top two textbooks considered are available for public viewing in the West Ada School District Service Center’s main lobby from March 29-April 9 during office hours.
Background: The school district phased-in a new textbook series in 2013 to better align with the mathematics standards adopted by the state in 2011. These new standards ushered in a shift in both philosophy and practice of mathematics teaching. Last school year, a book study was held around a book by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics called "Catalyzing Change in High School Mathematics." That group was made up of teachers, principals and parents who discussed improving high school mathematics. With all the challenges of remote teaching over the last eight months, it has become apparent that West Ada School District needs to adopt a textbook with much better digital resources and that aligns with overall goals of improving mathematics achievement. Members of this book study are participating in the textbook adoption committee.
Technology Updates, Maintenance
Microsoft O365 Authentication Update
The technology department is performing work on the online Microsoft O365 applications during the school holiday on Monday, January 18 between 2:30 and 4:30 p.m.
O365 applications should remain accessible if users are logged in before the maintenance work begins. However, users may be unable to authenticate and use these services for a short period during maintenance. When the work is complete, users may be required to sign-into Microsoft applications again.
If you experience any issues with Microsoft O365 after maintenance is complete, whether on a district-provided or personal device, please log out of the application and log back in. If this does not solve the problem, please contact the technology service desk at 208-350-5300.
PowerSchool, Technology Monthly Maintenance
PowerSchool will be offline for a few hours on Monday, January 18 while the technology department installs state reporting updates. The system will be unavailable while updates are applied.
PowerSchool E-Mail Attendance Messages to Resume