West Ada School District Update
May 31, 2021
Today we honor and mourn the military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.
1. Siena’s First Class of Kindergartners Now Graduating High School
2. Residential Construction Course Partners with Knife River for Concrete at Star Elementary
3. Revised Bell Schedules Approved by Board
4. Eagle High’s Tanya Elmer Finalist in Secondary Science for Presidential Award
5. Principal Appointments at Centennial High and McMillan Elementary, Buffy Roberts Named Regional Director
6. Face Masks in Our Schools
7. Summer Meal Program
8. Coming Up in West Ada School District
Siena’s First Class of Kindergartners Now Graduating High School
Residential Construction Course Partners with Knife River for Concrete at Star Elementary
Revised Bell Schedules Approved by Board
On May 25, the West Ada School District Board of Trustees approved the bell schedule for the 2021-2022 school year. The high school bell schedule has the day beginning five minutes earlier, lunch is shortened by five minutes, and the release bell comes eight minutes sooner than the on-campus bell schedule for the 2020-2021 school year. The middle school bell schedule starts the day five minutes sooner and ends the day 10 minutes earlier. Adjusting the start and end times of middle and high schools allows for more staggered transportation pick up and drop off, eliminating the inevitability of some delays due to external factors.
Small adjustments throughout the day allow more flexibility in the transportation of students and balances required instructional minutes for students with the 60 minutes of staff collaboration each Wednesday.
Staff collaboration is an important part of making sure effective teaching is occurring in our schools. Late-start Wednesdays continue to be an advantageous time for staff collaboration. These late-start Wednesdays have had a permanent place in our bell schedules for many years prior to the pandemic.
Eagle High’s Tanya Elmer Finalist in Secondary Science for Presidential Award
Congratulations to Idaho's PAEMST finalists in secondary science, Tanya Elmer, Meg Fleischmann, and Maygan Sampson! We are so proud to have these dedicated educators represent Idaho as nominees to receive the national Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST), the nation's highest honor for STEM teachers!
“These inspired, skilled teachers are great choices for PAEMST, the nation’s highest honor for teachers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra said. “They have a gift for sharing their passion and insight with their students, equipping them for success in higher education and beyond. Strong STEM skills are essential for many rewarding jobs in Idaho’s workforce.”
Tanya Elmer teaches at Eagle High School in the West Ada School District.
Winners are expected to be announced this summer - national awardees receive a certificate signed by the president, recognition events and professional development opportunities, and a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation.
Principal Appointments at Centennial High and McMillan Elementary, Buffy Roberts Named Regional Director
Face Masks in Our Schools
Friday morning, Governor Brad Little issued an executive order which repealed the executive order that was issued Thursday by Lieutenant Governor Janice McGeachin banning mask mandates.
Governor Little defends local control with his new executive order, allowing school districts and other governmental agencies to require face masks per their precautionary protocols.
West Ada School District students, staff and visitors are required to wear face masks per the Pandemic Operating Plan and dress code through the remainder of the school year. Just as we shared last Thursday, the district does not change operational procedures in the middle of a school day.
Students without a face mask Friday were not cited for a violation of dress code. Staff, students, and visitors are required to wear a face mask when we come back from the Memorial Day holiday. We do not want to risk students missing graduation or being quarantined on these valuable last days of school due to exposure to the virus.
Read Governor Brad Little’s Executive Order Here: https://gov.idaho.gov/pressrelease/gov-little-defends-local-control-denounces-lt-governors-irresponsible-abuse-of-power/
Coming Up in West Ada School District
- June 3-4: Kindergarten Enrollment Fair
- June 8: Last Day of School for 12th graders
- June 10: Last Day of School (Traditional Calendar)
- June 15: Summer Meal Program Begins
- June 24: Last Day of School (Modified Calendar)
Graduation Ceremonies
- June 8: Rebound School of Opportunity & Virtual School House
- June 9: Eagle Academy & Central Academy
- June 10: Meridian Academy & Idaho Fine Arts Academy
- June 11: Meridian High School & Rocky Mountain High School
- June 12: Renaissance High School
- June 19: Eagle High School, Centennial High School & Mountain View High School