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Idaho's Best Go To Nationals
Dakota Cervenak, a graduating senior, and Morgan Gasca, a junior at Blackfoot High School, were the Idaho state winners of the Skills USA Trouble Shooting competition this Spring. The two will represent BHS and Idaho at the National Competition in Dearborn, Michigan, June 12-14, 2011. The contest is sponsored by Ford Motor Company and AAA. Only one team per state attends. At this competition identical cars are rigged with numerous flaws and defects. The team who can correctly diagnose and correct the problems in the shortest amount of time will be declared the national champion. Scholarships, tools, and other valuable prizes go to those who can demonstrate automotive skills and ability under pressure. Mr. Worthington, a first year Auto teacher at BHS, will accompany the pair. Over the years Blackfoot has had several teams go all the way to nationals. Win or lose, the experience is one these talented students will remember their entire lives.
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Class of 2011 Valedictorian is
Multi-Talented
Daniel Burt was the Class of 2011 Valedictorian. Daniel was one of only four trombone players chosen from our five state region to be in the All Northwest Band. Congratulations to this academic scholar and outstanding musician.
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BHS Student Places
3rd at State
Kiah Brown receives a bouquet of flowers from her long time vocal teacher Mrs. Susan Mann. Kiah placed 3rd in the state as a Mezzo-soprano at the Idaho State Solo Contest.
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Changes in Driver Education in the Blackfoot School District
With the retirement of
Mr. Humpherys, there were some changes at Blackfoot High School. Mr. Hale, who formerly taught Driver Education, Health, and P.E. during the school day, will no longer be teaching Driver Education as a class. What that means for incoming freshmen is that each will be able to take five classes and Driver Education.
Mr. Harrington, director of Driver Education said, "Additionally, we'll be having our first ever summer Driver Ed program. Beginning
July 11, for students who have gotten a Driver Ed. permit, they can choose to complete DE before school starts. Mr. Hale will teach the class each week day
from 7-9 p.m. The reason for the late hour is so students and their families can work or do family activities without interruption. The class will cost $84. Students who had pre-enrolled for Driver Education when it was offered as a regular class will have that class replaced with one of the electives each student has chosen. Schedules may be picked up at regular registration (Seniors in the a.m., Juniors in the p.m. on August 16th; Sophomores in the a.m., and Freshmen in the p.m. on August 17th.)" |
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Request to Change Name
At the May 17, School Board meeting a group of school teachers and their supporters presented to the Board a request to change the name of I. T. Stoddard Elementary School to Chris Gardner Elementary School. Wendy Scott, spokesperson for the group explained that the move was to honor Mr. Gardner who had served as the principal of Stoddard Elementary School for 19 years. The group was quick to explain that the move was not intended to disparage the contributions "Rip" Stoddard had made to the district, but most of the people now living in the community never knew him. An update seemed to be in order. The Stoddard family was opposed to the name change and stated that they believed, when the name was given to the school, it would remain in perpetuity. The Board chose to table the motion for further study.
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Energy Conservation Award Presented to Blackfoot School District #55
As was recently reported in the Morning News, Blackfoot School District #55 was recognized for an ambitious effort to conserve energy. Mr. Mark Kartchner surveyed all of the school district buildings and then made recommendations about where energy could be saved. In light of soaring energy prices, conservation could represent a significant savings to the district. With frequent reminders about turning off lights when we leave the classroom, and turning off appliances, etc. during the weekend, the district was able to cut back nearly 23% on energy bills. As energy conservation become a habit, we'll continue to see savings.
Picture Caption: District Facilities Coordinator Hal Silzly, Ed Graff, District Energy Director Mark Kartchner
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A Message From Superintendent Crane
Dear Parent/Patron:
As you have visited schools, you may have noticed a wooden suggestion box in the principal's office. The purpose of this suggestion box is to allow parents and patrons an opportunity to make suggestions, comments, or share ideas to help our schools better meet the needs of our students. The Blackfoot School District is expanding this opportunity by creating an electronic suggestion box. If a patron wishes to make suggestions or comments, they need only go to the district website at www.d55.kl2.id.us and select the link titled "Any Question or Concern Click Here." This hyperlink will take you to my direct email.
Please be aware that all suggestions, comments, or input will need to be accompanied by the name and contact information of the individual who is submitting suggestions, comments, or input. Information abusive in nature will not be considered as valid input. All input will be directed to the correct administrative personnel to be reviewed and answered as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Scott L Crane, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
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"We the People Goes to Washington D.C."
Top row (L-R): Shermeen Hijazi, Shaina Rawson, Karissa Bales, Ariel Pearce,
Camille Norton, Amy Porter.
Middle row (L-R): Carly Ames, Erin Adolfson, Elise Moser, Lacie Parmenter,
Brett Coles, Dallin Evans, Sheldon Moss, Mrs H. Kartchner.
Bottom row (L-R): Mitch Jensen, Gavin Bruderer, Cody Cunningham,
Marc Matsuura, Josh Burt, Justin Cannon.
For the fourth year in a row, the 'We the People' team from Blackfoot High School crushed all comers at the state competition and represented Idaho in the national competition. April 28 - May 4, 2011, these 20 students had experiences they'll remember all their lives. Mrs. Kartchner said, "The opportunity for Blackfoot High School students to compete academically at the national level is exciting and rewarding. The students spend many hours in and out of the classroom working with scholars, lawyers, and teachers preparing to write and answer in depth questions regarding the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and national and international issues. In Washington D.C. the students can actually see the Declaration of Independence and tour the U.S. Capitol. 'We the People' is an educational experience which provides students with hands-on application and the ability to demonstrate their knowledge in both written and spoken formats."
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Congratulations To Our Newest School Board Member
Mrs. Jenny Hong waged a furious campaign to become the newest School Board member representing Zone 2. Mrs. Hong has had two sons graduate from Blackfoot High School and still has two daughters in the system. Her goal is to make sure District #55 is always a place we can be proud of.
Being a member of the School Board is a huge responsibility. The only compensation for long hours is the satisfaction in knowing that you have made a difference for the students in our district.
Congratulations, and thank-you for your service!
Appointed School Board Member, Scott R. Reese, was elected to make the job permanent for Zone 3. Mr. Reese was appointed to fill a vacancy that occurred early last spring, and has done an admirable job thus far. Thanks also to you Mr. Reese for your willingness to serve.
Good luck to both!
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Looking at Graduation 2011
There are currently 240 seniors in the class of 2011. Some of those students have not been able to pass all three ISAT exams, a state requirement to graduate, and were subsequently placed on an "Alternate Route to Graduation."
The three ISAT areas are Math, English, and Reading. If a student has not passed one or more of those subject areas, he or she will be placed on an alternate route which is a contract with certain conditions. One condition is that the student must attend the half hour CPR class (every Tuesday to Friday) until the ISAT is passed. Additionally, the student must continue to take classes in the deficiency area. For example, if a student has not shown proficiency in English, that student will take additional English classes which will hopefully prepare him or her to pass the English exam the next time it comes to a testing window.
Ms. Johnson, BHS Counseling Department Chair, reported that though there are 55 seniors on an alternate route, that number is down about 10 from last year. An explanation for the improvement is believed to be the 30 minutes the student must spend in CPR (Credit, Progress, Recovery) where he or she can study concepts related to passing the ISATs or completing assignments for other classes required to graduate. Mrs. Jackson, counselor, said the students seem more motivated to pass, now that they have some time to really focus on the exams. "They don't feel so overwhelmed. Having a longer lunch has also been an incentive."
It should also be understood that our special needs students, and our LEP (Limited English Proficient) students are included in the 55 total.
Also worthy of note is the group of 42 Hispanic students who graduated with the class of 2011. Mrs. Christina Alvarez said this is the largest graduating class of Hispanic students in the school's history. At a special reception for these graduates, Mrs. Alvarez encouraged the students to remember their heritage and keep their language. "Be proud of who you are."
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Blackfoot School District Honors Retirees
Mr. Brian Barlow has been a science teacher at Blackfoot High School for 29 years. As a wrestling coach he and coach Taylor have earned 4 state championships in wrestling. The first group coach Barlow told about his retirement was his wrestlers.
An avid hunter and fisherman, coach Barlow will have plenty of time to go after the big ones.
Mr. Richard Baugh has retired from the district after 15 years at Independence Alternative High School. Mr. Baugh taught language arts and social studies.
Mrs. Jackie Birch is retiring from Blackfoot School District where she has served for the last 23 years as a speech language pathologist.
 Mary Ellen Braithwaite (Cope) has been in the Blackfoot School District for 31 years. Over that time she has been a first grade teacher, a third grade teacher, a principal, and a Title I teacher. Before coming to Blackfoot Ms. Braithwaite spent two years as a Teacher Corps Intern in Arco, and three years as a fifth and sixth grade teacher and Pep Club advisor in Leadore. She was also a second and fourth grade teacher for three years in Terreton.
When asked what her pleasant memories have been she said, "My most pleasant memories all involve people. This includes District employees, parents and other family members of our students, my extended school building family, and our wonderful students. Thinking about the interactions I've had with them always makes me smile."
One final joke! Why do chicken coops only have two doors? Because if they had four doors, they would be chicken sedans.
Mrs. Carol Dansie has retired from teaching at Mountain View Middle School. Mrs. Dansie taught language arts. 16 of her 17 years in public education were here in Blackfoot.
Mrs. Linda Dunbar has most recently been in charge of federal programs for the district. Among her many hats are also LEP/Migrant programs, and writing grants. Mrs. Dunbar has been in the Blackfoot School District for 23 of her 36 years of service. Mrs. Dunbar states "Education has been my life's work. It is a profession that you can put your heart and soul into. Helping students to succeed is what I have strived to do as a teacher and an administrator."
Mrs. Marsha Elison has thrown out her last bag of trash for the Blackfoot School District. Mrs. Elison worked in the district as a custodian over the last 22 years. Most recently she was employed at the District Office.
Mr. Tom Harrington has been a school administrator for 22 years serving as an assistant principal. For the 17 years previous to coming to Blackfoot in 1989, I taught school at Rigby High School in Rigby, Idaho (15 years), and Paradise Valley High School in Phoenix, Arizona (2 years). That is a total of 39 years.
Favorite memories have been seeing my three oldest children graduate from BHS, and attending band and choir concerts, debate tournaments, watching football, basketball, wrestling, and soccer games, and hundreds of school dances.
Memories I'll never forget: I have made some great friendships with teachers at the middle school, high school, and among the other administrators in the district. It was glorious to be a Bronco when we were crowned State Champions in Debate (too many to count), Football (twice), Wrestling (4 times), Tennis (Michael Cherney), and lots of individual track stars.
Mrs. Deborah Hopkins (aka the "Voice of the Broncos" assistant, Debbie) has been in the Blackfoot School District 23 of her 24 years in education. She has served as a Title I reading teacher at Groveland Elementary School.
Mrs. Connie Horvath has been an administrative assistant at the district office for the last 22 years. Her major responsibilities are in the finance office keeping all of the accounts balanced. Connie will stay on board until September so she can get her replacement off on the right foot.
Nicki Jackson has been in the district for 33 years. Over the last several years she was the person you spoke with when you called the district office.
Mr. Blaine McInelly served the last five years of his 33 years as the principal of Blackfoot High School. He had previously been the principal at Teton High School for 15 years and Mackay High School before that. An avid fisherman and hunter, Mr. McInelly truly enjoyed the outdoors. Health concerns made Mr. McInelly decide to retire earlier than he had intended, but he has many happy memories from BHS.
Tina Neihart has worked in the Blackfoot School District for 13 years. For all 13 of those years  she has been a custodian at BHS. When asked what her most pleasant memories are she said, "Time spent with the kids." Future plans include: spending more time with her three kids, and three grandkids. One of her children lives in Pocatello, one lives in Arizona, and the third lives in Wyoming. Tina began on the night crew but was later changed to morning which starts at 6:00 a.m. "I like the day shift better because I like to be around the kids." Tina's advice for doing her job, "Have a lot of patience."
Mrs. Linda Payne has served her last lunch to the students at Stoddard Elementary School. Mrs. Payne worked in the food service program for 10 years.
Debra Romrell has taught in the Blackfoot School District for 33 years. Thirty one of those years were in the second grade. "I love eight year olds!" When asked what her favorite memories will be she said, "When I have really worked hard to help a student who is having trouble with reading, math, or even behavior issues, and in the end have seen that child really succeed. I also treasure the times when a child has shared, "Ms. Romrell, I want to be a teacher just like you.""I'm selling my house here and moving to Richland,Washington. I will be living with and taking care of my dad, who is not in good health."
 Mrs. Wendy Scott is retiring from her position as a 5th grade teacher at Stoddard Elementary School. Mrs. Scott has been with the district for 36 years. She has taught all her years in the same classroom. "I have taught well over 1000 fifth graders. It's rewarding when an adult stops me and tells me who they are and that they remember something from fifth grade. Future plans, "First of all, I plan to learn to sleep in! I hope to spend more time with my grandchildren. I hope to have a long retirement!"
Mary Spinner is retiring as a counselor at Mountain View Middle School where she has spent 35 of her 38 years in education. Mary says she's going to spend more time gardening, reading, and enjoying retirement.
Mrs. Lois Steiskal "My thirty year career in education has been rich, challenging and rewarding. It has been a journey that has taken me across the continent. I started out teaching First Grade for a year in the pine barrens of New Jersey after earning my BA in Kindergarten Primary Education (K-8) from Glassboro State College, New Jersey (now Rowan University). Marriage and a move to Pocatello, Idaho led me to the Learning Laboratory at Idaho State University where I helped set up one of the public pre-schools. Public Kindergartens were not yet established in Idaho. Then I continued on to Blackfoot and again taught First Grade in Wapello Elementary for three years. Next came the Irving Kindergarten Center experience where I taught afternoon Kindergarten for two years. Switching gears, I was a Para-professional at I.T. Stoddard in the Title 1 Reading program for a semester before going to Fort Hall Elementary to teach Chapter 1 Math. My next assignment at Ft. Hall was morning and afternoon Kindergarten. When Kindergarten was changed to an all day program, I helped with its implementation. The last step in my career was a move to Mountain View Middle School where I taught Sixth Grade for a year before moving to our present location at Blackfoot Sixth Grade School where I've been for the last 19 years.
In all my experiences I've learned that children are the same no matter where they live. They all have the same basic needs, desires, and hopes. It is our job as educators to help them along the way as much as we can. Yes, every child can learn, but not necessarily at the same rate or at the same time as everyone else. We are all individuals who need the human interaction of a kind and caring teacher. I've enjoyed the children and watching them grow."
Mrs. Valerie Watson is retiring from public education after teaching in our district for 33 of her 34 years. Mrs. Watson most recently taught second grade at Stoddard Elementary School.
Mrs. Vickie Watt will retire from her teaching position at the Blackfoot Sixth Grade School where she taught Reading, English, and Study Skills. Vickie has been a teacher in the district for 21 years.
Mrs. LeeAnne Wood is retiring from Ridge Crest Elementary School after teaching fifth grade in the Blackfoot School District for 18 of her 22 years in public education.
Thank you for years of dedicated service to the Blackfoot School District. Good Luck in your future endeavors.
You will be missed!
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