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| BCSD Staff Newsletter | April 2015 |
Superintendent Letter to Staff
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Dr. GwenCarol Holmes
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Dear Colleagues,
For many of us this has been a year of developing a greater understanding of and appreciation for the fact that we are all teachers of language. Language is an invaluable commodity for learning. It is language that allows us to think, reason, and problem solve. It is estimated that by the age of three children from poverty have heard 30 million fewer words than children from the middle class. (Coker, L.J., Teaching Young Children, 7:3. The Word Gap: The Early Years Make the Difference.) In addition to many of our students arriving with limited language, many of our students are learning English as their second language while also working to learn the content of school. Read more of my letter here.
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Take the BCSD Staff Engagement Survey
So far, over 240 staff members have participated in the Staff Engagement Survey. Last year, 369 staff members made their voices heard. Look for the survey in your email under the subject heading: BCSD Staff Engagement Survey.
BCSD Staff Engagement Survey runs April 1-April 17, 2015
What? The BCSD Staff Engagement Survey is an online, confidential staff survey.
Who? The BCSD Staff Engagement Survey is for all certified and non-certified staff.
Where? The BCSD Staff Engagement Survey was sent to your email from K12 Insight. Subject Line: BCSD Staff Engagement Survey.
Why? The results of this survey are one component of an on-going process for collaborative school improvement planning.
Questions? Contact Heather Crocker.
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Board of Trustees
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Shawn Bennion Elizabeth Scwerdtle Carole Freund
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Three seats on the Board of Trustees in Zones 1, 3 and 5 will be filled without the need for an election. Shawn Bennion, Elizabeth Scwerdtle and Carole Freund filed their declaration for candidacy on Friday, March 20. Since each of them filed by the deadline and are running unopposed, each person will be named to their new four-year term on the Board of Trustees beginning July, 2015 and ending July, 2019.
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Buildings and Grounds
The Buildings and Grounds Department worked over spring break to sweep up all of the sand that was spread during the winter months. We should be finished by Monday, April 6. We will follow up with painting the parking spots, fire lines, and handicap spots.
Cleanup continues on the grounds and fields. The sprinkler mainlines will likely be charged the week of April 13 and the irrigation season will begin. This will be about 2 weeks earlier than normal.
The seasonal swing from heating to cooling has already begun. If you have comfort issues in your classroom please don't hesitate to call Scott Davis at the Maintenance Facility (578-5403) so that he can make any necessary changes.
Lester Wilson and Jon Thomas worked over spring break at Alturas Elementary to prep the upper entry wall for the new Alturas Eagle mascot logo. Assistant Superintendent John Blackman graciously agreed to lend his artistic talent to paint the new mural.
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Communications
Readership of the BCSD Weekly Update and the BCSD Staff Connection remain consistent. Why is this important? Because it shows there is a continued interest in student and staff news in the Blaine County School District. The BCSD Weekly Update is opened by an average of 1,000 people each week. That's 1,000 people who read the news about BCSD first-hand and like to stay informed. The most popular stories are about student success, so keep the good news coming.
If you have news to share, please send it to us.
Thank you to those of you who recently sent news from your classrooms and programs:
Angela Barbre, Becky Benson, Emily Brown, Beth Citron, Pam Duquette, Jamie Ellison, Kimberly Hochendoner, Lars Hovey, Laurie Kaufman, Chris Koch, Kevin Lupton, Rebecca Martin, Angie Martinez, Karl Nordstrom, Chet Olson, Matt Phillips, Adam Porth, Susie Reese, Jennifer Rierden, Tim Rierden, Melanie Schrader, Scott Slonim, Duane Sorensen, Max Stimac, Susan Tabor Boesch, Kristy Turco, Dan Vanden Heuvel, and Gloria Wieand.
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Community Campus
After school passes are being distributed to schools. All elementary and middle school students must have a pass in order to be at the Community Campus after school. This helps us keep students safe. School secretaries will receive the passes to distribute to students. Please contact Teresa Gregory, Community Campus Building Coordinator, if you have any questions.
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Curriculum
Curriculum hosted a Parent Math Night with Jonathan Brendefur and Sam Strother. This event was for parents of students in all grades and all schools in Blaine County. 40 parents attended and they asked the district to schedule more Parent Math Nights in the future. Stay tuned!
Announcing a free collaborative summer institute with NIWP and University of Idaho's Doceo Center for Innovation + Learning
NIWP Summer Institute - July 6-10 in the Doceo Center Lab on the Moscow Campus
Hotel costs, four pd credits, and a tech device provided by us.
The goal of this institute is to provide professional development on writing across the curriculum through the integration of technology and implementation of the Idaho Core Standards.
SEE THIS LINK FOR MORE INFORMATION
Please contact Cassidy Hall, Technology Integration Specialist, University of Idaho.
Doceo Center for Innovation + Learning
724-454-4295 (cell)
208-885-9084 (office)
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Finance
The Finance and the Human Resource departments have been working on a new non-certified salary schedule. This salary schedule is being reviewed by the Board of Trustees and may be approved at the April regular school board meeting. The salary schedule will be similar to the existing salary schedule but with the longevity of the lanes and steps similar to the certified salary schedule. Break story here.
The benefit to our non-certified staff will be the salary schedule will not bottom out until year 20. The first 16 years has a 3% step built into the matrix and goes to 1% for years 17-20. This is the same structure used in the certified salary schedule. The new salary schedule will also reward those staff members who have a Bachelor's degree or higher, or a journeyman's license with movement in columns across which is a five percent increase.
When developing the new salary schedule we had several goals:
- Reward non-certified staff for advanced degrees
- Reward non-certified staff for years past step 10
- Ensure no staff member sees a reduction in wages due to this new schedule while keeping classified wages similar to where they are now.
With these three goals in mind, we believe we have accomplished the task of the salary schedule. One thing to keep in mind when you review the salary schedule is that most likely you may not be placed in the same years of service step as you currently fall. For example, you may have 8 years of service in the old salary schedule and be placed on step 5 or step 11 based on your current hourly rate of pay. That was the only way we could accomplish goal number 3. After the Board of Trustees approves the new salary schedule we will be coming around to the buildings and departments to help everyone understand their placement and the new salary matrix.
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HR News & Highlights
5 Things You need to know:
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Unsure who to talk to/email in HR? Problem solved.....just send questions to hr@blaineschools.org and your email will be answered by the appropriate person. No more guessing if you're talking to the right person!
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Promoting Safer Schools Each school day students are entrusted to our care our schools are safe havens for teaching and learning. In an effort to promote safer schools, the Blaine County School District is adopting the Incident Command System, or ICS, which is a standardized, on-scene, all-hazard incident management approach. Read more here.
- What are the rules on Personal leave this year? Read more here.
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Who is the American Fidelity Representative?
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Jay Bevercombe
Account Manager Southern Idaho
American Fidelity Assurance Co.
Northwest Branch Office
Toll Free: (877) 589-2544 Ext 364
Fax: (855) 378-7401
E-Mail: jay.bevercombe@americanfidelity.com
www.americanfidelity.com
- More PERSI workshops coming....PERSI will be in our area on August 4th offering the following workshops. Read more here.
Vendor Spotlight-Employee Discounts
HR's Coming and Goings.....
Hello To....
Kristy Heitzman, Executive Director, Blaine County Education Foundation
Goodbye To....
Laurie Kaufman, Clerk of the Board-District Office
Kelsey Atkins, Math Teacher-WRMS
Alicia Pastor Hollis, Elementary 5th Grade, Hemingway
Leave of Absences 15-16
Molly Lansing, Latino Service Coordinator, Student Services
Summer Gilmore, English Teacher, WRHS
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Transportation
Projects and Backpacks and Books (Oh my!)
It seems like everything starts going back and forth to school with our kids this time of year. We want to ask for your help with the amount of "stuff" that students try and take on the school bus. Our bus drivers try and allow students to take their items on the bus, but when the bus is full of people, it gets very difficult to take extra items. State Department of Education guidelines state that students can take with them only what will fit on their lap as they are seated on the bus. Usually that gets limited to a backpack. An additional book-bag or school project can take space and displace another student from riding the bus. Buses are for students to get to and from school and, therefore, have priority when getting on the bus. Unfortunately, students may not be able to take all of their items with them on the same day. One option would be for a parent to pick up excess items at the school. Please help your students consider options as they prepare to leave for the day if you see they have an abundance of projects or backpacks or books. (Oh my!)
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School News
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Carey
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Carey held their Leadership Night on March 18th this year. Most of the students in the school participated while explaining the 7 Habits.
The student lighthouse team started the evening off with a limo ride onto the stage and a conversation about the passport program and getting them completed so everyone can attend the end of year party in Hollywood :-)
 The Carey Boys Basketball team is the second in school history to win a State Championship in basketball. The first was in 2011 and the second this year. Great job by everyone involved as they came out the number 1 team.
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Wood River Middle School
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WRMS Kicks Off An International Exchange Program:
Students from Wood River Middle School traveled to Spain to spend time in a cooperative school called Gredos de San Diego in Madrid. Our group of 8th graders left on March 17th, a day after students from Spain returned home after a month-long stay in the Wood River Valley. The students will be immersed in a Spanish-speaking environment and living with host families. Their first day there, they met classmates and toured their school. In the first rainy and cloudy week, the students visited downtown Madrid, Toledo, a nature preserve, and Segovia. In this photo, the students from WRMS and Spanish IV teacher, Mr. Jorge Pulleiro, are in Segovia in front of the famous Roman Aqueduct almost 2000 years old and determined to be built in the first century A.D.
The students will also be experiencing a nation that is greatly shaped by a food culture that is vastly different than the United States. This is a traditional Paella with fresh-water lobster, mussels and clams.
 Wood River High School physics teacher Matt Phillips was recently awarded the Nancy Williams Teaching Award for 2015. The award is given annually during the National Honor Society induction. The award exemplified excellence in scholarship, leadership, character and service. Each award winner is selected by NHS students. During the induction, one colleague remarked, "It is a tradition at Wood River High School for the National Honor Society to honor one exceptional teacher with the Nancy Williams Award. This teacher, as Nancy Williams did, exemplifies the qualities of National Honor Society. This year's honoree is no exception. He asks students to give their best in all aspects of their academic careers. He is always pushing students to strive for excellence.
He also promotes professional development with his colleagues. I, for one, look forward to all the NYTimes articles he regularly sends out to staff! He exemplifies success in scholarship, leadership, character, and service." Congratulations Matt!
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Do The Right Thing Nominations
 Do you see students Doing the Right Thing? Nominate a student today. Nominations are open until Friday, May 1. All students who are nominated will receive a certificate signed by Hailey Police Chief Jeff Gunter and Hailey Fire Chief Craig Aberbach. Five award-winners are recognized publicly and receive gift certificates in addition to the Do The Right Thing certificate. Help us encourage students to be their best selves.
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