February 1, 2015

Blaine County School District Thanks Staff, Students, Community Partners and Law Enforcement for Quick Response

The Blaine County School District thanks staff, students, community partners and local law enforcement for the quick response to the lockdown on Thursday, January 28.

At 10:09 a.m. the internal notification system was used to put Silver Creek High School, Wood River High School and the Community Campus into a lockdown. A gentleman was observed walking by a window with what appeared to be a weapon, prompting a district staff member to call 911 and triggering the lockdown. After the incident was over, Hailey Police and the Idaho Mountain Express stated the gentleman was a photographer. Read the press release here.

What can parents during a lockdown?

Be Prepared for a School Emergency

Know the Emergency Terms and Procedures

Students Learn Life Lessons With VOICE II

Preparing presentations, navigating airports, and learning how to travel were just a few of the things that VOICE II students learned recently on a trip to Hawaii. The students traveled to Hawaii to attend and present at the 17th Annual Council for Exceptional Children Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities International Conference. VOICE II is a transition program in the Blaine County School District for students with disabilities. The program teaches life skills for students ages 18-21.

VOICE II teacher Jamie Ellison called it "The trip of a lifetime with layer upon layer of transition skill application . I was so proud of each of the students." Participants included Nathan Lago, Dacota Ratliffe and Kianna Hansen. The trip included visits to Pearl Harbor, which Ellison called "life changing" and a Hawaiian luau, sponsored by the Blaine County Education Foundation. Students learned how expensive travelling is and the value in planning, budgeting, scheduling and doing this for themselves. Ellison stated, "It was a huge life lesson in money management." To see more photos, visit the VOICE II Facebook page.

Students Explore the Outdoors

Ice skating, snowshoeing, Nordic skiing, snowboarding, and downhill skiing are not typical activities at most schools across the country, or even in Idaho, but they are in Blaine County. The annual winter sports programs started at Hemingway Elementary in January and will continue through February at other elementary schools, including Carey School. Special thanks to the parent and community volunteers who assist staff to make these programs possible. Sun Valley Company and many other local businesses provide free and discounted equipment and passes in order to make the winter sports program accessible to every student. The program is a great example of student inspiration and engagement.

Student Spotlight

Meet Jesse Cole in the Weekly Sun.

Each week, Jonathan Kane will be profiling a local high-school student. If you know someone you'd like to see featured, e-mail jkjohnkane@gmail.com.

Read the article here.

Students and Parents Learn Mathematical Thinking

Bellevue Elementary hosted its annual Family Math Night last week. Parents, students and staff joined together for fun math games that challenged the old and young at heart. Bellevue reading teacher Gloria Wieand stated, "This is another great example of Bellevue Elementary providing activities parents can do at home to support mathematical thinking."

World Languages in the 21st Century

World Language programs are offered to students in grades 6-12 at Wood River Middle School and Wood River High School and grades 9-12 at Carey School. All World Language teachers use various forms of technology for instruction, ranging from Skype and Google Hangouts with native language speakers, to interactive games.

Two teachers, Erika Liebel at WRHS, and Kyle Carr at WRMS, are using blogs and videos to enhance language instruction. Liebel writes, "Technology, when used in meaningful way, can enhance student thinking and inspire creativity in the demonstration of new knowledge." Visit Erika Liebel's website and blog to see samples of students demonstrating language aquisition through student-narrated "National Geographic" videos. Visit the WRMS World Language department page here and the WRHS World Language department page here.

Safety Alert

Large amounts of snow piled around existing overhead power lines could create hazards. Kids love to climb high piles of snow and occasionally those piles are dangerously close to overhead power lines. Cities, county and the school district are working to clear large piles of snow, but in the meantime please keep a watchful eye for children climbing piles of snow near overhead power lines. If you see children doing this, please ask them to stop. Thank you.

Parents - Look for School Climate Survey

What letter grade would you give your child's school? Provide this feedback and more in the School Climate survey starting next week. District leaders are asking parents to participate in a School Climate Survey that will launch Monday, February 8. Results will be used to evaluate school-level performance and inform changes where necessary.

Parents with current email addresses will receive the survey via email. Parents will also be able to find the survey on the website or request a paper copy of the survey from their school. The survey will run from Monday, February 8-Monday, February 22. Past survey results can be found here.

Board of Trustees and District Leadership Learn About School Finance

Last week the Board of Trustees held a special meeting to gather more information as they move toward developing a financial plan for the district. Board of Trustees, district leadership and interested patrons attended the meeting. Christian Anderson from Zion's Bank and Harry Griffith from the Wood River Economic Partnership presented information on school finance and the state of the local economy, respectively.