Articles at Minidoka Schools

The Speaking Spartans

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The Competitive Speech Team at Minico High School is off to a great start this year! The team consists of 19 students from all grade levels that compete with other schools from throughout the state. Speech is an activity that is sponsored by the IHSAA and includes a season of invitational tournaments followed by District and State tournaments. Events range from Impromptu, Oratory, Interpretations, Salesmanship, and Radio Speaking just to name a few. The "Speaking Spartans" have participated at Bonneville H.S., Idaho State University, Eagle H.S,. and have tournaments planned at Mt. Home H.S. and Blackfoot H.S. before District and State tournaments. We have had finalists in Panel Discussion, Duo Interp, Impromptu, and Expository Speaking with a third place at Blackfoot and a second place at ISU. With most of our students new to competitve speech and this being one of the largest teams Minico has ever had the future looks bright for this group of dedicated and hardworking speakers.

Minico Speech & Debate is coached by Mr. Scott Coats.

Help Your Local School District

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Minidoka County farmers have the opportunity to nominate Minidoka County School District to compete for a grant up to $25,000. America's Farmers Grow Rural Education, sponsored by Monsanto Fund, will help farmers positively impact their communities and support their local school district. Grants will be awarded based on merit, need, and community support.

To nominate Minidoka County School District, farmers must complete a form online or mailed, or have the district submit their information for them by April 15, 2012. Farmers must be at least 21 or older and actively farming a minimum of 250 acres of corn, soybeans and/or cotton, or 40 acres of open field vegetables, or at least 10 acres of vegetable grown in protected culture.

To complete the nomination form online go to: http://www.americasfarmers.com/growruraleducation/school-nominations.aspx

To mail the nomination form:
Print the form at http://www.americasfarmers.com/growruraleducation/school-nominations.aspx
Completed entries can be mailed to:
America's Farmers Grow Rural Education
914 Spruce Street
St. Louis, MO 63102.
The nomination period runs Jan. 6, 2012, through April 15, 2012

To have Minidoka County School District submit the nomination for you:
Please contact Justine Lynch at 208-436-4727 ext. 109 or jlynch@minidokaschools.org with the following information:
Are you a seed dealer or spouse of a seed dealer? (Yes or No)
First and last name
Address
City, State, Zip
Phone
Are you 21 or older and actively farming a minimum of 250 acres of corn, soybeans and/or cotton, or 40 acres of open field vegetables, or at least 10 acres of vegetable grown in protected culture (Yes or No)
Do you agree to allow Monsanto to use your information (Yes or No)

Thank you in advance for your support and recognition.

America's Farmers Grow Rural Education Flyer [pdf]

America's Farmers Grow Rural Education Questions and Answers [pdf]

"Getting Straight A's"...things we must remember

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Attitude- We need the benefit of positive attitudes in our classrooms, school buildings, homes, businesses, and entire community.� Minidoka County is a great place to live.� I have been so impressed with the quality of your children and the dedicated staff of this district.� We need to remember and reconnect with our Minidoka Pride?our Spartan Pride!� We encourage attitudes that foster cooperation, respect, trust, sportsmanship, and unity.� These positive attitudes will instill our community with enthusiasm and hope for the future.� Positive attitudes motivate us to work together on behalf of our children.� We need to eliminate gossip, rumor spreading, backbiting, or anything which is potentially negative.� When we dwell on the negative, it inevitably affects our students in adverse ways.� Let’s work together to improve our attitude?attitude determines our altitude!
Attendance- Student achievement is directly tied to attendance.� When children are in classrooms receiving daily instruction, encouragement, and assessment from the teacher, success is within the reach of�every�child.� An absence is a missed opportunity for learning.� Idaho schools receive state money based on the reported average daily attendance of our students.� Every absence translates into lost revenue for our District.� Lost revenue means fewer resources to educate our children.� We need to improve our attendance and try to limit classroom interruptions and unnecessary appointments during the instructional day.� If we could raise our student attendance just 3 percentage points (i.e. from 93 % to 95 %), our state aid payments over the school year would increase significantly.� Staff is also focusing on improving attendance.� We need our teachers in class with our students as much as possible.�
Achievement-�� Our main job is to improve student achievement.� Everyone in the community has an interest in seeing that Minidoka County students are well educated.� High student achievement is the hallmark of a quality education and requires the full commitment of students, teachers, and parents.� Our staff is responsible for setting learning targets, teaching to the targets, and monitoring each student’s growth.� Students must be actively engaged in the process of learning and should be encouraged to grow and succeed.� Our District believes in “Excellence in Education.”� This means�every one,�every thing,�every time, andevery where!� We need to focus on continuous school improvement and helping every child to learn and grow.�
Activities- Educational research says that participation in extra-curricular activities is strongly correlated with student academic success.� We need to develop, maintain, and promote good and wholesome extra-curricular activities and programs.� We have an excellent Booster Club and Parent-Teacher organizations that help us promote positive social experiences and activities at all levels.� We need to attract and retain top quality coaches and advisors for these programs.� We continue to work on to providing adequate and appropriate funding levels for our programs that benefit students.� We also want to model and encourage excellent sportsmanship.
Accountability- As a District, we must remember that parents are sending us their greatest possessions?their children?to nurture and educate.� We should never try to take the “Public” out of public schools.� We have a responsibility to our patrons to provide the best possible education system and must communicate openly about our accomplishments and challenges.�We have school improvement teams in every building and encourage parents to become directly involved in helping us to continuously improve.��We pledge to provide excellent learning opportunities to all students regardless of achievement level, ethnicity, language, or economic status.��We will continue to provide accurate and timely reporting via newsletters, web site, board meetings, and Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) school report cards as required by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).��We are committed to assuring that our staff is “Highly Qualified” and teaching the approved Idaho Achievement Standards.��We need to help all students grow and succeed on all District testing/assessment measures.��We must continue to ask ourselves the question, "Is it good for kids?" �Then, we must have the courage to get it done.
Atmosphere- Student safety and well-being is one of our chief goals.� We need to promote and monitor safety and security in order to provide drug free schools, positive discipline, and a desirable environment free from all forms of harassment, violence, and bullying.�� Character education programs will be continued in all buildings to encourage the development of students into healthy, happy, and productive citizens of our community and the world.� We need to respect and celebrate diversity and differences.� Additionally, we are concerned about wellness and nutrition for all of our students and staff.� As a district we also need to operate attractive, well-maintained, and clean physical facilities, buildings, and playgrounds.� The physical and social climate we set will directly impact our students, so it is critical that the atmosphere be positive.�

Christmas Spirit at Mt.Harrison

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 11:00:00 GMT

Our seniors decided to do a canned food drive to benefit the South Central Community Action Agency. On Friday, December 9th, 2011, the principal at Mt.Harrison challenged the students to bring in 2500 cans for this cause. On Monday the 12th they had brought in 835 cans. By Wednesday this had grown to just over 2200 cans. On Thursday morning, the 15th, the day of delivery, our students had brought in more than 5450 items. This was done through emailing, Facebook, door-to-door requests in students neighborhoods, standing outside of Walmart and requesting donations, along with numerous other ways. It took three "fully" loaded pickups to deliver this to SCCAA. The staff there were overwhelmed by the amount of items that were brought in. They stated that they usually run out of donated items by late July or early August of each year and that this would now provide for the needs of this area until late November or early December of 2012. They estimated that it would assist in feeding approximately 10,000 people. A huge "THANK YOU" goes out to all of the students, their parents, our staff, and the many other people who were involved in this tremendous outpouring of "Christmas Spirit".

Minidoka Technology Grants Available

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 11:00:00 GMT

Grant applications are currently available to any teacher wanting to apply for some of the Technology in the Classroom funds made available as part of the Students Come First legislation. A total of $61,000 will be awarded in this first round of grants. A second round of grants totaling $61,000 will be awarded at the end of March 2012. Similar grant amounts will be made available in September and March each school year for the next several years.

Applications must be completely filled out or they will not be considered for awards. Applications are due by January 13, 2012. We appreciate the fact that this is a very small window, but the committee wants to distribute these funds quickly so that the students in our district can begin to benefit from the new technology as soon as possible. Awards will be announced by January 20, 2012.

Successful grant proposals will demonstrate creative and/or innovative uses of technology to improve student learning. Please be aware that funding from the grants is not intended to replace existing labs or update current software.

Grant awards can be made to individual teachers, teams of teachers, school departments and/or schools. Grants will be considered across all grade levels as well as across the entire range of student needs, from those performing far below proficiency levels to our highest achieving students. Applications are also not intended to be limited to a few curricular areas, as it is anticipated that applications will address student achievement in a wide variety of subjects.

Be sure to consider and address all aspects of your technology funding needs. The cost for devices, software, apps, installation of equipment, additional power needs, etc. should all be part of your application, as they are needed. Another item for your consideration is the potential need of additional devices, as some may be lost or stolen and some may stop working, etc. No additional money is available to provide for these other needs, so be sure to address them in your application.

Successful applicants will be required to share their results with others. This could include training of other staff in the school or district. The committee is also planning to hold a Technology Fair in the district where successful applicants will demonstrate how they have used the technology to improve student achievement.

The committee is anticipating many applications, so we may not be able to fund all of the projects that are submitted. Those who are not awarded grants in this first round will have the opportunity to apply for another round of funds in the spring. Remember that this is a multi-year commitment from the legislature, so money will be available for several years.

Good luck to all who apply. You may find the application by logging in to the Employee Resources section of this website.

Technology Task Force Recommendations

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 10:00:00 GMT

BOISE – The 38-member Students Come First Technology Task Force today voted unanimously to approve recommendations that will help the state and local school districts successfully implement the technology components of the state's education reform laws. In total, the Task Force approved 47 recommendations.

"I am impressed with the work of the Task Force. In June, 38 individuals came together with different ideas, attitudes and opinions about education reform in Idaho. After months of study and hard work, we agreed unanimously on the best ways to move the Students Come First laws forward across our state," Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna said. "Through these laws and now with these recommendations, we will truly be able to provide equal education opportunities for all Idaho students and the tools and resources Idaho teachers need to raise academic achievement."

In 2011, Superintendent Luna worked with Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter and the Idaho Legislature to pass comprehensive education reform that will make every classroom a 21st Century Classroom, ensure every student has access to a highly effective teacher every year in school, and give parents immediate access to understandable information about their child's school and district.

Under Senate Bill 1184, Superintendent Luna was charged with chairing a task force to help in implementing the technology components of the Students Come First law. Specifically, this task force was asked to study and develop plans for the one-to-one ratio of mobile computing devices in high schools, the online credit requirement, the necessary professional development for teachers, and other topics determined by the task force chairman.

The Task Force was made up of classroom teachers, parents, principals, superintendents, school board trustees, legislators, business managers, technology directors, and representatives of the business community. Eleven positions on the task force were appointed by educational stakeholder groups as well as the Idaho Legislature and the Office of the Governor.

Here are highlights of the recommendations approved by the Task Force today:

The state phase in the one-to-one mobile computing devices to one-third of high schools at a time, beginning in Fall 2013. High school teachers will still receive devices in Fall 2012.
The state procure a laptop as the mobile computing device.
If local school boards determine the device will be taken home, all schools provide parent trainings multiple times throughout the year. Attendance would be required at one training before the device is taken home.
The state increase the amount of professional development allowed in school calendars.
The state require Idaho's colleges of education to ensure pre-service students learn how to integrate technology in the classroom before becoming teachers.
The State Department of Education work with local schools and districts to develop and implement an online portal where parents and students can get more information on each online course, including the provider, instructor, quality and performance metrics and parent and student customer ratings.

For more information on the work of the Technology Task Force, including a list of Task Force members, meeting minutes, and a list of recommendations, visit http://www.studentscomefirst.org/technologytaskforce.htm.

Final Task Force Recommendations

$75,000 Grant Awarded

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Minidoka School District was awarded an English Learner (EL) Enhancement Grant for $75,000 over 3 years. Funding will be used to improve the current EL Program by targeting LEP students at the middle school level and providing students with the necessary tools to improve performance, increase language proficiency and literacy, and advance progress monitoring by implementing Imagine Learning English into current curriculum.

Imagine Learning English is built on proven research principles; Academic Vocabulary, Language Development Strategies, Language Commonalties, Formative Assessment, and Listening and Speaking Skills. It addresses the needs of middle school LEP students by targeting long-term English learners, migrant students, and new comers through an advance English learning program that focuses on content material as well as language and literacy. Imagine Learning English will supplement the current EL Program by concentrating on content-specific material in student studies.

After 3 years, Minidoka School District will have 94 perpetual Imagine Learning English software licenses to help improve LEP student achievement.

Visitors Invited To Take Part in Christmas On The Ranch

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:00:00 GMT

Visitors to the Idaho Youth Ranch near Rupert can sip hot cocoa and cider, munch on homemade cookies, have their pictures taken with Santa Claus, and enjoy 40 acres of holiday lighting and displays during the third annual Christmas on the Ranch event.

The event takes place from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on the Friday and Saturday evenings of Dec. 2-3, Dec. 9-10, and Dec. 16-17. Visitors can either drive through the campus just to see the lights, or stop in and visit.

“Visitors can come out and meet Santa Claus, get some warm stuff in their tummy and drive the trains in the train city,” said Jim Stockberger, program director at the Ranch. Visitors also can view a large lighted manger scene at the chapel. Inside, children who live at the Ranch will be singing Christmas carols.

Stockberger said an 8-by-10-inch photo with Santa will be provided for participants who make a donation, but other event features are free of charge.

The purpose of the event is to give people a chance to have some holiday fun while they learn more about the Ranch and its programs.

The Ranch, located at 1275 N. 400 E., is the original site of the Idaho Youth Ranch. Located on 500 acres in south central Idaho, the rural site offers a unique setting to help troubled children. The Ranch’s peaceful surroundings are in great contrast to the chaos and risks found in the lives of many of the children who go there.

“Life for children at the Ranch is like being part of a healthy and nurturing family,” Stockberger said. The Ranch offers separate and safe lodges for girls and boys, a school, gym, chapel, and an indoor arena for riding horses. “In this setting, kids learn how to change their behavior before it’s too late.”

A caring professional staff provides a full range of residential services that help the children gain sound values, responsibility, and self-discipline.

The staff also involves the girls and boys at the Ranch in a certified equine therapy program. This program helps children heal by showing them how to take care of and ride horses. They also take care of other animals through a 4-H livestock program. By caring for animals, children learn to care for themselves and others, and a get a boost in their self-esteem. At any one time, about 20 children live at the ranch.

“The decorations are going up and it’s looking like Christmas around here,” Stockberger said.

ABOUT THE IDAHO YOUTH RANCH
The Idaho Youth Ranch operates residential treatment homes in Idaho for at-risk youth and also provides family counseling and adoption services. Revenue from IYR Thrift Stores, the IYR Car Center, and E-Commerce (online sales of used books and collectibles) partially funds the homes, programs and services. For information on the Idaho Youth Ranch, call toll free at 877-817-8141 or visit the website at www.youthranch.org.

Parent Workshop This Week

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 13:00:00 GMT

The Minidoka County School District invites all parents to its monthly "Parents Make a Difference" workshop on Thursday, November 17 at 7:00 pm. The topic for this month's workshop is Citizenship--how parents can help their children to become good citizens at school, at home, and in the community. Workshop topics include:

Community involvement--opportunities for kids and families to become involved in various community activities and service;
School involvement--clubs and programs that are available to engage students in their areas of interest; and
The "40 Developmental Assets"—learn about the 40 common-sense, positive experiences and qualities that kids need to have to grow up healthy, caring, responsible, and successful.

Please join us for this fun and informative Parent Workshop on Thursday, November 17 at 7:00 pm at the District Service Center, 310 10th Street in Rupert (the old Memorial School building). If you have questions, call 436-4727.

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 09:00:00 GMT

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the new District Service Center brings in over 380 visitors.

Open House

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 09:00:00 GMT

Hi everyone! We have scheduled an "Open House" event for our new District Service Center (DSC) located at 310 10th St in Rupert (old Memorial Elementary School). We will be serving soda pop and hamburgers & hot dogs on the grill. The date is Thursday, November 3, 2011 from 4pm - 6pm. We are planning a ribbon cutting at 5 pm. The public is invited to come in and have a look at our remodeled District Service Center. We have many programs at the DSC: Preschool, Gifted & Talented, Day Treatment, Business Office, IT/Technology Offices, Board Room, Administrative Offices, Federal Programs, Special Education, Training/Conference Rooms, and the Minidoka Virtual Academy. We are excited about the collaboration and integration this project has brought about in our District. Come and enjoy a visit with us!

Distinguished Schools Award

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 08:00:00 GMT

Mark Browning from the Idaho State Board of Education presented Dan Rogers, Principal of Minico High School, with a "Distinguished Schools Award" on September 28, 2012. Minico High School was one of only twelve schools to receive this award based on meeting Adequate Yearly Progess (AYP) by demonstrating academic growth in the top 5% of all schools at reducing gaps between subpopulations of students in academic achievement. "This is equivalent to a state championship, academically speaking", stated Dr. Scott Rogers, Superintendent of Schools. "We are extremely proud of the students, staff, and administration at Minico High School. This is a great day and a great acknowledgement of all of the hard work and improvement that we are seeing in the school district", commented Board Chairman Brian Duncan. Principal Dan Rogers accepted the award but gave the credit to "the staff, students, and supportive parents in our communities". Way to go Minico!

Back to School Speech

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 09:00:00 GMT

Greetings all. We have had questions arise about the President's "Back to School Speech" scheduled for Wednesday, September 28th at 1:30 pm EDT. At this time, we do not have the internet bandwidth to accommodate a live stream of this event. It may be appropriate to let parents/families decide and view the speech. It will be archived and can be viewed afterwards.

The Problem School Boards Have With The Public

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 09:00:00 GMT

This was written by Michael Rochholz, Board President of the Schoolcraft Community Schools in Schoolcraft, Mich. and member of the Michigan Association of School Boards.

As a school board member for 10 years, I have frequently asked myself: Does the public really understand the public education system? How it works? How many daily successes take place? How different school is today from when they were once students?

Based on my board work and the public education initiatives I?ve been involved in at the local, state and federal levels, I see that the public doesn?t know enough about public education and therefore, is not insisting on adequate representation in the political and policy arenas. It?s easy for others to bash public education when there?s no one to defend it.

The truth is that while some school boards breed public cynicism through their actions or inaction, the vast majority work extremely hard to provide excellent tools and outcomes for their administrators, teachers and students through vision- and data-driven policies.

Many boards acknowledge the need for improvement but that very act is often misconstrued as a lack of performance or quality. Private businesses, of course, are always seeking improvements and are not accused of poor performance for it. But school boards don?t get such understanding.

So how do we get the public to understand what?s truly taking place in public schools?

Highlighting the thousands of student success stories is a start, but it?s not enough. The public must fully realize and appreciate the value of a public education.

Perhaps if more people realized all of the student successes, the bashing would end, the unfair and unrealistic reforms would stop, and the sheer volume of unproven education choices would disappear.

Most parents can?t tell you what score their child received on their last standardized test, the name of their school?s curriculum program, the pay scale of teachers or how boards determine policy. And most community members can?t tell you how schools are funded, structured or evaluated.

What they do care about is the teacher who inspires, how their concerns are addressed, what a school does for their neighborhood, the principal who knows every kid?s name, and the dream for kids to become successful and happy adults. But all of this is given short shrift by today?s education reform policies that center around high-stakes standardized tests.

Schoolcraft Community Schools, where I serve, is a small school serving a diverse student body of more than 1,100 students in Kalamazoo County.

My board constantly encourages citizens to visit our schools, attend events and experience what?s happening first-hand. We pay particular attention to highlighting our vision of a child, family and community centered public education. We annually conduct a board self-assessment to ensure that we are adhering to high standards, and we tell success stories at every opportunity.

The Schoolcraft Board led the district by providing our teachers the tools they need to help students achieve higher knowledge; by providing opportunities and choices for our students, which has increased student involvement and expectations; and, by interacting with our community to discover ways to engage them.

The education landscape is turning into a free-for-all for politicians, billionaires and movie producers who seem insistent on creating new, unproven systems of education choices and assessment.

The only way this will be reversed is if regular citizens stand up for public education and learn what they must know to participate and insist on policies that reflect community realities and the needs of all children. It is time for people to stop believing that standardized test scores mean much, or that media spin is accurate.

Please visit your local school, attend a board meeting, get to know the staff and ask questions. See what they offer, seek out the facts, talk to a student and form your own opinions.

Mt. Harrison Uniforms

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 08:00:00 GMT

Mt. Harrison High School began a standardized dress policy in the 2010-11 school year. This assisted in removing many of the distractions that can occur at schools because of the economic status that separates students. Some of the biggest complaints that came in the Spring of 2010 from the female students was the concern about individuality. This concern was quickly set aside when we began last school year and the girls realized that everyone was on an equal standing. Many stated that the harassment that had been occurring because of what they were wearing or not wearing had completed stopped. The issue last year was that the students still bought the name brand polo shirts and had the mascot embroidered on the opposite side it was meant to be put on. The other issue that we had was that of the blue jeans that can be bought in today's age that have so many holes. Last Spring our staff got together and reviewed what we had dealt with for a year. This year we went to a true uniform policy, which has completely alleviated the issues that we dealt with last year. With shirts of one color (with no other emobroidery on it), black dress slacks and either solid black or solid white shoes all issues that were being dealt with are now gone. Numerous parents have commented about how much they like it, especially with it being less expensive than having to buy the name brand items. The students look much sharper and because they take pride in themselves, and aren't put down for what they are wearing or not wearing, the atmosphere of the school is much more pleasant. I would like to thank the administration of the school district, the school board members, our parents, and especially the students for the support and acceptance of this policy. Many of the students have stated that it is preparing them for the world of work and many of them are already wearing uniforms at the jobs they now have.