MVHS Places 3rd in State Drama Competition

On December 5 and 6, the Magic Valley High School Main Street Players traveled to State Drama in Pocatello, Idaho. 38 schools competed, 14 of those in the “B” category, including MVHS (“B” teams are those from schools with less than 800 students). Catherine Howery, Dusti Morse, Alisha Neal, and Stephanie Galliher advanced to semi-finals in all of their events, and Alisha and Stephanie advanced to finals with their serious ensemble. The accumulation of points resulted in MVHS placing 3rd IN THE STATE as a team for “B” schools. Congratulations to the entire team for a fantastic competitive season! (Students who placed and drama teacher, Jennifer Miller, are pictured.)

November Employees of the Month

Congratulations to the Twin Falls School District's November Employees of the Month! Each employee is pictured above with Superintendent Dobbs and and representatives from the Board of Trustees. The Certified Employees of the Month are Joe Shepard,pictured third, from Support Services and Rebecca Robbins, pictured last, from the Bridge Academy Transition Center. The Classified Employees of the Month are Kandy Danos, pictured first, from Support Services and Bev Condon, pictured second, from the Bridge Academy Transition Center. Thank you for all your hard work!

October Employees of the Month

Congratulations to the Twin Falls School District October Employees of the month! The Certified Employee of the month is Shannon Anderson (pictured above).

The Classified Employee of the month is Laurie Wirtz (pictured above). Both are from Bickel Elementary School. We appreciate their hard work! Good Job!

Toni Smurthwaite Receives Office Max's A Day Made Better 2008

Congratulations to Toni Smurthwaite, who is the recipient of Office Max’s A Day Made Better 2008. Toni was nominated by Principal Schroeder and was in competition with all other teacher nominees in the Magic Valley. Each Office Max store chooses one winner who receives over $1,000 worth of supplies from their store. Toni was nominated for her commitment to student achievement, especially her dedication to ensure that each and every child reach his/her set goals. She does not give up on anyone and always gives 110%. We are proud to have Toni at Bickel Elementary School.

Cheri Miller Named Counselor of the Year!

On behalf of the Idaho School Counselor Association, Cheri Miller has been selected as Middle School Counselor of the Year. The Idaho School Counselor Association notes that Cheri is very worthy of this accomplishment! They thanked her and her colleagues who did the work to submit the application materials to ISCA; they really enjoyed reading about Cheri and what she does for kids, families, educators, the community, and most importantly, the profession! Cheri was presented the award during the ISCA Conference on Friday, October 3rd. Congratulations Cheri!

September Employees of the Month

Congratulations to the Twin Falls School District September Employees of the Month! Sheri Ollivier was named Classified Employee of the Month and Mauna Eller was named Certified Employee of the Month! Both are from Morningside Elementary. Sheri is pictured above.

AYP Schools

The Twin Falls school District made 95.7% of the adequate yearly progress (AYP) goals on the spring 2008 Idaho State Achievement Tests (ISAT). Perrine Elementary, Lincoln Elementary, Sawtooth Elementary and Harrison Elementary are the four Twin Falls School District schools that met all 41 categories of AYP. Steps are currently being taken to address the areas that caused the remainder schools to be identified for improvement. An improvement plan will be developed in consultation with parents and the school staff, with technical assistance provided by the district office. Parents will have more opportunities to provide input through an expanded policy on parental involvement, which will further assist students to meet high academic standards. For those schools not making AYP, parents have the option to transfer their child to another school within the district that has not been identified for improvement. If parents have questions or concerns, they should contact the principal of their school.

August Employees of the Month

Congratulations to the Twin Falls School District Employees of the Month! Vicki Schab (bottom) was named certified employee of the month and Tammy Mingo (top) was named classified employee of the month. Both employees are from Harrison Elementary School. Thank you for all your hard work!

Two TFHS Teachers are named Gold Star Teachers

We are proud to announce that Jim Alcaro and Carrie Ploss, two of Twin Falls High School's teachers, have been awarded the distinguished title of Gold Star Teacher for their students' outstanding performance on the 2007-2008 Financial Literacy Certification Tests. Earning Gold Star status lets the world know that 90% or more students in one or more of the awarded teachers’ classes passed the Certification Tests this past year. It shows their capacity as teachers to help their students become certified financial literate. It demonstrates, moreover, that they rank among America’s best teachers dedicated to excellence in financial education.again for participating in our Financial Literacy Program. Congratulations!

Haggan Receives Gold Medal at the FCCLA National Competition

Sheree Haggan competed at the FCCLA National Conference July 12-18th. She competed in a category called Illustrated Talk where the student has to find a concern that relates to Family and Consumer Sciences in our community. Sheree decided that her female peers were struggling with the confidence to say no to drugs, alcohol, sex or other peer pressures so she developed a speech to help build "A Woman's Worth." She wanted to let these young women know that they have self worth and that it is okay to say no to peer pressure. She gave this speech to classes at O'Leary and Robert Stuart Junior High. She also gave the speech to some of the Twin Falls High school girls. Sheree received a Gold Medal at the National Competitions.

July Employees of the Month

Congratulations to the Twin Falls School District Employees of the Month! Patti O'Dell (left) was named certified employee of the month and Sonia Deleon (right) was named classified employee of the month. We appreciate all their hard work and dedication.

Construction Update

How time flies! A little over two years ago on March 14, 2006, the district patrons approved the bond levy providing the necessary funds for current and future building projects. The following will provide insights into the progress that has occurred on these projects.

In 2007, Perrine and Morningside Elementary schools received site safety improvements which included additional parking in addition to loading and unloading zones located off the city street system. Lincoln Elementary also had an elevator installed allowing for all students and staff to have complete access to the second level of the building for educational activities. The cost for the three elementary school projects totaled $ 787,000.

At present there are four projects approved and in differing phases of construction. One year ago, on June 4, 2007, the construction site for Canyon Ridge High School was unveiled and the Ribbon Cutting ceremony was held on location. Construction began the weekend of July 4, 2007, after months of completing paperwork and obtaining approvals from all the agencies that have oversight for school building construction projects. Currently, we have 36 of 38 bid packages accepted and approved for Canyon Ridge High School and if you happen to pass through North College and Washington St, you will see the tremendous changes taking place. The school, which is approximately 220,000 square feet, is literally “growing out of the ground.” The building is on or a little ahead of schedule and is intended to be completed by May 2009. The Board of Trustees has approved expenditures totaling $47,435,467 and the final two bid packages for fencing and communications should cost an additional $1,000,000. To share a perspective with some facts: CRHS will use about 5,000 cubic yards of concrete in the building structure; 400,000 building blocks; 35 acres of grass, trees and shrubs and has a crew of approximately 120 people working on site any given day.

The Bickel Elementary School multi-purpose room is underway and should be completed by October 2008. The cost of the multi-purpose room and an elevator is $1,190,895. The Twin Falls High School football bleachers are being renovated by strengthening the under structure through welding additional supports to reinforce the seating area. In addition to the welding, new seats and foot boards, made of aluminum/metal, will be installed reducing maintenance costs and adding to the strength of the bleachers. The cost for this project is $461,349. The TFHS Chemistry Laboratory/classroom remodels will begin the day after the teacher’s finish their work and is scheduled to be completed by the beginning of school in the fall of 2008. The total budget for the remodel is $676,970 which includes fume hoods, air conditioning and equipment upgrades in the classrooms. Due to new regulations, the district must install water (fire) sprinklers in all renovated areas in the high school. The district is allowed to add the sprinklers as remodel projects are undertaken, thereby spreading costs over a longer period of time.

On May 8, bids were accepted for the Perrine Elementary multi-purpose room. The bids came in approximately $100,000 under the projected budget of $1,100,000. Construction will begin this summer and should be completed within approximately six months. The other elementary school multi-purpose rooms are in the design stage and further remodeling at TFHS, including locker rooms, restrooms and storage areas, are being planned for this fall and readied for the ninth graders to move to the building in the fall of 2009.

Regular meetings are held with the board of trustees, administration, architects and construction management representatives to review the progress of the building projects, determine priorities and make decisions about other projects that are being scheduled into the cycle for bidding and construction. Recently, the bids have been more favorable to the district and it is hoped that future projects will show a similar trend, in turn, helping the budget.

All projects promised in the bond campaign, not mentioned above, are in the planning process and will take approximately 2-3 years to complete. Some of the work is best done during the summer months to minimize the disruption to the educational process. Keep watching and we will continue providing you with up-to-date information on the progress of the projects and what is coming next!

A BIG Thank You to Vera Redman

Trustee Vera Redman has resigned from the Twin Falls School District Board of Trustees where she began serving in July, 1992. Superintendent Dr. Wiley Dobbs said, “For sixteen years Vera has served the students, staff, and the patrons of the Twin Falls School District #411 as a school board member. She has earned tremendous respect and admiration locally and across the state as a caring, effective school board trustee. I will deeply miss working with her.” Board Chair Bryan Matsuoka, also expressed his regret in losing Redman as a board member. “Vera has been my mentor throughout my service as a trustee and has been a model of wisdom rightly applied. Students, young and old, have greatly benefited from her volunteer service over the years. Redman’s dedication to education is an inspiration and yet another reason why Twin Falls is such a great place to live.” Vera will be missed and we wish her luck in all her new endeavors. Thank you Vera.

A BIG Thank You to Rob Atkins

Rob Atkins served on the Twin Falls School District Board of Trustees from July 2005 to June 2008 and decided not to run for his Zone 5 position again. He was very active in helping update the TFSD policy manual as well as serving on the Saftey Committee and Quality Schools Committee. Rob will be missed and was presented with a framed picture of Shoshone Falls at the June 9th board meeting. Thank you Rob.

June Employees of the Month

Congratulations to the Twin Falls School District Employees of the Month, Carol Erbaugh and Shelle Farnsworth. Both were presented with movie tickets, a gift certificate for dinner, a plaque and a special gift from the Board of Trustees. Shelle is pictured above with Superintendent Wiley Dobbs and Trustee Kenny Young.

May Employees of the Month

Congratulations to Tracy Barnes and Marilyn Thompson from Twin Falls High School. They were selected as the TFSD Employees of the Month!

Child Nutrition Employee Appreciation Week

Child Nutrition Employee Appreciation Week (CNEAW) is fast approaching and what will you do to recognize your favorite child nutrition professionals?

Preparing healthy school meals, role modeling healthy eating habits and offering a friendly greeting are all in a day’s work for Idaho’s USDA child nutrition employees. The non-profit School Nutrition Association celebrates this professional commitment with Child Nutrition Employee Appreciation Week, May 5 – 9, 2008. The week is an opportunity for parents, students, school staff and communities to thank those who provide healthy school meals to more than 30 million children throughout the country each school day.

School nutrition employees must balance many roles and follow numerous federal, state and local regulations to ensure safe and healthy meals are available in schools. They are trained sanitation and food safety experts and must manage financially self-sufficient programs. They use their creativity to make the cafeteria a fun and welcoming place all year long and perform their jobs each day because they care passionately about the children they serve.

The importance and nutritional value of school meals are well documented. For many children, school lunch is the most important and nutrient-rich meal of their day. Children depend upon school lunch for 1/3 to 1/2 of their daily nutritional intake. The U.S. Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, found that "school meals are healthy and children who eat school meals consume more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and dairy items than children who do not eat school meals."

In a 2007 Trend study, school nutrition professionals provided specific examples of common improvements made to school meals this school year. Among the most popular responses were:

Reducing/limiting trans fat content (74%)
Limiting fat content of a la carte/vending items (73%)
Increasing availability of healthier beverages in vending machines (81%)
Increasing availability of fresh fruits/vegetables on a la carte lines and/or vending machines (69%)

Additionally, policy development has in areas such as wellness improved in nearly every area from past years, including the percentage of districts with a policy that limits the fat content of a la carte and/or vending items rising to 73% from 38% in 2004.

Please join me in thanking our Idaho Child Nutrition Employees for a job well done.


Tom Luna, Superintendent of Public Instruction

TFHS Student Places at National Investwrite Competition

Alex Yeggy from Twin Falls High School won 6th place in the National Investwrite Competition. There were more than 80,000 entries and his prize was $100 gift certificate. This competition was associated with the personal finance class offered at TFHS, the teacher is Jim alcaro.

TFHS SKILLS USA Organization Places at State

The SKILLS USA Organization at TFHS competed at State competiton April 10th-12th. Many Students placed in their technical skills or leadership competitions. The following is a list of students who placed:

Promotional Bulletin Board:
Bronze: Paula Muniz and Jenna Palmer

Computer Programming:
Bronze: Steven Burgess

Web Design:
Silver: Erica Sanchez and Selina Duankaew

Photography:
Bronze: Paula Muniz

Extemporaneous Speaking:
Silver: Steven Burgess

Customer Service:
Silver: Zach Hill

TFHS Excels at FCCLA State Competition

Twin Falls High School FCCLA students did very well at state competitions. Sheree Haggan placed Gold and will be going onto nationals in Orlando presenting an illustrated talk titled “A Woman’s Worth!” Erica Akridge placed Bronze and is the Alternate to go to Nationals in Career Investigations as a Chef. She also received a $750.00 scholarship to Johnson and Wales. LeRissa Crider and Toni Allred received Bronze in an Illustrated Talk for their piece on Recycling. Summer Calabro, Family and Consumer Sciences Education, also received an award as the Outstanding New Professional.

Paula Chapman: 2008-09 Educator of the Year recipient

Region IV is proud to present Paula Chapman as their 2008-2009 Educator of the Year recipient. Paula is a 7th grade Geography teacher at O’Leary Junior High School in Twin Falls. She has been very active in ensuring that the students and teachers of O’Leary continue to move forward in the pursuit of middle school greatness. O’Leary has been participating in Making Middle Grades Work (MMGW) and Paula is co-site coordinator. She and her partner are the link between O’Leary and MMGW, putting in countless hours planning, surveying, and presenting so that it is relevant to the needs of O’Leary. Even the little things don’t go unnoticed, such as providing treats at meetings. She is always appreciative of the time teachers have to take out of their classes to get MMGW things accomplished. When asked to describe Paula’s role in MMGW one teacher wrote, ―She is the knot that holds the focus teams together.‖

In addition, Paula works continuously to improve professionally by attending trainings, workshops, and conferences. She is always willing to share the great things she learns with her col-leagues. She has braved the duties of cheerleading advisor and started a ski club at O’Leary that has grown from barely filling one bus the first year, three busses and a waiting list this past winter. Thanks, Paula! Region IV is lucky to have you!

Announcing TFSD Finalists - Danny Marona Performing Arts Scholarship Finals

Don't miss the opportunity to watch our fellow Twin Falls High School Student particpate in the Danny Marona Performing Arts Scholarship Finals!

The finals will be held on Saturday, April 5, 2008 at the CSI Fine Arts Auditorium, and starts at 7:30 p.m.

Be sure to cheer for our Twin Falls students:

• Susan Dodds


• Danielle Essma


• Carson Howerton


• Michelle Sorlea

Also performing from our neighborhood cities: Eliza Christensen (Delco High School), Temperance Davis (Oakley High School), So-Yeun Kwak (Magic Valley Christian Academy), McKay Nield (Kimberly High School), Emily O'Connor (Buhl High School), Brian Town (Wood River High School), Amber Wagner (Jerome High School), Keely Ward (Raft River High School), and Brendon Williams (Wood River High School).

Admission is a $10 suggested donation and students are free.

For more information on the Danny Marona Performing Arts Scholarship visit http://www.dannymarona.com/.

Raise the Roof for Morningside Inventors!

Seventeen students taking part at the regional event in Boise won awardsand prizes; of these students, seven placed in the top three for their invention category. Four Morningside Inventors moved on to compete at the state contest held at the Discovery Center of Idaho. These finalists included: ConnerGough, Ethan Hass, Kathryn Clark and Jade Winterholler. All finalists earned awards and prizes. Kathryn Clark from Mrs. Hawkin's third gradeclass placed in the top three at the state level with her eco-friendly invention entitled "The No Waste Paper Saver". Jade Winterholler from Mrs. Rush's fourth grade class earned the prestigious award of Best of Show with her game, "The Odd Ball". It's important to know that her invention was awarded first place above all others in her category for grades 1-8. The Times News featured Jade and her invention on Tuesday, March 11th in an article entitled "A Winning Invention". Students at Morningside are already gearing up with great problem solving ideas for next year's invention contest. Special thanks to our judges, participating students and staff members, The Wedding Shop on Main Street, and the Morningside P.T.A.

View the Times-News article here -> http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2008/03/11/news/local_state/132567.txt

Rebecca Duke - Awarded at City Council Meeting

(left to right) Bill Kyle, Rebecca Duke, and Dave Snelson

Rebecca Duke (Twin Falls District employee) received the Jim A. Mildon Traffic Safety Award at the City Council meeting. She was recognized for her efforts during the past few years to improve safety for students specifically around Lincoln elementary, but creating awareness for all area school zones. She has been involved as a parent volunteer, an official school crossing guard, and as a parent/community volunteer on the Twin Falls Traffic Safety Commission (and for the past few months as an official member of the commission).

Great job Rebecca Duke!

Plant Facilities Levy Results!

The votes are in! The 10-year Plant Facilities Renewal Levy was approved by voters by 65.36%. The district would like to thank those who took the time to vote yesterday.

Here is a breakdown of the votes. The following graph shows the results at each voting location:

This pie chart shows how many voters showed up at each voting location:

Bickel Elementary Featured in Commercial

KinderVision is a non profit community service organization whose primary purpose is to teach children and youth personal safety education via a unique, pro-active multimedia program aimed at preventing abduction and sexual exploitation.

They needed a classroom to film a part of their commercial so we had them, along with several children of TFSD staff members head down to Bickel Elementary. The kids had a great time, and it was alot of fun!

(HINT) Our district is featured towards the end in the classroom scene.

For more information on Kindervision please visit their website at http://www.kindervision.org/.

MVHS Takes 3rd Place for the Third annual Death by Chocolate

Recently, several students from Magic Valley High School spent dozens of man-hours preparing an entry for the third annual Death by Chocolate, sponsored by the Rotary Club. Their entry was a Pound Cake Sundae. First, orange flavored milk chocolate was spooned over the pound cake with a dollop of chocolate mint mousse topping the chocolate. A dark chocolate dipped maraschino cherry and shaved white chocolate topped off the mousse and a sprig of mint completed the ensemble. The students built 1000 of these creations and our Third Place award in the People’s Choice category is something every one at Magic Valley High School is very proud of. None more than teacher, Bob Withrow, who says, “These kids did an outstanding job! We’ll be back next year.”

National Counseling Week - 2/4 - 2/8

School Counselors Celebrate During National School Counseling Week, Feb. 4–8, 2008

National School Counseling Week, sponsored by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), will be celebrated from Feb. 4–8, 2007, to focus public attention on the unique contribution of professional school counselors within U.S. school systems. National School Counseling Week highlights the tremendous impact that counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career.

The special week honoring school counselors provides recognition for school counselors who implement comprehensive school counseling programs, a vital part of the educational process for all students as they meet the challenges of the 21st century. Dr. Dobbs, the Twin Falls Superintendent supports Feb. 4–8 as National School Counseling Week.

In a proclamation, Dr. Dobbs cited school counselors for being actively engaged in helping students examine their abilities, strengths, interests and talents; for working in a partnership with parents as they encounter the challenges of raising children in today's world; for focusing on positive ways to enhance students' social/personal, educational and career development; and working with teachers and other educators to provide an educational system where students can realize their potential and set healthy, realistic and optimistic aspirations for themselves. Professional school counselors are certified, experienced educators with a master's degree in guidance and counseling. The combination of their training and experience makes them an integral part of the total educational program.

"Every day, school counselors work with school counseling programs that address the personal/social, academic and career needs of all students," said Eric Sparks, ASCA 2008–2009 president. "Their ultimate goal is to enable all students to achieve success in school and to become responsible and productive members of our society."

More than 21,000 school counselors nationwide will be participating in the week's celebration honoring school counseling.

Any parent or other community member with specific questions or concerns about school counseling programs should contact the individual counselor at his/her school. More general information can also be found on ASCA's Web site, www.schoolcounselor.org

The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) is a worldwide nonprofit organization based in Alexandria, Va. Founded in 1952, ASCA supports school counselors' efforts to help students focus on academic, personal/social and career development so they not only achieve success in school but are prepared to lead fulfilling lives as responsible members of society. The association provides professional development, publications and other resources, research and advocacy to more professional school counselors around the globe.

Perrine - Leah Bess Awarded $5,901 from QWest

Mrs. Bess has been awarded $5,901.00 from Qwest for a technology grant she wrote. A representative from Qwest and from the state department was here to award her this check. Leah will be using this money for a smart board and accessories!

Congratulations!

Danny Marona Performing Arts Scholarship Competition - Twin Falls Sectional

The Twin Falls Sectional for the Danny Marona Performing Arts Scholarship Competition was held last night in the TFHS Roper Auditorium. The following students qualified for the finals which will be held on Saturday, April 5th, 2008 in the CSI Fine Arts Auditorium:

1st Place ($1500 scholarship) – Carson Howerton - Clogging (Twin Falls High School)
2nd Place – ($1000 scholarship) Danielle Essma – Dance (Twin Falls High School)
3rd Place – ($500 scholarship) Susan Dodds – Vocals (Twin Falls High School)

Nine students have qualified from three sectional competitions that have been held around southern Idaho and they will compete for a grand prize $5000 scholarship.