West Ada School District

Congratulations to the Class of 2024! 🎓✨ We love you and can’t wait to see what the future holds for each and every one of you. ♥️

Congrats to our Lowell Scott Middle School 8th-grade students who were honored today as part of the 8th Grade Celebration Assembly. Linda Ventura Memorial Award: Maxwell Campbell & Avery Manwaring Tressa Sharp Award- Hannah Jensen & Avery Simpson Duane Hardy Memorial Award- Abigal Standing & Maximus Hungtington-Richardson Amelia Linkert Memorial Award- Holly Huckstep & Cailyn Pierson Jeff Grove Memorial Award- Annabelle Eldredge & Edrick Irakoze Joan Parks Memorial Award- Carson Lindemood & Lily Matthews Librarian Patron Award- Katherine Holderness & Simon Poulsen Mayor’s Award- Scarlett Manwaring & Holly Huckstep

Congratulations to all of our former Pepper Ridge Bears on graduating this year and to all of the members of the Class of 2024! We are so proud of all of you. Once a Bear, always a Bear! #wearepepperridge #wearewestada

During the school year, and with parental permission, students in grades K, 1, 3 and 5th grade are pulled out of class, during valuable instruction time, for vision and hearing screenings and dental services. To lessen the impact on instruction, West Ada is proud to provide these services, in conjunction with summer meals and additional valuable services, throughout the treasure valley this summer. Please consider attending one of these Health Fairs, especially if you will have a child in K, 1, 3 or 5 grade. Parent permission is required. 🌟 West Ada School Health Fair: Your Passport to Total Wellness! 🌟 📅 Date: June 13th ⏰ Time: 10:00AM – 2:00PM 📍 Location: Meridian High School, 1900 W. Pine Ave., Meridian 📅 Date: June 25th ⏰ Time: 10:00AM – 2:00PM 📍 Location: Desert Sage Elementary, 9325 W. Mossywood Dr., Boise We're excited to offer a comprehensive range of health services at our upcoming School Health Fair. It's a one-stop destination for: 💉 Immunizations/Vaccines: Protect your health with essential vaccinations for children for the upcoming school year. Vaccines provided by Central District Health. Schedule an immunization appointment here: https://cdh.idaho.gov/.../imm.../cio/school-vaccine-clinics/ 👀 Vision Screenings: Clear vision is crucial for learning. Take advantage of our free vision checks to ensure your eyes are at their best. 👂 Hearing Screenings: Hearing loss can affect educational success. Get your hearing tested with our quick and easy screenings. 🦷 Dental Services: Strengthen your smile with fluoride varnish applications. A quick treatment for lasting dental health. Services provided by Central District Health. Don't miss out on these vital health services. Let's take a step towards a healthier community together.

Celebrate the end of the school year with West Ada Jazz Bands at Kleiner Park staring at 5:15 PM. You'll hear from the jazz bands and students of Centennial, Meridian, Lake Hazel Middle School, Eagle High School, Mountain View and Owyhee High School. Don't miss this great event.

🎙️ New Episode Alert! 🌟 Join us for an insightful conversation on "How do you handle social media in your house?" in the latest episode of the West Ada School District podcast, dropping this Monday, May 13! 🔊 Special guests include John Condie, MD, from St. Luke's Children's Neurology Boise, and Officer Gomez, School Resource Officer from Boise County Sheriff's Department. Tune in to hear expert advice and real-world insights on navigating the challenges of social media in our homes. 🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and wherever you stream podcasts. 📺 Also watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist... Don't miss out – your family's digital well-being could depend on it! More information about the West Ada Podcast: https://www.westada.org/page/podcast

🌟 Celebrating Anne Marie Antilla from @cjschoolofthearts ! 🎨 We are delighted to announce that Anne Marie Antilla has been honored with a $5000 Fine Arts Grant from Alpha Delta Kappa, an international organization dedicated to supporting women educators. This prestigious grant recognizes Anne Marie’s dedication to the arts and her ongoing efforts to integrate creativity into education. Thank you to Alpha Delta Kappa for their generous support and commitment to enhancing educational opportunities through the arts. We are excited to see how Anne Marie will use this grant to inspire and impact our community with her upcoming projects. #ArtEducation #WomenInEducation #AlphaDeltaKappa #FineArtsGrant #wearewestada #proudtobewasd

🍎✨📚 Teacher Appreciation Week is just around the corner, and it’s time to show our incredible educators some well-deserved love! From May 6th to May 10th, we’ll be celebrating the amazing teachers and staff who make our educational journey extraordinary. To all our dedicated teachers: Your passion, commitment, and tireless efforts do not go unnoticed. Thank you for shaping the minds and hearts of our students every single day. 🌟 And let’s not forget our classified staff members! Your hard work behind the scenes keeps our schools running smoothly, and we are deeply grateful for all that you do. 💼 Join us as we honor our educators with a week filled with appreciation and gratitude: 📝 Monday, May 6th: Express Gratitude - Encourage your child to write heartfelt notes to their teachers and spread positivity with high fives in the hallway. 🎉 Tuesday, May 7th: School Spirit Day - Show off your school pride by wearing our vibrant colors and celebrating our dedicated teaching staff. 💌 Wednesday, May 8th: Thanks from Parents - Take a moment to send a personal note or email expressing your gratitude to your child’s teacher. 📷 Thursday, May 9th: Community Support - Share stories, photos, and videos on social media to showcase the impactful work of our teachers. 🎁 Friday, May 10th: Token of Appreciation - Shower our teachers with tokens of gratitude, whether it’s handmade cards, thoughtful notes, or school supplies. Let’s make this Teacher Appreciation Week one to remember! Together, let’s celebrate the extraordinary contributions of our teachers and staff. 🎉🍎 #WeAreWestAda #proudtobewasd #TeacherAppreciationWeek #ThankATeacher #WestAdaCommunity 🏫

🎓🍎 Today, we celebrate the dedicated leaders throughout West Ada School District who shape the future, one student at a time. Happy School Principals' Day to all the amazing principals out there! Your passion, commitment, and vision are the guiding force behind every success story in our schools. Thank you for your unwavering dedication to education and for making a difference in the lives of countless students, teachers, and staff. #SchoolPrincipalsDay #WeAreWestAda #proudtobewasd #EducationalLeadership #ThankAPrincipal 🏫✨

🗳️✨ Don’t miss the May 21 ballot, where you’ll find a crucial measure directly impacting education quality and safety in our district: the West Ada School District Supplemental Levy. It’s essential to understand that this levy isn’t a new tax but a replacement, designed to sustain vital support for our educational programs. 💼💰 Here’s a breakdown: 🍎 Salaries and benefits for 152 Teachers: $12,983,251 🚓 Contracted Services for 19 Student Resource Officers: $867,404 The estimated average annual cost to taxpayers on the proposed levy is $27.13 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value, per year, based on current conditions. This proposed levy replaces an existing levy expiring on June 30, 2024, which currently costs $27.43 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value. Therefore, if approved, the proposed levy is expected to decrease the tax per $100,000 of taxable assessed value by $0.30. Your vote matters! For further details or if you have any questions, please visit our Supplemental Levy web page: https://www.westada.org/page/supplemental-levy-2024

🎉 Exciting News Alert! 🎉 🌟 Let's give a big round of applause to our newly approved leaders! 🌟 👏 Please join me in congratulating: 👩‍🏫 Katie Mittleider - Principal at Barbara Morgan STEM Academy 👨‍🏫 Matt Mura - Principal at Crossroads Middle School 👩‍🏫 Nichole Velasquez - Principal at Meridian Middle School 🙌 A huge congratulations to these exceptional leaders! Your dedication and commitment to education are truly inspiring. 📚✨ 👏 And let's not forget to extend our gratitude to: 👩‍🏫 Lauri Wright, who will be serving as an assistant principal at Victory Middle School for the 2024-25 academic year. 👨‍🏫 Joe Palaia, previously approved by the Board to serve as the principal at Central Academy High School starting the 2024-25 academic year. 👩‍🏫 Rachel Edwards, approved by the Board to serve as the principal of Owyhee High School for the 2024-25 school year. 👏 Thank you all for your dedication to our students' success! Here's to an amazing year ahead! 🌟📚 #Leadership #WeAreWestAda #proudtobewasd #EducationExcellence #Congratulations

🎉🥁 **HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to TJ Eriksen, EHS Director of Bands and our @officialehsmustangs Percussion students!** 🥁🎉 We are thrilled to announce that they are now the **Percussion Scholastic Concert A Class WORLD CHAMPIONS**! This is a monumental accomplishment, and we couldn’t be prouder of TJ and the entire team’s hard work and dedication. Their performance was simply unbelievable! Thank you to everyone who supported our champions on this journey. Let’s continue to celebrate this amazing victory! 🌍🏆 #EagleHighPercussion #WorldChampions #PercussionPride #wearewestada #proudtobewasd

We're thrilled to celebrate Amelia Darlow, whose artwork represented Summerwind STEM Academy at the WASD Art Show. Amelia received recognition, with her dedicated teacher, Mrs. McNamara, and family by her side. Congratulations to all the talented recipients of the West Ada School District art show for the 2023-24 academic year! Your creativity and hard work make us incredibly proud.

🌟 We're thrilled to announce Ruize Sun's remarkable achievement at the Idaho State Mathcounts competition! 🏆 Ruize, from Eagle Middle School Colts, clinched 2nd place overall and aced the written test, securing his spot as a STEM champion! 🎉 This is his second consecutive win at the written test, showcasing his exceptional talent and dedication. 📝 Ruize will proudly represent Team Idaho at the national Mathcounts competition in Washington DC this May! 🇺🇸 Let's rally behind Ruize and our Team Idaho representatives as they showcase the incredible STEM spirit and talent within our district! 💡 #STEMChampion #WeAreWestAda #proudtobewasd #Mathcounts #TeamIdaho #WestAdaPride 🌟

🎉👏 Exciting News! 🎉👏 Please join us in congratulating four of our outstanding leaders, officially recommended and approved at tonight’s Board meeting for the 2024-25 school year! 🌟 Jenny Arsenault - Mary McPherson Elementary School 🌟 Tracy Newell - Victory Middle School 🌟 Joe Palaia - Central Academy High School 🌟 Rachel Edwards - Owyhee High School Your dedication and passion shine brightly! Congratulations! 🎉👏 Also, stay tuned! Tomorrow, the principal positions for Meridian Middle School and Crossroads Middle School will be posted. We encourage all aspiring leaders to consider applying for these incredible opportunities. Reach out with any questions you may have. Let’s continue to inspire excellence together!

From this week’s “What’s Bub-ling” in the School Community newsletter: As we approach the much-anticipated event of the 2024 Solar Eclipse on Monday, April 8th, I am writing to share our excitement about the unique learning opportunities it presents for our students. While the Treasure Valley is not in the “path of totality,” meaning we won’t witness the moon completely covering the sun, we will still be able to observe approximately 46% coverage of the sun by the moon. This celestial spectacle will commence around 11:30 am and conclude shortly after 1:30 pm, with mid-eclipse occurring around 12:30 pm. As always, safety remains our utmost priority. We are fully committed to ensuring a secure and enjoyable experience for all involved. During the eclipse window, students will continue with their lunch, recess, and other scheduled activities. We kindly request your cooperation in emphasizing the importance of avoiding direct sun exposure without proper eye protection to both your staff and students. Homemade filters or regular sunglasses, no matter how dark, are not safe for viewing the sun. Therefore, we urge students not to bring personal viewing devices from home. It is crucial that students refrain from attempting to observe the eclipse through unfiltered cellphone cameras, digital cameras, telescopes, binoculars, or any other optical devices, with or without glasses. For more information on safely viewing the eclipse, please visit https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/safety/. Should you seek additional information about the eclipse, NASA has provided a comprehensive website accessible at: https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/. Solar eclipses are thrilling and infrequent occurrences, and the next chance to observe one in the Treasure Valley area won’t come until 2044. These events create unforgettable moments within our classrooms. As a District, we are diligently strategizing to ensure our students can enjoy the experience securely, creating remarkable memories that will last a lifetime. Thank you for your cooperation and support in making this event both educational and safe for our students. ☀️ #wearewestada

OUTSTANDING ADVISOR OF THE YEAR! Taylor Clark from Owyhee High School - advisor and head athletic trainer - was awarded the outstanding advisor of the year award by HOSA - Health Occupations Students of America. We are so proud of her and all she has done for Owyhee High and West Ada School District. We love you Mrs. Clark! Congratulations!

Congrats to Chad Cooper at Mountain View High School for his CapED grant! Thank you, CapED for your continual support of education.

It's National School Breakfast Week! Breakfast is essential for students to fuel them for a day of learning, and dairy is a major component of a healthy breakfast. ✏️ 🧠 In honor of the week-long celebration, West Ada School District served 'unicorn parfaits.' 🦄 Having this fun breakfast item increased participation and overall excitement for the day. "Starting the day with a nutritious and healthy breakfast prepares students to learn, grow and succeed," said Kristen Homer, the assistance supervisor of school nutrition at West Ada Schools. "We are so glad that we get to fuel young minds each day and prepare them for a healthy future" Great work, West Ada School Nutrition Services! 👏 #NationalSchoolBreakfastWeek #SchoolNutrition #HealthyLiving #FuelingGreatness

Student spotlight! Today we celebrate Trinity from Pleasant View Elementary who earned 1st place in the National Wrestling Tournament for Rumble in Reno for the 10U 58-pound Girls Division. We are so proud of her and the perseverance and grit she has shown. #readysetgrow #goodthingsgrowhere🌱 #studentspotlight⭐️ #wearepce #wearewasd