D93 News Family Update

A few years ago I read the book Boys in the Boat, the unlikely true story of the University of Washington rowing crew who won the gold medal at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. That story taught me so much about the importance of teamwork and what it means for individuals to commit themselves to be a team. With the film adaptation of that book now playing in theaters, this month I would like to share some of the most important lessons I learned from the book with our employees and our families.

"Even if they could, few rowing coaches would simply clone their biggest, strongest, smartest, and most capable rowers. Crew races are not won by clones. They are won by crews, and great crews are carefully balanced blends of both physical abilities and personality types. In physical terms, for instance, one rower’s arms might be longer than another’s, but the latter might have a stronger back than the former. Neither is necessarily a better or more valuable oarsman than the other; both the long arms and the strong back are assets to the boat. But if they are to row well together, each of these oarsmen must adjust to the needs and capabilities of the other."

This is one important reason why we provide our teachers with time to collaborate with each other. Like all great teams, our teachers have a diversity of experience, a diversity of knowledge, a diversity of skills and abilities. If teachers taught in isolation, these differences would become divisive. But through collaboration, teachers learn from each other sharing their individual knowledge, skills, and experience to focus on student learning as a team. This is the essential work our teachers engage in during our Monday collaboration time.

Kindergarten Registration is on March 11, 2024 throughout the district. Please spread the word in your neighborhoods and to your friends who will attend kindergarten next year.

This fall, Elevate Academy East will open its doors for at-risk students in 6th - 10th grades. Elevate Academy is a charter school that will operate independently of District 93 but will primarily serve students who live within our district boundaries. Elevate will provide students with learning opportunities in career technical education including

• Welding / fabrication
• Construction
• Culinary arts
• Business and marketing
• Precision machining
• Medical arts
• Cyber security
• Public safety

Applications to attend Elevate Academy will be open until April 3rd at www.elevate208.org.

For questions, please email infoeast@elevate208.org or call 208-578-2736.

2560 Field Trips

2555 Overnight Travel

Deletion of 8230 Unsponsored Student Activities or Trips (this policy will be replaced with Policy 2557 Nonapproved Student Travel)

Deletion of 2555P Extended Out-of-District Overnight Travel (this procedure will be replaced with Policy 2555 Overnight Travel)

Please take this opportunity to review these changes and send your comments to buddenbr@d93.k12.id.us

The next Regular Board Meeting is on Wednesday, February 14, 2024. The public business will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the District.

This week's D93 News has a special report on the Idaho LAUNCH grant and how it's already making a big difference for students in D93.

Follow us on Instagram for exclusive content, including a lot of our D93 sports coverage.

There are many job opportunities in D93. Check out all our job postings at d93jobs.com. We have highlighted 2 specific job opportunities due to their emergent need. If you are interested in the LPN position or driving bus for the district, click the appropriate link below.

Participating K-12 students can hone their artistic skills, explore the natural world, and possibly have their original artwork featured on a stamp! Ribbons will be awarded for 25 artists in each age category (Kindergarten-3 grade, 4-6 grade, 7-9 grade, and 10-12 grade). Entries are due March 1, 2024. I have listed some basic guidelines at the end of this email, or you can check out the complete contest rules.

Click the button below for more information.

The 20th Annual Idaho Teen Film Festival will be held on May 9th at Hillcrest High School. Teens may submit a film in one of the following categories with a $300 category prize awarded for EACH category:

• ACTION/DRAMA

• COMEDY

• DOCUMENTARY

• COMMERCIAL

• SHORT SUBJECT

• SPORTS

Go to www.idahoteenfilmfestival.org for more information.

If you need guidance and direction on talking to your love ones about the dangers of vaping. This is a great resource. Nic Sick: The Dangers of Youth Vaping will air on February 12, 2024 at 8:00 p.m. on PBS.

ParentGuidance.org is website with free online courses and resources for parents and anyone who needs support. There is Parent Coaching, Ask a Therapist and Get Help options as well as specialized courses for your specific needs and support measures. Spanish is available if needed. Again these services are free.

Students, parents, and employees can reach out for help with bullying, harassment, suicidal tendencies, self-harm, threats, or to report weapons at school by going to d93.org/gethelp or sending the text @gethelp to 855-528-0074.

Thank you to our community partners at EIRMC for supporting our D93 Family Update.