Board of Education Book Club: "The Smartest Kids in the World" by Amanda Ripley

The Genesee Board of Education just finished reading "The Smartest Kids in the World" by Amanda Ripley.  The book was published in 2013 and follows three American teenagers on their journey as exchange students in Finland, South Korea, and Poland.  The stories told by the exchange students talk about how other countries have revolutionized their classrooms and how they moved their culture to a culture of learning and high expectations. The book led to some good conversation as to how Americans view Education and what schools in America prioritize as important for our students success.

If you are interested in reading this book, we would be happy to loan you a copy. Please contact me at 208-285-1161 or at email wmoore@sd282.org.

Welcome Back

Welcome back to school!  School is gearing up and we have been busy getting ready for another exciting school year.  We will see a lot of new faces this fall here at Genesee.  We would like to extend a warm welcome to our new staff :

• Mrs. Cassie Heath - A.M. Preschool/ Title One teacher
• Mrs. Amy Wareham - 3rd grade teacher
• Mr. Aaron Waits - Secondary English/Spanish
• Mrs. Sherie Wright - Library Paraprofessional
• Mrs. Gia Paul - Secondary Paraprofessional
• Mrs. Sharon Meeks - Cafeteria  
• Mr. Jake Youngblood - 2nd shift custodian
• Mrs. Della DeRoche  - Office Secretary

Along with new faces, we also have some people who will be working in new capacities.  

• Mrs. Courtney Scharnhorst - 2nd grade teacher
• Mrs. Shelly Renton - Elementary Paraprofessional
• Mrs. Missy Capps - Elementary Paraprofessional
• Mrs. Charlotte Craig - Food Services Director
• Ms. Rhonda Smith - Head Custodian

This coming year we will seek continued improvement on professional development for teachers and administrators with an emphasis being placed on integrating technology into the classroom, increasing student engagement and aligning curriculum with Idaho Core standards.

As we all know there are many challenges with each new school year, but I would like to assure you that our mission is to always do our best to meet the needs of each and every student who attend the Genesee School District.

We hope that you will join us in celebration of a new school year and we look forward to working with each of you in the future.  

Wendy Moore
Superintendent

Mission Statement of Genesee Joint School District

The mission of the Genesee Joint School District, in partnership with family and community, is to provide all students with academic and life skills enabling them to become lifelong learners and responsible, productive citizens of our ever-changing community and world.

District receives 2014/2015 ISAT scores

During Spring of 2015, Genesee students in grades 3-10 participated in the State of Idaho Standardized Assessment.  Assessments were administered in the core areas of ELA, Mathematics and Science. Students in grades  3-10 were given the ISAT English/ELA & ISAT Mathematics assessment.  Students in grades 5,7 & 10 were also given the Science ISAT The ISAT assessments provide ongoing monitoring of individual, school, district, and state progress on the Idaho Core Standards.  

ENGLISH/LITERACY

Grade Level	Genesee % Proficient	State of Idaho % Proficient
3rd Grade	60	48
4th Grade	65	46
5th Grade	69	52
6th Grade	67	49
7th Grade	63	51
8th Grade	50	51
9th Grade	67	52
10TH Grade	75	60

MATHEMATICS

	Genesee % Proficient	State of Idaho % Proficient
3rd Grade	50	50
4th Grade	57	43
5th Grade	61	38
6th Grade	52	36
7th Grade	58	38
8th Grade	27	37
9th Grade	44	28
10th Grade	13	30

SCIENCE - Official scores have not been received at this point in time.  Anticipate receiving scores in the fall of 2015.

Parents will be receiving ISAT scores through the mail regarding their individual student performance.  Once the district receives official science scores, those will be distributed to parents/guardians. 

This is the first year Idaho school districts received actual student data from ISAT 2.0 assessments. ISAT scores are another tool that we as educators can use to identify areas of strengths and weaknesses in our district as well as identify subgroups or individual students that may need additional assistance.  Tests such as the ISAT 2.0 provide districts with objective information for EVERY student.   As district superintendent, I realize that the ISAT is literally just one test that is administered over multiple days in the Spring. It does not define who are children are or necessarily even what they are capable of academically.  

I believe that we will continue to see our scores rise across all areas in the future once students become more familiar with the format of  testing.  Although I believe standardized testing has its place in education, I also believe that it is just another tool that we can use to improve our performance as a district. As educators we can use this data to drive our professional development, as well as  student instruction and ultimately provide the best possible education for our children.

Thank you for your support!

On Behalf of the School Board, Administration, Students and Staff of Genesee School District, I would like to thank you for supporting our 2015 Supplemental Levy.

Your support enables the district to continue to provide the quality education that our students will need to be successful. Your "yes" vote continues to show students and others that education is valued among the community. By supporting public education you are enabling us to be able to provide our students with skills and tools to be successful in the future.

As District Superintendent, I appreciate your support and hope to continue to be able to provide our children with the quality education that our children deserve and need. It is a pleasure to be a member of such a strong, supportive community.

Our school district wouldn't be the great institution it is today without such great community support. Thank you for voting YES!

Sincerely,
Wendy Moore
 Superintendent

Please vote on March 10, 2015 for Supplemental Levy Election

The Genesee School district will ask voters on March 10, 2015 to renew the proposed one-year levy of $935,000.  This levy is a renewal of the 2012, 2013 and 2014  levies. 

The determination of the levy amount is based on the discrepancy between the revenue available to the District from other sources and the educational needs determined by the Board of Trustees. Taking into account the property tax reduction provided by the agricultural equipment replacement exemption, which is approximately $57,692,  and the personal business property tax exemption, which is approximately $6,000, the estimated cost of this levy will be approximately  $871,775.

This supplemental levy allows  the District  to maintain educational, sports and other extra-curricular programs for students attending Genesee Schools for the 2015/16 school year.  The proposed levy provides the necessary funds that State and Federal Dollars do not cover.  

If you would like additional information or are unable to attend the meeting, please contact Mrs. Wendy Moore at 208-285-1161 or wmoore@sd282.org. 

For Electors in Latah Co.:   Polls are open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Precinct 21:  Genesee Senior Center, 140 E. Walnut, Genesee, ID
Precinct 23:  Juliaetta City Hall Annex, 203  Main Street, Juliaetta, ID

Absentee(In Person) voting will take place at:  Latah County Auditors Office, Room 101, 522 South Adams, Moscow, ID.  Deadline for Absentee (in person) voting is March 6th at 5:00 p.m.

For Electors in Nez Perce Co.:  Ballots will be mailed to registered electors were mailed by the Co.

Absentee (In Person) voting will take place at:  Nez Perce Co. Courthouse, Room 100, 1230 Main Street, Lewiston, ID.  Deadline for Absentee (in person) voting is March 6th at 5:00 p.m.

PLEASE VOTE AND SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS!  Polls are open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Broadband Internet

As many of you probably have been following the news regarding the Idaho broadband contracts and the judge's ruling, I wanted to followup with news directly from Boise.

Today, we finished Day on the Hill, meeting with various state legislators from both the House and Senate. Since the contracts with Idaho Education Network (IEN) have been ruled null and void, school districts are now being left to find internet services on their own. Today, the Joint Finance Appropriation Committee (JFAC) approved emergency funding to support districts in funding internet services for the remainder of the school year  We were notified that there was a possibility of being shut down a weeks ago, and we have been proactively working on obtaining the necessary information from various internet providers for future services.  It is our intent to obtain a provider and continue broadband services as quickly as possible for our staff and students.

If you have the opportunity to speak to our local state representatives, please thank them for the emergency funding and for doing what is best for our kids.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at 208-285-1161 or wmoore@sd282.org

Wendy Moore