Summer is the time to get ready for the next school year

Summer may be a long vacation for students but for many school district employees it is a time of preparation for the next school year.

Teachers are busy taking college classes and workshops to upgrade their skills. All of the elementary teachers have taken or will take the "Mathematical Thinking for Instruction" course. The primary staff took the class in Lewiston in June while the intermediate staff will be taking the class in August being taught here at Genesee. This course is an important piece of the Idaho Math Initiative providing essential skills for improving math instruction in Idaho. Other staff members are attending a workshop in Colorado which provides skills and knowledge to help classroom teachers adapt their instruction for the differing learning needs of boys and girls. These are just two examples of the many professional development opportunities Genesee teachers avail themselves of annually.

The maintenance and custodial staff have been very busy completing summer maintenance projects, painting and heavy cleaning to get the facility ready for occupancy. Each summer we have all of the life safety systems inspected and repaired if necessary. Our groundskeeper is busy bringing the playground lawns back to life and keeping them mowed and spraying for weeds, etc. Our network technician and school secretary have been very busy with the implementation of our new student database software. Replacement computers need to be set up and installed and existing hardware maintained. The kitchen staff cleaned, painted and sanitized the kitchen for closure over the summer.

The District office continues to operate during the summer and with the close of the fiscal year on June 30 is preparing for the annual audit of the financial records which occurs in July and August and is reported to the Trustees and State officials in October. The office is also busy ordering school supplies so that teachers have what they need when classes begin on August 26.

One big project this summer is the remodel and rebuild of the bus garage. Many of you have no doubt seen that the shop portion of the structure was removed and is being rebuilt to accommodate the taller buses which could not be accommodated in the old shop. Taller and wider doors are also being installed in the parking garage to accommodate the new buses and make parking safer and easier. A vestibule will be installed on the south gym foyer to provide a safe double entry. These projects are being funded with the remaining bond funds; most of which came from the earnings on the funds before they were expended building the addition.

As you can see there is a lot that goes on during the summer so that school is ready in the fall. The District office is open from 7:30-4:00 daily. If you are new to Genesee and need to enroll your students, please stop by the office. Bring immunization records, the student's social security card and an official state-issued birth certificate with you to complete the registration process. If you want to get a jump-start on purchasing school supplies, the supply lists have been posted on our web site and in several locations around town or you may pick up a hard copy in the office.

Have a great remainder of the summer.