The Greatest Gift - Your Child(ren)

I would just like to take a moment of your time to Thank You for sharing your children with us each and every day.  I can't tell you what a pleasure it is to know that I get to get up and go to a job that I love every day and work with children. Yes, there are some days that have a speed bump or two, but there are many more positives that outweigh the rest. 

I often think that as a Superintendent it is often easy to get caught up in the politics of the job and sometime my focus gets directed to things that matter, but are not the biggest priorities in my life.  So I often try to find things outside of school that keep me focused on  the things that really matter in my life: my faith, my family and my love for education.  One of my latest readings is a blog called "Her View From Home".  One of the recent articles talked about what really matters to children.  One of the quotes that stuck with me is "Feeling secure in a family will have more of a long term effect on the well-being of a person than any of the minor stuff so much of our time and effort is spent on. We say our value is family, but our actions show something completely different. "

This really resonated with me as we move into the holiday season.  It isn't so much what we gift each other, but it is the time that we spend with each other that we will remember as we grow older.  As you look for the "perfect" gift this year, I want you to encourage you to consider how to make the time you spend with your families and friends matter.  Give that hug before you say goodbye.  Tell them "I love you" before you tuck them in at night. Spend 5 min. reading a book and sharing a cup of cocoa.  Send that card to a person that you haven't talked to in a long time and let them know you are thinking of them.  Building memories is what really matters! 

That is why I send you a heartfelt "Thank You".  Your children build my memories.  Their hugs, smiles and laughter brighten my days.  Their struggles  give me opportunities to grow and be a better educator.  They are why I became a educator!  Thank you for sharing  your greatest gift - Your child!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Wendy Moore

Screen Time and Online Safety - SmartSocial.com

One of the discussions we have had recently in the elementary is how much time is too much time for students in front of a phone, ipad and/or computer screen.  As we continue to implement technology as part of our curriculum and assessment process, we constantly have to weigh the pros and cons of integrating technology into our schedule.  As parents, I'm sure you also wonder how to determine what is appropriate for the age of your child.

One of the blog posts I receive bi-weekly is from SmartSocial.com.  The most recent post talks about how to limit screen time without conflict.  The blog lists 4 recommendations for parents to consider:

1) Build a routine for your family.  Have other activities for students to do after school that does not involve a screen.  Have students do chores, help fix dinner etc. 

2) Challenge your student to take a one week vacation from technology.  Consider having them delete Snapchat or Instagram for one week and see what other things they can find to do with their time.

3) Earn time on the internet, don't just give it.  Example: For every minute they spend reading, they earn a minute of screen time etc.

4) Set times for social "blackout".  Limit the times students can access technology.  Leave the phone outside the bedroom when going to bed.  No phone at the dinner table, etc.

If you would like to read more about technology and what parents can do help keep their children safe in an online environment, I encourage you to sign up for their emails.


Link to website:  https://smartsocial.com/limit-screen-time

 

Welcome Back to 2018/19 School Year

Welcome back students and parents!  I don't know where the summer months have slipped away to, but I hope that you have found time over the past couple of months to make memories with your families and friends. 

This summer we have been busy preparing for the 2018/19 school year.  Although we do not have any new staff joining us this fall, we do have some current staff members who will be working a different capacity for the 2018/19 school year.

• Mrs. Heather Kirk - Title One Teacher
• Mrs. Amy Wareham -  First Grade Teacher 
• Mrs. Heidi Wasianen- K-12 Librarian  

Please mark your calendar to attend:

• Elementary Open House on  Thursday, August 23rd  from 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.  
• High school Open House on Tuesday, August 28th from 6:30 - 8:00.  
• First Day for students:  Monday, August 27th :).

Staff is officially back to work on August 22nd.  We are bringing in Dr. Danny Brassell to share a motivational presentation to staff.  Dr. Brassell will be speaking about "Bringing the Joy Back into Education".  Mr. Caldwell and myself had the opportunity to hear Dr. Brassell in 2017 and what a great way to start the year.  We anticipate that he will motivate, encourage and prepare us for a great school year. 

I hope you enjoy these last days of summer! 
As always, I look forward to seeing you soon!

Wendy Moore, PhD.

Superintendent

2018 Scholarship Awards

Dear Patrons and Community Members,

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of those individuals, families and agencies that contributed to our 2018 Scholarship Awards. This year alone, 60 local scholarships were awarded totaling $29,150.  Not only were our students’ recipients of local awards, but they also received another $142,218.00 in outside scholarships for the 2018/19 school year. With the potential for many of those scholarships to be renewed, our graduates have the potential to receive $382,718.00 total over 4 years.

Students also had the opportunity to earn dual credit while attending Genesee Joint high school.  90% of the 2018 graduates took advantage of this program and earned a total of 442 college credits while attending Genesee Joint Schools.   This has been our largest number of credits earned to date. 

Out of our current 2018 graduates, 25 of 28 are headed directly on to a college or university to continue their education in the fall. Colleges and Universities our students have been accepted to are:

·      Lewis-Clark State College

·      University of Idaho

·      Washington State University

·      Blue Mountain Community College

·      North Idaho College

·      College of Idaho

Others are headed to the U.S. Marine Corps or directly into the workforce. 

The class of 2018 has raised the bar high for fellow students and we know that they will achieve great things as they continue their education.  But we couldn’t have given them all these opportunities without the outstanding support of our community.  On behalf of the students and the Genesee Joint School District, we would like to thank you for all your support, scholarships, and guidance you have provided our students over the years. 

Sincerely,

Mrs. Wendy Moore, PhD.

Superintendent

Smarty Ants - Reading Ready Initiative for 4- Year Olds

Dear Genesee Joint School District Families,

The Idaho Department of Education has announced a new FREE reading readiness initiative exclusively for Idaho 4-year-olds!

The 4-Year-Old Initiative: Early Literacy for PreK Learners is the result of a special partnership between Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra, Idaho Department of Education and Achieve3000^®. Thanks to the initiative, Genesee Joint School District students who are 4 years of age will receive a free subscription to Smarty Ants^®, a research-based, foundational literacy program designed for young learners.

Smarty Ants provides everything children need to start kindergarten with a love of reading —all in a fun online environment that will keep them engaged and learning all year long. Enclosed is a flyer that shares more information about how Smarty Ants provides every child with a personalized learning path for building key reading, vocabulary, and comprehension skills.

You can activate your free subscription today by calling 877-235-2525 and using the code “SmartyIdaho” or by visiting www.achieve3000.com/SmartyIdaho. This will give your child access to Smarty Ants until the fall they start kindergarten. As a parent or guardian, you will also have access to the Smarty Ants Teacher Dashboard so you can monitor and support your child’s progress throughout the year.

For more information about this special initiative, please contact Wendy Moore, Superintendent at wmoore@sd282.org  or 208-285-1161. To learn more about Smarty Ants or Achieve3000, please visit www.achieve3000.com.

We can’t wait to see all that your child accomplishes with Smarty Ants.

Happy learning!

Smarty Ants - Free Reading Readiness Initiative for Four-Year Olds

Dear Genesee Joint School District Families,

The Idaho Department of Education has announced a new FREE reading readiness initiative exclusively for Idaho 4-year-olds!

The 4-Year-Old Initiative: Early Literacy for PreK Learners is the result of a special partnership between Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra, Idaho Department of Education and Achieve3000^®. Thanks to the initiative, Genesee Joint School District students who are 4 years of age will receive a free subscription to Smarty Ants^®, a research-based, foundational literacy program designed for young learners.

Smarty Ants provides everything children need to start kindergarten with a love of reading —all in a fun online environment that will keep them engaged and learning all year long. Enclosed is a flyer that shares more information about how Smarty Ants provides every child with a personalized learning path for building key reading, vocabulary, and comprehension skills.

You can activate your free subscription today by calling 877-235-2525 and using the code “SmartyIdaho” or by visiting www.achieve3000.com/SmartyIdaho. This will give your child access to Smarty Ants until the fall they start kindergarten. As a parent or guardian, you will also have access to the Smarty Ants Teacher Dashboard so you can monitor and support your child’s progress throughout the year.

For more information about this special initiative, please contact Wendy Moore, Superintendent at wmoore@sd282.org  or 208-285-1161. To learn more about Smarty Ants or Achieve3000, please visit www.achieve3000.com.

We can’t wait to see all that your child accomplishes with Smarty Ants.

Happy learning!