North Star Newsletter
Septemeber 2023
Hello All,
It is so hard to believe we are nearly through our first semester. We have so much to celebrate and be thankful for. The holiday season can be stressful, but I hope everyone takes time to step back and recognize what a special time it is to be at North Star. Our students are stepping up in ways I never could have imagined, and I cannot wait to see what the spring semester brings.
Thank you to all the families that donated food and time to our first Annual Friendsgiving. It was a huge success and the students absolutely loved it.
Thank you to all the families that came to our elementary SWAG celebration as we continue to recognize the positive character traits our students exhibit through our elementary PBIS program.
A huge shout out to Abby Liversage for all her efforts in organizing an amazing Holiday Bazaar last Saturday. Not many students in the state of Idaho can complete such a task as their Senior Project. North Star continues to focus on building young leaders in our community. We truly have the best kids in the valley.
We are a very blessed school community and we have outstanding support from our parents. Any time we need something, our parents come through. Thank you to all who give. This can be food, time, and/or financially. We are proud of our ability to offer special experiences that only North Star students have the ability to do.
Have a Happy Holiday and know that North Star continues to thrive because you.
Have a great Day
Go Huskies,
AH
Every senior in the state of Idaho is required to complete a senior project. North Star calls this a Capstone Project, which allows seniors to connect with the community and work on something they are passionate about. Early on, they are connected with a mentor, who is involved in the entire project.
This past weekend, after months of planning and coordinating, Abby Liversage's senior project launched when North Star hosted it's 4th annual Holiday Bazaar! 50 vendors from across the Treasure Valley participated, and hundreds of shoppers attended. Abby has been involved in the bazaar in some capacity every year since she was in 6th grade. After hearing the previous coordinator was stepping away from the school, Abby immediately knew she wanted to jump in to keep the event going. As a maker and creator who sells her creations, she knows the importance of getting involved in the community, especially during the holidays. With a background in the marketplace/craft fair community, leading this project was a natural fit.
Coordinating this event was an exercise in project planning, marketing, and communication for Abby. While she naturally has an aptitude for planning and attention to detail, this project allowed her to expand her skills in a real-world experience. As the project manager for the event, Abby created an outline of major milestones and smaller tasks along with setting deadlines. Since the event was hosted by Student Council, she also had a great team of people to lean on, and she learned the importance of delegating and setting clear expectations. Mrs. Ange, Student Council Advisor, said that Abby is the most organized leader that she has ever worked with. Abby would say the best growth opportunity was related to communication. She interacted with hundreds of interested vendors via email by providing them with initial information, answering questions, and following up for payment. As the event got closer, she also wrote and sent several group emails outlining the logistics for the day of the event.
Abby thoroughly enjoyed the entire process through all the highs and lows. Working so hard on something for nearly 6 months and seeing it come together is such a rewarding experience. It was actually a dream of hers to be able to coordinate a large-scale event, and she is so grateful for the environment and support she received from the administration at North Star that allowed her to turn a dream into a reality. Way to go Abby!
Our school's Student Council led a wonderful secondary Friendsgiving event, made possible by parents' generous donations of food and items. Board members, administrators, and staff served the students, creating a sense of unity. This gathering allowed our school community to come together and express gratitude. We shared a delicious meal, appreciating the special moments that make our school a warm and welcoming place!
Holiday Help
The counseling team would be honored to connect any NS family with need this holiday season to resources available in our school community. Whether you could use some support, or would like to lend support, please reach out to your counselor so that they may help coordinate. All sides of our holiday support will remain anonymous.
Middle School - We continue to learn about our core values and behavior expectations in middle school. November focused on "respect" and December will explore what it looks like to be "engaged." The students are rewarded with CARE tickets and CARE cards when they are seen exemplifying our core values and expectations. We will reward the grade level who has the most tickets at the end of the semester with an ice cream and movie party after Christmas break! There will also be drawings among all CARE card recipients for some fun prizes at semester. Ask your students about our core values as we continue to work toward strengthening our positive middle school culture!
High School -Senior Parents
The effective opening date for the 24-25 FAFSA is December 31, 2023: https://fsapartners.ed.gov/knowledge-center/library/electronic-announcements/2023-11-15/update-simplified-streamlined-redesigned-2024-25-fafsa
As a reminder, to remain eligible for the Idaho Opportunity Scholarship, students must submit a 2024-25 FAFSA by March 1st, 2024.
Register Your Student-Athlete on DragonFly
f you have a student playing winter sports, please get them registered on DragonFly ASAP. This is where all of our athletic paperwork is completed and the registration fee can be paid. Please see attachment bellow.
Please Help!
We need help in the following areas for high school boys and girls basketball season:
- Entry Gate (Girls Basketball)
- Shot Clock Operator (Boys and Girls Varsity)
- Girls Basketball - Scoreboard Operator, Scorebook
Upcoming Events and Reminders
- December 12/13, 19/20 - Middle School (7th & 8th) Boys Basketball Open Gym
- January 9th - Middle School (7th/8th) Grade Boys Basketball Begins
View Husky Athletics Full Calendar
We are thrilled to welcome Coach Terry Thomas as the new Boys Varsity Basketball Coach at North Star! With an impressive record and a history of success at Dillion High School in Montana, Coach Thomas brings a wealth of experience to our team. North Star is fortunate to have him lead our basketball program, and we look forward to an exciting season ahead under his guidance. Join us in extending a warm welcome to Coach Terry Thomas!
An article by 406MtSports.com, written by Tony Adams, highlights Coach Thomas' impressive coaching record. "In 17 years as a head basketball coach, Thomas is 311-71, guiding Dillon to state championships in 2007 (undefeated), 2009, 2012, 2016, and 2017 (undefeated).
Thomas' basketball mantle includes Montana Coaches Association Coach of the Year five times (finalist five more times), Southwestern A Coach of the Year 12 times, and was named a finalist for Basketball Coach of the Year twice in the National High School Athletic Coaches Association in 2016 and 2019. He recently received Montana’s nomination for the NHSACA Coach of the Year for the 2022-2023 season."
In addition, upon Coach Thomas' announcement that he would be leaving Dillion High School, the school showed its appreciation to Coach Thomas with a weight room dedicated in his name.
To read the complete article, Click Here. Welcome to North Star, Coach Thomas!
SPIRIT WEAR North Star Spirit Store is launching! Please let us know where there may be glitches, this is a soft launch. Visit the shop here! Parents, you must ship your order to North Star to receive free shipping. Shipping address will be 839 N Linder Road, Eagle, Idaho 83616. There is no direct shipping at this time as the cost is prohibitive. Deadline to order is December 7th. This will be a bulk order and the items are scheduled to be ready for pick up before winter break. Processing time is approximately 2 weeks after the deadline of Dec 7th
ELEMENTARY PIZZA FRIDAY (K-5) : December 15th (click to order for these dates)
ORDER DEADLINE: Dec 8th
*No Refunds. Absence will result in donation of funds Zeffy Platform Fees…
You can delete the website platform fees, change your donation to $0. This is not a fee that is retained by PTO.
SECONDARY PIZZA FRIDAY is every Friday- Students may bring cash & order at the Snack Shack in the Cafe.
SMOOTHIE WEDNESDAY- Dec 13
STAFF APPRECIATION LUNCHEON- Wednesday, Dec 6
Break out your recipe book! The next STAFF APPRECIATION Luncheon is December 6th! The Theme is “Family Traditions.” Thank you to all who signed up!
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
From Home Option - Organize Orders for Subway
From Home Option - Organize Orders for Pizza
On Site Runner - Pizza Volunteers to go to Costco each Pizza Friday and pick up pizza to bring back to NS. The Timing is 10:00 and 11:00am. If you are able to donate your time as a Runner, we are building a list of volunteers. Email PTONorthstar@gmail.com to volunteer. Volunteering will be on your own schedule and does not need to be weekly. Any help is appreciated, and needed, to continue to offer our pizza option.
PTO MEETING : December 20 at 4pm in the library
Fore more information, to get involved or to volunteer contact us at northstarpto@gmail.com
