Caldwell School District Update

en español

At some point in time, all of us experience challenges. The Caldwell School District is not an exception.

All choices have consequences. When we make a choice for ourselves, we must be prepared to accept the consequences associated with our choice. When we are faced with consequences associated with the choices made by others, it may create emotions such as uncertainty, anxiety, fear, or anger and rightly so. I want to acknowledge the impact recent situations may have had on you and your family.

Recent challenges have caused us, as a District, to ponder and reflect upon our core values:

• Making student-centered decisions
• Acting with integrity
• Valuing the diversity within our district
• Building family and community partnerships
• Inspiring and preparing scholars to achieve their post-secondary goals
• Creating a caring, supportive learning environment where ALL students can grow academically, emotionally, and socially

We have an outstanding staff who exemplify these values every day. We are committed to providing a safe and joyful learning environment for your children. We are grateful for your support and appreciate our opportunity to serve the children and youth of Caldwell.

On Monday, March 13, 2023, the Caldwell School District Board of Trustees approved the 2023-2024 School Calendar.

The school start times will remain the same for the 2023-2024 school year.

Elementary School Times: 8:55 am - 3:30 pm

Middle School Times: 7:50 am - 2:50 pm

High School Times: 7:50 am - 3:00 pm

As you may know, we have been discussing start times for our elementary and secondary students. Based on the survey responses we received, we plan to continue the conversation next school year with our stakeholder groups. We want to honor the feedback we received from our parents and staff as we investigate all possible options.

We're signing up our youngest learners for kindergarten for the 2023-2024 school year. In-person Kindergarten Registration will be held on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, from 2:30-6:00 pm at all of our six elementary schools. An immunization clinic, provided by Southwest District Health, will also be held at Lincoln Elementary School for all students coming into kindergarten next year.

The Caldwell School District offers small classes with caring teachers who provide support for all learners. Students enrolled in kindergarten will have the opportunity to learn and practice essential age-appropriate social, academic, and learner dispositions, which will lay the foundation for a successful school experience.

For us to continue to improve as a District and as individual schools, it is important for us to understand stakeholder perceptions about the job we are doing in providing a quality education for all our children. We are seeking information through a 10-15 minute survey that is available now through Friday, March 24, 2023.

• Choose your language preference on the opening page of the survey.
• Select your child’s school.
• If you have children in multiple schools, complete one survey per child.
• Complete the survey and click submit.

We value your input as we strive to continue to improve. Thank you for your feedback!

The Caldwell School District held their annual Talk About Writing Day earlier this month. This provides opportunities for our students in K-11 to write to a particular topic. Teachers work together to review the students' work.

"This year the Talk About Writing Day looked and sounded diverse across the District and all conversations were exceptional," said Melissa Langan, Chief Academic Officer. "Staff members involved in the scoring process had quality conversations about student strengths, areas of opportunity, and instructional next steps."

In partnership with the College of Western Idaho and Zions Bank, the Caldwell School District is providing opportunities for parents to improve their English Language skills.

"This is a great opportunity for our parents to grow their English skills while also expanding our relationships with our families throughout the community," said Shani Cummins, EL Program Coordinator. "We have seen a large interest in this class, all the while seeing a huge improvement in language skills."

Classes are held on Mondays and Thursdays from 6:30 - 8:30 pm at Indian Creek Academy, 1512 Fillmore St. Caldwell, ID 83605. There is also free childcare provided by the Boys and Girls Club.

If you are interested in finding out more information about the Adult English Language Classes, please contact Alyson Tolman at alysontolman@cwi.edu. There is currently a waiting list for the classes.

The Idaho Education Association (IEA) awarded Van Buren Elementary School PTO, Michael and Kolane Gilbert, with the IEA's Friend of Education Award. This award is a statewide recognition and demonstrates dedication to public education. This award goes to a person who has made a special and unique contribution to the cause of education over an extended period of time and particularly in the last year.

The award will be presented to Michael and Kolane at the Delegate Assembly on the morning of Saturday, April 22nd at The Boise Centre.

Tyler Harding, principal of Van Buren, says Michael and Kolane are very deserving of this achievement and we are grateful for their involvement in the school community.

Van Buren Elementary School has recently started a new program to work with deaf and hard of hearing students.

The first year program is designed to help children who are deaf and hard of hearing build their American Sign Language skills. Deaf and hard of hearing children who receive early intervention services have been found to have better language outcomes.

"We have seen a lot of improvement with student's signing skills, language, comprehension, and expressive language skills since the beginning of the school year," said Katie Delgadillo, Education Support Professional.

We are thankful for our dedicated teachers, staff, and administrators who create caring, supportive learning environments where all students can grow academically, emotionally, and socially.

Last month, the Caldwell High School wrestling team competed at the State Championships. The boy's team won 2nd place and also had some individual champions. The girl's team came away with two placers in the top six.

- Nia Avelino - 2nd
- Toni Avelino - 6th
- Ryan Hirchert - 1st
- Camus Book - 3rd
- Jaxson Freeman - 2nd
- Jackson Norman - 6th
- Draven Johns - 2nd
- Hunter Bidiman - 6th
- Dominic Alcantara - 5th
- Hunter Bidelman - 1st
- Gracin Go - 2nd
- Miguel Perez -1st

Congratulations to all our student-athletes on their incredible accomplishments!

Looking for something fun to do? Below are a few upcoming community events happening in Caldwell. To find out about more events happening in Caldwell, visit the City of Caldwell Community Events Calendar.

Do you want to make a positive difference in a student's life? Caldwell School District has a number of open positions.

If you know someone who would be a good fit for any of these positions, please encourage them to apply online at www.caldwellschools.org.

We provide substitute teacher training through STEDI.org.

Committed to Caldwell School District's mission, vision, and values to ensure equity and access for all students.

Email: nfrench@caldwellschools.org
Website: www.caldwellschools.org
Location: 1502 Fillmore Street, Caldwell, ID, USA
Phone: (208) 455-3300
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caldwellschools.org/
Twitter: @CSD132Sup