en español

Dear Caldwell Families,

On September 7, we hosted "Save My Family" event at Caldwell High School. We were enlightened by experts from our community: School Resource Officer Gomez, Former FBI Agent Hart, Pediatric Neurologist Dr. Condie, and event coordinator Kelli Rich. The presenters shared information about the dangers of social media, the adverse effects of excessive screen time, ways to keep youth safe, and ideas on how to counteract the challenges our youth face today, including:

• Having family dinner
• Prioritizing sleep
• Serving in the community
• Setting Screen Time limits

We hope you will join us on Wednesday, October 11, 2023, from 6:30-8:30 pm at Caldwell High School, for Screenagers: Under the Influence Vaping Drugs and Alcohol in the Digital Age. This film examines the impact of our digital age on teens' decision-making in relation to substances such as vaping, alcohol, and drugs.

Dr. N. Shalene French

This week was the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. We recognized Brian Bartley, teacher at Canyon Springs High School, for his service on September 11, 2001. Mr. Bartley was a new officer in the New York City Police Department at the time of the attacks. He shared his personal story of the event along with the heroic acts of the First Responders on that day and in the days and months to follow. He recently retired from the NYPD after 20 years of service and is now working as a Criminal Justice Teacher at CSHS. Thank you for your service Mr. Bartley.

For two years, the Caldwell School District has provided a tax reduction to property owners by choosing not to levy for the 2006 Bonds. Due to the Bond maturity, the District's Bond Fund has a sufficient balance to pay the current year's obligation. Also newsworthy, this year the state provided additional funding for facilities through the legislature's House Bill 292. This appropriation was applied to the District's Supplemental Levy, which again reduced the tax levy rate for the 2023 year.

"The Caldwell School District is incredibly fortunate to have our patrons support our District through the approval of our previous Bond and Supplemental Levies. We feel it is important to manage the funds carefully and pass any reduction possible back to our tax payers." said Cheryl Sanderson, Chief Financial Officer.

With funds from our Plant Facility Levy and our

Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund

(ESSER), we have been able to replace aging heating and cooling systems (HVAC), enhance school security measures, repair roofs, and modernize our technology infrastructure. With this funding, we completed several projects over the summer:

1) Roof repair at Washington Elementary School

2) Roof repair at Van Buren Elementary School

3) HVAC installed in Syringa's gym

4) Main roof & entry repair at Lincoln Elementary School

5) Completion of annex bathroom plumbing project at Lincoln Elementary School

6) Lower level bathroom upgrades at Jefferson Middle School

In the next few months, we will be starting vestibule improvement projects at Caldwell High School and Jefferson Middle School. We will also be repairing a section of the Syringa Middle School roof and replacing the HVAC units in that section.

Thank you for your support in helping maintain, upgrade, and make improvements to our Caldwell schools.

September is Attendance Awareness Month, and the Caldwell School District has launched an attendance campaign called #EveryDayMatters.

The campaign's purpose is to bring a community - wide approach to promoting good attendance, setting attendance expectations, and supporting our students and families to make certain our students are coming to school ready to learn every day.

"We want to be able to support families and help them understand the importance of their child attending school everyday," said Paul Webster, Community Schools and Family Engagement Coordinator, "When every student is in the classroom every day, the class, as a whole, learns new material at a faster rate."

Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school—and themselves. It is essential to start building this habit in preschool and kindergarten so children learn right away that going to school on time every day is important. Eventually, good attendance will be a skill that will help them succeed in high school and college. Our goal is to see every student walk across the stage and receive their diploma. #EveryDayMatters

We would like to invite you to a monthly parent training on special education. This will provide parents with resources and information about special education services available. Including, supporting your student in school and at home, behavior management principles, and the parent's role at the IEP/504 meeting.

"One of the things that is critically important in the success of any student, specifically students with special needs, is that we have a full and constituted team that is working together to determine what that individual student needs to be successful. These monthly meetings will help parents understand they are an important part of the team," said Julie Mead, Chief Officer of Special Services.

• Meetings for Spanish speaking parents will take place every third Tuesday of the month from 6 - 8 pm at the Caldwell School District Office
• Meetings for English speaking parents will take place every 3rd Wednesday of the month from 6 - 8 pm at the Caldwell School District Office

We hope you can make it. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Julie Mead - jmead@caldwellschools.org

Dawn Spurlock - dspurlock@caldwellschools.org

In the United States, Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated each year from September 15 to October 15 to recognize and celebrate the many contributions, diverse cultures, and extensive histories of the American Latino community.

Beginning in 1968, Hispanic Heritage Month was originally observed as “Hispanic Heritage Week”, but it was later extended to a month in 1988. Since then, Hispanic Heritage Month has been celebrated nationwide through festivals, art shows, conferences, community gatherings, and much more. The month also celebrates the independence days of several Latin American countries, including: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua on September 15th, Mexico on September 16th, and Chile on September 18th. They also include holidays that recognize Hispanic contributions such as Virgin Islands-Puerto Rico Friendship Day that is celebrated in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Virtually visit the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino to learn more.

Do you want to know more about the significant role and vast contributions made by our Latino families, friends, and neighbors? Visit the Hispanic Cultural Center of Idaho, the Idaho Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, or the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs.

Sources of Strength is a program implemented in our secondary schools which is designed to harness the power of peer social networks to create healthy norms and culture, ultimately preventing suicide, violence, bullying, and substance misuse. The mission of Sources of Strength is to prevent adverse outcomes by increasing wellbeing, help-seeking, resiliency, healthy coping, and belonging.

"We have seen increased leadership skills and self confidence within the student body at Caldwell High School which has helped improve the overall school culture," said Anita Wilson, Principal of Caldwell High School.

Sources of Strength moves beyond a singular focus on risk factors by utilizing an upstream approach for youth suicide prevention. This upstream model strengthens multiple sources of support, or protective factors, for young people so that when times get hard, they have strengths to rely on.

Back-to-school time is also a time to make new friends or rekindle old friendships. PBS Kids takes a look at how to make friends and be a caring friend with songs to sing, activities to do together, and cards to share.

As Mom Tiger says, “When we do something new, let’s talk about what we’ll do.” And meeting new friends is something new, too. Role-play ways that your child can start talking with a new kid they meet at school, at the park, or at a mutual friend's house. They might start by just saying hello or inviting someone to join in and play.

PBS Kids for Parents provides resources and tips for raising children, planning activities, and celebrating with your children. Click on the PBS Kids for Parents to sign up for their newsletter.

Below are a few dates for upcoming community events happening with the Caldwell School District.

Destination Education is a weekly video series highlighting students and staff from around the District. Each week this segment will bring you fun and exciting news stories. You will not only hear from administrators and educators during this weekly series but from students as well. The videos will be posted to the Caldwell School District Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube pages every Sunday during the school year.

Caldwell School District cares about the health and safety of students and families in our communities. Each school has a full-time nurse or health aide and counselor on staff. We also offer a wide variety of health screenings and services throughout each school year. Click the link below to view the list of services.

Parents are encouraged to review the finer points of what the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) offers their student and their family when it comes to student privacy in schools. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act or FERPA provides certain rights for parents regarding their children’s education records. The U.S. Department of Education has put together a variety of resources designed to walk parents through their rights under FERPA:

• A Parent Guide to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
• An Eligible Student Guide to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
• An Eligible Student Guide to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (En Español)
• A Parent Guide to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (En Español)
• Know Your Rights: FERPA Protections for Student Health Records

Do you want to make a positive difference in a student's life? Caldwell School District has several 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.

Several construction projects are underway in the City of Caldwell. Work is occurring at Middleton Road, Cleveland Boulevard, Florida Avenue, and Indiana Avenue intersections.
Traffic impacts will occur during the 2023-2024 school year. The city appreciates the community’s patience as improvements are made to these intersections.

To stay up to date on these projects, sign up for the email list:
https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/0Zu7FsU

For more info: https://www.cityofcaldwell.org/departments/engineering/projects

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