Stories

Watch the video below to find out what makes Wood River Middle School extraordinary.

Great teachers make great public schools!  On National Teacher Day, thousands of communities take time to honor their local educators and acknowledge the crucial role that teachers play in making sure every student receives a quality education.  Tell a teacher today how much you appreciate them!

 "Teachers teach because they care. Teaching young people is what they do best. It requires long hours, patience, and care."
--Horace Mann

Wood River High School students James Petzke and Sean Sutton competed in the National Leadership Conference competition of Business Professionals of America (BPA) in Chicago, Illinois. Their event, Web Application Team, placed 3rd at the national level. The Web Application Team created a database-driven website with a server-side functionality and presented this in front of a team of judges as a working web application.

James and Sean have both been members of BPA for four years and have competed in many different events including Web Application Team on numerous occasions. Web Application Team is an Information Technology (IT) event in BPA and is headed by advisor Sam Schrader. BPA advisor Lisa Hoskins also attended.

This year we have an amazing line up of art camps.  Culinary Camp: Baking Series with Deida Runswick June 19-21, Native American Arts Camp with Cara Drougas July 9-12, Japanese Arts Camps with Zoey Pierce July 16-19, Zen Camp with yoga, tribal dot art and eco-art July-23-26, Mother Nature Camp with Cara Drougas July 30-Aug 2, Woodworking Camp with Wes Walsworth August 14-16, and 80's Fashion and Music Camp with Deida Runswick and Mitzi Metcham the last week of summer August 20-24.  To register email petitepicasso@cox.net or call 208-720-1572.  More info and camp details at www.ketchumkidsart.com.  We are located in the heart of ketchum at 460 East !st Street Ketchum.  Petite Picasso strives to create a fun and inspiring environment where kids can create with food, art and music.  Our camps take place on-site in our sunny art studio, commercial kitchen and fenced garden.  Siblings signed up for same camp get a 20% discount.  We only take 12 kids per camp so secure your space... (more)

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“A highlight for me was seeing the students share their data notebooks,” said Idaho State Representative Wendy Jaquet after last year’s Carey Leadership Day.  “I was also impressed with how the children "owned" their data.  That can only be positive for school excellence.  They were so proud of the bar graphs they had produced.  They articulated their academic goals, and clearly explained how they were reaching them.”

www.blaineschools.org

The Idaho Standards Achievement Tests are underway. At this week's BCSD Board of Trustees' meeting, Superintendent Dr. Lonnie Barber put ISAT's into perspective during his monthly discussion with the Board. He also shared a sample of combined (Carey and Wood River Middle School) 6th, 7th and 8th grade ISAT test results from 2011. 

Watch his discussion with the Board below:

Camp Big Wood at the Big Wood School provides action-packed Summer days for your little ones…Sun Valley style!  Our program is designed for children ranging from 18 months through six years of age.  We offer a different exciting and dynamic theme every week.  Whether you have a Hummingbird (children 3 and younger that nap in the afternoon) or a Woodpecker (children no longer requiring a nap, that are ready for a full day of awesome activities), your child will get a taste of all Sun Valley has to offer this Summer!  We will hike the many kid-friendly trails of the Valley, bike along the Bike Path, go wildflower picking during “Flower Power” week, fish down at Penny Lake, dabble with a wide variety of arts and crafts, cook up some tasty treats during “Let’s Get Cookin”, splish and splash on Water Play days, put on a show and create our own puppets for “Big Wood Goes Broadway” and venture out on numerous field trips, hitting all the Valley hotspots along the way! 

For more information or... (more)

In an effort to complete their Bronze Award, Girl Scout Troop 106, with the help of local AmeriCorps members, are collecting bicycles to be refurbished and redistributed to those in the community without bikes.  Many local bike shops have graciously agreed to donate their time to fix these bicycles, so all we need are your old bicycles. You have one more week to drop off your bikes at the Sawtooth Botanical Garden (11 Gimlet Road off Highway 75).  If you have questions, contact troop leader  Alikirusso@live.com.  Please help the girls in their continuing effort to make our Valley more environmentally friendly. 

In an effort to complete their Bronze Award, Girl Scout Troop 106, with the help of local AmeriCorps members, are collecting bicycles to be refurbished and redistributed to those in the community without bikes.  Many local bike shops have graciously agreed to donate their time to fix these bicycles, so all we need are your old bicycles.  Donated bicycles will be accepted through March 31 and can be dropped off at the Sawtooth Botanical Garden (11 Gimlet Road off Highway 75).  If you have questions, contact troop leaderAlikirusso@live.com. Please help the girls in their continuing effort to make our Valley more environmentally friendly. 

Petite Picasso is offering even more amazing art camps for kids ages 6-14 this summer!  Music, yoga, alternative art, eco art, woodworking, japanese and native american art and culinary art!  We are located in downtown Ketchum, complete with art studio, commercial kitchen and fenced yard with gardens. To register email petitepicasso@cox.net, or call 208-720-1572.  More info at www.ketchumkidsart.com.  

Girls on Track, the middle school version of the self-esteem building Girls on the Run program, is meeting on Mondays and Wednesdays starting this week at Wood River Middle school from 3:45-5:00p.m.  Specifically geared toward middle school girls 6-th-8th grades, it provides the tools to take on the many challenges of this time of life. As with all Girls on the Run programming, what rests at our center is the belief that our girls have the wisdom to make decisions that will intentionally lead them toward a path of wholeness, fulfillment and seeking their greatest potential. What often interferes are the conflicting messages that they receive about what it means to be a girl in our society. The Girls on Track curriculum provides a girl with the skills to shut out the noise of an external world that is attempting to limit who she is and to instead listen to her individual truth - the one that will lead her toward an enriching and contented life.

NPR Political Editor Ken Rudin visited Hailey recently with Boise State Public Radio. NPR and Boise State Public Radio are collaborating on a project called StateImpact, designed to focus on how the actions of state government affect people and their communities. Students from Wood River High School and Silver Creek School were invited to participate in a discussion with Rudin at a private reception.

WRHS government teacher Maritt Wolfrom invited Joey Richardson and Silver Creek High School Principal Lynn Seifert invited Josh Murphy. “They asked great questions and really enjoyed the afternoon,” said Wolfrom. “I wish my whole class had been able to hear him speak.” If you are familiar with Rudin’s collection of political buttons, you’ll know why Wolfrom was so excited to tell Rudin about the collection at the Blaine County History Museum. Special thanks to Ken Rudin’s hosts for including the next generation in a discussion about politics!

http://www.npr.org/blogs/politicaljunkie/

Registration is underway for the Spring season of Girls on the Run®.  The season will begin March 12 and culminate on May 19 with the girls’ participating in the community wide Girls on the Run 5k & Healthy Living Expo.  Registration forms have been sent home through the schools.  Online registration, as well downloadable English and Spanish registration forms are available at www.girlsontherunwrv.org, and online registration at imathlete.com.  This Spring’s sites will all be held on school grounds and include:

Hemingway Elementary, M/W, 2:45-4:00 pm
Hailey Elementary, T/TH, 2:45-4:00 pm
Woodside Elementary, T/TH, 2:45-4:00 pm
Bellevue Elementary, M/W, 2:45-4:00 pm

The new Girls on Track offering for middle school aged girls will also begin March 7th at Wood River Middle School.  They will meet from 3:45-5:00 on Mondays & Wednesdays.  This more mature offering for 6th-8th grade girls will allow for more targeted and age-appropriate discussion regarding certain topics (eating disorders,... (more)

Steve Guthrie, Blaine County School District Board of Trustees Chair, announced last night that the Board of Trustees approved a three-year contract for Dr. Lonnie Barber as Superintendent of the Blaine County School District.  The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to renew the contract following its annual performance evaluation of the Superintendent.  The Board also approved contract renewals for all District and school administrators.

Dr. Barber was hired as the Assistant Superintendent in July, 2007 as part of a leadership succession plan. The Board hired Dr. Barber two years later to become the District Superintendent following Dr. Jim Lewis’s retirement. 

In a subsequent press release, Chairman Guthrie cited the progress made during Dr. Barber’s tenure in achieving the goals of the Blaine County School District’s Strategic Plan.  “Under Dr. Barber’s leadership, the goals of our Strategic Plan have been accelerated.... (more)

Come play and make art in the snow! In this program, geared toward families with younger children, parents and children will work together to use their imagination and creativity to explore art in some of its forms: sculpture, painting and function.  On Saturday, March 3, we’ll meet at the ERC office (471 North Washington, between 4th and 5th Streets) at 9:45 am and will head out on foot from there.  Our adventures will end around noon.  Please wear warm clothes and be ready to spend the day outside.

This program is free to our members.  Suggested donation for non-members: $10/individual, $20 family.  Attendance will be capped at 25 individuals, so registration is strongly recommended.  For more information on this program and to register, please call our office at 208.726.4333.

When: Saturday, March 3 and Saturday, March 10

Time: 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Ages: 6-10

Cost: $15 Member, $20 Non-Member

Location: Boulder Mountain Clayworks (10

Join the Sawtooth Botanical Garden and Boulder Mountain Clayworks for this two-part class.  On March 3, we will meet at Boulder Mountain Clayworks to hand build and glaze a clay pot.  The following week, we will plant the pot at the Sawtooth Botanical Garden.  All materials are included.  Call 726-9358 to reserve a spot for your child!

The Sawtooth Botanical Garden is a community resource showcasing native and cultivated plants that flourish at high altitude. The Garden connects people to the region's unique beauty and fosters environmental stewardship through education, events, displays and plant collections.

Every year, students at the Community School of Sun Valley, Idaho compete in a month-long Read-a-Thon to promote reading and to raise money for the school's Parent/Teacher Association.  This year's Read-a-Thon, which concludes with an "I love reading" celebration on February 14th, has a new twist to motivate kids to read.  Special encouragement is being provided by a therapy dog, Black Jack, new to the Wood River Valley.  Black Jack, along with handler and fifth grade Community School student Elena Guylay, has visited each of the Elementary classrooms to encourage kids to keep on reading.  Students listen to a story while petting and visiting with the soft and friendly dog, and each student receives a paw print sticker or bookmark to bring home as a reminder to read.

 "The kids at Community School love reading to Black Jack", says Community School teacher Beverly McNeal.  "I am very impressed that (Elena) took the time to train him for this valuable service to children in their... (more)

Come meet the Blaine County School District Leadership Team.  From January 11 through March 21, administrators and school board members from the Blaine County School District will visit local coffee shops every Wednesday morning from 8:30-9:30 a.m.  These informal visits are a chance for you to meet administrators and school board members and discuss anything related to Blaine County Public Schools. 

This week, Wednesday, January 11th, 8:30-9:30 AM, at Starbucks, 491 Sun Valley Road, in Ketchum.

Go to www.blaineschools.org for a compete schedule.

All local and visiting kids, from 4-13 years old, are invited to attend a performing arts day camp from Monday, December 26-Friday, December 30.  Company B, a successful and well-established children's theatrical program, will be hosting this fun-filled 5 day event with their experienced local professional actors, dancers and musicians ready to teach the young ones acting, singing, choreography and stage presence.  The youngest campers (4-6) will attend from 9:00-12:30 and those from 7-13 will attend from 9:00-3:30.  All children are required to bring a sack lunch, but Company B will also provide snacks.  The camp is held in the parish hall (downstairs) of St. Thomas Episcopal Church on Sun Valley Road.  The week will culminate with an original show for family and friends called "Musical Blast From the Past".  Besides family and friends, the entire community is invited to come see the show on Friday, Dec. 30 at 4:00 at St. Thomas Church.       &... (more)

This winter, the Environmental Resource Center is offering SAS! (Science After School!) to Bellevue and Hemingway Elementary and our new program, WASS (Winter Adventure Science School), to the Wood River Middle School.      

SAS! and WASS are FREE eight-week programs that allow students opportunities beyond the school day to participate in project-based learning, within the context of natural science, the environment, and sustainability issues. Program instructors are mindful of the BCSD curriculum standards for the grade levels, and work to incorporate these, as appropriate, into the curriculum.  Students explore science through games, art, journaling, observation, exploration, service learning, and scientific research, and with an 8:1 student teacher ratio, participants engage in more meaningful teamwork and are given more individual attention.  The ERC provide snacks, journals, and other program supplies for each student to ensure that finances are not an obstacle in... (more)

Content focused on 2nd-3rd grades, but all parents welcome
Wednesday, December 7th
6:30-8:00 p.m.
Community Campus, Room 301/302

Join Jonathan Brendefur and staff from the Idaho Mathematical Thinking Initiative. Learn about Common Core State Standards and what math education looks and feels like through hands-on exercises.

For childcare reservations, please RSVP to dkelly@blaineschools.org or call 578-5062.

For more information call 578-5000 or visit www.blaineschools.org

Please check out the brief video below from our last Parent Math Meeting