Administrative Update
Open Door Community
The term "Open Door Policy" is thrown around loosely, but what does it really mean? Does it mean the door to an office is physically open at all times to take on questions and concerns of stakeholders or is it an actual written policy to hold leaders accountable?
At White Pine Charter School we like to replace "policy" with "community." White Pine administration, teachers, and staff pride ourselves on a community that comes together to efficiently tackle problems, find opportunities for growth, and provide everyone a voice.
Many businesses or other entities request customers or stakeholders make an appointment when needing to communicate with each other. This process can leave situations unresolved or unattended to for a long period of time. An Open Door Community centers around up front communication, timely responses, and action oriented problem solving.
When a parent walks into the office with a concern, they are greeted right away and directed to the employee that can help them. Even if the person who usually handles the situation is busy, another staff member is wiling to step in. We have a staff that is quick to respond to email communication without concern for office hours. We are honored you have trusted us with your children, this is something we do not take lightly. Providing an Open Door Community is one of many things that make our priority very clear.
Parent Connection
Success in STEM
By: Miss Whitworth
The
Future City Competition is the largest engineering competition in the nation for middle school students, with Idaho hosting its 15th year of participation. Our eighth grade students tackled the competition for the first time this year. The main task was to create a resilient power grid that would withstand and recover from a natural disaster. The competition boasted five parts which included: a project plan, a virtual city presentation, an essay, a presentation, and a city model built to scale.
Three teams from the eighth grade STEM class competed in Boise at the regional event. They were interviewed by judges for three and a half hours. Our students brought home three special awards (that are listed below). WPCS Future City Night showcased the nine cities our students engineered. We look forward to making this an annual competition for our middle school students.
A HUGE thank you to the donors and volunteers who supported our inaugural participation:
The City of Ammon
Dan's Collision Repair
I-Jump
The Bench Family
The Whitworth Family
The Medema Family
The Robinson Family
The Kunz Family
The Bowman Family
The Nixon Family
The Smith Family
Ken Graham
Brett Seely
Below are photos of the special awards our teams received.
Most Innovative Approach to Overcoming Obstacles, sponsored by COMPASS. Awarded to the City of IO.
Hydroelectric Resiliency Award sponsored by Jacobs. Awarded to the City of Kacoa.
Best Land Surveying Practices Award, sponsored by NCEES's. Awarded to the city of Kacoa.
Message from our PFA
Volunteer of the Month - Shantae Bailey
Upcoming Events:
February 16th - Family Movie Night 6:30 PM
Starts February 20th - Read-a-Thon
Counseling Corner
I would like to start by thanking all of the parents, staff, and students that helped with the Giving Tree, as well as express appreciation to Target for donating the last few gifts. This year we were able to provide ten families with help during the holiday season. I am overwhelmed by the support of this amazing community.
January 21st through the 25th was School Choice Week. We celebrated by having students draw pictures of the things they liked about White Pine and displayed them around campus. There have been some fantastic opinions, and I encourage you to come see why your children enjoy White Pine. We know you have a choice in the education your children receive and are grateful you have chosen White Pine Charter School.
Eighth graders will begin to develop their four year plans in preparation for high school. Over the next few months they will be determining what classes to take as well as beginning career exploration. As part of this process, the students may need your help and support. Specifically, they will need to know which high school to align their plan with.
Positive Behavior Supports and Interventions
At the most recent assembly our superheroes created a video answering some of the questions White Pine students have written to them. Please check out what they had to say.
Capturing Cougars in Action
