White Pine Opens High School, Looks to Construct New Building,
Finds Temporary Home in Park-like Setting
High school, here we come! You'll want to know that White Pine will expand into 9th grade this new school year (Fall 2019-2020). And we want you to be a part of it!
The White Pine STEM Academy, which encompasses our existing 7th and 8th graders along with our future high school students, will provide an innovative, engaging, project-based approach to learning. The focus is to prepare our students to secure the jobs of the future, especially the high tech, high-paying jobs that are in high demand right here in Idaho.
White Pine STEM Academy takes advantage of cutting-edge STEM curriculum, best practices, and partnerships with the region's leading organizations. It builds upon our school's successful STEM-focused program and our "Top Performer" designation by the state of Idaho.
Academically, our students perform dramatically better than students at District 91 or District 93. Here are ISAT results from last year:
- White Pine students scored 30-50% higher in both English and Math Growth than students at District 91 and District 93.
- White Pine students scored 46% and 47% higher than D91 students in English and Math Achievement, respectively.
- White Pine students scored 26% higher in both English and Math Achievement than D93 students.
The Academy is exactly what our parents, students and community leaders have wanted, needed, and asked for in eastern Idaho. It will thoroughly prepare our students for college, career and beyond.
Constructing a State-of-the-Art High School
To masterfully create an outstanding space for our high school students, the Board has decided to construct a brand new high school facility. We expect this large-scale project will begin in a couple of months and take 18-24 months (hopefully less) to build.
The Board is close to determining a permanent building site near our current school. We have engaged a real estate broker and attorney for the search. We've met with bank officers about a construction loan. They said, "This deal is a no-brainer" due to White Pine's strong financials, stellar track record and management team. We have saved our pennies for many years to afford it.
We're speaking with architects and construction firms. Architectural plans and artistic renderings will be drafted once the site is selected. White Pine STEM Academy will have a state-of-the-art technology center soon.
A New Location for 7th, 8th, 9th Graders
Meanwhile, the ink is still fresh from signing a new lease agreement. Until our new technology center is complete, we have found a remarkable location for White Pine STEM Academy to begin with our 7th, -8th and 9th grade students. Just a short drive from our school, on five acres of beautifully manicured land, we'll set up our temporary home. You won't find a more picturesque, relaxing site for this school. Students will feel right at home.
A meandering pathway leads to a 5,400 square foot log cabin with classrooms. Students and teachers will enjoy spectacular views from the cabin's large windows and enormous covered wrap-around porch. Additionally, four new classrooms are being exclusively built for this site. Mature evergreens dot the expansive campus, creating a serene, calm learning atmosphere. Our current teachers are eager to incorporate the outside space into their lessons. Everybody who visits this campus falls in love with it!
We selected this location after carefully weighing the pros and cons of using our current campus at White Pine Charter School as the temporary space. Ultimately, the Board voted for this new location to provide a fantastic learning space and plenty of breathing room to our students and teachers. The Academy's address is 2664 1st Street, Ammon, Idaho 83401.
A Curriculum that Engages Students
The park-like setting is just the exterior. The core of White Pine STEM Academy is academics, and its curriculum will be rigorous. But it will also be fun and engaging due to our hands-on, project-based learning approach. The Academy will teach 21st Century workforce skills.
Our high school is founded upon strong relationships with colleges, local businesses and community organizations, enabling our students to gain real-world experiences before they graduate. Our advisory board members are senior executives with the College of Eastern Idaho (CEI), Idaho State University (ISU), the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center (EIRMC), Melaleuca, the Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce and more. They are helping us develop curriculum and meaningful instruction.
We are passionate about academic excellence and success for every student. We are hiring the very best teachers. We will be incredibly selective.
More to Come
As you can imagine, creating a new high school is a major undertaking! We recognize you will have questions (i.e. dress code, social events, extracurricular activities, prom, etc.). While we analyze these topics and others, please reach out to the Administration team to voice your opinions. And if you have a passion in creating this new high school, please let Administration know so they can share how you could help. We need our parents' thoughts, energy, and support!
Thank you for trusting White Pine Charter School with the responsibility of nurturing and teaching your child.
Please take the time to vote for our elementary and middle schools in this Post Register competition starting on April 26th. Nominations will be accepted until April 25th.
STEM Night
Mark your calendars for STEM Night on April 17th from 6-8. There will be hands on activities, student displays, and information about our new STEM Academy. Bring the family, there's something for everyone! If you'd like to help, please contact the PFA through Facebook or email (whitepinepfa@gmail.com).
Science Olympiad
After two months of building, studying and persevering through setbacks, the Science Olympiad team competed at the Eastern Idaho Regional on March 30 at ISU. We came away with two first place medals: Heredity by Claire Billings and C.J. Manwill and Road Scholar by Jasmine Lima and C.J. Manwill. I am so proud of the whole team that consisted of C.J. Manwill, Laramee Minor, Claire Billings, Nova Silvis, Drew Weatje, Jasmine Lima, Sharyah Tatum, and Lansing Workman.
Thanks to everyone who helped with the Read-a-Thon. We achieved our goal for the year. There was great support from our local business including Barnes & Noble, Kidstown, iJump, The Edge, Paramount Theatre, Jamba Juice, Sonic, Jimmy Johns, Kiwi Loco, Costa Vida, Weebee Toys, and Storybook Parties.
Upcoming events
April 17th - STEM Night 6-8 PM
April 25th - Administration Appreciation Day
Volunteer of the Month - Hanna Glodowski
Counseling Corner
This past month our fifth graders participated in the maturation lesson. We would like to recognize the generosity of the Springfield Marriott in Idaho Falls for donating the shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and lotion to the hygiene kits received by the students.
This month our 3rd-8th graders are taking ISAT's. This can increase the stress your student may be feeling. There are a few things you can do to help your child. Help them get a good night sleep the night before and eat a healthy breakfast before the test. Combined, these will increase your child's ability to focus for longer periods of time. Encourage your student to give their best effort. Your student has been preparing at school all year and this is an opportunity to show what they have learned and the progress they have made.
