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January 15, 2021
Parents:
The Jerome School District Board of Trustees met this morning to discuss attendance as we begin the second semester. After a lengthy discussion, the decision was made to continue as we are for the next two weeks. This means we will continue with remote learning days on Wednesdays with no early dismissal on Friday for the next two weeks. The board has given me the task to gather additional data to assist them in making a decision at their next regularly scheduled monthly meeting on January 26, 2021.

The board is very appreciative of the input they have received from both teachers and parents.

In reviewing input from parents several indicated that if we stay with a four-day week, it would be better to have the remote learning day on a Monday or Friday. Another discussion item was the possibility of moving to a five-day week with a half-day remote day on Friday afternoon. If you have any input on these items please send us your thoughts.

Thank you for your continued patience during these times. We realize a more long-term answer is desired, however, the board is moving cautiously as the pandemic continues to change.

The board did approve a change to our quarantine protocol for close contact using the research and recommendations provided to us by the health department. In an instructional school setting, if a student is exposed to COVID-19 and both students are wearing a mask, we will no longer require the exposed student to quarantine. This does not apply to extracurricular activities or exposure outside of the instructional school setting. We hope this allows more students to stay in the classroom.

As a reminder, there is no school Monday, January 18, as this is Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

We understand that students and parents may need some support when navigating the different apps and tech tools that students use for learning. This website includes video tutorials intended to support #JSD261 students and families.  The videos cover tools that are used by the majority of classes throughout Jerome School District.

JSD261 Family Tech Support Site

Parent Technology and Distance Learning Workshops

Starting Tuesday, Oct 13, Parents and Guardians have the opportunity to meet with Mrs. Janet Avery, District Curriculum Director, to get distance learning support. These workshops will be personalized to meet the needs of those in attendance. The workshop slots are 30 minutes in length and allow for 4 people to attend at once. Mrs. Avery can meet with those signed up in person, at the district office, or on Google Meet. For more information, please contact Janet Avery at <janet.avery@jeromeschools.org> or 208-324-2392 x1030.
Click Here to Sign Up for a Workshop Slot
Click Here to Sign for a Spanish Workshop Slot

Support for Online Students at Jerome Public Library
Jerome School District is aware there are challenges to succeeding in an online environment.  We have added another layer of support in partnership with the Jerome Public Library.  Every Monday-Thursday (8am-3pm), there will be a Jerome School District employee (a substitute teacher who is also certified) who will be available to answer questions, provide tutoring and encouragement to get work completed.  Students need to bring their Chromebook and any specific materials needed and help will be available.

Jerome School District and Jiffy Lube/Burton Group announce the Excellence in Education recipients for December 2020: Summit Elementary School Teacher Susan McGinnis, Jerome High School Teacher Melissa Raley, and Horizon Elementary School Custodian Koleen Drain.

The Excellence in Education award recognizes the outstanding work by the staff in the district and schools. The Jerome School District Superintendent, along with a committee of representatives from each building, reviews nominations received by staff, parents, students and community members, and then each month selects one elementary certified, one secondary certified, and one classified staff member consisting of para-professionals, maintenance, food service, secretaries, to receive the award.

Guidelines for selection are:

• Recipients must be a current employee of the Jerome School District; for Certified Nominations: recipient must hold a valid Idaho teacher or pupil personnel certificate; for Classified Nominations: recipient must be employed in any non-certified position;
• Administrators are not eligible for this recognition;
• Students, parents, administrators, or fellow staff members may nominate the individual;
• The recognition is for those who go above and beyond in making difference in the life of an individual student or lives of a group of students.

The Excellence in Education Award recipients for December, 2020 are:

• Elementary certified recipient: Susan McGinnis. With 12 years teaching experience, Susan has taught for 4 years at Summit Elementary School, both as a 4th grade and 5th grade teacher. She was nominated by a co-worker, who wrote the following: We have a student who has struggled with behaviors and difficulties with the law in his personal life. This student is in her class this year. Last year this student was in trouble in class and out of class. This year started much the same; disrupting class, causing problems wherever they went. Mrs. McGinnis decided she was going to do something to make a positive impact on this students life and to help them and the rest of her students be able to succeed. She embraced this very challenging student that many wanted to write off as a lost cause. She gave him assignments that would allow him to take responsibility in her class and give this student positive interactions with her and their peers. This student has made a complete turn around in all areas of school. We have noticed a great change in the students behavior at lunch, recess, and specials, as well as in Mrs. McGinnis’s class. It would have taken a mighty change to make a difference in this student and Mrs. McGinnis was the mighty change! She has helped set this student and countless others up for success going forward. This student may stay out of trouble with the law and others for the rest of their life because she gave them the direction, positive reinforcement, and belief in success and good they needed! My hat’s off to Mrs. McGinnis! This child is now making good choices and treating others with the respect they deserve. I truly believe Mrs. McGinnis has helped them see this is not the direction they want to go in life. That even though home might not be the best place and where you are tore down, you don’t have to spread that to the rest of the world. You can do good and be good. I personally thought this child was not going to be able to change what was so ingrained in their very being. Mrs. McGinnis has taught me it is never too late. Even for the most challenging and difficult students.
  
  
• Secondary certified recipient: Melissa Raley. As a Jerome High School English Language Arts Teacher, Melissa has taught in the district for 3 years. She was nominated by a fellow teacher, with these comments: Melissa is a fantastic teacher. Despite the workload for staff being tremendously high this year, she continues to think of fun activities for students to participate in, and she has taken on the responsibilities of Latinos In Action. For her sophomore classes, she created a whole idea around recording videos and decorating masks to demonstrate different characters. On top of putting a ton of energy into that project, she was also very aware of student needs. We got to the point where we would do that project, and Melissa was able to communicate with her students well enough to realize that because of everything going on this year, the students didn’t have the energy for another large project right after we had just done a different one. She was able to put aside her own want to do that activity to realize that students would benefit more if we moved on and rearranged our schedule to put characterization in a spot that would benefit our sophomore teachers more. While she took the time to create that assignment, she has also taken the time to research and edit an escape room that our sophomore can do. She has realized that a lot of them are getting frustrated with being on computers all day, and that this escape room will give them a fun, interactive way to learn analysis. In terms of her interactions with students, Melissa knows more about her students than most of the other teachers I know. She makes a point of going to school events, like the football and soccer games, and interacting with her students’ parents while there. As a result, she has built a better relationship with most of her students, and she knows when something is happening in a student’s life that would translate to issues in school. She can also differentiate her classes better because of that, and she is more aware of student’s true potential and abilities. Melissa also makes the lives of her colleagues better. She makes sure to check in on how everyone is doing, she has allowed colleagues in the past to stay with her if they had to be out of their house. She does small things like bringing candies to make sure her colleagues have a pick me up during the day if their day has been hard.
  
  
• Classified staff recipient: Koleen Drain. As a Building Custodian for the Horizon Elementary School, Koleen has been employed for 8 years. Koleen was nominated by school para professionals, and the nomination included this information: Koleen is a reliable, hardworking, personable custodian. She is so helpful to all of us. I really appreciate all of the cleaning of doorknobs, windows, bathrooms, doors, etc. I’m not sure why she is mostly on night duty, but she told me today she needs to be busy all of the time. She is one of the best custodians I’ve seen in all of my years here. Please consider honouring her. Koleen is always willing to go the extra mile. Always available and helpful when an issue arises. Koleen usually works during the evening but the last few weeks she has been at the school during the day and our school is looking so good and things are getting done and cleaned. The Excellence in Education Award program began in 2016 and continues through the 2020-21 school year and has recognized the district’s outstanding teachers and classified staff each month, for a full list of award recipients contact the district office. The Jerome School District presents each recipient a plaque with a $50 gift card provided by Jiffy Lube/Burton Group at the monthly school board meetings.

Excellence in Education Award Nomination Form