- By: Shelley Merrill, Counselor, East Minico Middle School
As the 2007-2008 school year winds down and registration for the next year begins, it is a must to anticipate the adventure of the 5th grade elementary students who will be transitioning into the middle school setting whether it is at East or West Minico. This transition can be an exciting yet difficult time for children. Many children have attended the same elementary school since kindergarten where they have grown to feel safe. Each year they are taught the entire year mainly by one teacher who becomes somewhat like a mother or father figure. And they also move from being the oldest in their elementary school to the youngest again in middle school. But what concerns do the students themselves have about entering middle school?
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- By: Minidoka County Joint School District #331
As you know, the Minidoka School District #331 is seeking renewal of the current supplemental facilities levy at the present amount of $1.2 million per year. Please note that this is a renewal election and does not represent an increase in taxes or current funding support for the school district. The proposed levy for the years 2008-2010 will not increase the current tax rate for property owners in the district. Your levy funds have been and will continue to be used strictly for plant facility needs and maintenance across the district for our existing buildings. Plant Facility funds cannot be spent on salary or salary-related expenses. This supplemental levy is a means for our school district to fund facility maintenance, technology upgrades, general repairs, essential school furnishings and equipment purchases, needed building and site improvements, and ongoing upkeep and general maintenance of our facilities and grounds…
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- By: Karen Konrad, Counselor, Minico High School
Parents if you have a junior in high school who is college bound then you have probably heard about or have been discussing the ACT. The acronym ACT stands for American College Testing. It is a standardized exam designed to measure academic achievement in four major areas: English, mathematics, reading and natural sciences. The materials covered in these fours tests are the topics covered in typical high school classes. The ACT is not an intelligence test. It has been specifically designed to be used as a tool for evaluating student readiness for college work.
The tests making up the ACT Assessment ask that the student use their skills and knowledge. Students are not required to memorize facts or vocabulary to do well on the test. What students can do to improve their performance—on the ACT or any test—is find out ahead of time what tasks they’ll be expected to perform. The best way to prepare is to practice your skills and develop a strategy for taking the test. Below is a condensed list of common questions…
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- By: Shelley Coats, Committee for Academic Excellence, Minico High School
Dr. Scott Rogers, in conjunction with Marlane Garner, director of Special Services, has formed a committee for Academic Excellence at Minico High School. One of the goals for the committee is to increase ACT scores for the district’s juniors and seniors. Members of the committee suggested that many students and parents do not appreciate the importance of that one test as far as future opportunity is concerned. Scholarships, choice of college, choice of study, and even college class placement are many times determined by a four-hour window of time. And as we all know, success in college and a college degree generally increase the earning power of most workers. As a committee our desire is to help our graduates excel on the ACT, thus improving their post-graduation opportunities and ultimately putting more money in their pockets…
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- By: Brian Duncan, School Board Chairman, Minidoka Schools
At the February Regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Minidoka County Joint School District, the board passed a resolution calling for trustee elections in zones 3 & 5. This gives us cause to stop and take a look at the role of a trustee. The most important thing that trustees do is provide vision, governance and set policy for their school district. However, school boards have come under attack as of late.
In the latest issue of Atlantic magazine is an article entitled “First, Kill all the School Boards.” Its author suggests that the problem with America’s education system is that the local control given to school boards has fallen on the shoulders of people ill-equipped to do the job; they have given up the farm only to be controlled by powerful teachers unions…
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