🙌🏻🤩 Warriors filled the halls this week, and what greater a way to end this week but come together with parents and siblings for Back to School Night! Families checked out the ♖ 🏋💡Clubs available, warriors built excitement as they joined, 🙌🏻 parents and teachers connected, 🏐 Volleyball games were cheered for, and everyone enjoyed some delicious Ma's Custard 🍨. Thank you, Warrior Community for making it a great night and a great week Back to School! 💛💙💛💙
Join us at West Minico on Thursday, August 27 from 5:30–6:30 PM for Back to School Night!
Come spend the evening with us:
👋 Meet your student’s teachers and our West Minico staff
💻 Get help with ParentSquare & PowerSchool
⭐ Learn about after-school programs and opportunities
👕 Check out West Minico spirit wear
🍦 Enjoy FREE Ma’s Custard for the first 200 people!
🏐 Stay and cheer on our Warrior Volleyball team!
Even better—West Minico students and their families receive FREE admission to the volleyball game that evening!
Whether you're new to West Minico or you've been a Warrior for years, we'd love to have you join us.
📅 Thursday, August 27
⏰ 5:30–6:30 PM
📍 West Minico Middle School
💙 We can't wait to see our Warrior families! 💛
Join us at West Minico on Thursday, August 27 from 5:30–6:30 PM for Back to School Night!
Come spend the evening with us:
👋 Meet your student’s teachers and our West Minico staff
💻 Get help with ParentSquare & PowerSchool
⭐ Learn about after-school programs and opportunities
👕 Check out West Minico spirit wear
🍦 Enjoy FREE Ma’s Custard for the first 200 people!
🏐 Stay and cheer on our Warrior Volleyball team!
Even better—West Minico students and their families receive FREE admission to the volleyball game that evening!
Whether you're new to West Minico or you've been a Warrior for years, we'd love to have you join us.
📅 Thursday, August 27
⏰ 5:30–6:30 PM
📍 West Minico Middle School
💙 We can't wait to see our Warrior families! 💛
Waiting for You
This week, our classrooms came back to life.
Teachers and staff have spent countless hours arranging desks, decorating bulletin boards, organizing supplies, planning lessons, and creating spaces where students will feel welcomed, safe, challenged, and supported.
Every classroom tells a story. Behind every display, every carefully arranged desk, and every thoughtful detail is a teacher who has poured time, creativity, and heart into preparing for a new school year.
But even with everything in place, there's one important piece still missing...
You.
We can't wait to hear the hallways filled with laughter, see classrooms buzzing with learning, and welcome each Warrior through our doors. Your teachers are ready, your classrooms are ready, and West Minico is ready.
We'll see you Monday!
💙 One school.
💛 One community.
💙 You belong here.
One of our goals at West Minico is to create a school environment where students can learn, connect, and be fully present. That means cell phones are away for the day.
From the time students enter the building until 3:45 PM, cell phones should be turned off and put away. Phones should not be on a student’s person—including in pockets, hoodies, boots, etc.
📱 Where should phones be?
In a locker. In a backpack. Or, even better, at home.
If a student has a phone out or on their person:
1st time: The phone will be taken to the office, and the student may pick it up at the end of the day.
2nd time: The phone will be taken to the office, and a parent/guardian will need to pick it up.
Additional times: We will work with the student and parent/guardian to develop a plan for the device.
We know cell phones are an important part of our lives, and our intent is not to punish students or inconvenience families. Our goal is to give students a school day with fewer distractions—more time to concentrate on learning, interact with their peers, and be present in what is happening around them.
💙💛 Thank you, families, for helping us keep West Minico phone-free from arrival to 3:45!
Tomorrow, West Minico comes back to life!
Our staff is ready, our classrooms are waiting, and we can't wait to welcome each of you for an amazing year together.
Get a good night's sleep—we'll see you in the morning!
💙 One school.
💛 One community.
💙 You belong here.
📘 NEW THIS YEAR: MOMENT OF SILENCE
Beginning this school year, Idaho law requires public school classrooms to observe a Moment of Silence for at least 60 seconds at or near the beginning of each school day.
Here is what West Minico families should know:
⏱️ When: West Minico will observe the Moment of Silence first thing each morning as part of our morning announcements.
💭 Student Choice: Students individually choose how to use this time. They may reflect, meditate, pray, or engage in another silent activity.
🤫 Silence & Respect: All students are expected to remain silent and avoid distracting others during the Moment of Silence.
👩🏫 Teachers and staff will not direct students on how to use the time or lead students in prayer, meditation, or reflection.
🚪 Students Arriving Late: To avoid disrupting classrooms during the Moment of Silence, students who arrive at school after announcements have begun will remain quietly in the school foyer until the Moment of Silence has ended. They will then check in and report to class as usual.
The law encourages parents and guardians to provide guidance to their children about how they would like them to use the Moment of Silence. We encourage families to have that conversation at home.
Staying Connected
If you've driven by West Minico recently, you've probably noticed our new digital sign!
After spending the past year with a sign that was no longer functional, we're excited to once again have a way to share important information, celebrate student achievements, recognize accomplishments, and welcome our school community.
This project was made possible through the generosity of Minidoka County School District and several incredible community partners. We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to DOT Foods, Minidoka Memorial Hospital, D.L. Evans Bank, and PMT for their generous donations and investment in West Minico.
This sign is more than a display—it's another way we stay connected with our students, families, and community. Whether we're celebrating our Warriors, sharing upcoming events, or welcoming visitors to our campus, we look forward to using it to tell the story of all the great things happening at West Minico.
To our donors and community partners, thank you for helping make this project possible. Your support continues to make a lasting difference for our students.
💙 One school.
💛 One community.
💙 You belong here.
We are beyond excited to welcome our newest Warriors to West Minico this morning!
Today our 6th graders will learn some of the expectations that make West Minico a great place to be, practice walking their schedules, find their way around the building, and tackle one of the biggest middle school milestones… opening their lockers! 🔒
And waiting inside each locker is a little something just for them—a Warrior wristband. 💙💛
Because as of today, they aren't future Warriors anymore.
They are officially WARRIORS.
Welcome to West Minico, 6th graders. You belong here. 💙💛
— Winnie the Warrior Goose 🪿
Meet Winnie the Warrior Goose! She’s new around here, but she’s already getting ready to welcome our newest Warriors to West Minico tomorrow.
💙 6th Grade Orientation — Thursday, August 20
💛 School: 7:45–11:00 AM
🚌 Buses will be running
🥞 Breakfast will be available
🍎 Lunch will not be served
🎒 Students do not need to bring anything with them
Tomorrow is all about helping our 6th graders feel comfortable at West Minico. They’ll learn their way around the school, practice opening lockers, walk through their schedules, learn what it means to be a Warrior, and hopefully leave knowing one very important thing:
You belong here. 💙💛
Winnie is ready. We’re ready.
6th graders, we’ll see you tomorrow! 🪿
Please refer to the image for a visual explanation of our traffic flow:
Yellow dotted lines: Buses only
Blue lines: Moving parent traffic
Red lines: Stopped parent traffic for loading and unloading
As you enter West Minico, traffic should form three lanes. Please keep the center lane open so buses can enter the school grounds.
The three-lane pattern continues across the front of the school. Parents may pull into either outside lane marked in red, stop, and wait for their student. Please pull forward as space becomes available.
The center lane marked in blue is a moving lane only. Do not stop in this lane or allow your child to enter or exit your vehicle there.
Parents may also continue to the north parking lot and wait for their student. Students must use the designated crosswalk whenever they cross the roadway—both during morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up.
Thank you for following the traffic flow, watching carefully for students and buses, and helping us keep everyone safe.
Just 5 days left!
The classrooms are ready.
The hallways are shining.
Our staff is excited.
Now all we're missing is YOU!
We'll see our Warriors on Monday, August 24!
💙 One school.
💛 One community.
💙 You belong here.
We have a special first day planned just for you on Thursday, August 20! This morning will give you a chance to become familiar with West Minico before all students return.
🕗 School begins at 7:45 a.m. and ends at 11:00 a.m.
🚌 Buses will run their regular routes for pickup and drop-off.
🍽️ Lunch will not be served.
During orientation, students will:
Receive a copy of their class schedule
Learn school expectations
Practice opening their lockers
Walk through and practice their schedules
Parents, if you will be dropping off or picking up your student, please watch our social media pages for information about how the parent drop-off and pickup lanes work at West Minico. Please do not park or leave your vehicle unattended in these lanes, as this creates significant traffic issues.
We are excited to welcome our newest Warriors and help them feel confident and ready for middle school.
You belong here! 💙💛
Meet Your Warriors
⭐ Meet Mrs. Dayton – Paraprofessional!
Mrs. Dayton is beginning her fourth year in education and her second year at West Minico. She loves working with middle school students because they're at an age where they're discovering more about themselves, building independence, and still willing to have a little fun along the way.
Mrs. Dayton enjoys getting to know students and being someone they can count on for encouragement and support. She wants our Warriors to know that they don't have to have everything figured out—they have people at West Minico who care about them, believe in them, and are ready to help them succeed.
Outside of school, Mrs. Dayton enjoys spending time with her family, being outdoors, and finding opportunities to travel and explore new places.
🏔️ Mountains | 🌄 Sunset | 📚 Books | 🌮 Tacos | 🍪 Sweet
💙 We're so glad Mrs. Dayton is part of the Warrior family and appreciate the care and encouragement she gives our students each day!
You Belong Here 💙💛
Meet Your Warriors
⭐ Meet Mr. Anderson – Shop!
Mr. Anderson is beginning his fourth year in education and his second year at West Minico. He teaches shop at both East and West Minico, helping students build practical skills, confidence, and creativity through hands-on learning.
One of Mr. Anderson's favorite things about working with middle school students is creating a place where they feel comfortable learning, trying new things, and making mistakes. In fact, students quickly discover that he's "just a very old middle school student!" He believes some of the best learning happens when students take on a challenge, stick with it, and experience the satisfaction of overcoming it.
When he's not at school, you'll likely find Mr. Anderson camping, exploring the outdoors with his family, or coaching wrestling during the winter.
🏔️ Mountains | 🌄 Sunset | 🎬 Movies | 🌮 Tacos | 🍿 Salty
💙 We're grateful Mr. Anderson is part of the Warrior family and for the opportunities he creates each day for students to learn, grow, and build confidence!
You Belong Here 💙💛
Meet Your Warriors
⭐ Meet Mrs. Ball – Librarian!
Mrs. Ball is beginning her 22nd year in education, with 2 of those years have been right here at West Minico! As our librarian, she gets to know students across every grade level and loves being part of their middle school journey.
One of Mrs. Ball's favorite things about middle school students is watching their personalities develop and seeing them become more confident in who they are. She loves helping students find a book they can't put down and making the library a place where every Warrior feels comfortable, welcomed, and like they have a place to be.
Outside of school, Mrs. Ball enjoys reading (of course!), camping, spending time outdoors, and being with her family.
🏔️ Mountains | 🌄 Sunset | 📚 Books | 🍕 Pizza | 🍪 Sweet
💙 For many of our students, the library is one of their favorite places at West—and Mrs. Ball is a big reason why. We're so grateful she's part of our Warrior family!
