West Ada School District

🌟 November Employee of the Month – Congratulations! 🌟
We are proud to celebrate these outstanding West Ada team members who go above and beyond each day to support our students, schools, and community. Thank you for your dedication, heart, and hard work!
🍎 Seven Oaks Elementary
• Kerilyn Gibbs – 3rd Grade Teacher
• Elvira Frode – ERR Paraprofessional
📘 Star Middle School
• Emily McCaslin-Hahn – Math Teacher
• Shanna Cook – Head Secretary
🦅 Eagle High School
• Heidi Albertson – Math Department Chair
• Nelda Denton – Bookkeeper
🏢 District Service Center
• Peter Whitaker – School Nurse, Lake Hazel Elementary & Silver Sage Elementary
• Rebecca Powell – School Nurse, Ustick Elementary
Thank you for making a difference every single day! 👏
#WeAreWestAda #EmployeeOfTheMonth #WestAdaProud #ThankYouStaff #MakingADifference #EducationExcellence

🎉 Congratulations to our October West Ada School District Employees of the Month! 🎉
We’re thrilled to celebrate these incredible staff members who go above and beyond each day to make a difference for our students, schools, and community! 🌟
🏫 Eagle Elementary School
🍎 Laura Hands – 1st Grade Teacher
💻 Natalie Jensen – Computer Lab Paraprofessional
🏫Eagle Middle School
➗ Blaire Smith – Math Teacher
🥗 Tracey Ruiz – Kitchen Manager
🏫 Mountain View High School
📏 Cindy Dziurzynski – Math Teacher
🤝 David Martinez – Paraprofessional
🏢 District Service Center
🗂️ Nicki Thompson – Registrar/Head Secretary
📅 Alta Graham – District Scheduling Operations & Analyst Lead
Your dedication, positivity, and hard work inspire us all — thank you for everything you do to support our students and schools! 💙💛
#WeAreWestAda #EmployeeOfTheMonth #ThankYou

🎉 Celebrating West Ada Excellence! 🏆
A huge congratulations to Taylor Clark – Idaho State Coaches Association Athletic Trainer of the Year! Taylor is the first West Ada Athletic Trainer to earn this honor since 2008! She leads the sports medicine program at Owyhee High School, also recognized as the 2025 Idaho CTE Exemplary Program. Taylor has been a dedicated West Ada team member since 2015, starting her career at Mountain View High School, and continues to make a lasting impact on our student-athletes every day. 👏
We are also proud to honor other outstanding West Ada coaches:
Julian Laca Lifetime Member Induction: Kimber Chrz – Eagle High School
Varsity Awards:
Jessica Stevenson – Owyhee Girls Tennis
Wally Eastwood – Mountain View Boys Tennis
Alan Perry – Owyhee Boys Track
Brian Champion – Centennial Baseball
JV Awards:
Bruce Walters – Mountain View Girls Track
Brad Abbott – Rocky Mountain Boys Track
Morgan Parks – Mountain View Softball
Chris Needham – Rocky Mountain Baseball
West Ada continues to shine thanks to the dedication, skill, and heart of our coaches and staff. We are so proud of all of you! 🌟
#WestAdaProud #AthleticTrainerOfTheYear #CoachesRecognition

What an incredible night we had at the Owyhee vs Eagle football game! We gave away over $60,000 in prizes, including our grand prize, the 2025 Ford Ranger XLT valued at $35,000, won by Kory Hall! 🚗💨
Other winners included:
2025 Polaris 450 ATV – Kelly Jensen
2025 Denago Golf Cart – Cassie Beraldo
4 Tickets to Arizona Cardinals + $1,500 Travel Voucher – Ronald Bottomley
Scheels Gift Card: $2,000 – Greg White
Scheels Gift Card: $500 – Kevin Leishman
Scheels Gift Card: $500 – Dan Vawser
Rec Teq Backyard Beast BBQ – Natasha Flook
Coeur d’Alene Getaway with Golf – Shannon Halpin
Visa Gift Card: $500 – Brian Gray
🙌 Congratulations to all our winners! If you didn’t win this time, don’t worry — our Winter Raffle kicks off in November with another lineup of amazing prizes. This is your chance to win something and support your favorite team or school!
#We AreWestAda #FallRaffle #GrandPrize #FordRanger #WASDprizes #CommunitySupport #StudentActivities #RaffleFun #WinBig #WinterRaffleComing

📣 West Ada is honored to celebrate SIX of our incredible classroom teachers who have been selected for the Extra Yard for Teachers Award through the College Football Playoff Foundation! 🏈🍎

We kicked off the celebrations yesterday at Summerwind STEM Academy , recognizing Kelsy Porter with a surprise $1,000 in DonorsChoose funds to support her classroom. ✨📚

We are so proud of Kelsy and all of our award-winning educators who go the extra yard for their students every day! 💙💛

For more information on Extra Yard for Teachers, please visit: https://cfp-foundation.org/extra-yard

#ExtraYardWeek #ExtraYardForTeachers #WestAdaProud

🎓 West Ada Families – Graduation Dates Announced for the Class of 2026! 🎓

We are excited to share the schedule for this year’s graduation ceremonies as we celebrate the incredible achievements of our seniors!

📍 Location:
Idaho Central Arena – 233 S. Capitol Blvd, Boise, ID 83702

✅ No tickets required – families will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis
✅ Arena capacity: 4,758 seats
✅ Suites for large families available through a lottery system (details coming soon)
✅ Livestreaming will be available for family and friends who cannot attend in person

📅 Class of 2026 Graduation Schedule

Monday, May 18
• 4:00 PM – Mountain View Mavericks
• 7:30 PM – Renaissance High School

Tuesday, May 19
• 4:00 PM – Rocky Mountain High School - Meridian, ID
• 7:30 PM – Eagle High School-Mustangs

Wednesday, May 20
• 4:00 PM – Owyhee High School
• 7:30 PM – Centennial High School - Boise, ID

Thursday, May 21
• 2:00 PM – Rehearsal (Alternative Schools only)
• 4:00 PM – Alternative Schools Ceremony (Eagle Academy High School, Meridian Academy High School, Rebound, and Virtual School House - WestAda)
• 7:30 PM – Meridian High School

Friday, May 22
• 4:30 PM – Idaho Fine Arts Academy

👩‍🎓👨‍🎓 As we prepare to honor the Class of 2026, thank you for your continued support in making these ceremonies memorable for our graduates and their families. Together, we’ll send our seniors off college- and career-ready, proud of their West Ada journey!

🎉📚 It’s Go Time, West Ada — and We’re Celebrating 75 Years! 📚🎉

Tomorrow is the first day of school — and we’re starting off with a late start bell schedule! This year is extra special as we celebrate 75 years of West Ada School District serving our amazing students, families, and community. We can’t wait to welcome everyone back for another incredible year of learning, growth, and success.

✨ Helpful Tips for a Successful First Day
✅ Double-check your schedule & start time — Make sure you know what time your school starts on the late start schedule. 📅 Bell Schedules: https://www.westada.org/page/bell-schedules
✅ Plan your route — Review bus routes and shuttle times (including CTE & WATS) to avoid any first-day surprises. 🚌 Transportation Info: https://www.westada.org/o/wasd/page/transportation
✅ Pack the night before — Lay out your clothes, charge your devices, and get your backpack ready.
✅ Eat a good breakfast — Fuel your brain for a day full of learning.
✅ Bring your smile & positive attitude — The best school supply is YOU!

📌 More Helpful Links:
🗓️ District Calendar: https://www.westada.org/page/all-district-calendar
📘 Back to School Guide: https://www.westada.org/article/2258403

Let’s make this first day AMAZING and start our 75th year with pride and excitement! 🚀 Tag us in your first-day photos and help us celebrate this milestone.

Welcome back, West Ada — here’s to the best year yet! 💙📖

🚍🍦 Rolling into our 75th year with something sweet!

For the 4th year in a row, the Cool Bus is visiting all 58 campuses today — delivering ice cream right to our staff’s doorsteps! This tradition began as a way to celebrate our incredible team without pulling you away from classrooms, professional development, or collaboration.

Instead of gathering everyone at the stadium like in years past, we bring the celebration to you — because your time and the hard work you put into preparing for students matter.

A huge thank you to Durham Student Transportation, Shamrock Foods, and our amazing DSC team for making this happen year after year.

Here’s to making our 75th year the best yet! 💙✨

🎥 Watch last year’s Cool Bus in action: https://lnkd.in/gRY_MrRi

hashtag#WestAda75 hashtag#WelcomeBack hashtag#CoolBusCelebration hashtag#TeamWestAda hashtag#EducationCommunity hashtag#StaffAppreciation hashtag#BackToSchool

We had some special visitors today! Former Stallions walked into their former school as they get set to graduate! Former teachers shared memories and congratulations as they head off for their next adventure, and they got to see a slideshow of pictures from their days at Silver Sage. Each student got a chance to tell us what they were going to do next. Afterwards they got to walk the halls, visit classes, and chat with their former teachers. We shared some laughs and got to chat, it was a lot of fun. Our current students were attentive and excited to hear about everyone’s plans. We can’t wait to invite them back in a few years! #silversageelementary

EHS Tennis Qualified 17 out of 18 players to state!!! Won both the girls and boys 6A SIC district titles with many champions and finalists!! Let’s go Eagle Mustangs!

Tonight’s board meeting was full of joy, pride, and celebration! 🎉✨ We were thrilled to welcome the @summerwindstemacademy_wasd Skippers and their amazing coach Kelsy Porter from Summerwind STEM Academy! 🌀💪 They reminded us what the Skippers are all about — joy, athleticism, and community spirit. Their energy lit up the room! 💫🪢 @idahofineartsacad took the stage next, with Rachel Swenson, Contemporary Dance Teacher & Creative Director, and Madison Hartwell, ELA Teacher, sharing the incredible things happening at IFAA. From inspiring performances to meaningful learning, their students are thriving! 🎭📚 We also heard from the outstanding @centennialhighpatriots Student Council, who highlighted the achievements and celebrations of the 2024–25 school year. 💙💛 Huge thanks to their supportive advisors Suzie Fore and Charlie Ruff — what a team! 👏 We celebrated a bittersweet milestone as Mr. Jason Robarge retires from Centennial High School. 🎓🌟 His years of dedication and leadership have left a lasting legacy, and he will be deeply missed. And we are thrilled to congratulate Rhonda McDonough, who was recommended and approved by the board as our new Chief Academic Officer of Teaching and Learning! 🎓📈 Rhonda, we are so excited to see the incredible things you’ll do — you will make us better. 🙌 A night full of heart, inspiration, and West Ada pride! 🥳 #WestAdaProud #CelebratingExcellence #JumpRopeJoy #ThankYouMrRobarge #WelcomeRhonda

PowerSchool has posted its Notice of Data Breach For Individuals in the United States to share some important information regarding the recent cybersecurity incident involving personal information belonging to current or former students and teachers of schools and districts like West Ada School District that use or used software called PowerSchool Student Information System (SIS). https://www.powerschool.com/security/sis-incident/notice-of-united-states-data-breach/. The PowerSchool Notice contains important instructions regarding enrolling in two year of complimentary identity protection services through Experian. This message was posted on February 4, 2025, and will be removed on May 5, 2025 (90 days from the posting date). For more information and details, please visit: https://www.westada.org/o/wasd/page/power-school-breach-information

📚🍎 Fuel Up for Success During Testing Season! 🍳📊 From December 2 through December 20, students in grades K-11 will be taking their i-Ready Math and Reading tests. Plus, our 12th graders will be completing their Civics Test during this time. 🌟 Did you know? Research shows that kids who eat a healthy breakfast are more focused, have better memory, and perform up to 17% better on tests compared to those who skip breakfast! 🥞 Why not start your day with a healthy breakfast with West Ada School Nutrition Services? Fuel your brain and give yourself the best chance to shine during testing. Join us in the cafeteria for breakfast and start your day the right way! Together, we can make this testing season a success. #WestAdaStrong #FuelForSuccess #HealthyHabits #TestingSeason

🎉🏅 Honoring Excellence in Leadership 🏅🎉 At tonight’s board meeting, the West Ada Board of Trustees proudly celebrated Dave Roberts, Chief Finance Officer, for his incredible dedication and outstanding work. Not only did Dave excel in his role as CFO, but he also continued to serve as Chief Human Resources Officer during this time. 👏💼💙 In recognition of his exceptional contributions and unwavering commitment to the success of West Ada, the board presented Dave with the first-ever Award of Excellence from the West Ada Board of Trustees. 🌟 Thank you, Dave, for your leadership, perseverance, and for going above and beyond to ensure excellence across our district. We are #WestAdaStrong because of leaders like you! 🙌 #LeadershipExcellence #AwardOfExcellence #WestAdaProud #ThankYouDave

🎉 Thank You, West Ada Community! 🎉 Thanks to your incredible generosity and the amazing support of our corporate matching sponsor, Teens 2 Trades, we are thrilled to announce that we raised an incredible $35,710 this Giving Tuesday! 😮 🤩 🤯 These vital funds 💰 will directly support students facing financial hardships, providing critical resources and opportunities to help them thrive. 🙏 Together, we’re making a difference—thank you for showing up for our students and ensuring they have the tools they need to succeed! 💙 #WestAdaStrong #Teens2Trades #MakingADifference

Farah, an 8th grader at LHMS, has been selected as the winner of the 1st Annual Holiday Card Contest held by the Ada Country Sheriff’s Office. Farah’s artwork was selected from entries submitted by students from across Ada County, and the holiday card will be shared with people around the state of Idaho. Congratulations to Farah!

We are proud to announce the opening of our new Flyers Center, a dedicated space designed to help K-5 students overcome behavioral roadblocks and thrive academically and socially. This innovative program is a testament to our commitment to every student’s success. 🌟 Our team is focused on providing individualized support and resources that empower students to reach their full potential, both in and out of the classroom. With this new initiative, we’re strengthening our community and ensuring that every student has the tools they need to succeed. 💪📚 Thank you to everyone who has made this vision a reality!

Now serving delicious, freshly-baked whole wheat mini donuts 🍩 and yummy smoothies 🥤😋! Adorable picture courtesy of Crossroads Middle School. #wasdnutrition

🚀 Explore Your Future in CTE! 🎓 West Ada’s Career Technical Education Open House is happening TONIGHT, Tuesday, November 12th, from 5:00–7:00 PM! ✨ Join us at two locations: Meridian Center and Renaissance Center. Open to grades 5-10 — don’t miss this chance to tour our CTE centers and discover the exciting pathways available in fields like healthcare, technology, construction, culinary arts, and more! 📅 One Night Only to see what opportunities await in CTE! Ready to start planning your future? We’ll see you there! #WestAdaCTE #FutureReady #CTEOpenHouse