November, 2026 Newsletter

Nov. 3 No School

Nov. 6 Popcorn Friday

Nov. 6 Last Day for Butter Braid Orders

Nov. 11 Veteran's Day Concert

Nov. 11 PTO Meeting, Link Below

Nov. 12 Photo Retakes

Nov. 18 Butter Braid Pick-Ups

Nov. 20 Student of the Month Celebration

Nov. 23-27 Thanksgiving Break-No School

Nov. 28 Yearbook Presale Ends

Nov. 30 Candy Gram Sales Begin

Dec. 1-Jan. 30-Intent to Continue Forms are Due--See Below!!

Picture re-takes are scheduled for Thursday afternoon, November 12th. Only students who were absent and those who have requested re-takes will participate in this session.

If you purchased photos and would like re-takes:

1. Return your original pictures to the front office.

2. We will put your student on the re-take list.

If you did not purchase photos because you were not satisfied with the images you viewed online:

Please notify your classroom teacher or the front office so that we can add your student to the re-take list.

If you were not able to purchase/view your pictures from our original session, please call the office for instructions.

A word from your friendly, neighborhood attendance lady: The cold and flu season has hit our community already! If your child is sick and won't be coming to school, please don't forget to communicate with us! This can be done a number of ways:

1. Go to westada.org and click on the attendance icon, which will direct you to this page Report an Absence & Request a Self-Directed Learner Opportunity. Click on the image that says Report and Absence/SDL Request and follow the prompts

2. Call 208-350-4307 and leave a message with your student's name, the reason for the absence, and if you would like the self-directed learner opportunity (if this is not indicated, we will not select that option for your student).

3. Email your students teacher and CC Tabitha Chamberlain/Darcie Murdock, please include your students name, the reason for the absence and if you would like the self-directed learner opportunity (if this is not indicated, we will not select that option for your student).

If you select the self-directed learning opportunity, an email will be sent to your PowerSchool email account with your students' work that needs to be completed within 10 days of their return date. IMPORTANT: This does not include any graded work that your student will need to complete from their classroom teacher. Returning the completed SDL work will only excuse/waive their absences in PowerSchool. SDL cannot be retroactively requested and cannot be requested for less than a full day absence.

As always, if your student is missing school because of a medical/dental appointment, please bring/email/fax those notes to the front office!

Please reach out to Tabitha Chamberlain if you have any questions or concerns about attendance!"

Thanks,

Tabitha

• Egg cartons
• Old kitchen supplies (strainers, colanders, funnels, bowls, spoons

Please drop them off at the front office! Thank you!

November 6th is Popcorn Friday

Maximum order is 2 bags. Bags are 25 cents each. Send money with your child to his/her teacher or use the QR code below.

If you have already pre-paid you are all set. If you are paying monthly, please have your quarters in by THURSDAY.

-Thank you again to everyone who participated in our annual candy drive and trunk or treat! We had almost 1100 people attend our event and we handed out just under 1400lbs of candy. A special congratulations to the following classes who brought in the most candy and will be awarded later this month with a cotton candy party from the PTO:

1. Ms. Murphy 111lbs
2. Ms. Rosen 107lbs
3. Ms. Burton 103.2lbs

- We have officially started our fall Butter Braid fundraiser. Students have the opportunity to sell Butter Braids and the school will receive up to a 40% profit. Goody bags will be awarded to all students who participate (this means selling at least one item) and the class with the highest sales will be awarded pizza with the principal! The fundraiser will run 10/26/26-11/6/26. All orders are due by 11/6/26 at noon; no exceptions. All items are expected to be delivered on 11/18 at 3pm (this is before the holidays, so stock up!!). Please refer to the parent letter or link below for additional information: https://store.myfundraisingplace.com/81adec49-15ed-4b00-be62-d736df1ea4c0

- Our monthly virtual PTO meeting will be held on 11/11/26 at 6:30pm. Here is the meeting link: https://meet.google.com/met-nriw-qby

- Just a reminder, yearbook $20 presales will end 11/20/26. Sales will begin again in January at the increased cost of $25.

Click the megaphone graphic to access Paypal and order a yearbook.

Dear Parents,

As the weather changes and it starts getting cooler, please dress your students appropriately for the weather.

Also make sure students get enough sleep and are ready to learn.

If your family is experiencing any hardship, please reach out to me. My contact information is below.

major.carmel@westada.org

Intent to Continue Forms—Important Information for Families

We're excited to help your family plan for the 2027–2028 school year! Here's what you need to know:

When to Submit

• Intent to Continue forms will be available in PowerSchool > School Forms from December 1, 2026, through January 3, 2027.

Who Must Complete This Form?

All families with students planning to return to Spalding STEM Academy for 2027–2028 must complete this form. This secures your child's seat for next year.

If You Have an Incoming Sibling:

When you complete your form, you can note that a sibling will be joining Spalding for the first time. Important: Your incoming sibling must still apply for the lottery in January. The information you provide in the Intent to Continue form places your incoming student in the earliest grouping of the lottery draw, but a separate lottery application is required.

Attendance and/or behavior may be a factor in student acceptance.

Here is the link: https://selectprintingusa.com/collections/spalding-stem-academy-fall-store-26

The last day to order is November 4th at midnight! Spalding is getting a $3 donation for each item sold, so you're helping out and representing Spalding! Check sizes carefully for each item as some are youth sizes, and some are adult.

National School Psychology Week 2026 takes place from November 9–13, 2026, with the official NASP theme “Inspire Connection.”

Overview

National School Psychology Week (NSPW) is an annual U.S. observance led by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) to highlight the essential role school psychologists play in supporting students’ learning, mental health, and well‑being. In 2026, it runs Monday, November 9 through Friday, November 13

A baking soda and vinegar experiment mixes sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) with acetic acid (CH₃COOH) to produce carbon dioxide gas, water, and sodium acetate, creating the classic bubbling and foaming reaction seen in activities like volcanoes and fizzy sensory setups.

Baking soda is a base.

Vinegar is an acid.

When combined, they form carbonic acid, which quickly breaks down into carbon dioxide gas and water, causing fizzing and bubbling.

The full chemical equation:

CH3COOH+NaHCO3→CH3COONa+H2O+CO2

Supplies:

Baking soda, vinegar, container (cup, bowl, tray)

Optional: Food coloring

1. Place baking soda in a container.
2. Add food coloring if desired.
3. Pour or drop vinegar onto the baking soda.
4. Watch the bubbling reaction.
5. Repeat as desired.

For more variations, try dyeing the baking soda in multiple colors. Use a dropper to add vinegar and make a rainbow effect.