Pirate Weekly

Hello Parents!

I have loved every minute of spending this week with your kids! I wish I knew all of their names already, but I am learning. Some are helping me speed up that process more than others—you know, those overachiever kids! 😊

Overall, things are off to a great start, and I really appreciate your patience and support as we all learn the routines and processes.

Picture Day is tomorrow!!

🚗 Drop-Off Reminder

Drop-offs are going pretty well! Thank you for your patience as we work through the process together.

Just a quick reminder: Please do not let students out of the car on the north or west side of the building. South side only, folks! 😊

Thank you for helping us keep the drop-off process safe and running smoothly.

🤫 Moment of Silence

In my eagerness to share all the things with you last week, I completely forgot to let parents know about the Moment of Silence that is required in Idaho schools.

Idaho legislation now requires schools to hold a 60-second Moment of Silence each day before school begins. At East Minico, we will hold our Moment of Silence directly after announcements.

During this time:

• All students are expected to remain quiet and respectful.
• Teachers will not direct or advise students on how they should personally observe the Moment of Silence.
• Students will be expected to respect the time and not disturb others.

If your student arrives late: Please have them stop where they are and remain quiet during the Moment of Silence. They should not enter a classroom and disrupt students who are already observing the Moment of Silence. Once it is over, they may continue to class.

The Pledge of Allegiance will begin immediately following the Moment of Silence.

I was tempted to also implement a 30-second dance party at the end of every day, but I am refraining myself...for now. (Although the dance button has been purchased, so I make no promises! 😂)

Thank you for talking with your students about this and helping us establish this new routine. Sixty seconds is surprisingly long when you're sitting in silence, so we will continue working with students on following this new requirement respectfully.

🎒 Backpacks & Lockers

I have received a few concerned calls and emails from parents regarding students who are struggling to access their lockers and still make it to class on time.

We have shortened the passing period this year, and we understand that this is causing some stress for students. We know this is different from what they are used to, but I promise we are still working to make the system better.

One of our challenges this year is that our classrooms are extremely full. Teachers are working to fit as many as 37 desks into some classrooms, while also trying to find a place for students to put their backpacks.

This week, we will give students some additional time to practice opening their lockers and getting their materials so they can become more comfortable with the process.

You may also want to talk with your student about grabbing materials for a few classes at a time rather than going back to their locker between every class. This may help them save some time during passing periods.

We will reevaluate how things are going after this week of additional practice.

Most importantly, I want you to know that my intent is not for students to come to school feeling anxious about being late to class or struggling to open a locker. We are going to keep working on this until we find what works best for our students.

🤝 PTO

We are also getting ready to start our Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) meetings, and I would personally love to invite you to come be a part of it!

I promise—we are a good time! 😊

I will send out another message once we have a date and time for our first meeting. In the meantime, if you are interested in getting involved, please reach out to me. I would love to see our PTO grow and have more parents involved in supporting our school and our events.

Thank you again for everything you do to support your students and our school. I truly appreciate your patience, communication, and support as we get this year off to a great start.

I am looking forward to another great week with your kids!

Go Pirates!

MONDAY, AUGUST 31

• 📸 Picture Day
• Lunch: Waffles and Sausage Link or Pepperoni Pizza
• 
  

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1

• 👂 Hearing Screening — 10:00 AM all 7th Graders
• Lunch: Walking Talking Doritos or Pepperoni Pizza
• 
  

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2

Lunch: Chicken Tenders or Pepperoni Pizza

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3

Lunch: Cheese Breadsticks or Pepperoni Pizza

Sept 7th- Labor Day, No School

East Minico Middle School

Asst. Principal: Cory Kniep

Main Office: 208-436-3178

Website: https://www.minidokaschools.org/o/eastminico

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eastminico