February
Principal Notes for 2/2/15
Last week I mentioned that six of our junior high band members were selected to participate in the Treasure Valley Honor Band. Some of you have inquired as to why the band has not played at home basketball games. I love having the band at the games, also – it provides for a totally different atmosphere. Unfortunately, with six students gone to honor band practice on Friday evenings, we are missing too many students from some sections to have the band play at games. We hope that you will understand and be even more supportive of the band once it does get to play!
Our junior and seniors in government classes are preparing for a Mock Congressional Hearing this week. On Thursday of this week the students travel to Boise to compete in the hearing. Students have spent the last several weeks preparing for the event which will provide them a great opportunity to develop a better of understanding of our constitution.
Last week I mentioned the learning that is going on in a variety of classes. This week students in geometry are learning to find the missing sides and angles of triangles using the sine law. Seventh graders are learning how to write equivalent expressions using the distributive property and combining like terms. Some of the expressions include fractions or rational numbers. Students in speech are learning about the difference between a formal and informal setting for speeches or communication, and drama students are beginning to memorize line for their spring performance.
Principal Notes for 2/11/15
Principal Notes – Angie Lakey-Campbell, Cambridge High School
In writing this article over the past fifteen years, I have often mentioned my first sighting of a robin in the spring time. I’m usually excited to see the first because temperatures would have been hovering in the teens or twenties up until that time. I saw my first robins last week. There were about thirty of them frolicking around the athletic complex when I took my dog down there to run. I didn’t feel my usual excitement because I realized I wasn’t sure they ever left for the winter. Interesting that the day I saw the robins was Thursday, and the field was nearly completely covered with snow – only a few breaks. By Saturday afternoon, the field was clear. I don’t know that I remember the snow ever leaving as quickly as it did this year, nor do I know what the ground hog found while completing his research, but I’m pretty sure spring is on its way here!
Each week, students in our language arts classes are asked to read and annotate an article of the week then write an essay addressing their thoughts about the article. The “article of the week” essays are due on Friday. The following Monday, students have a writing conference with Mr. McMichael regarding their essay. This past Monday, I happened to be in Mr. McMichael’s room while the writing conferences were happening. I was a bit jealous because I realized as a student, whether it be high school, college or graduate school, I don’t remember having a writing conference like those I observed. It seemed that student and teacher were each looking at the article with an eye for improving the writing. Students were given an opportunity to explain what they were trying to say with their writing and the teacher seemed to be leading each individual student in his writing – knowing what each student needed to do to make the next step in becoming a better writer. For one student it may have been making sure the voice of the essay was consistent throughout the article; for another it may have been correcting mechanical errors such as where to place commas and periods.
As mentioned a few weeks ago, our high school winter sports are coming to an end. The last home game for the boys is Friday, February 13 against Council. The JV game is scheduled to begin at 6:00 with the varsity game to follow at around 7:30. The junior high basketball teams will begin competition next week. Our first game is Tuesday, February 17 in Midvale against Salmon River.
Principal Notes for 2/16/15
Congratulations to the Tri-Valley girls’ basketball team for qualifying to compete at the girls’ state basketball tournament this week at Nampa High School. The girls are schedule to meet Mackay in the first round of the tournament. The game is scheduled to begin at 6:15 in the evening. Best of luck to these young women!
A huge thank you goes out to all who purchased floral arrangements from the ag department floral shop. Around two hundred arrangements were purchased for Valentine’s Day.
I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that our governments classes traveled to Boise to participate in a mock congressional hearing. Students prepared for many weeks in advance for this event. The following is an example of the type of question they were required to answer: “The Virginia Declaration of Rights was the first written enumeration of the rights of citizens and the fundamental principles of government in the newly independent United States. What ideas drawn from the natural rights philosophy were incorporated into the Virginia Declaration of Rights? What ideas drawn from classical republicanism are included in the Virginia Declaration of Rights? What rights that Americans enjoy today under both their state and national bill of rights were included in the Virginia Declaration of Rights?”
We were pleased to learn last week that Mr. McMichael was chosen to receive an Idaho Power “Powering Tomorrow Grant” in the amount of $1000. Mr. McMichael plans to purchase recording equipment that will be used by various classes developing oral histories of local senior citizens.
The JV boys’ tournament is being played this week. By the time this article is published, the tournament will be complete. The Tri-Valley boys were seeded as the number one team going into the tournament. We wish them all the best of luck.
The boys’ district tournament also begins on Thursday of this week. Tri-Valley is scheduled to play Salmon River at 6:00 at McCall-Donnelly High School. Good luck to them! The first round of the tournament is single elimination.
Principal Notes for 2/24/14
Students in our ninth and tenth grade language arts classes are reading Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. This book is one of my favorites of all time. If you haven’t read it, you should do so, especially if your child is in one of these classes; it will give you something to talk about at the dinner table!
The freshman ag class has begun a wood working unit. Students will be making a wooden box. In preparation for building the boxes, they are being required to correctly draw the box to scale.
The physical science class is learning about fluid pressure, and students are able to explain how differences in pressure cause a liquid to rise in a drinking straw.
In looking ahead, track practice is scheduled to begin Monday, March 2. Driver education begins the same day.
The end of the third nine weeks is quickly approaching – March 12. Most teachers will be available from 8:00 until noon on March 6. If your child is missing work, please encourage her to communicate with teachers about when they can receive assistance if needed.