Students will see many changes across the Blaine County School District when classes resume Monday, Aug. 28, for the 2006-2007 school year.
"With the opening of Woodside Elementary School, the Blaine County School District will complete its changeover to neighborhood schools," district Community Relations Director Kate Heinecke said. "It's the final step in our strategic plan."
The transition to neighborhood schools comes with the opening of Woodside Elementary School, located off Berrycreek Drive in the Woodside area of Hailey. Previously, Hailey, Bellevue and Hemingway elementary schools served the needs of Wood River Valley students.
In the past years, southern Wood River Valley students were split by grade level between Bellevue and Hailey elementary schools. Younger students attended Bellevue, while older students attended Hailey.
"Instead of having kids split their time between the two schools and having to travel, it will be nice to have kids go to the same elementary for their whole elementary career," Heinecke said.
Woodside, Hailey, Bellevue and Hemingway elementary schools will serve kindergarten through fifth grades. All four elementary schools will also have equal instructional hours per day.
Some school schedules will change. Bellevue, Hailey and Woodside Elementary schools all start at 8:30 a.m. and release at 3 p.m. Hemingway Elementary remains the same as last year, starting at 8 a.m. and releasing at 2:25 p.m.
Wood River middle and high school times will also change. The first bell at the middle school will ring at 8:20 a.m. and school will release at 3:10 p.m. High school classes will begin at 8:15 a.m. and end at 3:10 p.m.
Carey School will start at 8:30 a.m., with its elementary students releasing at 3:05 p.m. and secondary students releasing at 3:15 p.m.
Other changes include:
· Chartwells School Dining Services, a North Carolina-based company, will initiate a revamp of school food service at all Blaine County schools on opening day of the new school year.
"Our goal is to serve nutritious meals that the students want to eat," said John Maupin, Chartwells district manager. "Finding that balance between the two will be the ongoing challenge for us,"
Schools across the district will see a new approach to lunch and breakfast. Prices remain the same as the previous school year.
The Pyramid Pete and the Creatures program will be implemented at all area elementary schools to teach healthy eating habits. At the elementary level, sandwiches and salads and two hot entree options will be offered each day.
Middle school and high school lunch menus will feature made-to-order deli sandwiches, pizza and a rotation of daily specials.
· The district will pilot two morning preschool pilot programs at Bellevue Elementary and the Carey School for the 2006-2007 school year.
