Bickel Elementary School

As part of our school safety plan, we have practiced barricading and evacuating the building. On February 13th at 9:15 am, we will announce an intruder is located on the playground and teachers will have to decide whether it is safest to barricade with their class or evacuate the building. Teachers will talk to students before the drill so that students understand this is just a drill, just like we practice fire drills. We wanted parents to know in case you see several police cars. The police officers like to observe these drills and give us feedback.

We are thrilled to announce the opening of Hello Dolly on Valentine’s Day (Feb 14th)! 🎉 Thanks to an amazing collaboration between TFHS students and staff, this production is sure to be a night to remember. 💫 Special shout-out to: Cameron Hoge & Roger Miskin in the Construction CTE program, for building the stunning set! 🔨🏗️ Mr. Child, our talented choir director, who is also serving as the music director for this amazing show! 🎶 Haven Elison, our gifted student choreographer, who choreographed almost the entire show—this senior deserves a lot recognition! 🌟 Show Details: Dates: Feb 14, 15, 21, 22 Time: Doors open at 6:30 PM, Show starts at 7:00 PM Ticket Prices: $10 for adults $5 for K-12 students $35 for a family of 6 Come support the TFHS community and enjoy an unforgettable night of talent, teamwork, and creativity! 💃🎭🎶 #TFHS #CommunityCollaboration #SupportTheArts #StudentChoreography #Showtime #ValentinesDay #Theater #HighSchoolArts

Little Porter update...

Hello Bobcat Families! Many of you have been on standby to hear what Bickel's future will be. Bickel is a building with so much history. Once again Bickel will make historic changes for the betterment of the Twin Falls Community. You are all a part of making some new history. Attached below is the letter from District Office. Over the next few months, information will be shared with you as we prepare to be our BEST selves. Dear TFSD Families, At last night's board meeting, the Twin Falls School District Board of Trustees made the strategic decision to relocate the Dual Immersion program from Oregon Trail Elementary School to Bickel Elementary School, transforming Bickel into a complete magnet school beginning in the 2025-26 school year. This decision, which follows extensive work by a committee of educators, parents, and administrators, is a positive step toward addressing enrollment challenges at Bickel Elementary School and creating a true magnet school where all TFSD students can have equal access to the Dual Immersion program. While the Board has taken the initial step, rest assured that a comprehensive planning process is underway to address logistics and staffing for the 2025-26 school year. The TFSD Administrative Team is diligently working on potential new school zones for Oregon Trail, Lincoln, and Morningside elementary schools, gathering information from staff to find a new role where they can thrive, and evaluating all aspects of reconfiguring the elementary school offerings. While this decision was difficult, the TFSD Board of Trustees and the TFSD Administrative Team are optimistic about the positive impact of this change. We believe it will create more opportunities for our students and strengthen our schools in the long run. We are grateful for the many community members who shared their thoughts and opinions with the board. Your input is a clear demonstration of the Twin Falls community's commitment to education and its willingness to work with the TFSD to overcome any challenge. We will continue to send additional updates regarding these changes as soon as it becomes available. Sincerely, The TFSD Administrative Team

Enjoy our PTO Teacher feature -such a special group!

Our Bobcat staff and students really got in the spirit of celebrating our counselors this week. Speaking of SPIRIT, tomorrow (7th) is School Spirit Day! Whose class will get a visit from the Bickel Bobcat this month?

"Wonders of the Sky" projects - Mrs. Shields' 4th graders were creative in expressing the wonders of the sky through posters and slide shows that they created.

The PTO has declared a Penny War for the entire month of February. Students can bring in extra change that their families want to contribute to help fund special projects. The War is between the Pennies and the Silver Coins. If Pennies win, the kids all earn a popcorn treat in March. If Silver wins, it is popsicles for all.

This week we have the privilege of celebrating National School Counseling Week. Mrs. Wills and Ms. Smith are amazing counselors. They help our students, staff, and families in so many ways. On Tuesday, February 4 we encourage everyone to show their appreciation by "Wearing their Heart on their Sleeves." Let's share our love by wearing clothes with hearts or emotions (Emoji, InsideOut shirts, etc). Thank you both for all that you do.

Today we practiced for our kindergarten, 2nd grade, and 4th grade Winter Concert. Mrs. Tureman and the students have been working hard. It is going to be another amazing concert. Many of the kindergartners had never ridden a school bus until today. It just added to the special day.

This month our PTO Teacher Feature highlights Mr. Alleman and Mrs. Tureman. Mrs. Tureman has prepared the Winter Concert for this week. You can see and hear her amazing work on Thursday night at O'Leary Middle School. The kindergartners, 2nd graders, and fourth graders will be putting on a festive show at 6:30 pm (performers are to be there at 6:15 pm).

The big week is finally here! Thursday night the kindergarteners, second graders and fourth graders will be performing. They need to arrive at O'Leary Middle School at 6:15. The show will begin at 6:30. Please make sure to submit their permission slip on Monday. We will be going to practice on Wednesday morning. Any child who does not return their permission slip will stay at Bickel in another classroom. until we return. Don't forget - school is dismissed at 2:00 on Mondays.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wuvHBs220lheSIGEZxKIR-UnjAK2YR_FEgzYxQWx5_s/edit?usp=sharing The Twin Falls School District is seeking feedback from staff and families about the potential changes being considered that will affect Bickel next school year. We invite you to share your thoughts through a brief survey. Your feedback will help inform the school board’s decision-making process as they consider how to best serve all students in our district. Please understand that some action must be taken prior to the beginning of the 2025-26 school year in order to ensure the success and viability of all TFSD school campuses. We encourage you to review the document linked above before completing the survey to better understand the potential solutions being considered. Once you have reviewed the options, please provide feedback utilizing this link: https://forms.gle/dGMFi3LMBRKor5YE7 Thank you for your time and for helping us shape the future of our schools. Sincerely, Twin Falls School District Board of Trustees, Dr. Brady Dickinson, Superintendent of Schools

The Bickel Bobcat made a special appearance today. Mrs. Ruiz's 1st graders and Mrs. Williams' kindergartners won the PTO Spirit Award. The next Spirit Day is Friday, February 7.

Miss Johns' 3rd graders stayed warm today with some heated competition! They were introduced to Tiddlywinks and they loved it. They hope that you are all game to complete the progress report survey before noon today.

We are always working to improve how we communicate about student progress. This year, we introduced a more detailed progress report. We would greatly appreciate your feedback on your experience with the progress reports during the 1st and 2nd quarters. This survey will be open until Wednesday, January 22 at 12 PM. This is your chance to share your thoughts on the new progress reports. Thanks for your input. https://forms.gle/RmUSMrRCppuvsVTU9

Mrs. Jones's 5th graders would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year and remind everyone that school dismisses at 2:00 on Mondays.

Students love spending time with Mrs. Higley our Title Math instructor. Here are some 1st graders working with her

Check out the most recent newsletter from the School Well-Being Program (free counseling and mental health navigation services) and BPA Health. We are proud to be able to offer these resources to our students and their families! https://conta.cc/49FOL8x

Change is headed to the Twin Falls School District. The District is always adjusting to serve the district to the best of its abilities. At the January School Board Meeting options for dealing with Bickel's dwindling enrollment were shared with the Board. The February Meeting will be when the board makes their decision of what is best for the whole district. It is a public meeting. Whatever they decide will go into effect for the 2025-26 school year. We will finish the year as is, but next year all of Bickel will be affected with the changes. The Board decided to gather more information and has asked that all of our Bickel Families complete the attached survey. Again, this will go into place next school. Please read up on it and complete the survey. Thank you. Dear Bickel Elementary School Families, Oregon Trail Dual Immersion Families, and TFSD Staff Members, At the TFSD School Board Meeting, the School Board heard a report outlining options to help address challenges related to decreased enrollment at Bickel Elementary School and balance enrollment numbers at other schools. As was previously communicated via email a committee of stakeholders has been exploring various options to ensure the school’s long-term success. You can access the written report provided to the board here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wuvHBs220lheSIGEZxKIR-UnjAK2YR_FEgzYxQWx5_s/edit?usp=sharing The Twin Falls School District is seeking feedback from staff and families about the potential changes being considered. We invite you to share your thoughts through a brief survey. Your feedback will help inform the school board’s decision-making process as they consider how to best serve all students in our district. Please understand that some action must be taken prior to the beginning of the 2025-26 school year in order to ensure the success and viability of all TFSD school campuses. We encourage you to review the document linked above before completing the survey to better understand the potential solutions being considered. Once you have reviewed the options, please provide feedback utilizing this link: https://forms.gle/dGMFi3LMBRKor5YE7 Thank you for your time and for helping us shape the future of our schools. Sincerely, Twin Falls School District Board of Trustees, Dr. Brady Dickinson, Superintendent of Schools