Castleford School District

Saturday’s jamboree start time has been changed to 10:00 a.m.

Q and A with Karla Miller, Castleford’s Newly Hired Teacher

Please provide some basic biographical information: where are you from? what college(s) did you attend? what other teaching positions have you held?

I grew up in Minnesota in the big cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. I moved to California in my twenties, after I became a licensed practical nurse. I graduated from California State University with my Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies and then completed their teacher certification program. I completed my master’s degree from the University of Idaho. I have taught in California, Alaska, and Idaho, and have spent three years as an elementary school principal. The most unusual place I taught was in the native village of Hooper Bay, where I had to fly in and out of by bush plane!

How do you feel about your move to Castleford?

I am so excited to be coming to Castleford. The collegiality of the school staff is drawing me there. I have heard such great things about Castleford educators and the Castleford community, and I have met such wonderful people there. I love working together with people who care about providing engaging and exciting experiences for students.

What courses will you be teaching?

I’ll be teaching English courses, including English Language Arts for 9^th and 10^th grades, creative writing, and journalism. I’ll also be teaching life science and art for 7^th grade.  I am looking forward to facilitating a school newspaper that not only reports the exciting things going on at school, but also provides a publication platform highlighting student-driven news-writing and creative writing.

What are some of your hobbies?

Music is a big part of my life. A beautiful ballad feeds my soul. I love all kinds of music (especially indie, rock, and folk) and I go to as many concerts as I can to hear my favorite artists live. (Last fall I got to see the Rolling Stones!) I also refinish furniture, do a lot of sewing, and write in my spare time.

What other interesting things about yourself will you share?

I’m into exotic pets. I’m a bird lover and love my hookbills. Sammy is my umbrella cockatoo. He loves to dance. (If you haven’t seen parrots dance, check it out on YouTube). I also have Daisy May, my blue-fronted Amazon parrot. She loves to imitate sounds that she hears. And then, of course, there is Sophie, my box turtle. She’s having a good day when she gets a lively angleworm. I’d tell you about Callie, my puppy, but she’s not exotic. I love her just the same, though!

Welcome, Karla, to the Castleford School and community!  

The next School Board Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, August 16, 2017.

Click here to access the meeting agenda.

Meet Brian Lowry, Castleford’s new business teacher and head football coach.

Hi, I’m Brian, and I’m from Greenfield, Missouri. For three years after high school, I attended William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, where I played tight end on the football team. I finished my degree at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Missouri, and I have been working on my Master’s Degree at Missouri State University.

I have extensive experience in education and athletics. I’ve held various head coaching positions, including football, boys’ basketball, golf, junior high football, junior high basketball, junior high volleyball. I’ve also been the director of athletics. I’ve taught business courses, social studies, physical education, health, and have worked with alternative education students. I chose to focus my teaching career on business not only because it sparked my interest, but also because it affects everyone in some way. I believe it is crucial for students who will someday join the workforce to have an understanding of how a business operates and how to be successful leaders in the world of business.

Since I was a child, I’ve dreamed of living close to the mountains. My wife and I have vacationed in Idaho, and we fell in love with the area. The numerous outdoor activities, hunting opportunities, and the extremely nice residents of Idaho made moving an easy decision. When it came to looking for a place to coach and teach in Idaho, I had a few characteristics I was looking for in a school: I wanted to be at a small school where I could walk down the hall and know every student, teacher, and employee by name. I believe that the relationships you can build in a smaller school and community are valuable to a successful working environment. I also wanted to take over a football program where I felt that I could make the biggest impact on positively impacting young men’s lives. I believe that I made a great decision joining the Castleford staff.

I want our football team to enjoy the great sport they are playing. The hard work that we will put in during practice will pay off on Friday nights. I want our young men to be competitive in every game we play and whether we are winning or if the scoreboard is against us you will see the same relentless effort until the final whistle blows. I believe the disciplines that they learn on the football field will carry over to the classroom and throughout their lives. My goal is to help build good football players who turn into great community leaders, great husbands, and great fathers.

Castleford welcomes Brian Lowry and his family to our school and community!

For a clear, printable version of the schedule, click here.

Parents and Students:

Please examine the course schedule for the 2017-2018 school year by clicking the link above. It contains a key, which will help you understand which courses are designed for which students. Please visit with the school counselor during registration about what courses are required for you. As you look this schedule over, be sure to examine both semesters: doing so will give you a better idea of what your school year will look like. Please be advised that many courses have a limit on the number of students that can enroll. (This course schedule is subject to change.)

Course registration is Monday and Tuesday of next week, August 7th and 8th, from 8:00-3:00.

Castleford Welcomes Kate Dahl Back to the Science Classroom

Kate is originally from Mississippi. She received her bachelor of science degree in biology from the University of Southern Mississippi. She taught school for two years before she married and then was a stay-at-home mom to her five children.

Since coming to Idaho twenty years ago, she has taught school at Twin Falls High, Castleford High, and Canyon Ridge High.

Said Kate, “Four years ago I thought I was done teaching, so I retired. I realized when I was at graduation in May that I really missed the kids and being part of their lives. I was informed Castleford needed a science teacher, and I was offered the job. I’m very excited to be returning and look forward to getting know the kids. My hobbies are sewing, cross-stitch, genealogy, and spoiling our thirteen grandchildren.”

From Castleford Athletic Director Laurie Howard:

Castleford High School student Keegan Myers will be attending both Castleford High School and the College of Southern Idaho this coming school year. Keegan was one of only three students accepted into the welding portion of CSI’s Expanded Technical Dual Credit program, which is designed to help high school students work toward achieving their post-secondary goals. It has programs in various technical fields including auto body, drafting, and food processing.

The amount of time Keegan had to complete his application was very limited. He and his family learned of the opportunity from an evening news feature. They found more information in the next morning’s Times-News edition. After consulting with Castleford’s FFA adviser and agriculture instructor Mr. Daniel Billington and with guidance counselor Mr. James Bostock, Keegan had just one week to meet the application deadline. The application required a cover letter that highlighted each applicant’s experience in the desired field, a 30-minute interview, and two letters of recommendation.

For the welding portion of the program, CSI had just three positions available. Although they received several applications, few met the requirements. Keegan received one of the three available positions. Megan Myers, Keegan’s mother, said: “Never in my wildest dreams did I think that Keegan would be one of the successful candidates, but I knew we had to at least apply for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

As a recipient of this program, Keegan will attend Castleford High School in the morning and CSI each afternoon, from 1:00-5:00. He’ll be taking mostly welding courses.

Welding is a skill that Keegan already has been honing. He enrolled in Mr. Billington’s welding courses and has continued perfecting his skills at home. He’s experienced in multiple types of welding, including TIG, SMAW, MIG, and gas. He has showcased his skills at various contests, winning several accolades. In the most recent FFA Agriculture Mechanics contest, he won first place in arc welding and second place in gas welding. At the Rocky Mountain Shootout held at Idaho State University, his team took fourth place and Keegan scored first high individual in SMAW welding.

He’s fabricated various projects both at school and at home, including pipe trailers and pivot bridges. For his Senior Project, he built an oxygen tank rack for the Castleford Quick Response Unit. He has worked for Iron Man Welding, and he currently works for Guy Kaster Farms.

By the time he finishes his senior year in the spring of 2018, Keegan will have a high school diploma and a basic technical certificate.