October’s Newsletter

As the crisp morning air rolls through the Wood River Valley and the leaves begin to turn their brilliant shades of gold and amber, we find ourselves stepping gently into one of the most magical seasons of the year. Fall has officially arrived at our school, bringing with it a renewed sense of community, rhythm, and wonder. As the school year progresses, we encourage parents to continue to reach out to each other to build connections, host gatherings, and lean into the beauty and warmth that this community offers.

Don’t forget! You can check for direct communication from Parent Council in this monthly newsletter, sent the second Sunday of every month, on our Syringa Mountain School social media pages, and on the school’s website under the “Parent Council” tab.

Something Exciting to Share!

We are pleased to welcome Teal Duncan as the PC Secretary and Lauren Keppler as PC Treasurer! Thank you to our entire community for the nominations and for those who were able to attend the meeting this month to vote.

WE’RE TURNING OUR SCHOOL INTO A MUSEUM!

We are thrilled to partner with The Magic Valley Children’s Museum to bring nine incredible mobile STEAM exhibits right to Syringa. This hands-on family experience is completely FREE and open to our entire school, as well as families from neighboring elementary and middle schools across the valley. Join us on October 27th from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM for an evening of discovery, creativity, and fun. Alongside the exhibits, Future Roots and The Hunger Coalition will be present with engaging activities for everyone to enjoy! Delicious food and refreshments will also be available for purchase from Sawtooth Brewery and Woodfire Pizza. Come explore, create, and connect with us!

To make this evening a success, we are looking for help with a few different roles:

Set-up & Welcome Table: Helping set things up starting at 4:30 PM and running our welcome table to count participants.
Station Hosts: Overseeing an interactive activity station. The Children’s Museum will provide all the instructions ahead of time, so it’s really just helping guide kids as they use it. Plus, you’ll still have plenty of time to visit the different stations with your own child!
Clean-up Crew: At least two volunteers to help tidy up the school and get it ready for the next day from 7:00 PM to 7:30 PM.

If you can lend a hand with any part of the evening, we would love to have you! You can browse the specific descriptions of each station and responsibilities or sign up to volunteer at this signup.

Get Moving with the “Fit for Fun” Challenge!

We are excited to partner with Wahooz to invite all of our K–6th grade students and teachers to take on the Fit for Fun challenge! Complete 30 minutes of physical activity outside of school each day for 40 days, adding up to 1,200 total minutes of movement. Whether it’s playing outside, riding bikes, or going for a family walk, every active minute counts. Track your progress on your sheet and turn it in to the front desk by December 4th. Participants will receive their discount codes for a FREE 4-hour Ultimate Unlimited Fun Package to Wahooz Family Fun Zone at a later date.

You can download a tracking sheet here.

The farmstand is OPEN! A huge thank you to Lauren Levig and Ms. Erica for your tireless efforts in prepping the farmstand for the season. We are looking for donations including any handmade crafts, goods, baked goods, eggs, crop, etc. Please contact Ms. Erica via email (emaxwell@syringamountainschool.org) if you’d like to donate! Just a reminder, all the funding made from the farm stand goes directly back to Parent Council to continue to support the farmstand and our PC efforts.

The women’s Trinity Mountain Yoga retreat is happening THIS MONTH! A heartfelt thank you to Tenaya, Victoria Roper, and everyone whose hard work and dedication have made this special event possible once again.

If you or someone you know would like to join in, please check out the flyer below for all the details. Not only is this an incredible opportunity to relax, rejoice, and rejuvenate, but a portion of the proceeds will also directly benefit our school!

Volunteer Opportunities

Thank you, Elizabeth Przybylski, for your support in picking up and delivering a welcome Back Coffee and Treats for our staff.

Thank you to Teal Duncan and Pamela Plowman for your sewing expertise in expanding our dragon costume for the upcoming fall festival!

Thank you to Megan Carley and family for your support in providing a tasty treat for staff during the month of September! If you would like to participate and contribute a treat, please sign up at the link below to help keep their energy high and spirits bright!

Staff Nourishment Sign up Link

We are gearing up for the return of our annual Holiday Papoose Bazaar! Every year our community comes together for fun, organized craft nights to create handmade goods to sell at the bazaar. Best of all, 100% of the proceeds go right back to the Parent Council to help us support our staff and students all year long.

Please see the attached graphic for available crafting days and times! It is a wonderful way for both parents and students to connect and build community. You can host a craft night or make some yourself to donate. If you are interested in hosting a specific craft night, please reach out to Tenaya Kolar at (208)578-4116.

Help Us Stock Up!

We are currently collecting donations of Top Ramen noodles to support our school community and students without a lunch. If you are able to contribute, please drop off your donations at the front office. Thank you so much for your generosity and continued support!

Housekeeping

All Parent Council Meetings will be held on the first Friday of each month at 8:15 in the Farm and Garden room, or you can join virtually. All are welcome and encouraged to attend.

To help us show our appreciation all year long, our teachers complete a survey sharing their favorite things, treats, and preferences! If you’re looking for inspiration when spoiling an educator or contributing to staff appreciation, you can find all of their answers [linked here].

Important Dates

October and November 2026 PC Happenings
Friday, October 2nd	PC’s Monthly Meeting!	Just us in the F&G room or virtually at the link
Thursday-Friday, October 8-9th	NO SCHOOL	Parent-Teacher Conferences! Look for emails from your teachers
Friday, October 16th	Fall Festival!	11:30am-12:45pm at SMS
Friday, Ocobter 23rd-Sunday, October 25th	Trinity Mountain Yoga Retreat	Please see attached flyer
Tuesday, October 27th	Syringa STEAM Night	5:30 pm-7:00 pm at SMS!
Friday, October 30th	Halloween Parade and Assembly	1:00 pm-1:40 pm at SMS!
November 9th-November13th	Book Fair!	Look for info in your monthly teacher newsletter

Parent Council Meeting Virtual Link: https://meet.google.com/rjn-hskj-ogz

September’s Newsletter

And we’re off! School is back in full swing and so are we. It was an absolute pleasure meeting so many of our new parents on the first day of school. We hope all new and returning families feel a warm welcome and kind embrace as you join the Syringa Mountain School Community. Families are the lifeblood of our community. There are so many things happening in the next month. Some new, some familiar, and all of them exciting! Hang in there! This email is a long-y, but a goodie.

A Couple of Refreshers

This year, in an effort to streamline communication, we will be providing alternate routes of communication. Class parents will no longer be an official volunteer ask from Parent Council. We’re hoping that parents continue to reach out to one another to facilitate play dates and build relationships. You can find direct communication from Parent Council in this monthly newsletter, sent the second Sunday of every month, on our Syringa Mountain School social media pages, and on the school’s website under the “Parent Council” tab. We’re hoping that these combined efforts reduce the communication overwhelm that has been expressed.

Something Exciting to Share!

We are thrilled to share that our school farmstand has blossomed beyond our expectations! Thanks to Ms. Erica’s incredible heart, time, and dedication, this project is thriving—so much so that it now needs a little extra hands-on support. To keep this wonderful community endeavor growing, the Parent Council is stepping up to help. We need your help and would love for you to join us!

Whether you’d like to help coordinate farmstand partnerships, pitch in with packing and prepping, or donate your own crafts and goods, there are plenty of ways to get involved. Currently, we’re looking for volunteers to help with Thursday restock, donate goods/crafts, and help waterproofing the stand for the coming season! We are seriously in need of donations including any hand made crafts, goods, baked goods, eggs, crop, etc. Please contact Ms. Erica via email (emaxwell@syringamountainschool.org) to lend a hand.

The women’s Trinity Mountain Yoga retreat is back for another wonderful year! A heartfelt thank you to Tenaya, Victoria Roper, and everyone whose hard work and dedication have made this special event possible once again.

Volunteer Opportunities

Elizabeth Przybylski (Her son is in 4th!) has volunteered to help on Wednesday, September 23rd to help pick-up and deliver a Welcome Back Coffee and Treats for our staff. Thank you so, so much for your time and efforts. If anyone is interested in helping with this at another time, please reply to this email if you’re willing and able to volunteer!

As a wonderful gesture of care from our parent community, Staff Nourishment brings a little extra sweetness to our educators’ weeks! Every Wednesday afternoon, while our staff gathers for mandatory professional development meetings, generous parent volunteers treat them to a light, comforting snack. If you would like to participate and contribute a treat, please sign up at the link below to help keep their energy high and spirits bright!

Staff Nourishment Sign up Link

Finally, Ms. Janessa has put out a request for some volunteer efforts in the 7/8th grade class. Typically, you will find specific volunteer needs from each class in your teacher newsletter released monthly. However, if you are available to chaperone the 7/8th grade class trip September 14th- September 17th, please contact Ms. Janessa directly at jcorraob@syringamountainschool.org. A huge shout-out to Teal (3rd and 6th grade parent) for volunteering to sew an extension on our dragon for the fall festival, and to both Teal and Lauren (5th and 7th grade parent) for their willingness to volunteer for the 7/8th grade trip!

We know how much everyone loves to plan! If you’d like to explore upcoming volunteer opportunities, you can view all of our current time slots and needs right here. We truly appreciate your willingness to pitch in

Housekeeping

Parent Council is looking for two individuals to fill our officer positions. We need a Secretary and a Treasurer. If you are interested, or know someone interested, please fill out the nomination survey below. Reply to this email with any questions regarding the positions. We will take nominations for August and September and do a vote in our October Parent Council Meeting.

All Parent Council Meetings will be held on the first Friday of each month at 8:15 in the Farm and Garden room, or you can join virtually. All are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Important Dates

September and October 2026 PC Happenings
Monday, September 7th	NO SCHOOL
Friday, September 18th	EcoThon Begins!!	Please look for info sent home
Wednesday, September 23rd	Staff Back to School Coffee&Treats	Please reply to this email to volunteer!
Thursday, September 24th	Curriculum Night!	5:30 pm-7:00 pm @ Syringa
Friday, September 25th	NO SCHOOL
Friday, October 2nd	PC’s Monthly Meeting!	Join us in the F&G room or virtually at the link
Thursday-Friday, October 8-9th	NO SCHOOL	Parent Teacher Conferences! Look for emails from your teachers
Friday, October 16th	Fall Festival!	11:30am-12:45pm
November 9th-November13th	Book Fair!	Look for info in your monthly teacher newsletter

Parent Council Meeting Virtual Link: https://meet.google.com/dvb-xuzj-epe

Parent Council Nominations: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdyHOQY0x729ddlBgGh-LkEM-Z5yqVeIip5xVRMICLl8zvMbw/viewform?usp=header

We’d love to hear from you if you have any feedback for the parent council. You can find our survey here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScrVnsHRwz9sPmkY6qZ7HCrFbtpQHrfh_79Q9V7SrUXvzzNTA/viewform?usp=header

August’s Newsletter

Summer Greetings from Parent Council

It’s hard to believe that another school year is right around the corner. We hope that you were able to soak in the sun and make the most of your few months off. We’re getting excited as the first day of school is closely approaching and there’s a lot of new and exciting things coming from Parent Council this year! Parent Council would not be possible without the support of each of you. Thank you for your time, support, funds, and feedback. All the ways that you have continued to show support keep our small community strong.

Last school year, together, we were able to provide ongoing staff support with Wednesday staff nourishment, facilitate much-needed volunteers for school events, provide a robust effort towards staff appreciation, support, and morale through generous holiday gifting, abundant potlucks, and a week of celebration during Teacher Appreciation Week.

Behind the scenes, our community coordinated or supported at least eight major community-building events that would not have been possible without our parents’ time and efforts, including:

The Holiday Bazaar and craft days leading up to the bazaar
Parents’ Night Out
Grandfriends Day (providing the main dish)
Ski Week and Ski Week Potluck
Spring Concert bake sales
May Faire (coordinating volunteers for stations and flower crown creation)
A parent-led middle school dance in May, and
The Summer Kick-off Celebration

What’s new?

Parent Council spent time gathering feedback through different surveys to see how we could continue to support our families and build a strong sense of community. The majority of families that responded to the survey shared feedback that parent council would benefit from coordinating asks with the school to prioritize the highest needs first, find better and different ways to communicate so we’re not overwhelming parents, and continue to communicate and support flexible volunteer opportunities for parents while also working towards rebuilding a tight-knit school community.

In response to this feedback, here’s what’s new this year!

We’d like to extend a HUGE thank you to all of our class parent volunteers. This year, in an effort to streamline communication, we will be providing alternate routes of communication. Class parents will no longer be an official volunteer ask from Parent Council. We’re hoping that parents continue to reach out to one another to facilitate play dates and build relationships. You can find direct communication from Parent Council in this monthly newsletter, sent the second Sunday of every month, on our Syringa Mountain School social media pages, and on the school’s website under the “Parent Council” tab. We’re hoping that these combined efforts reduce the communication overwhelm that has been expressed.

Now, something exciting to share!!!

We would like to welcome ALL families behind the fence and on the blacktop the morning of the first day of school (Tuesday, August 25th). We’d love for our community to join us in launching our students into a new and wonderful school year! Parent Council will provide warm beverages.

Housekeeping

We are looking for one volunteer to help on Wednesday, September 23rd to help pick-up and deliver a Welcome Back Coffee and Treats for our staff. Please reply to this email if you’re willing and able to volunteer!

All Parent Council Meetings will be held on the first Friday of each month at 8:15 in the Farm and Garden room, or you can join virtually. All are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Important Dates

August and September 2026 PC Happenings
Tuesday, August 25th	First day of school Launch!
Thursday, August 27th	Picture Day!
Friday, September 4th	PC’s First Monthly Meeting	Join Us Here
Monday, September 7th	NO SCHOOL
Friday, September 18th	EcoThon Begins!!	Please look for info sent home
Wednesday, September 23rd	Staff Back to School Coffee&Treats	Please email parentcouncil@syringamountainschool.org
Thursday, September 24th	Curriculum Night!	5:30 pm-7:00 pm @ Syringa
Friday, September 25th	NO SCHOOL

Parent Council Meeting Virtual Link: https://meet.google.com/wmq-dbfp-rym

Parent Council Nominations: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdyHOQY0x729ddlBgGh-LkEM-Z5yqVeIip5xVRMICLl8zvMbw/viewform?usp=header

We’d love to hear from you if you have any feedback for parent council. You can find our survey here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScrVnsHRwz9sPmkY6qZ7HCrFbtpQHrfh_79Q9V7SrUXvzzNTA/viewform?usp=header

2026-2027 Parent Council

Parent Council Meeting Agenda
Parent Council Meeting Minutes

PARENT COUNCIL HANDBOOK