Foothills Mural Honors the Past & Present - Foothills Feature Article
Foothills Mural Honors the Past & Present
As most of our families have seen, locally renowned artists Hawk Sahlein and Collin Pfeifer of Sector Seventeen have just about finished the mural they're creating for Foothills, and it looks so amazing!
Foothills commissioned Sahlein, an alum of our school, and Pfeifer to help tell the story of Foothills School and the River Street neighborhood. This wrap-around, two-story mural located at the intersection of 9th Street and Miller Street features elements that Foothills students study and helps build a sense of place in this unique, historic downtown school location.
Local flora and fauna, alongside other science concepts, have been mixed whimsically with the arts central to the Foothills School experience in the mural, referencing projects that have been impactful to the school’s project-based learning approach. When asked what he most values about what he learned at Foothills, Sahlein shared, “Being encouraged to think for myself and being able to pursue what I’m most passionate about are two of the most valuable things I learned from Foothills.”
The mural also honors the history of the River Street neighborhood, which was historically a Black neighborhood. Chinese, Basque, and Hispanic immigrants also resided in this vibrant neighborhood, which was filled with culture, music, food, and life. The school selected an image of the ‘Andre Family Orchestra,’ in which Erma Hayman is featured as a young woman sitting at a piano, to highlight the arts through time. The photograph comes from Boise City Department of Arts & History’s ‘River Street Neighborhood Collection’ of images.
Foothills’ Head of School Nick Cofod shared, “We want to honor the history of the community we reside in, as knowing our history informs the responsibilities we carry into the future. Our project-based approach to learning often results in meaningful community connections and service learning for our students, helping to inspire our practice of being the kind of community we envision for the world.”
The school welcomes the public to drop by and check out the mural and is hosting a meet and greet during next week’s First Thursday event (5/2) from 5:00-9:00 to talk more about the elements featured in the artwork.
~Katy Young
Director of Enrollment Management & Marketing
Teacher & Staff Appreciation - Foothills Feature Article 4/19/24
Teacher & Staff Appreciation
There are few things in the world right now that I am sure of, but one thing that never wavers is the love, gratitude, and trust that I have for the Foothills teachers. Our daughter, Scout, started at Foothills School as an Early Learner, at age three, and is now rocking the third grade! Over the years, despite Kim and my worries, each new teacher has supported and challenged Scout in a way that allows her unique brilliance to shine.
I am continually amazed at our teachers' ability to create a curriculum that engages students’ learning and critical thinking while honoring their interests, passions, and questioning.
We often talk about community being one of our school’s greatest assets, sometimes forgetting that community takes work. In this age of technology and fast information, being in a community requires us to slow down, lean in, and choose connection. It takes time, effort, and trust. I see over and over again how our teachers instill this value into our children through their example. Teachers teach and kids learn. That’s a given and true in most schools. For me, it is the hard work, dedication, and connection of our teachers to every individual student that leaves me in awe.
To our teachers and staff, I say thank you. You are the glue that holds our community together. You are the heart that keeps our community thriving. You are the breath that keeps our community grounded. And you are the number one reason our family chooses Foothills School of Arts & Sciences each time we sign that contract for the next school year!
In gratitude and humility, I celebrate you!
~Laurie Appel
Foothills parent & board member
National History Day - Foothills Feature Article 4/12/24
National History Day
Last Saturday, many of our Jr. High students–and a few of our 5-6 students–who placed either 1st or 2nd at the recent National History Day (NHD) regional competition, presented their history projects at the state competition held at the College of Idaho. Students interviewed with judges, answering questions about their research projects and explaining how their topics represented a significant turning point in history.
Before the state competition, all of our Jr. High students created a project for history class, which they presented to the Foothills community at our NHD Student Showcase. For this project, students chose to work as an individual or in a group, and they could create an exhibit, documentary, website, paper, or performance; they also had to submit an extensive annotated bibliography with their project. Student topics ranged from the westward expansion of the Dodgers Baseball Team, the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster, and the effects of social media on teenagers’ mental health to the power of NATO, the impact of 9/11 on airport security, and how the movie JAWS instilled fear in a generation that made life a lot worse for sharks, among numerous other thought-provoking topics.
Jr. High Teacher Lori Mason shared, “I am SO proud of all the junior high students who competed at the regional competition. It was fun to walk into the awards ceremony and see the stands filled with Foothills families supporting each other.” This sentiment was also shared by students at the state competition: collectively, they seemed confident about their interviews and how they answered questions, cheered for their classmates who will advance to nationals, and enjoyed the experience of taking on a challenge and “being in it” together.
Ayva Gradhandt and Abby Hajjar, Georgia and Parker Roope, and Sofia Marshall and Emery Hajjar won first place in their categories and are invited to compete at the national NHD competition in Maryland this summer. Two of our 9th graders also received $5,000 scholarships to the College of Idaho if they choose to use them. Ella Vick and Anna Keiley also placed fourth for their group exhibit and Hendrix Hurlbutt placed fourth for her exhibit.
We are so proud of our students, will cheer on students who will compete this summer, and look forward to a new National History Day challenge next year!
~Katy Young
Director of Enrollment Management & Marketing