A “cement-breaking” ceremony was held Thursday morning to showcase the future digs of Athlos Academies headquarters in Downtown Boise.
Athlos is taking over the former Macy’s Building at 10th and Idaho and a host of city leaders and Athlos employees watched a handful of dignitaries actually break cement with sledgehammers to start the reconstruction.
Mayor Dave Bieter, re-elected on Tuesday, gave a short speech and welcomed the business and its renovation of the empty building. He told a childhood story about buying his mother a Christmas present with he was 7 years old at the old Macy’s store.
“It’s so important this site is being used again,” Bieter said.
Also attending the event were Boise State University President Bob Kustra, Boise city council members, former schools superintendent Tom Luna and Idaho controller Brandon Woolf.
Althos has been headquartered in Boise since 2006 in the BoDo area. Its 30 employees will move to Downtown Boise when the renovation is complete. Communications director Camile Wells said Athlos is expected to grow to 70 employees over the next two years.
The headquarters will include the upper brass of Athlos as well as a professional development center for teacher training. Athlos is a charter school model with a focus to develop the body and mind through healthy physical practices. Athlos has 13 schools in four states and has no immediate plans to build a charter school in Idaho, Wells said.
Student organizes dual-credit event
A Dual Credit Symposium will be held at Priest River High School on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 6 p.m. This symposium is being organized by a senior at Priest River High School and her extensive use of dual credit opportunities.
Presenters for the evening are expected to include: Marcy Hoggatt from North Idaho College; Brad Patzer from Idaho Digital Learning Academy, and the Advanced Opportunities regional coordinator, Stephanie Childress. The state coordinator of Advanced Opportunities, Tina Polishchuk, and Matt McCarter, the State Department of Education Director of Student Engagement, Career and Technical Readiness, also will be present.
After some brief presentations, parents and students will be able to ask questions about how to take advantage of the state’s Advanced Opportunities program.
North Idaho school officials ask cheerleaders to cover up
Administrators at Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls high schools are requiring cheerleaders to wear leggings or pants under their skirts during the school day because the skirts are too short and do not adhere to the district’s dress code.
“They’re not really designed for sitting and going up stairs,” said Post Falls Superintendent Jerry Keane.
Cheerleaders can wear skirts without pants during games.
“We can’t have anatomy showing,” said Dena Naccarato, director of programs and instruction at Post Falls.
The Coeur d’ Alene School District has the same requirements for cheerleaders.
Post Falls High’s dress code requires skirts, shorts and skorts to be worn just above the knee. Cheer team skirts are well above the knee.
“We are treating the cheerleaders like every other sports group or activities group,” Keane said. “We don’t allow our wrestlers to wear their wrestling outfits to school because it’s not the environment for it — or the volleyball team, or even the football team. School is a different environment that needs to be respectful and you are there to learn.”
