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Coyote Ridge highlights IB primary program at board meeting; principal announces departure
Summary
Coyote Ridge Elementary staff briefed the Thompson School District board on the school’s International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme and a recent family wellness night. During the visit the board learned that the school’s long‑time leader, Mr. Davis, has accepted a position outside the district and will depart.
Coyote Ridge Elementary staff described how the school implements the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme and showed how a recent family “wellness night” connected students and parents with practical supports such as nutrition, sleep hygiene and firearm‑safety information.
In a roughly 45‑minute presentation to the Thompson School District R-2J board, staff explained that the school is an authorized IB primary years school (pre‑K–5) and that the district operates an IB continuum including middle‑years and diploma programming. The presenter said IB in Thompson emphasizes inquiry‑based instruction, international‑mindedness, student agency and transdisciplinary learning while keeping the same grade‑level standards the district teaches.
“A big part of IB is how we teach, rather than what we teach,” a Coyote Ridge presenter told the board, describing units of inquiry that tie classroom learning across subjects. The presenters said the school offers Spanish for all K–5 students and pointed to evidence of both high achievement and growth.
Student Arya Featheroff, a fourth‑grade student who helped present, described stations at the family wellness night, including a movement room and a self‑management station. “My favorite was self‑management — it’s where you learn to pack your own backpack using a checklist,” Arya said.
Britney Hansen, the school counselor, described community partners who presented at the wellness night and practical takeaways families received: attendees could watch a safety video, receive gun locks, learn nutrition basics from district nutrition services, and visit student‑created activity stations.
In the course of remarks, district leadership announced that Mr. Davis — who the superintendent praised for his leadership at Coyote Ridge — had accepted a position closer to family and would be leaving Thompson School District. “This has been the best experience in my career,” Mr. Davis said, calling his departure “bittersweet” and thanking staff and board members for their support.
Board members welcomed the Coyote Ridge presentation, asked about program costs and continuation of family events, and were told administrators will provide the district‑level cost figures for operating the IB continuum at the board’s request. The presenter said the school’s PTO contributes 10% of fundraising to support the IB program and that the district reviews program costs regularly.
The board did not take action at the meeting on the principal’s personnel status; members offered public thanks and said the district will follow standard personnel processes as it plans a transition.
