Megan Sindt ’12, ’20, Renee McQuade Anderson ‘97 and the rest of the staff at Calder School, a K-8 school with 15 students, have become pretty good at being self-sufficient. Most days, there’s more jobs to do at the school than there are people to do them.
But when it comes to finding assistance close to their remote location, they’re thankful they can count on University of Idaho resources in St. Maries, Coeur d’Alene and Sandpoint.
“Our location is our biggest asset,” said Sindt, principal and superintendent at Calder School, which sits on the St. Joe River approximately 25 miles east of St. Maries. “But it’s also a double-edged sword. Because of where we are, finding resources is hard. That’s why we rely so much on U of I for help.”
Our location is our biggest asset, but it’s also a double-edged sword. Because of where we are, finding resources is hard. That’s why we rely so much on U of I for help.
Megan Sindt
Principal and superintendent, Calder School
In the trees
Calder School looks like a small rural school should — a small campus with only a couple of buildings surrounded by trees. A lot of trees. The school’s backyard is 15 acres of the forest land that dominates the landscape in the Calder-Avery area. If there’s one thing almost everyone in the region agrees on, it’s the importance of natural resources.
Because of the predominance of forest land — and the jobs they provide — McQuade, Calder School’s middle school teacher, said a lot of school activities are built around outdoor activities.
“The Idaho Department of Lands sponsors a forestry contest every year,” she said. “Also, sixth graders have an overnight trip every summer where they learn about the area and tour the river drainages.”
Students also have STEM-related classes and experiences available to them at University of Idaho Extension, Benewah County in St. Maries.
“The Extension is always very supportive of activities at the school,” Sindt said. “They help with after-school programs, assist us with ideas for grants and have even provided meals with learning opportunities during the summer.”
Outdoor learning
The Calder School staff tries to take advantage of educational training through U of I whenever possible. And because of U of I’s Coeur d’Alene campus and Sandpoint Organic Agriculture Center, teachers seeking professional development in North Idaho don’t always have to travel to Moscow.
Sindt, McQuade and other Calder School administrators attended a recent training seminar by Elizabeth Wargo, a College of Education, Health and Human Sciences (EHHS) associate professor at U of I Coeur d’Alene.
The seminar was held at U of I’s Sandpoint location and featured discussions about outdoor education. It was the perfect message at the perfect location.
“It was really inspiring for our teachers because of all the outdoor education we do,” Sindt said. “We toured the woods around the center and learned about the different ways they did outdoor education for grade schoolers.”
Specifically, one presentation about teaching a course in outdoor survival skills resonated with the Calder School staff.
“One of our teachers has been talking about teaching a class like that to use as an outdoor physical education class,” Sindt said. “We weren’t really sure how to put it together but we walked away from that feeling like if they could do it, we could do it, too.”
Roots in the St. Joe
What Sindt really appreciates about Calder School’s relationship with U of I is when members of the Vandal Family come to them.
Representatives from U of I’s College of Natural Resources and EHHS were in Calder last summer for the school’s Rooted in the St. Joe event that allows students to learn more about forestry-related careers.
“Many of our students know they could go directly into the logging industry right after high school, but I really wanted to help expanding their horizons,” Sindt said. “What’s so great about U of I is that they’re willing to come to us to provide our students with information about other careers within the industry.”
Whether receiving assistance from UI Extension, Benewah County or from members of the Coeur d’Alene or Moscow campuses, Sindt appreciates all of the learning opportunities afforded to Calder School by U of I.
“I think with our students, we’re building that love for our area and that love for our natural resources,” Sindt said. “And we’re able to provide them with these opportunities because of U of I.”