Welcome to Farmin Stidwell!

We’re gearing up for another amazing year at Farmin Stidwell Elementary, and I’m so excited to welcome both returning families and those new to our school community! Allow me to introduce myself to our new families—my name is Betsy Dalessio, and I’m honored to continue serving as principal at Farmin Stidwell. This will be my sixth year in administration at FS, and I’m thrilled that Ms. Ellen Wassif will also be returning as our assistant principal.

Last year was one for the books! In 2024–25, our students achieved a record-breaking 83% proficiency on the Idaho Reading Indicator in grades K–3. We are proud of this achievement and committed to keeping that momentum going in the year ahead.

We’re also excited to welcome several new team members:

• Casey Fry, Title I Teacher

• Christian Crossingham, 6th Grade Teacher

• Melendie Pettingill, Life Skills Teacher (4th Classroom)

• Nanci Beckman, Speech and Language Pathologist 

• Luke Childers, Additional School Counselor (2 days) 

• Alissa Lantrip, Admin Assistant 

• Cyndi Loutzenhiser, Title I Paraprofessional 

• Kathleen Crosby, Life Skills Paraprofessional

• Rebecca Coleman, Speech and Language Paraprofessional 

• Poan Brewster, Facilities Team

This year, our building will include four Life Skills classrooms, two early childhood developmental preschool classrooms, and the following number of classes at each grade level:
• Kindergarten, 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 6th: 3 classes each
• 2nd and 5th grades: 2 classes each

Important Dates and Info:

• Office Opens: August 18 at 10:00 a.m.
  Until then, I’ll be checking our office email and will respond to any necessary inquiries within 24 hours.

• Back-to-School Open House: August 27, 3:30–5:30 p.m.
  Come meet your child’s teacher, tour classrooms, and drop off suggested school supplies.

• Meal Application Requirement: All families must complete the online meal application form before receiving teacher assignments—even if you don’t qualify for free or reduced meals. This critical form helps us secure Title I funding to support reading intervention and student success. Complete the form HERE.

• Kindergarten Families: Please note that Kindergarten has a unique first-week schedule. We’ll reach out in August to schedule a screening for either September 2 or 3.

  • Kindergarten Open House: September 3 (evening)

  • First Day for Kindergarten: September 4

  • First Day for Grades 1–6: September 2

  • Preschool schedules will be shared separately.

Ready to register?
All registration information can be found HERE.

I’m so excited to see our returning students and to welcome new faces to our FS family. Thank you for partnering with us to support education. Together, our school community thrives!

With gratitude,
Dr. Betsy Dalessio
Principal, Farmin Stidwell Elementary

*For the most up-to-date school information, please read our weekly Wolf Headlines sent every Sunday through text message at 4 p.m., read our monthly newsletter (sent through School Messenger text and email to all parents/guardians the first Friday of the month) or follow our Facebook page @Farmin Stidwell Elementary. You can find past newsletters here: PAST ISSUES 

Check out our student handbook HERE!