Engaging All Students to be Lifelong Learners
Dear Farmin Stidwell Families,
Welcome to the 2026–2027 school year! I am so excited to welcome our Wolves back for another wonderful year of learning, growing, and fun.
For those who are new to Farmin Stidwell, I am Dr. Betsy Dalessio, and I am incredibly proud to serve as your principal. This is my 14th year as an educator and my 9th year as a school administrator. Outside of school I am a bonus mom to two pretty amazing kids—one heading into 5th grade and one starting high school—and mom to Madison, who is 3½ and is quite certain she is ready for kindergarten.
At the heart of my leadership is a simple belief: I strive to create a community where people feel seen, valued, supported, and inspired. I will lead with love, grace, and humility, giving our staff what they need to thrive so they can do the same for our students. Together, we will inspire every student to grow, achieve, and become their best selves—as humans and scholars.
Our teachers officially return on August 31, and we cannot wait to get everyone back in the building. We enter this year with some incredible momentum. We finished last year with nearly 77% of our K–3 students proficient on the Idaho Reading Indicator, including another nearly perfect year for our kindergarten students.
I am also thrilled to continue working alongside Mrs. Ellen Wassif, our Assistant Principal, and to welcome several new members to our Wolf Pack this year, including:
Tim Rickert — Services for Exceptional Children Teacher
Linda Spade-Johnson — 4th Grade Teacher
Nicole Zent -- Paraprofessional, Early Childhood
Stephen Shay -- Services for Exceptional Children Paraprofessional
Alissa Heiser -- Services for Exceptional Children Paraprofessional
David Rookey -- Services for Exceptional Children Paraprofessional
Keira Kiene-Hoiland -- Life Skills Paraprofessional
Kelly Williams -- Facilities Team
Shawn Worthen -- Facilities Team
Dwayne Byers -- Recess Supervision
Taylor Holland - Cafeteria Supervision
Beginning Tuesday, August 25, our office will officially be open every day from 8:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. Please stop by if you need help with registration, enrollment, or anything else to get ready for the school year.
Families are welcome to come in early and complete their meal application. As a reminder, we ask that every family have one meal application on file before receiving teacher assignments. Completing yours ahead of time means one less thing to do at Open House.
Join us on Wednesday, September 2, from 3:30–5:30 p.m. for our Back-to-School Open House. Come meet your teacher, tour the school, reconnect with friends, drop off (suggested but never required) supplies, and get ready for another great year at Farmin Stidwell.
Our kindergarten students have a special start to the school year. Kindergarten officially begins on Thursday, September 10.
Before school begins, kindergarten families will come in for a brief prescreener on Tuesday, September 8. This isn't something students need to prepare for—it simply gives our kindergarten team a chance to get to know your child and meet all of our incoming students. This helps us thoughtfully create three balanced kindergarten classes where every student can thrive. We will reach out to kindergarten families later this week to schedule individual prescreener appointments.
Then, on Wednesday, September 9, from 3:30–5:30 p.m., we will hold our Kindergarten Open House. Families can visit their child's classroom, meet their teacher, get familiar with the school, and get settled in before that exciting first day.
We are excited for another great year at Farmin Stidwell and can’t wait to welcome our students and families.
With love and 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!
