Dear Borah Families, I hope this message finds you and your families doing well. It is hard to believe that we are already nearing the end of the first quarter! These first six weeks of the school year have been nothing short of fantastic, and that is because of our first-class kids.
We have had so much fun building memories with your students, both in and out of the classroom. This week has been Homecoming Week, and our Student Council has done an incredible job planning a week full of fun and memorable activities, culminating with tonight’s Homecoming Dance.
Our Marching Band has also been putting in an incredible amount of time and effort preparing for their season. Their halftime performances have been spectacular, and we are so proud of the commitment and energy they bring to our school community.
In the classroom, our teachers continue to provide students with engaging and challenging learning experiences. When I visit classrooms, I see strong relationships being built, students collaborating with a clear understanding of what they are learning, and students providing evidence that demonstrates they have met the established success criteria.
There is a lot happening at Borah, and it has been exciting to see that it is our students and staff who make Borah such a special place. Thank you for trusting us with your kids and for being such an important part of the Borah community.
Our number one priority will always be to provide your child with a safe, welcoming, and supportive learning environment. We will work hard every day to ensure that every student feels connected to at least one trusted adult.
Go Lions!
Trevor McKenna Principal Borah High School |
09/25 - Homecoming Dance - Stueckle Sky Center - 7:00 PM - More Info Below 10/07 - Borah Choirs Fall Concert - 7:00 PM 10/09: No School 10/13 - 10/14 - Parent-Teacher Conferences - 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM 10/16 - No School 10/21 - PSAT - More Info Below 04/07 - SAT - more info to come |
The mission of Borah High School is to promote equity through valuing and empowering our diverse, multicultural community. Borah challenges students to problem solve, think critically and creatively, grow intellectually. Borah helps students cultivate an honest work ethic, perseverance and self advocacy, as they discover their potential plan for future success. |
Location: Stueckle Sky Center at Boise State Date: Friday, September 25 Time: 7:00–10:00 p.m. Tickets: $30 Tickets go on sale: Monday, September 21
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We have several important dates coming up that are pertinent to the Class of 2027 and some of our extracurricular and co-curricular programs. Please mark your calendars! - Jostens Senior Presentation: September 29 — 4th Period | Auditorium
- Senior Pictures: September 30 & October 1 — 7:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m. | Auditorium (Main Stage)
- Club & Organization Picture Day: October 14 & 15 — During Lunch | New Gym
- Music Department Picture Day: October 15 — 7:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m. | Auditorium
- Senior Picture Retakes: October 29 — 7:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | Auditorium (Main Stage or Foyer)
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Thanks to a generous donation, we have a brand-new Borah Lion mascot!
We will be holding mascot tryouts the week of September 28. Students must have a current physical on file to participate in tryouts.
We are so excited to offer this fun opportunity to our students and can’t wait to see who will bring the Lion to life! |
For the past several school years, our District has been working to help students better understand mental health and know what to do if they are concerned about themselves or a friend. We will again be using a program called Signs of Suicide (SOS). Teachers will deliver the SOS lessons to students October 12–14.
Please use the link below for more detailed information about the program and the lessons.
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On Wednesday, October 21 all Sophomores and Juniors will take the Digital PSAT at Borah High School. This is a required test with no makeup option. The PSAT helps students prepare for the SAT, taken in the spring of Junior year. Schedule - Arrival: 7:30–7:45 a.m. (not a late start) (no zero period)
- Testing: 8:00–11:00 a.m. (late arrivals go counseling office)
- After Testing: There are NO afternoon classes, teachers will hold office hours for students who need support in reassessing, work completion, etc.
- Lunch: Served after testing
- Buses: Buses will depart at the regularly scheduled time of 3:07 pm.
- Testing room assignments: Will be emailed to student emails on Monday, 10/19.
Seniors - Stay home for a day of asynchronous learning. They should use the time to complete assignments, study for upcoming assessments, or work on projects.
What to Bring - School ID
- Charged Chromebook & Charger: A district-issued Chromebook is required. Please make sure it is fully charged. Replacements are available in the library if needed.
- Approved calculator (optional) – see list here.
Additional Information - Students can prepare for the PSAT on the College Board website. Practice tests are available in the student's bluebook app.
- Juniors who take the PSAT may qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program. More information is available here.
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One of the primary goals of the Borah Boosters is to support our wonderful teaching staff. We have been given the opportunity to show this support by providing dinner for the staff on the first night of Parent Teacher conferences. We need your help to provide this meal.
Please go to our Donation Signup and bring items for dinner on Tuesday, October 13th. Thank you for your help!
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Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on October 13th and 14th at Borah from 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM.
To ensure every family has an opportunity to connect with teachers, we ask that conversations be kept brief—approximately 5 minutes or less.
This is a great opportunity to: - Walk through your student’s daily schedule and visit each classroom.
- Meet your student’s teachers briefly (5 minutes or less).
- Connect with community organizations and learn about resources and opportunities available to our students and families.
Where to Find Teachers Please pull up your student’s schedule in Infinite Campus so you can see all of their teachers and classes. - Math teachers, Art/Elective teachers (Photography, Ceramics, and Art), and Mr. Zaragoza will be located in the cafeteria.
- PE teachers will be located in the main gym foyer.
- All other teachers and classes will remain in their regular classroom locations.
While your attendance is encouraged, it is not required. If you are pleased with your child’s progress and do not feel the need to conference with specific teachers, you are welcome to pick and choose the teachers with whom you wish to meet. If your child is struggling academically, behaviorally and/or with consistent, daily attendance, we highly recommend you attend. |
Join us for the first choir concert of the year! Enjoy selections from O Brother Where Art Thou, Dolly Parton, Viking poetry and more! We hope to see you Wednesday, October 7th at 7pm in the Borah Auditorium! |
Mrs. Rue’s American Government students got creative while learning the differences between dual and cooperative federalism. Students worked together, used a variety of resources, and gathered evidence to explain their thinking—all while using layered and marbled cake as a fun visual model! A great, engaging lesson that combined collaboration, creativity, and learning! |
Borah AVID students have been busy this month!
Tutorials: Tutorials started and we have an amazing group of adult and college-level tutors helping AVID students in their courses of rigor. 100% of AVID students at Borah have at least 1 Advanced Placement or Concurrent College Credit course in their schedule so this help is invaluable.
College Ready: Many applications for college and scholarships will be opening on October 1st. Senior AVID students have been getting ready to complete FAFSA, Apply Idaho, and Scholarship Idaho. Many students have already applied to out of state and Common Application schools, and for financial opportunities like the Coca Cola and Questbridge scholarships. AVID Juniors just submitted their applications to the Boise Metro Chamber: Leadership Boise Academy application and will be interviewing in October for a spot in the program.
Service: Borah AVID students have also started helping with numerous service projects including elementary school fall carnivals. We are also gearing up for our fall Red Cross Blood Drive which Borah will be hosting on Tuesday, October 27th from 8 am - 1 pm in the New Gym. If you would like to donate, email amy.everson@boiseschools.org to reserve a time. |
On September 15th, our Borah seniors attended the annual Opportunities Fair at the D-Tech Center, organized by our career counselor, Sherise Porchia. Students had the opportunity to connect with local businesses, trade schools, and organizations like Idaho Fish and Game, the Bureau of Land Management, and wildland firefighting to explore career and training opportunities. A big thank you to Ms. Porchia for helping our seniors explore what’s next! And yes…there were some pretty great freebies, too! 🦁 |
JROTC Gives Back to the Community A huge thank you to the families who supported our JROTC program by allowing their students to participate in the Elks Lodge Yard Sale and Community Clean-Up Event last Saturday! The event was a tremendous success, and we were incredibly proud of the way our Cadets represented Borah High School JROTC while serving and supporting members of our community. |
This year, we converted a classroom into a dedicated yearbook space! Led by Mr. Jones, our students are enjoying the new space while working hard to create the 2026–2027 Borah yearbook. We’re excited to see what they put together this year! |
Borah BOLD and Hope Squad helped spread awareness during the month of September for National Suicide Awareness Prevention Month. They participated in the BSU Bronco BOLD Chalk the Walk event that took place at City Hall and helped chalk positive messages around the sidewalks of City Hall.
Follow us on instagram @borahbold and @borahhopesquad to see all the activities surrounding mental health at Borah High School. |
Borah Hope Squad students did a great job during Suicide Awareness Week. They planned events tt raise awareness about suicide prevention and overall mental wellness. Our Hope Squad does a great job creating events and opportunities that are welcoming, supportive and meaningful for our kids. They are led my Mrs. DiGiovanni, Mrs. Pina, and Mrs. Woodland who are dedicated to mentoring and empowering our kids. |
Here are the August Student of the Month winners. Congratulations to all of our winners! - Student of the Month: Hadia Rezai
- Lion's Pride: Aaron Hayle
- Artist of the Month: Nica Ruprecht
- Athletes of the Month: Norah Jorgensen and Louie Graham
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Our special programs are an integral part of Borah’s culture and community. Each Wednesday, our students run “The Flapjack Shack” making and selling pancakes to our staff and students. This is a great opportunity for our students to gain real-world experience and develop skills that are critical for post-secondary success. Pancakes are $2 for one or $5 for three, and all money raised goes directly back to supporting our students. |
Borah’s annual Powder Puff Game was held Monday, September 21, as part of our Homecoming festivities. The game was a great showcase of our students’ school spirit, character, and teamwork. We also served 200 free hot dogs to students and families who came out to support our kids. After a close contest, our seniors came away victorious! Go Lions!
A huge thanks to Sierra Lewis for being our photographer for the evening and capturing so many great moments! |
The Borah Library is open every day from 7:20 AM -3:20 PM. Three librarians are here to assist students daily in finding the perfect book, be it print or eBook/Audiobook. Students work on assignments here and can access professional and academic news and research through the “Research & Databases” page on our student facing library website, now linked in their “May Apps” folder.
All students have free New York Times accounts. Accounts (based on their BSD email addresses) run for 364 days from the last sign up. A link and instructions can be also be found on the student library website linked in My Apps
This is a 21st century library commons and we encourage students and classes to make use of our diverse collection of technology and tools: audio/video recorders, editing software, Adobe Suite, 3D printers, laser & vinyl cutting tools, craft supplies and games. Lastly, if your child has any problems with their BSD issued Chromebook or charger the librarians are here to troubleshoot and problem solve! |
Each year, we provide our families with information about our Threat Assessment process. We want to make sure you have the information you need to understand the steps we take to help keep our school safe and support our students. Please use the link below to review this year’s notification and learn more about our process.
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Clothing vouchers are available and ready for your student! The Assistance League of Boise has begun their Teen Retail program, and it has expanded. If your student is in need of clothing, shoes, or a winter coat please reach out because this year we have vouchers to JC Penney, and they are ready to go. -Becky Woodland rebecca.woodland@boiseschools.org or 208-854-6916. |
Borah is offering support groups to all students and are available to those students seeking connections and/or needing extra support. The purpose of a support group within the high-school setting is to provide participants with a comforting, safe environment where they feel free to express themselves. In addition to providing emotional support, group participation also allows students to establish meaningful and trusting relationships with their peers. A voluntary survey will be available to all students through their email during the first weeks of school. If they are interested in participating, students will need a signed permission slip from their parent/guardian. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact our school Social Worker, Becky Woodland, at rebecca.woodland@boiseschools.org or (208) 854-6916. |
Below, you’ll find a collection of photos highlighting some of the great things happening around Borah throughout the month of September! |
Sherise Porchia - Career and College Counselor - sherise.porchia@boiseschools.org |
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