News & Events

Please join us in celebrating an outstanding educator! 

We’re proud to announce that Kallie Lopez, 5th grade teacher at Gate City Elementary School, has been named a finalist for the Simplot Inspirational Teacher of the Year!

This year, the Simplot Education Council received an incredible 2,617 nominations recognizing 402 exceptional teachers across Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25. Finalists will be spotlighted daily through Thursday, May 15, 2025.

On Friday, May 16, 2025, three Simplot Inspirational Teacher Awards will be announced—honoring one exceptional teacher each from the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Each category features five finalists, all of whom will receive a $100 award, with the top recipient in each group earning a $500 prize from the Council.

Congratulations to Ms. Lopez on this well-deserved recognition!

I am nominating the kindest and most hard-working teacher I know, Ms. Lopez. Not only did she teach us reading, writing and math, but she taught us to be ourselves, to be kind and that we matter. "She made sure every student felt welcome and important in her class.  Ms. Lopez had great teamwork activities that taught us to trust, work and build friendships inside our classroom, this made us feel like a family.  She also taught us life skills such as communication, problem solving, determination, integrity, accountability, and to always treat others with respect. One thing she said to me that I still carry with me today is, ‘Life might not always go your way but remember to always look for the light at the end of the tunnel.’ That sentence gives me hope when I feel like giving up. Ms. Lopez taught us everyday with a smile on her face, I will forever be grateful for Ms. Lopez”.  Kelsi M. 

Students are gathered with school principal and representatives from the Mayor's office with the mayor.  Some are holding books and displayed in the front is a giant $500 check awarded to the school for having the highest participation in the Mayor Million Minute Marathon reading contest.

Thank you so much for the support we had for all of the PTO events this past month! We are so grateful to our parents and their willingness to help out when needed. We are especially grateful for the support we had at the school carnival and silent auction where we were able to raise about $3,300 toward an electronic marquee to go outside the school. We finished up Lego Club for the year, but we still have 100 Minute Club coming up. We are still in need of volunteers to help us out for 100 Minute Club. If you are available and willing to help, head to the SignUp Genius to claim your spot.

Thanks again for all you do!

-PTO Board

The Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25 February C.A.K.E. Award, which stands for Character, Attitude, Kindness, and Encouragement, has been awarded to two outstanding learners. Congratulations to River McGregor and Cash Gugleman. River is a 5th-grade learner attending Gate City Elementary, and Cash is an 8th-grade learner attending Irving Middle School.

River was nominated by his teachers, Ms. Kallie Lopez. In her nomination letter Ms. Lopez wrote, “River is truly one of the most thoughtful and deep thinkers I have ever met. I learn a lot from my students, just as much and probably even more than I teach them, but I have learned a tremendous amount from River. We often do a ‘tell them why they're awesome’ day in class. What I mean by this is I randomly pull a name stick for each student and they then have to write that student a note to tell them why they are awesome. When we are done, they stand up and read aloud to the class and to that student why they are awesome. When River reads his note about the student I gave him, I have never ever heard something more beautiful and profound. For example, he wrote this to one of his classmates: ‘Dear ____________ I wish I could put every reason why you're terrific on one sticky note. (there are too many reasons.) But I can say this you are truly remarkable. Someone as terrific as you comes once in a lifetime... Thank you ____ I'm so glad you're in my class. Continue to be awesome buddy!’ Who wouldn't want a note like that?! He goes above and beyond to make his classmates, and anyone he meets, feel special and seen. We all can learn a lot from River and I am so thankful I've gotten to be a part of his journey this year! His future is so tremendously bright!”

Cash was nominated by, Mr. Sean Andersen. In his nomination letter, Mr. Andersen wrote, “Cash consistently demonstrates an exceptional attitude toward learning and a genuine commitment to supporting those around him. Each day this year he has arrived at school with a positive attitude. His enthusiasm for learning is contagious, and he actively seeks out ways to inspire and uplift his classmates. What truly sets Cash apart is his unwavering kindness and empathy. Whenever a classmate is struggling, he is always the first to step in with encouragement and support. His willingness to go above and beyond to create a classroom where all his classmates can feel welcome and supported is truly amazing.”

River and Cash were recognized at the Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday, February 11, 2025. Our Partner for this award, Johnson Family McDonald's, provides each learner and their nominators with a gift card, along with $50 to purchase books for the school’s media center in the recipients’ names.

PCSD 25 believes a safe, supportive, caring and respectful environment is critical to student learning. The District Education Foundation, in partnership with McDonald’s, supports the Learner-of-the-Month C.A.K.E. Award to recognize students who show great character. The district recognizes one elementary learner and one secondary learner from October through May. Nominations for the C.A.K.E. Award are submitted by a teacher who has observed the nominee’s behavior, and are approved by the school’s
principal.