by George J Elbaum

Twin Falls Middle School, located in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains with an enrollment of 850 students in grades 6-8, considers its mission as being based on “Relationships, Rigor and Relevance” as a “professional learning community which provides instruction for all levels of learners.”  Twin Falls MS has a high academic record, with student proficiency in English of 76% vs. state average of 60%, in Math 77% vs. 50% state average, and in Science 72% vs. 52% state average.  This is reflected in its Great Schools’ overall rating of 7 out of 10 and 9 out of 10 for Test Scores.  School events which encourage learning include Distinguished Honor Recognition evening for parents and students, and participation in curricular fairs showcasing art, science, and social studies.  The Science Fair involved 100% of Twin Falls students.

Twin Falls MS is using materials and speakers from Seattle’s Holocaust Center for Humanity to introduce its 8^th grade students to the topic of the Holocaust, including reading Elie Wiesel’s Night and The Diary of Anne Frank.  I believe this week was similar to the last week in January 2021 when all 8^th grade students participated in one of 5 sessions, each with a different speaker from the Holocaust Center, and I was one of these speakers.  The 2021 program was organized by teacher Karen Waters, as was the current year’s program and my presentation on 2/27/2023.  However, after that date all my subsequent efforts to communicate with the school were unanswered, so unlike 2 years ago, this paragraph will remain unfinished. 

The Holocaust Center’s support for my presentation was provided by Lexi Jason, Education Program Manager, and technical support with Zoom and PowerPoint was provided by the Holocaust Center’s volunteer Jeff Greenberg.