News & Events

Pocatello Basketball Kids Camp

June 25 - 26

11:00 am to 1:00 pm

Boys and Girls

1st - 8th Grade

Pocatello High School Gymnasiums

Cost is $60

Come learn, improve, and have fun!  

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Please join us in celebrating an outstanding educator!

We’re proud to announce that George Asboe, a Social Studies teacher at Pocatello High School, has been named as a finalist for the Simplot Inspirational Teacher of the Year!

I have never had a teacher as truly engaged and passionate about expanding students minds as Mr. Asboe. He had the most interesting and engaging activities that forced students to really think and not just check boxes. Mr. Asboe took a group of uninvolved and politically apathetic children and turned us into a group of passionate and politically educated adults. He had such a level of enthusiasm that made it impossible not to love his class.

Addilyn R.

The Simplot Education Council received 2,204 nominations honoring 407 standout teachers across District 25. We’ll be showcasing our finalists daily through Wednesday, May 13, 2026.

On Thursday, May 14, 2026, three educators—one from each level: elementary, middle, and high school—will be named this year’s Simplot Inspirational Teacher Award winners. All finalists receive a $100 award, and the top teacher in each category will take home a $500 prize from the Council.

Please join us in celebrating an outstanding educator!

We’re proud to announce that Jacob Reece, Social Studies teacher at Pocatello High School, has been named as a finalist for the Simplot Inspirational Teacher of the Year!

Mr. Reece is a perfect match for this award. He is very kind, funny, and creates a great environment in his classroom. He makes it easy to learn, instead of handing out papers and leaving us to work alone, he does engaging activities with the material. I am not a history guy but Mr. Reece makes learning history interesting and fun.

Bryson N.

The Simplot Education Council received 2,204 nominations honoring 407 standout teachers across District 25. We’ll be showcasing our finalists daily through Wednesday, May 13, 2026.

On Thursday, May 14, 2026, three educators—one from each level: elementary, middle, and high school—will be named this year’s Simplot Inspirational Teacher Award winners. All finalists receive a $100 award, and the top teacher in each category will take home a $500 prize from the Council.

 

Today we celebrated a few examples of how at Pocatello High School, the "Home of the Thunder" isn't just a nickname; it’s a reflection of the powerful energy generated by a student body committed to excellence. The impact of hard work is visible in every corner of the halls, from team study sessions to grueling afternoon practices where grit is a prerequisite. The dedication by the student athletes fuels a deep sense of school pride, creating a culture where wearing the blue and red is a badge of honor. 

Whether it is the roar of the crowd at Lookout Field, the electric current of a crowd gathered to watch Girls Basketball “Live From the Palace” or the quiet intensity of a state-level debate tournament, there is a profound pride in student athletes and academics alike. The students and coaches we’ve recognized today more than foster an environment at Poky High where pushing for greatness is the standard and Students and Athletes are celebrated equally. My hope is that over the years every graduate carries the high voltage and tenacious spirit of the Thunder into their future.

Congratulations to our State Champions!
 

Students in Pocatello High School’s Health Professions program received hands-on medical training this week thanks to a visit from Southeastern Idaho Public Health representative Dawson Keller.

Keller, along with two fellow instructors, delivered a presentation on Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) before guiding students through a suturing workshop using medical practice kits. The activity gave students the chance to learn and perform basic wound-stitching techniques.

The visit was a full-circle moment for Keller, who sat in the same classroom about a decade ago as a Health Professions student at PHS. Now employed full-time with the local health department, he returned to inspire future healthcare workers and share pathways into medical careers.

Congratulations to Julian Bowie, former student and athlete at Pocatello High School, on his new partnership with Lookout Credit Union! It’s inspiring to see student-athletes who value leadership, education, and community making a difference both on and off the court.
#MoreTogether

Original Story: 

We are excited to welcome Julian Bowie to Team Lookout through a new Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) partnership.

Julian is a guard for Boise State University and a sophomore studying Business. He is passionate about community and education, which aligns perfectly with our mission at Lookout CU. Together we will work to raise awareness about financial well-being, leadership, and building strong foundations for the future

Learn more here: https://www.lookoutcu.com/julian-bowie-x-lookout-credit-union-partnership

Source: Lookout Credit Union 

Join us in celebrating an outstanding educator!

We’re proud to announce that Dana Facer, Speech and Debate teacher at Pocatello High 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. Facer on this well-deserved recognition! 

“This year I was lucky enough to have Ms. Facer as my speech and debate teacher, along with having her as my coach for the past two years. Ms. Facer is one of the most incredible people I have ever met. As a student in her classroom, I always felt accepted and included. The class had such a unique and innovative environment with daily questions such as verbal roll call, weekly class discussions, and engaging assignments and activities. I can truly say I have never had a teacher quite like Ms. Facer. She engages and deeply cares for every student which is clear from the moment you enter her classroom. She is a bundle of positivity and sunshine in human form. As both my coach and my teacher she has helped me grow immensely, whether she’s watching my speech for me for the hundredth time or helping me pass other classes I take. She has taught me how to be myself, the importance of meaningful communication and perseverance in the hardest situations. Ms. Facer is not only the most inspirational teacher I have, but also one of the most inspirational people in my life. I am grateful for the opportunity to know her and have learned so much from her. I can’t think of any other teacher more deserving of this award.” Addilyn R.  
 

Join us in celebrating an outstanding educator!

We’re proud to announce that Ray Drysdale, 5th Social Studies teacher at Pocatello High 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 Mr. Drysdale on this well-deserved recognition! 

“There are some teachers who leave an enormous impact on your learning and additionally your life. I was honored to be able to have been taught personal finance by Mr. Drysdale. I was excited to be able to take a class from him because I heard great things about his class.  I can truthfully say Mr. Drysdale’s class has by far been one of my favorite classes I’ve taken during my high school journey. I learned so much about finance and how to become financially responsible at a young age. The reason I valued him as a person and his way of teaching was because I could tell he was passionate about wanting us to learn.”  Kelsie C.

Mr. Drysdale, I feel like I should say this more often but, thank you! Your passion for teaching shows and has affected me tremendously in the best way possible. I get excited for your classes; I feel like they will stick with me for the rest of my life. Even though you teach more of the serious subjects, you always find a way to make it fun. Thank you and I hope you enjoy your retirement; you deserve it! Jada S.
 

Please join us in celebrating an outstanding educator! 

We’re proud to announce that Matt Taylor, Science teacher at Pocatello High School, has been named a finalist for the 2025 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 Mr. Taylor on this well-deserved recognition!

“The Simplot Inspirational Teacher award should go to someone who is patient, creates an engaging learning environment, and someone who supports their students in the learning process. Mr. Taylor demonstrates all of these attributes. Mr. Taylor’s class my junior year was one of my favorites. I was very nervous to take AP Physics, it is a very difficult course and I thought I was not going to perform well. However, with Mr. Taylor as my teacher I was able to succeed more than I ever imagined I would. Even though the class was hard for me, Mr. Taylor was patient and took the time to teach me in a way that I could understand the material. He created a very positive learning environment that helped me feel comfortable when asking questions. I feel that if any teacher deserves this award, it would be Mr. Taylor”. Taylee R.

When asked who my favorite teacher is, there is no hesitation. My mind immediately goes to Mr. Taylor. He is relatable, strict enough to keep his students in line and has high expectations for his students. He also knows and loves the subjects he teaches. Keeping a good learning environment is a priority for Mr. Taylor, he expects his students to be focused and on task during learning time, but also provides his students time to get to know each other. He uses his high expectations to help us rise above and beyond. Archie H. 

We were blessed to have a big group of students from Pocatello High School to help us clean our yard for the 2025 National Day of Service! They dug and raked and swept and filled planters and spread bark and prepped an area in our new greenhouse for pavers! Our residents are getting excited for the spring growing season! Thanks so much PHS- you guys did a great job and our hearts and hands are very grateful.

Source: Idaho State Veterans Home Pocatello Facebook

Publishing learners at Pocatello High School explored the inner workings of cameras this week. After studying how light behaves and the basic principles of optics, they created pinhole cameras using Pringles cans. Learners then exchanged their homemade cameras to observe how the size of the hole affected the brightness and sharpness of the image projected inside the can.

The following day, learners stepped inside a large-scale pinhole camera they made from their classroom. By covering the windows with black material, except for a small hole about the size of a dime, learners were able to observe the same visual effects they had seen inside their Pringles cans, but on a much larger scale. This setup, known as a “camera obscura,” allowed learners to experience the camera’s mechanics firsthand. They adjusted the clarity of the image by moving a white backdrop screen closer to or further from the hole. Meanwhile, small groups of learners went outside to dance, play games, and create motion for those inside to capture. Learners in the classroom manually adjusted the settings to achieve the best possible image.

One of the key challenges was figuring out how to photograph what they saw inside the camera obscura. Learners experimented with manual camera settings to capture the images projected onto the screen. They discovered that there wasn’t enough light to photograph people watching the screen, but by using the most light-sensitive settings and a 30-second shutter speed, they were able to capture the inverted images projected on the backdrop.

The images produced by light passing through a small hole—whether in a camera or through the eye—are naturally inverted, meaning upside down. As a result, the photos taken inside both the Pringles cans and the classroom camera obscura appeared upside down.

Through this hands-on exploration, learners not only gained a deeper understanding of the science behind photography but also experienced the wonder of seeing their world from a new perspective—upside down and inside out. The project sparked curiosity and creativity, illustrating that learning isn't just about understanding theories but also about experimenting, observing, and discovering the unexpected ways that light, lenses, and imagination can shape how we see the world.

Please join us in congratulating Simplot Inspirational Teacher of the Year finalist, Jacqueline Weir. Ms. Weir teaches 9th – 12th grade Math at Pocatello High School.

This year, the Simplot Education Council received 2,377 nominations for 398 teachers in Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25. Finalists will be featured daily through Thursday, May 9, 2024. Three Simplot Inspirational Teacher Awards will be announced on Friday, May 10, 2024 – one for a teacher at the elementary, middle and high school levels. In addition, 5 finalists have been selected for each category and each will be awarded a $100 check. The Simplot Inspirational Teacher Award Recipients of 2024 will each be presented a $500 check on behalf of the Council.

“Ms. Weir is one of the best teachers I’ve had. She makes an effort to help students and when you need someone to talk to she is always the person you wanna go to.  She cares about all her students and gives really good advice. I may not be the best student but she does her best to help me and keep me on track. Overall she is an amazing teacher.” Holly E.

“Ms. Weir is one of my favorite people. She is such a good listener and you can tell her anything and she’ll do the best she can with giving feedback even if she doesn’t know the person.  She makes her classes so fun, I wish I could be in her class next year.” Annalees S.

“Ms. Weir is an amazing person. She is very caring and always trying to help her students succeed. You are an amazing teacher and I know everyone thinks this about you too!”  Kooper K.

Please join us in congratulating Simplot Inspirational Teacher of the Year finalist, Jenni Peterson. Ms. Peterson teaches English at Pocatello High School.

This year, the Simplot Education Council received 2,377 nominations for 398 teachers in Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25. Finalists will be featured daily through Thursday, May 9, 2024. Three Simplot Inspirational Teacher Awards will be announced on Friday, May 10, 2024 – one for a teacher at the elementary, middle and high school levels. In addition, 5 finalists have been selected for each category and each will be awarded a $100 check. The Simplot Inspirational Teacher Award Recipients of 2024 will each be presented a $500 check on behalf of the Council.

“Ms. Peterson deserves the Simplot ‘Award because she creates a comfortable environment in her classroom to which all of her students feel like they belong. Her spirit is very admirable and she never fails to put a smile on the faces of her students and those alike.  Her friendly nature is unmatchable, she always checks on her students to make sure everybody is content with where they are while staying positive and never making anyone feel belittled. Ms. Peterson talks to us like we are equals while still keeping a respectable environment. Having a teacher like her has brought me a lot of confidence and courageousness. Her passion about what does shines through and it makes her a very hard-working and warmhearted person.” Mylah L.

“I love Ms. Peterson. She brightens every one of my days and always makes me smile. She deserves this award because of her incredible teaching and her ability to keep me focused. Since she will read this, I want to tell her; I am so thankful you came to teach at PHS this year, I have never been more excited to go to a class before. You are truly not just a teacher, but a friend. You make me love being at school and you make everyday easier to get through. You are like a ray of sunshine on my cloudy days. You have made me so much better at English and you have helped me learn so many things. Thank you for always being patient and kind to me. Thank you for helping me feel like I matter. I truly think you have made the most impact on me at school. I will never forget you!” Kate J. 

Please join us in congratulating Simplot Inspirational Teacher of the Year finalist, Liesel Christensen. Ms. Christensen teaches Biology and Anatomy Physiology at Pocatello High School.

This year, the Simplot Education Council received 2,377 nominations for 398 teachers in Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25. Finalists will be featured daily through Thursday, May 9, 2024. Three Simplot Inspirational Teacher Awards will be announced on Friday, May 10, 2024 – one for a teacher at the elementary, middle and high school levels. In addition, 5 finalists have been selected for each category and each will be awarded a $100 check. The Simplot Inspirational Teacher Award Recipients of 2024 will each be presented a $500 check on behalf of the Council.

“I am enthusiastically nominating Ms. Christensen for this award. I recently met Ms. Christensen in my second trimester of my junior year and yet she has already made such a positive impact on my academic and, in some ways, personal life. The energy that fills her classroom every day is so uplifting and peaceful, it makes our days feel so much less stressful as students.  She always has a fun sense of humor and wears cute shirts with science jokes. On top of the fun and exciting environment, Ms. C always shows so much passion and dedication for teaching.” Faith J.

“This year is my first time ever having Ms. Christensen and she is truly amazing. She is so patient with students and I can say that with assertiveness and personal experience. She is always positive and excited to teach every day.  Her lessons and lectures are always interactive to keep us engaged. Overall she is such a great person and anyone who has had her as a teacher is truly lucky to have such a caring teacher like her.” Azuba C.

Check out this video of Pocatello/Chubbuck School District's PV-TEC Programs. The video gives you an glimpse of some of the excellent technical programs that are available to the students in the district.

Pocatello High School sophomore honors biology learners presented their research results at the annual science fair. The evening vent is designed so students can have an authentic experience communicating their research findings after a months-long project.

'A DAY OF JOY': Pocatello High School students participate in annual day of service

Twenty coaches from Twin Falls to Teton nominated and voted for Administrator of the Year for the Eastern Idaho Speech and Debate "Idaho Mountain River District." Lisa was awarded "Administrator of the Year" for outstanding support of the speech arts in secondary education in Eastern Idaho.

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1. Go to ACP Benefit to apply today.
2. Then select your preferred participating internet provider to have the discount applied to your bill. 

The Affordable Connectivity Program is a Federal Communications Commission Benefit Program. For help via a chat feature or phone, visit Get ACP or Get My Internet.

August 3, 2022

Thanks to a pair of grants from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trusts, two Pocatello High School teachers are getting two summer’s worth of research experience with a couple of Idaho State University professors.

Recently, Devaleena Pradhan and Heather Ray, assistant professors of biological sciences, were each awarded a Partners in Science grant. Through the program, they’ve been joined by Pocatello High School biology teachers Anne Koski and Maygan Sampson, and assisted with the professors’ research on the ISU campus. Pradhan and Koski are looking into how hormone-producing enzymes are regulated and affect reproduction in the Bluebanded goby. The fish is capable of naturally changing its sex as an adult. Humans and fish share nearly all of the same hormones, and their research will help illustrate how these hormones can be different in organs like the brain.

“Working with a fellow teacher has been very different than working with students,” said Pradhan, “Not only have we been doing the research, we’ve been able to discuss different teaching methods and ways Anne and I can get students excited about careers in science.”

Meanwhile, Ray and Sampson are studying how the expression of a pair of genes in frog embryos controls craniofacial development. The two genes, Hypermethylated in Cancer 1 and 2, are also found in humans and are associated with developmental disorders and cancer when the body does not regulate them properly. 

“It’s been a pleasure to help Maygan develop skills that will benefit her and her students, as well as have her help in answering a longstanding research question of mine,” Ray said. “I hope this partnership will lead to more students furthering their biological studies at ISU.”

From here, the teachers will take what they’ve done in the lab and share what they’ve learned with their students. 

“The Partners in Science program has helped me improve my research skills and will allow me to expand the opportunities for students in the microbiology lab at PHS by making connections between the content and the most current, cutting-edge research,” Sampson said. “I knew I wanted to be a science teacher at five-years-old after seeing my mother do research with Professor Trent Stephens right here at Idaho State, and being on-campus this summer has felt a bit like coming full circle in my career.” 

“For the last decade, I’ve been helping students in my honors biology class complete individualized science fair projects,” said Koski. “Yet, I’ve never been involved in doing this thorough of research myself. When I heard about the Partners in Science program, I knew it was for me, and it would give me the chance to ‘do’ science instead of just learning the material and teaching it.”  

For Pradhan and Ray, they both hope that the new partnership will lead to more opportunities to bring real-world research opportunities to high schools in Pocatello and ultimately have more students excited about science, technology, engineering, and math careers. 

“This opportunity opens up ISU to our community and underscores the fact that there is no age limit to learning,” said Pradhan. “The Partners in Science grants allow our local teachers to take the scientific advancements and processes they learn back to their classrooms. In the long-term, we hope this will help students increase their knowledge and curiosity, and be better prepared for college.” 

The group wrapped their research projects for the summer of 2022 recently. Sampson and Koski will return to the lab in the summer of 2023. 

For more information on ISU’s Department of Biological Sciences, visit isu.edu/biology. 

Story credit: Idaho State University