Syringa Middle School

🌟🌟Check out these rockstar scientists! 🌟🌟

🔬🧪 Celebrating 16 Years of MASSI! 🧮🎓

Last week, 73 Syringa Middle School students completed the 16th Annual Math and Science Summer Institute (MASSI), a partnership between Syringa Middle School and The College of Idaho that has been inspiring young scientists and mathematicians since 2010.

Over the past 16 years, more than 800 Caldwell middle school students have had the opportunity to experience college life while engaging in authentic, hands-on STEM learning on a real college campus.

🦠 Our 7th graders became epidemiologists, growing bacterial and fungal cultures, investigating food safety practices, and solving a campus-wide mock disease outbreak to determine which food item made college staff members sick at a company picnic.

💧 Our 8th graders took on the role of environmental scientists, using advanced laboratory equipment including spectrophotometers and gas chromatography systems to analyze water and soil samples for pollutants such as phosphate and lead from sites around Caldwell and the College of Idaho campus.

🍽️ Along the way, students enjoyed dining in the college cafeteria, spending time in the campus game room, and experiencing a glimpse of college life.

🎤 The week culminated with students presenting their research findings to staff, families, and community members—demonstrating the critical thinking, collaboration, and scientific skills they developed throughout the week.

A huge thank you to the professors, college students, staff, and community partners who make this incredible program possible each year. Here's to 16 years of inspiring the next generation of scientists, engineers, healthcare professionals, and problem-solvers!

Congratulations to Sweden Rodebush! 🏆💙💛

Sweden had an incredible showing at the YMCA State Track Meet, bringing home wins in both the 100m and 200m! Her hard work, speed, and determination were on full display, and we are so proud to celebrate this amazing accomplishment.

Way to represent Syringa with Cougar PRIDE, Sweden! Keep chasing big goals and crossing finish lines. 👟✨

⚽🏆 GOOOOOAL! Celebrating Student Achievement at Syringa Middle School! 🏆⚽

This year, our ISAT testing season had a soccer theme, and we wrapped things up by honoring some incredible student accomplishments with our very own Ballon d’Or Awards — inspired by the prestigious international soccer award recognizing the best player of the year! 🌟

These students earned recognition for the highest achievement scores and the most academic growth in their grade levels. We are so proud of their hard work, perseverance, and determination! 💙💛

🥇⚽ 7th Grade Ballon d’Or Winners
📚 Highest ELA Score — Zach Grout
📈 Most ELA Growth — Kayden Werlinger
➕ Highest Math Score — Zach Grout
📊 Most Math Growth — Daniel Duran

🥇⚽ 8th Grade Ballon d’Or Winners
📚 Highest ELA Score — Margot Cameron
📈 Most ELA Growth — Matalie Hein
➕ Highest Math Score — Tito Garcia
📊 Most Math Growth — Carlos Tapia Moreno
🔬 Highest Science Score — Margot Cameron

Congratulations to all of our award winners and to every Syringa student who worked hard and showed growth this year. Your effort matters, and we are proud of the amazing things happening in our classrooms every day! 🎉👏⚽

💍✨ Celebrating Excellence at Syringa Middle School! ✨💍

For several decades, the Syringa Golden Ring and Silver Ring Awards have recognized students who truly represent the very best of our school community. These prestigious honors celebrate students who consistently demonstrate our Syringa PRIDE values:

⭐ Perseverance
⭐ Responsibility
⭐ Integrity
⭐ Determination
⭐ Empathy

This year’s recipients were nominated by teachers for their outstanding academics, exceptional work habits, and positive impact on our school community. Each nominee also wrote an essay reflecting on how they exemplify the PRIDE values that make Syringa such a special place. 💙💛

🏆 2026 Golden Ring Award Winners (8th Grade)
💍 Ellie Archuleta
💍 Margot Cameron
💍 Lucie McReynolds
💍 Isela Ortiz

🏆 2026 Silver Ring Award Winners (7th Grade)
🥈 Alice Townsend
🥈 Seraphina Thomas
🥈 Zack Pickens
🥈 Rhia Golcher

We are incredibly proud of these students and the example they set for others every single day. Congratulations on this well-deserved honor! 🎉👏

🎓 Syringa Families,

We are excited to celebrate our 8th grade students at our Promotion Ceremony on Thursday, May 21, 2026, from 3:30–5:30 p.m. at the Caldwell High School football field.

Please check your emails for additional information, including student arrival time, dress code, seating, and transportation details. We can’t wait to celebrate this milestone with our Cougars and their families! 💙💛

🔬✨ Syringa Science Fair = SUCCESS! ✨🔬
Our students showed up BIG time this year—thinking like scientists, asking questions, analyzing data, and sharing their discoveries with confidence! 🙌🧠💡
💧 7th Grade projects focused on water quality and their fieldwork at Deer Flat NWR—connecting classroom learning to real-world ecosystems right here in Idaho! 🌎💦
🔥 8th Grade projects tackled wildfire management & ecology—a topic that couldn’t be more relevant to our state. Students explored how fire impacts ecosystems and what we can do to manage it. 🌲🔥
We are SO proud of the critical thinking, perseverance, and creativity our students demonstrated. This is what it means to do science, not just learn it! 👏🔍
🏆 Science Fair Winners 🏆
7th Grade
🥇 1st - Cadilyn Gallegos, Zoey Kristine (JORGENSEN)
🥈 2nd - Alice Townsend, Paige Hornstein, Aaliyah Marshall, Kayden Werlinger (JORGENSEN)
🥉 3rd - Analia Juarez, Reese Miner, Addison Mendoza-Haskins, Avril Sanchez Mendoza (QUICK)
8th Grade
🥇 1st - Aria Morrow, Dennise Lopez-Cervantes, Xochilt Calderon-Mendoza, Sarai Hernandez-Rebolledo (KERWIN)
🥈 2nd - Grace Yanez, Czamira Adams, Cara Carr, Arianna Velazquez (SMITH)
🥉 3rd - Josie Reit, Lucie McReynolds, Nuvia Gonzalez, Yarima Gonzalez (KERWIN)
Advanced 7th Grade
🥇 1st - Avery Martin (FERRO)
🥈 2nd - Rhia Golcher (FERRO)
🥉 3rd - Seraphina Thomas (FERRO)
Advanced 8th Grade
🥇 1st - Margot Cameron (FERRO)
🥈 2nd - Maylee Katzenberger (FERRO)
🥉 3rd - Isela Ortiz, Brittney Leon Aguilera, Brenda Regin (KERWIN)
🌟 Grand Prize Winners 🌟
🏆 1st - Margot Cameron (FERRO)
🥈 2nd - Maylee Katzenberger (FERRO)
🥉 3rd - Cadilyn Gallegos, Zoey Kristine (JORGENSEN)
💙 Huge THANK YOU to our amazing community partners who brought science to life for our students:
Caldwell High School VEX Robotics, BSU Microelectronics, BSU Planetarium, College of Idaho Herbarium, Safari International, Deer Flat NWR, Ardurra Engineering, Shared Stories, Boise WaterShed Project, Idaho Power 🙌🔬
Your support helps our students see themselves as scientists, engineers, and problem-solvers for the future. 🚀
🌎✨

💙💛 Happy Mother’s Day to the moms, grandmas, tias, guardians, and caregivers who support, encourage, and love our Cougars every day. Thank you for all you do for our students and school community. 🌷