Our Principal & Office Staff

T.J. Blackwell, Principal

Grades K-6
Office Hours: 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Phone: (208) 245-3650
Fax: (208) 245-3066
Principal: T.J. Blackwell

Dear UpRiver School Families,

Welcome to a brand-new school year at UpRiver School! Whether you are returning or joining us for the first time, we are so excited to have you as part of our school community. Each year brings new opportunities to learn, grow, and connect, and we are eager to get started together.

At UpRiver, we believe that strong partnerships between home and school are the foundation of student success. We continue to be amazed by the incredible growth we’ve seen in both student achievement and attendance, and we want to thank our families and students for their dedication and support. It truly makes a difference and we are grateful to share in this journey with you.

This year, we are thrilled to introduce the House System for both staff and students. This new initiative is designed to increase engagement, build school spirit, and foster meaningful connections—not only among students and staff at UpRiver, but also across our district. Through the House System, students will belong to a supportive “house family” where they can build relationships, celebrate achievements, and take part in fun, schoolwide activities. We are excited to see how this will strengthen our school culture and bring even more joy and belonging to our community.

Another exciting change is the addition of new playground structures! Thanks to the expansion of Head Start on our campus and incredible fundraising efforts, we now have new play equipment available for all our students. We can’t wait to see all the laughter, teamwork, and play these additions will bring to recess.

As we head into the new school year here are some important dates to keep in mind:

Student Registration: 8/20-8/23, 7:45-3:45. Registration is also available online for returning students through the Skyward portal.
Open House: August 26th, 4:30–6:30 p.m.
First Day of School: September 3rd. Please note student arrival is no earlier than 8:00 a.m. (supervision not available before then)
Dismissal: 3:15 p.m. Tuesday–Friday, 2:45 p.m. on Mondays (early release)

We encourage you to stay connected by following our Facebook pages: UpRiver School, UpRiver PTO, and St. Maries Joint School District No. 41.

We are looking forward to another year of learning, laughter, and growth together. Thank you for being such an important part of our UpRiver family. We couldn’t do this without you!

With excitement for the year ahead,

T.J. Blackwell

UpRiver Principal

Phone: 208-245-3650

Fax: 208-245-3066