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Linken Newman
Staff Writer A new mural will brighten Bonneville High School’s (BHS) commons area thanks to Jason Coles initiative. After the commons recent face lit, which included updated flooring, ceiling and classroom, Jason Coles, the art teacher, saw an opportunity to provide a splash of color on the west facing brick wall by the A-wing entrance. The mural is planned to be completed by mid-December or early January. This should be the touch of color those grey commons needed. Coles has been teaching at BHS for almost 30 years. He began his education at Ricks College, now known as Brigham Young University-Idaho, before finishing his degree at Boise State University. He chose art for his major because he “love[s] to take a blank canvas and create something on it.” He really enjoyed teaching alongside this, so he decided to become a teacher. Throughout his teaching career, Coles has been commissioned for several murals throughout Southeast Idaho. His most recent was completed on August 1st, 2025 at the East Idaho State Fair in Blackfoot. Prior to that, between 2003 and 2004, he painted the Snake River High School’s mascot, a panther, creating a heavily detailed mural featuring the school’s colors that still adorns the building. Beyond his personal artwork, Coles is passionate about art education. Coles stated, “I think it’s really important to have an art class; art is crucial to society and also teaches you to be more creative.” Coles appreciates all art forms; however, painting holds a special place in his heart, particularly portraits of people. He considers color harmonies his greatest artistic strength, though he admits that drawing hands remains his biggest challenge.
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Travis States
Staff Writer Music is a highly relatable form of art that several people use to focus, cope with anxiety, gain inspiration, or to entertain themselves. Since there is a wide variety of genres and tastes, people may find themselves connecting to multiple artists, but what music do the students of Bonneville High School listen to and how does it affect them? According to a survey of 82 BHS students, the most popular genres were pop (33%), rock (24%), and country (16%). The survey also revealed heavy music consumption among students: 45% listen to music six or more hours daily, while 55% listen for fewer than six hours per day. Alongside the survey, some small interviews were conducted with individual students. The first interviewee was a sophomore student by the name of Cheyanne Clark whose favorite music genre is show tunes. When asked how she got into the genre, she stated, “When I was young it was what was on, Disney and Disney princess musicals and that just always made me feel better."As she grew older, Clark explained, her tastes became more refined, and she started listening to Broadway musicals with more depth in their lyrics, such as Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen. Clark expressed that she prefers music that tells stories and hooks the listener,“I think a lot of music today is based off feelings that are relatable so if it’s not relatable it’s not a hit.” She then adds that musicals and show tunes do not have to be relatable because they take a story and turn it into something unique and everlasting. The next person interviewed was Cambria Reeder, a freshman whose two favorite genres are pop and classical. She explained her connection to classical music through her ballet background, “I like classical music because I've been doing ballet and stuff so that just comes naturally.” Her appreciation for pop stems from its widespread appeal. She said,“It's just like on the radio everywhere and my friends like it so it has just come naturally.” Regarding music's broader impact, Reeder believes it serves an important emotional function, “Music just in general can like help you control, release, or feel your emotions in different ways.” She also mentioned how listening to the emotions of music artists, even if the listener does not relate, can help them relate to other people who might share those emotions. Students who find themselves tired of their typical genres or in need of music that resonates with them should explore other artists and styles to expand their tastes. Cora Garrette - Dardzinski
Staff Writer An issue has emerged with the usage of vending machines at Bonneville High School. Administration has noticed that students have started to travel to the vending machines during passing periods. According to the admin, it is becoming more frequent and is affecting how quickly the students can make it to class. On Thursday, October 16th, within the group of students interviewed, a majority of them reported that the vending machines help them focus in class since it is their food and caffeine source during school hours. The students love to use the vending machines in the morning the majority of the time; however, some of them cannot access the vending machines before class, so they resort to going during passing periods. Some students consider passing periods to be the best time to go to the vending machines, while other students find the resulting lines irritating as well as a reason they are late to class. During the interviews, students were asked how vending machines are necessary in school. Most of them explained that they believe the vending machines help motivate them by providing snacks and drinks for energy. A majority of the interviewed group feels as though without the snacks and drinks, some of them would not feel ready enough to learn in the morning due to being tired and a lack of breakfast. Some of the students even resort to the vending machines for lunch and do not believe they could get themselves through the other half of their classes without the calories and/or caffeine. The majority of the students that were interviewed collectively believed that the two vending machines near the Hope Squad room are used most often. In addition, they all believe that if there was a way to stop students from going to the vending machines during passing periods, it would be impactful. Freshmen Taylor Luke and Maya Johnson suggest that “to keep students away from the vending machines during passing periods, [they] could put up signs letting them know to go during lunch and before and after school.” The pair also suggested making a morning announcement to make the students of Bonneville aware of this change that would not only be beneficial to the students, but to the staff as well. If the vending machines were used less or not at all during passing periods, it would keep students from being late to class and would keep the teachers and staff from having to monitor them. Along with this claim, students could start going during lunch or before and after school. They would still get the caffeine and calories needed during school hours to keep them motivated without causing a distraction in class, and it would easily resolve the issue at hand. Kael Beckstead
Staff Writer Bonneville High School has seen numerous renovations since the 2024-2025 school year. After accepting his position last year as head principal, Mr. Jolley has initiated a variety of updates throughout the campus. New and returning students have the opportunity to enjoy the updates mainly taking place in the commons, gym, and stadium. Bonneville’s new and updated features include the main level’s updated commons with skylights and renovated flooring, as well as new lighting in the football stadium. Since there are few outward-facing windows, the updates will include skylights and new lighting to brighten the interior and compensate for the limited natural light. Bonneville also has two new classrooms and two new signs since the last school year. Additional school improvements include extended carpeting in the Hive entrance, new VIP seating in the football stadium, and renovated walking paths and sound systems in the gym. The lockers and old signs in the commons were removed, enhancing lighting and creating significantly more space. Principal Jolley stated that if the school board approves the second phase of upgrades later this month, work will begin next summer to renovate the entirety of upper A wing and install new science labs and classrooms. His goals include making cosmetic changes once the larger and more structural upgrades have been completed. These changes would involve removing weeds from the school’s exterior, planting trees in that area, and adding college-style seating in the commons equipped with charging stations on poles. Principal Jolley said that most of the improvements went smoothly: “They only had about two months to do the whole thing and be ready for kids to show up.” He also mentioned, “They started the day we left and finished the day before we had back to school night.” If approved, the planned improvements for A-wing will continue into the next school year, meaning the teachers and students will have to find ways to work around the ongoing remodeling. However, Jolley reported no major issues so far; everything has gone and is expected to proceed as planned. With these exciting renovations, Bonneville High School is poised to provide a superior educational experience for its students, enhancing both academic and extracurricular activities. Linken Newman
Staff Writer Mara Shiffler is the new Geometry and Algebra II teacher for Bonneville High School (BHS). The new school year of 2025-2026 is Shiffler's first ever year being an official teacher, but she has been practicing teaching since she was 18. Shiffler graduated from Hillcrest High School before continuing her education at Brigham Young University-Idaho, where she earned her Bachelor’s of Arts. During her time in college, she worked as a substitute teacher, to gain more experience for when she became a teacher herself. Shiffler chose BHS out of all schools because she “grew up in Ammon and went to Hillcrest, but the admin stuck out here … they have actual love for their jobs.” Now she has been at BHS for the past few weeks, and has thoroughly enjoyed her experience thus far. Shiffler finds it effortless to make relationships with coworkers and her students; however, she finds it extremely challenging to manage time and make lessons in time for class. Shiffler’s style of teaching involves frequent human and candied rewards; this keeps the students engaged throughout the lecture by making it interesting for the younger generation. On average, Shiffler spends thirty minutes to six hours grading, depending on whether the assignment was a test or simple homework. According to Shiffler, one could fail her class by, “Choosing to not do their work can really be the deciding factor, [she] will do whatever [she] can to make sure they pass but [she] can only take them so far.” She will help a student pass if possible, but if the student will not do the work, then it is the students fault for failing. If a student wants to receive an A in her class, they need to pay attention to lectures, take notes, and turn in assignments on time. Although Shiffler is the teacher, she still has flaws similar to everyone else. She acknowledges that she sometimes speaks too rapidly during lectures, which can make note-taking difficult for students. As Shiffler continues her career at BHS, she remains committed to refining her teaching methods and ensuring students' success in mathematics. Travis States
Staff Writer Bonneville High School’s Freshmen Day has always been a bit tedious for most of the students and even the teachers. On previous Freshmen Days nothing really happens other than students receiving syllabi and listening to teachers explain rules and procedures. This year, Miss Martindale and Mrs. Ellis brought their concerns and complaints to Principal Jolley, and they were given permission to modify the routine of Freshmen Day. Following the final class period, students assembled on the football field for an outdoor celebration featuring hot dogs, games, and passport activities that rewarded participants with free shirts. When interviewed and asked why she wanted to change the routine, Ellis expressed that she, “hated Freshmen Day ever since [she] came here.” She then further elaborated by saying, “this is Freshmen Day, we should be doing something. They should be excited to be here, we should make them excited to be here.” Ellis then explained where the idea for the big lunch came from,“we’re trying to build community at Bonneville and give kids a chance to interact with each other.” When she was at Pocatello High School, Ellis mentions an “all-school lunch” that happened only twice a year. She and Jolley noticed the impact of school-wide activities at that time, leading them to bring the same culture to BHS. Alongside Ellis, Miss Martindale also found previous Freshmen Days to be lacking in excitement. Ultimately, she brought her concerns to Jolley, who said, "Then you are in charge of the next one." Martindale then explained, “I was the boss, and by the boss, I mean I was just bossy. When he told me I was in charge, I took that very literally.” When questioned about what the most difficult part of getting everything set up Miss Martindale stated, “Getting all of the teachers organized to do their job and clean up.” Although the 2025 Freshmen Day was much more student-centered than it had been in previous years, the BHS faculty plans to improve it in the coming years, including more student participation and interaction. Elliot Goodliffe
Staff Writer Newly elected Jeffrey Trey Elder, formerly Junior Class Vice president, is now Bonneville High School’s student body president. Under his leadership, the student body has launched mixed-grade events such as the powder puff game that was held September 24. Elder also established a peer mentoring program this year. Additionally, Elder explained that he coordinates homecoming activities, organizes spirit weeks, and manages student council meetings. He also works closely with student executives on future projects and consults with Principal Jolley for guidance. Regarding his new position, Elder said it is "very rewarding" because he gets to “see the inside of all the activities.” His main concern and objective this year is to ensure that all students have a memorable experience during their time at Bonneville High School. Student Council and Hope Squad have helped him learn the necessary skills and discipline for his promotion, putting him in an excellent position to succeed at his new role. Elder's path to the presidency began through his participation in student organizations throughout his high school years. In terms of future goals for himself, Elder hopes to form and hold additional leadership training to better develop the communication skills of his fellow classmates as well as himself. Regarding leadership goals in college, Elder replied, “Yes! I would love to hold more positions.” In addition, Elder presented his goals to accomplish during his time as the student body president. Elder asserts, "I want to have better unity between the grades." As he goes through his senior year at BHS, students and faculty await the impact of his all-grade activities and his expansion of the peer mentoring program to strengthen school unity. |
CampusCampus News is where stories relating directly to Bonneville reside. Most are reports on school activities and events. Archives
January 2026
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