Activities

This fall the Skyline Grizzlies Alumni Association is working with math teacher Julie Nawrocki to identify alumni to help this year’s seniors complete their Senior Projects, a state requirement for graduation.

Each senior must develop an idea and submit a proposal letter to the faculty advisor. The projects must fall into one of three tracks: Traditional Education, Career and Technical Education, or Business.

Once the topic is approved, the student must identify an expert and document discussions with that expert before December 20. Each student then must write an essay and deliver a presentation to a self-selected panel of at least two people by April 4, 2025.

While many students find an expert on their own, Nawrocki provided the SGAA with a list of 90 approved projects, on topics that range from writing and publishing a book to auto maintenance, home renovation, and kinesiology. By early November, the association had identified alumni willing to help 10 of those students.

SGAA President Bob Schoch said the senior projects present a rich opportunity to involve Skyline alumni, helping to mentor a project, or offering internships. He hopes to work further with Nawrocki and Principal Josh Newell to determine how to move forward.

Students can start and complete the project at any time but Nawrocki encourages them to start early. “Senior year has a tendency to have a lot of stress and pressure and then ‘senior-itis” kicks in,” she said.

Nawrocki coordinates the work. Students first submit their initial ideas for approval. They then must write a formal letter that describes how the project relates to their post-high school plans and identifies an expert in the field chosen. Students are more successful when they “find a project that applies to their life and their goals,” she said.

The student must schedule at least 15 hours of time in interviews, serving as an intern, or shadowing on the job. The letter must close with a description of the student’s plan for a presentation of the project before the panel.

“I also have some great presentations from past years I can share so they see what they should look like. Their biggest problem tends to be how nervous they are when they present.”

While developing the project, students keep a research log, then must write an essay describing that development, which Nawrocki grades.

“Inevitably, it’s a couple of high intensity weekends of grading, but I love reading about their experiences,” Nawrocki said.

Some student projects have not been good enough in the initial presentation. “We work with them to remedy their deficiencies and help them grow so they can try again. After the second chance, we have never had anyone fail.”

Alumni interested in assisting Nawrocki or a senior student, especially those in or near Idaho Falls, are encouraged to check the list of projects (below) for which students seek expert consultants, and then use the contact form on this website to let us know of your interest.

Here is a current list of the Selected Projects

Arts & letters:

• Sport interviews/journalism
• Write a personal journey
• Write and publish a book
• Publish animation book
• Film making
• Create a podcast about music appreciation
• Self-teach bass guitar
• Violin lessons
• Costume design
• Fashion design
• Performing arts
• Something with art
• Illustrate a children’s book
• Tattoo artist/stylist
• Art project
• Historical silhouettes
• Camper detailing
• Comic creation
• Tweening (animation)
• Scrapbook
• Mentor an aspiring actor

Technology:

• Auto maintenance
• Engineering – build something/design something
• Video game development and code
• Home renovations
• Artificial intelligence
• Learning how to change the oil on a lawn mower

Health/biological:

• Entomology
• Kinesiology
• Job shadow – CNA
• Traumatic brain injury & ag safety
• Job shadow – doctor

Construction & landscaping:

• Paint crew
• Remodel bathroom
• HVAC
• Electrician
• Redo a room in the basement with paint and shiplap.
• Painting office in choir room
• Painting outdoor games at elevate academy
• Painting a mural at work
• Landscaping
• Gardening/landscaping

Entrepreneurial:

• Teaching martial arts, running the business
• Digital shop for t-shirt
• Creating a business with on-line content (twitch, YouTube)
• Starting a business
• Job shadow- business owner of a gun store

Human services:

• Coaching
• Teaching
• Homeless
• Volunteer at soup kitchen, become an intern
• Childcare business
• Learning about pregnancy
• Job shadow – LT transportation for special needs students
• Job shadow – child protective services
• Job shadow – criminal justice
• Volunteer/organizing for aide
• Survey about mental health

Sports:

• Karate
• Referee
• Ski patrol
• Professional coaching
• Soccer camp
• Choreograph cheer routine
• Sports analyst
• Boxing
• Waxing skis

Other

• Learning how to work on a farm
• Make a cornhole board
• Aesthetician
• Restore an old saddle
• Animal shelters
• Field of dreams helper
• Job shadow – military career
• Job shadow – firefighter
• Cook
• Aptive
• Play – research

2024 Emotion Bowl game at Ravsten Stadium. 28 September 2024

And the Grizzlies win!! (Skyline 47, I.F. 0)

Alumni footballers return to Ravsten to honor Terry Layland

A crowd of veteran Grizzly footballers gathered at the 2024 Emotion Bowl to honor Terry Layland for his lifelong support for Skyline High School athletics.

Layland has worked tirelessly as a fundraiser and advocate for extracurricular athletic activities at Skyline for many decades, helping the school to expand its practice fields and provide many other amenities.

The alumni footballers gathered from around southeastern and central Idaho and homes as far away as Colorado. They joined Layland on the field at Ravsten Stadium before the kickoff of the Grizzlies’ annual rivalry game with the Idaho Falls Tigers.

“Being on the turf after 55 years was an emotional experience for all the former players who found themselves again under the lights and, as always, in a stadium packed with fans,” said Skyline Grizzlies Alumni Association President Bob Schoch, also a former player.

Jack Goddard, ’68, the first inductee of the Skyline High School Hall of Fame, joined others from teams that played in the 1960s with Layland, but former players from classes as recent as 2019 also participated. The group represented five state championship teams.

In addition to Goddard and Terry Layland, the alumni on the field included Ron Albaugh, ’72, Steve Bauchman, ’70, Barry Landon, ’77, Nick Layland, ’19, Shane Layland, ’89, Tyson Layland, ’14, John Long, ’70, Bruce Machen, ’75, Tom Migel, ’70, Steve Novascone, ’91, Warren Novascone, ’17, Brad Paul, ’71, Curtis Rudd, ’75, and Schoch, ’70.

The Laylands made it a complete family affair when Cindy Layland, ’70, an alumnus of the SHS Pep Club, also joined the on-field tribute to her spouse.

Many things have changed in Idaho’s high school football over those 50-plus years, Schoch noted. “Remember, when we played, the rural teams played 7-man football and now some of those schools are larger than Skyline.”

Ravsten Stadium features computer-controlled LED lights and digital scoreboards with animation. On the sidelines between sets of downs, coaches use streaming video to review recent plays.

“For alumni from the early years, the level of sophistication – the band’s halftime show, the cheerleaders, to the players entrance on the field – it is so sophisticated,” Schoch said.

At SHS Principal Josh Newell’s suggestion, the SGAA reached out to former players and invited them to attend the tribute. “Seeing all the alumni football players greeting each other, some after more than 50 years, it was a great reunion event,” observed Steve Smith, the SGAA vice-president.

To see pictures from the Emotion Bowl game, click here

SGAA Annual Ski Outing

Whatever you want to do–ski, snowboard, snowshoe, hang out. Grand Targhee has it all. The SGAA will have a table in the lodge where Grizzly alums can check in and gather. Enjoy the outdoors all day and socialize at lunch and dinner.
For more details, select the CONTACT link and we will put you in touch with our Ski Trip Organizer.

Some of this year’s ski attendees (2025)

Some of this year’s attendees (2026)