Back to school: Big changes in store for some

Kids are breathing their last few days of freedom while parents are breathing a sigh of relief, as school resumes across the county. Alberton’s first day will be Aug. 23, while both St. Regis and Superior begins on Aug. 27. Superior’s Pre-K and kindergarten start Sept. 4.

St. Regis views itself as a ‘teaching school’

St. Regis is expecting enrollment at approximately 167 students, which is up from 154 last year. There are also nine new staff members this year. Superintendent Joe Steele said housing continues to be a problem in the area. “My number-one issue is trying to find housing for my staff,” he said.

Some teachers were living in rentals that went on the market for sale, forcing them to find housing elsewhere. Another issue impacting the St. Regis School’s ability to hire and retain staff is the local economy. “There is a lack of work for teachers’ spouses and so they’ve had to find jobs elsewhere, like in Missoula where the commute is too far. It’s things that are out of the school district’s control,” Steele said.

Because of the traditionally high turnover, Steele said they’ve taken the approach that they are a “teaching school.” Many of their teachers come directly out of college and this is their first assignment. They’ve started a mentoring program called Better Lessons in order to improve their craft as an educator.

The school has four coaches who meet with the teachers several times a month online. “Our goal is if we can commit to our teachers with professional development, we are hoping they will stay for a second year to get that mentoring so the investment pays off for us, as well as for them,” Steele said.

St. Regis is continuing to see success with its Summit Learning Platform, which is a one-on-one teaching system where students experience self-directed learning. Summit added some new mentoring pieces to their program which will be helpful for the teachers to make sure students are setting and reaching their goals.

“One thing that’s great about Summit is everything is in one place. All the data, where each student is at in their learning, all the resources,” said Steele.

This is especially beneficial for the new teachers who can walk into a classroom and have a good understanding of where each student is at academically.

NEW TEACHERS this year are Jamelle Ball, the wife of St. Regis Principal Shaun Ball, who will be teaching second grade; Lois Woldstad, who will teach fourth grade; Tawnia Lyscio, fifth grade; and Zake Lott, will move up to sixth grade.

In high school, Holly Kimble will be teaching English; Jeff Stanek, social studies; Amy Farris will take over math; Cheyenne Conrath will teach agriculture and FFA; and Michael Cooper, who is a St. Regis alumnus, will be teaching business.

There are also two new pararprofessionals, Casey Stanek and Michelle Simpkins.The school is still looking for bus drivers, especially for activities.

High school volleyball and football practice started on Aug. 10 and the first football game is scheduled at home on Aug. 24. The team has a co-op with Mullan, Idaho, due to a lack of players.

The first volleyball tournament will be held in Drummond on Aug. 25, and both junior high volleyball and football practice starts Aug. 20.

Superior Schools receive ‘superior’ ratings

Superior Schools remain the largest in the county with an expected enrollment this year of between 275 to 280 students.

One big change for incoming junior high students will be the completion of the new addition to the school. Currently, junior high students are housed in a building located west of the main high school. But due to its deteriorating condition, voters approved a bond last year for construction of a new junior high addition onto the existing high school building. Doors on the new addition are expected to be open by the end of October or early November. Once the students are moved, the old building will be torn down.

Superior is also enjoying being named a Green Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. Superintendent Scott Kinney said only 40 public schools in the nation received the award in 2018. Kinney will be traveling to Washington, D.C., in September for the awards ceremony. Green Ribbon School honors are awarded to schools that strive for 21st century excellence by highlighting promising practices and resources.

ANOTHER EXCITING addition to the school is the Gear Up Program. The school won a seven-year, $50,000-per-year grant. A coordinator is expected to be hired at the next school board meeting. Gear Up, which stands for “Gain Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs,” works with students and parents to gain knowledge about post-secondary training and higher education opportunities.

The coordinator will act as a liaison between the community, local businesses and the school to find vocational opportunities for students. They will participate in things like job shadowing and career exploration.

“A unique part of this program is it will follow the kids in seventh grade all the way to a year after graduation,” Kinney said.

In addition to the coordinator, Julia Wilhite has been hired to teach Pre-kindergarden. Kinney said she has her Early Childhood Education endorsement, “which is a pretty sought-after credential in the state right now.”

Superior will co-op with Alberton for sports again this year as the Clark Fork Mountain Cats. The teams have already started practice and the first varsity football game is scheduled for Aug. 24. The team will play Flint Creek in Butte at 3 p.m. Varity volleyball will play in a tournament in Drummond on the 24th, and junior high football will play their first game on Aug. 27 at home at 4:30 p.m. in Superior.

New Alberton

principal, schedules

With a new principal at the helm, Superintendent Steve Picard said this is going to be a wonderful year, “I’m really excited about the new leadership. Mica has a lot of great ideas and we’ll be seeing some great things.”

Mica Clarkson, who was the school’s special education teacher last year, accepted the position as principal. She replaces Kyle Fisher and is looking forward to her new role.

“We have a lot of areas that need growth and this year our focus will be on reading,” she said. “60 percent of our students in grades K through 6 are not proficient in reading.”

The results are based on Fast Bridge assessments and Smarter Balance which is a statewide testing system. Clarkson has implemented a new reading curriculum called “Journeys”, along with “Win Time, What I Need”. These programs will allow for small group settings with teachers who have specific intervention training for the student’s different needs.

This includes students who are not reaching their potential, as well as for those who have excelled beyond their reading level. Enrollment for Alberton is approximately 120 students and Mica will be focusing on academics.

Last year, Fisher was both principal and the athletic director. This year, Rachel Clevenger will take on the role as athletic director. Clevenger, who is an alum of Alberton, taught history for years but did not teach last year. This year, she is back and will also teach history part-time. As the athletic director she will be in charge of transportation and schedules while Jessica Nagy will be the activities coordinator.

Nagy will be in charge of home activities like finding ticket takers, concessions, and field prep work. Nagy, who is also an Alberton alum, has been hired to teach sixth grade. She will also be the schools technical aid.

IN ADDITION to a new teacher, the sixth grade has also been moved back to the elementary school. Over the past two years, the sixth grade was held in the high school. However, the administration and faculty felt it was in the best interest of the students to move them back to the elementary.

Another new teacher is Madison Langston, who will be teaching special education, a position vacated by Clarkson. Also, long-time school secretary Anne Styles has retired, and Ashley Schatz has been hired as her replacement. The school is still looking to hire bus drivers, two paraprofessionals and janitors.

Another change at the school this year is classes going from eight to seven periods. “This fits into our schedule better and will allow us to open up a flex period at the end of the day,” said Clarkson.

The new schedule will eliminate some of the half days scheduled over the past few years, and offer high school students a wider variety of curriculum. Students who are behind in class studies will be in learning labs while those caught up will be able to take extracurricular classes like drama, weightlifting and art. The time can also be used for students who leave early for sports practice or games, and for things like building homecoming floats or for student council meetings.

“The flex period will allow for more community and professional development,” Clarkson said.

School at Alberton starts on Aug. 23, and there will be an open house/ice cream social on Aug. 22 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. This will give parents and students an opportunity to see their new classrooms and meet the new principal.