Summer is drawing to a close and area schools will be beginning classes soon. Seeley Lake Elementary, Sunset School and Seeley-Swan High School are all adding new programs, teachers or learning tools in the upcoming year. Get the scoop on what’s new in school below.
Seeley Lake Elementary
This year Seeley Lake Elementary school starts Sept. 4. The school is welcoming three new teachers and rebooting some activities that were put on hold last fall during the Rice Ridge Fire.
Kristy Pohlman will be teaching third grade, Robin Gaither will be teaching kindergarten and Rachel Bemis will be teaching a second class of second grade. Last year’s kindergarten teacher Sheila Devins moved to first grade this year.
The second grade class was almost too large for one teacher, so having two classes will allow the second graders to learn with a smaller class size.
“We have to give those kids everything we’ve got in terms of attention and resources while they’re young,” Superintendent Chris Stout said.
Stout said that soccer will also be returning as a sport this year after it was cancelled last year due to wildfire smoke. Flag football and volleyball both begin Sept. 4.
The Outdoor Education program will continue despite funding concerns.
Sunset School
The upcoming school year at Sunset Elementary School will bring a larger class size, a new place to play and improvements to school safety practices according to Supervising Teacher Toni Hatten.
This year the school will have 11 students, comprised of two kindergartners, three second graders, one third grader, one fourth grader, two fifth graders and two sixth graders. Hatten will teach grades 4-8 and Hali Richmond (formerly Hali Miller) will return to teach K-3.
Over the summer, Paws Up Resort constructed tennis and basketball courts for their guests. The Resort will allow the Sunset students to use the area during recess times.
Upgrades to the learning environment include a new Smartboard, new desks and seating options and new headphones. The school has also purchased new Social Studies and Science curriculums.
Another focus of the year is upgrades to the school’s safety features.
“Like many other schools, even the small ones, we are in the process of updating our security by installing privacy tinting to our windows and a security camera and call system to the front door,” Hatten said.
Continuing from previous years, the school will have family nights again and this year will be its fourth year of sharing bus service with Potomac. Because the schools share buses, school begins at 8:20 a.m. and lets out at 3:20 p.m.
Seeley-Swan High School
Seeley-Swan High School is starting the school year Aug. 29 with new programs aimed at helping students succeed and new safety measures, though they still need to fill a key position on their staff.
The school will be using a program called School Connect with freshmen and sophomores. Principal Kathleen Pecora said it focuses on making the transition to high school and developing relationships in a positive and meaningful manner.
“We will also be continuing to ramp up our use of the Naviance program which is focused on connecting juniors and seniors with college and workplace information,” Pecora said.
Cathy Novak will continue to teach art under the supervision of a Missoula art teacher.
Pecora said the school still does not have a music teacher and she is still searching for someone with knowledge of music to act as a long-term substitute. If there is anyone in the community who is interested, she asks they please call the high school at 677-2224 Ext. 5721.
SSHS is focused on creating an environment where all students can learn and grow this year.
“One of the biggest challenges we face is helping students understand how important it is to get a good education,” Pecora said. “None of us can see the future, but for teenagers, it’s often difficult to see beyond today.”
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