Community support fills in the gaps at local schools

SEELEY LAKE – With school resuming in less than a month, teachers are preparing their classrooms and planning for the year to best serve their students. This year, four teachers were able to apply for and receive funds that will help make their classroom and their students' experience a little more enjoyable. Seeley Lake Elementary Superintendent Josh Gibbs said these community partnerships "help a great deal" for the school and teachers to provide the best education possible.

Former Clearwater Montana Properties Agent Carey Kanavel has always tried to concentrate on youth-centric donation opportunities within the community. In the past she offered scholarship opportunities to seniors and helped fund a Give a Book, Take a Book library outside SLE. Last year she supported the SLE Literacy Program through CMP's Charitable Giving Program, where CMP agents give back a portion of all real estate proceeds to various community groups of their choosing.

Kanavel chose to support the Literary program because she felt it would allow her to make a bigger impact on all the students that really needed it. In 2020, SLE students ranked 42% proficient or above in reading scores in the third- sixth grade level and only 37% were proficient or above in the seventh and eighth grade with flat growth between grades. Her donations helped provide t-shirts to give students an incentive and reward to read more.

When deciding where to donate her funds this year, she asked how the program was received last year. She was told the kids were excited to get a t-shirt calling it "a badge of honor." While she chose to continue to support the Literacy Program with CMP agent Tanya Fyfe again this year, her donation amount exceeded the financial need for the literacy program.

Running with an idea she got from SSHS Teacher Michele Holmes, she put out a request to SLE and SSHS to see if any of the teachers had special projects or needs in their classroom that could use funding.

"I know teachers spend their own money on a lot of things and there is a limit to what they can do. There are a lot of requests from home for things and there is a limit sometimes from what can be done there too," Kanavel said. "I think a lot of times there is a lack of understanding of what kids need or could use."

Four teachers replied to the opportunity.

"Every single teacher had a different need which I think is really interesting. I think they all have the same needs but each one wanted to capitalize on using the funds a little bit different," Kanavel said. "That is a huge indicator of how much more we could do if we were donating more."

Holmes was the only teacher that applied at SSHS. The funds will help off-set travel costs for the SSHS Business Professionals of America Club that Holmes leads, allowing the students the opportunity to travel to new places for their upcoming competitions. It also helped fund upgrades to the SSHS 18-hole Disc Golf Course.

At SLE, First Grade Teacher Zoe Mohesky asked to purchase art smocks. Last year, her students loved doing art projects and it was something they looked forward to every week. To protect their clothing, she dressed them in trash bags.

"I'm trying to protect those kids' cute little clothes and outfits that they come with," Mohesky. "The last thing I want to do is send those kids home with paint all over them."

Mohesky said this is a tremendous help and she appreciates the support from Kanavel. She also appreciates those that donate their time to come into the classroom to work one-on-one with the students.

"Sometimes I feel limited because I can't do that," Mohesky said. "Any extra support in the classroom is appreciated."

Second grade Teacher Pattie Crum asked for funds to purchase extra clothing to rebuild her "closet" for this year's students. This past school year she exhausted her supply of clothes, socks, boots and shoes that she had on hand.

"Most of the students I have in my classroom dress themselves for school every day. It is not uncommon for a student or students to be ill prepared for the weather or to just not have the basic garments one usually has," Crum wrote in an email. "I cannot thank her enough." 

In the third-grade classroom, Teacher Kristy Pohlman jumped at the opportunity to promote literacy in her classroom by adding to her classroom library as well as provide alternative seating in her classroom.

"I feel literacy is the key to success in the education world," Pohlman wrote in an email. "I also feel that the traditional desks and chairs that require students to sit all day are not conducive to the learning environment that children are needing."  

The third-grade students put together a wish list of things they would like for the classroom to make it more comfortable for them.  This list included bean bag chairs, lap desks and comfy chairs.  They also compiled a list of new books that they would like to see in the library.  

"[The donation] will help start changing the classroom from a pure traditional desks and chairs, to a blended learning environment," Pohlman wrote adding her thanks for the opportunity to do this for her students.

Gibbs said most teachers have a project or two that they would like to do but they don't have the classroom funds to do it. There are also school-wide programs where businesses partner with SLE offering incentives including Stageline Pizza with the Literacy Program, Rovero's honoring their Student of the Week and others donate gift cards as incentives for special programs.

"Thank to Carey and Tanya for funding the Literacy Program and these other programs as well as the other partners that work with us through the school year," Gibbs said.

"Just little things that you don't really think of," Kanavel said. "Our schools need help and community involvement."

If anyone is interested in donating or trying to help with other projects, Gibbs encourages them to talk with him either in person or call SLE, 406-677-2265. He will help structure their interest with the needs in the classrooms. Financial donations can be earmarked for the designated cause.