Lucas Nygard (left) and Jadesa Stevens holds up their eight-grade graduation diploma next to Sunset School Supervising Teacher Toni Hatten (middle) and Missoula County Superintendent Erin Lipkind (right). Nygard has been at Sunset School since kindergarten and Stevens is Hatten's granddaughter.
Sunset School students play traditional West African drums for the welcoming drum performance of the school's end of the year celebration. The types of drums played include djembes, dununs and ashiko's.
Sera Benton during the flower presentation of the ceremony. Students gifted their parents flowers during the event.
Kevyn Masters receives his "Most Likely to Become a Ninja" award from teacher Lilah Fox. According to Fox, Masters has been "training" to be a ninja.
GREENOUGH - Supervising teacher Toni Hatten bid two graduating eighth-graders a tearful goodbye for the Sunset Schools' annual end of year celebration on Friday, May 27. Graduating students included Jadesa Stevens, Lucas Nygard and kindergarten graduate Cade Carstens.
The event featured farewell speeches, student awards, a flower presentation and a drum performance directed by Matthew Nord, music teacher and owner of Tangled Tunes in Missoula. Students sang "Funga Alafia" to kick off the celebration, a greeting song used throughout West Africa that translates to "We welcome you" in the United States.
Despite Hatten's emotional goodbye, she did acknowledge that she will likely see both graduates after they move onto ninth grade at Hellgate High School. Stevens is Hatten's granddaughter and Nygard is her neighbor. Regardless, she said it's difficult as their teacher to not see them at school every day but she's excited to see where their education and life will take them.
"We've had an incredible journey over the years," Hatten said during the celebration. "I have loved being their teacher and am extremely proud of both of them."
Sunset School also said goodbye to a staff member Lilah Fox. Fox gave a farewell speech to Sunset School students, parents and staff at the celebration. After working as a kindergarten through fourth grade teacher at Sunset School for two years, Fox said she wanted to look for a job with the Missoula County Public Schools (MCPS).
"It was pretty emotional knowing I might not get to see some of these kids again," Fox said. "But it's been really rewarding to see the students grow."
Tucked away between the forests and mountains of rural Greenough, Sunset School currently has 14 students grades kindergarten through eighth grade. Despite the remoteness and size, parents and staff make the commute from places like Missoula five days a week.
Lisa Davey, who has two children attending Sunset School, said the commute from Clinton is worth it because she's seen how the school has built up her children's confidence and interest in education.
"The teachers really love the children for who they are," Davey said. "They want them to be the best people they can be and have the time to be able to get to know the kids because the class is pretty small and they're dedicated."
Decades later, students who graduated from Sunset School remember the impact it had on their life.
Missoula County Commissioner Juanita Vero graduated from Sunset School in 1987 and spoke at the celebration, giving both eighth grade-graduates Dr. Seuss' last book "Oh, The Places You'll Go!" She said she is happy to see how many students are attending Sunset School now, especially since a lack of student enrollment once left it on the brink of closure.
Generations of Vero's family have attended Sunset School, including her mother and grandfather. She and her father were once on the school board. To her, Sunset School is a unique place no larger school can replace.
"You just get a lot of attention as a student," Vero said. "So whether it's remedial, or whether you're advanced, you can work. The whole spectrum is addressed and that, I think, is really special."
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