Kapptie's Korner

As I embark on my second adventure in Ekalaka, I am filled with excitement and appreciation for the many wonderful aspects of Montana and Carter County. My primary goal is to enhance communication with parents and the community. Community engagement is crucial to our school's continued success, and I am dedicated to building on our achievements while addressing areas for growth.

I recognize that school cannot follow a one-size-fits-all model. To better prepare our students for their futures, we must embrace a more student-centered approach. The pandemic and recent legislation have empowered parents to ask more questions about their student(s)' needs, presenting an exciting opportunity for our school to be more responsive and provide answers.

I am committed to finding better ways to listen to students, families, educators and the community. By working together, we can offer the best possible education and meet the diverse needs of our students.

At the board meeting on May 13th, we welcomed a new board member and elected new leadership roles. Sam Wright is our new Board Chair and Lisa Stieg Borchgrevink is our Vice Chair. During this meeting, we discussed restructuring the elementary school structure for next year, focusing on creating classrooms that prioritize student development. Our goal is to allow students to work on standards, focusing on mastery and progressing when ready. We will share more information about this during the summer and leading into the year. We are excited to get your input and have time to work through your concerns.

I had a chance to stop by the field day out at Trails End Ranch. A big Thank You to them for providing such a great opportunity for our students. I have started the conversation for building a partnership with the Carter County Museum that will allow all our students to have amazing experiential learning opportunities from kindergarten through graduation. Thank you, Sabre and Nathan, for being open to making this happen. We will also be expanding the School-to-Work Program to make learning more relevant and applicable to real-life options. I look forward to working with the community to create and expand more of these work-based learning opportunities for our students.

We will meet the community in numerous ways. The Eagle will be featuring monthly "Kapptie's Korner" columns to help share information. We are working to have high school students writing articles as part of their English class experiences as well. KFLN, out of Baker, will help us broadcast board updates and interviews. We will continue to use our social media and school website to share events and information. Additionally, we will be discussing making board meetings accessible to everyone in Carter County by streaming regular meetings and having a few regular meetings in different county locations. We understand that the school being at one end of the county creates an inconvenience for many, so keep an eye out–we are bringing the meeting to you!

With all the information being shared, it will be even more important for the community to share their ideas, questions, and concerns. I encourage you to share your thoughts. The phone lines and my number will always be available. However, face-to-face conversations remain the most important way to connect. You are always welcome to stop in the office, chat with me while cheering on the Bulldogs, pull up a chair at the cafe, flag me down out biking, or catch me after church. I want to hear from you and ensure our school continues building on its amazing history.

Thank you for the input on the weightroom/walking track and gym. We will be working to allow more timely access. Please keep your eye out for those updates. We will also be posting some options for adult education classes in coming months, so be on the lookout.

It's branding season, which seems to be the best way to explain my excitement and expectations for the coming year. Branding is never done in isolation; it's done with consideration for your neighbors' branding as well as your own. Branding mixes the old and the young, combining age-old skills like roping and wrestling combined with new technologies like four-wheelers. Brandings involve the entire community to get the job done. By the end of branding season, many different marks have been burned, but for all the ranches, the essential work is complete. That's what our school is all about, and together we will get the job done!

Let's Head 'Em Up, and Move 'Em Out!