Area Back to School 2018

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New principal and vice principal at Havre High School Derek Hann dshann@havredailynews.com

Havre High School has new people in both the principal and vice principal positions, with Ed Norman moving from vice principal to principal, taking the spot of Mike Haugen who took over as St. Jude Thaddeus School’s principal, and Pax Haslem moving into Norman’s former spot as vice principal. Norman said the first think he always tries to do, no matter what, is to create a relationship with the teachers and the students. “If you have a relationship and know your people, I think, that goes a long way with trust both ways,” Norman said. Norman said he wants to make sure that people know that he is going to be consistent in what he says and what he does throughout the entire job. The strength of the high school comes from the staff, he said. “They love kids,” Norman said. The staff continuously better themselves and understand that the educational field is changing. They are able to be flexible with the times and learn how to best prepare their students, he said. He added that another strength of the school is the tradition and the pride the students, teachers and the community have for the Blue Ponies.

“Some of our teachers are Blue Ponies themselves,” Norman said, adding that he sees people who want to give back to their communities. “I think the tradition of excellence we have — and it’s up in the building … I think people really believe that, it’s not just a saying,” Norman said, adding that he wants to maintain that. He said one of the problems Havre High School faces is the speed at which things are changing and having staff and administration trying to keep up and do what’s best for every single kid. Although this may be a hurdle the school faces, he said, Havre High School is one of the few schools with three large technological shops. He added that the automotive tech shop, the woodshop and the metal and welding shop are assets to the school. They also give the high school the option to partner up with the college. Norman, who grew up in Minnesota, said he originally went to college for architecture. In high school, Norman said, he was more worried about getting a degree quickly for a job that pays well, but after attending college he began to think of longevity, what he really wanted to do for the rest of his life. Norman said that was when he found he wanted to be an educator.

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How Ready is Your Child for the New School Year? (StatePoint) Backpack and supplies -- check! So, what’s left to do before going back to school? How about finding out how well your child has learned foundational skills that they need to succeed in the next grade? Ninety percent of K-8 parents believe their child performs at or above gradelevel in reading and math, according to Learning Heroes’ research. However, the National Assessment of Educational Progress finds that only a little more than a third of students are achieving at that level. What’s more, the “summer slide” puts students at risk of losing up to two months of reading skills and two and a half months of math skills over a single summer. To get a better feel for how prepared your child is for the next grade and how to support their learning at home, check

out these tips from Learning Heroes’ “Super 5 Back-to-School Power Moves.” 1. Get a gut check: Use the Readiness Check to see how prepared your child is for their new grade. Designed by leading ex p e r t s i n r e a d i n g a n d m a t h , t h e Readiness Check instantly provides important information about your child’s gradelevel progress with reading and math skills after your child answers just three to five questions in each of the two subject areas. The free tool, which is available in both English and Spanish, also connects you to information, videos and activities to help build grade-level skills at home. To access this tool and other resources, visit bealearninghero.org. Other ways to assess how ready your child is for the new grade include paying attention to how easy or hard it is for them to do grade-level tasks and looking at their annual state test

results from last year. If you haven’t received the results yet, ask your child’s teacher. 2. Partner up: At your first teacher meeting, bring your child’s state test results and ask what they mean for this year. Find out what’s expected of your child and how you can provide support at home. Help the teacher get to know your child by sharing their interests and strengths as well. You can also share what you learned from the Readiness Check. 3. Make learning fun: You are the expert on your child and can make learning exciting. Read together, choosing topics that interest your child. Find math in everyday life and turn it into a game. These small learning moments add up to a lot.

4. Celebrate effort: Help your child see that hard work is what leads to success. Focus on effort and what your child is learning. This will help your child feel less nervous about new tasks or subjects. 5. Support life skills: Strengths such as communication, problem-solving, and confidence will help your child in school and life. Talk openly with your child about how they feel and handle situations, especially tough ones. “Learning happens everywhere -- at home, in the community and in the classroom,” says Bibb Hubbard, founder and president of Learning Heroes. “The Super 5 Back-to-School Power Moves can help you use the summer and beginning of the school year to get a more complete picture of where your child is on track, and where more attention and focus may be needed.”

North Star: Knight in Need helps local students Havre Daily News/Ryan Welch Havre High School Principal Ed Norman, left, and Vice Principal Pax Haslem pose for a photo outside the school Wednesday.

He added that many of his coaches throughout his youth had helped make him the man he is today. One, an elementary school physical education teacher, changed his life. “I was a chubby kid that people made fun of, and he was the guy that basically said it doesn’t matter what you look like, you can do all these things like everybody else,” Norman said. It was something that had made a lasting impression on him. “He made me believe I could do whatever,” he said. He said he had originally moved from Minneapolis to Seattle to work as a coach and a substitute teacher. While visiting a friend in Missoula he met his future wife. They moved to Missoula, where he taught and coached wrestling at Big Sky High School for 11 years. While in Missoula, Norman said, he received a degree in school administration from University of Montana. In 2004 Norman took a job in Florence as a middle school principal for three years, but left because he wanted to get back to working at a high school, he said. He then got a job in Moscow, Idaho, for seven years, working as an assistant

principal then a principle of an alternative high school and an elementary school, Norman said, adding that after awhile wanted to return to Montana. In 2014 he became the high school principal in Laurel before coming to Havre High School as an assistant principal last year, he said. “We like Havre, the people are super friendly,” he said. “I’m just excited for the year, and go, Blue Ponies, let’s do this,” Norman added. Vice principal Haslem said he is excited to be part of a national trend that is already being displayed in Havre. Haslem said nationally there are big changes happening in the educational field, and Havre is one of the schools that is displaying the positive transition. “I bring a lot of different things to the table,” he added. He said the biggest thing for him is to be making positive relationships and getting to know the staff. Not being from Havre originally, he said, he has to build relationships and get to know the families in the area, something that he is

■ See HHS principals Page 9

Editor’s note With the early deadline needed to produce this section and most schools in the middle of transition from last school year to this, not all area schools were able to provide information to the Havre Daily News in time for publication.

■ Continued from page 8 plan on participating in any sport will need to complete the MHSA physical form and pass the physical prior to beginning practice. Physical forms can be obtained at http://www.northstar.k12.mt.us under Sports or at the office in Rudyard. High school football and volleyball practices began Aug. 10 and junior high football and volleyball practices began Aug. 13. During bad weather or school emergencies, school closure or delays will be announced on the Havre radio stations, 610 KOJM-AM and KPQX-FM 92.5. The Infinite Campus messenger system may also be used to contact parents and guardians. Activity pass prices are: Family $250, Adult $125, Student $25. Students in grades five through 12 who participate in football, volleyball, basketball or track are required to purchase an activity pass. If a family pass is purchased, a separate student pass is not required. These prices covers all North Star athletic regular season competitions, but excludes tournaments, playoffs and showcases. Family passes do not include college-age children. Knight in Need is similar to “My Student in Need” that is advertised in the

Great Falls Tribune. Thanks to anonymous donors, funds are available to help students. If your student needs help getting their school supplies, please contact Carol Tempel at the school office, 355-4481 or at ctempel@nsschools.org. If students need assistance for other items, they may be considered, just contact Carol. The North Star School District is a Montana Behavior Initiative school. The Knight CODE is the universal expectation for students and staff. Challenge yourself Own your behavior Display respect Encourage others Staff includes: Superintendent Bart Hawkins Business Manager Kathy Preeshl Administrative Assistant Carol Tempel Elementary Secretary Katie Bangs Custodian and Maintenance Chris Lavery Custodian-Elementary Cheryl Lavery Custodian-MS/HS Rhonda Olson Cook-Elementary Catalina Carlon Cook-MS/HS Pam Langel A s s i s ta n t C o o k - E l e m e n ta r y B ra n d y Knutson Assistant Cook-MS/HS Chris Lockridge Activities Director Brian Campbell

Guidance and Counseling K-12 Rose Spinler Half-time Kindergarten Davilyn McCormick Kindergarten Mackenzie Jenkins Grade 1/Lead Teacher Jan Donoven Grade 2 Twila Dyrland Grade 3/Elementary Music Val VanWechel Grade 4 Michelle Clawson Grade 5 Scott Froehlich Grade 6 Primary Teacher/Math 7 Sarha Lockridge Art K-12 and English 7 Linda Lett Library/Music/Social Studies 6 Elizabeth Campbell English 8-12 Rachel Humphreys Family Consumer Science/JMG Marjorie

Chinadle History 7-12 Kaine Berardinelli Industrial Tech/Traffic Safety Steve Simonson Math 9-12 Brian Campbell Math 8/Business Karleen Wolery PE/Health 6-12 Steve Simonson Science 7-1 Pam Renaker S p e c i a l E d u c a t i o n K - 1 2 Te r i c a Schaumloeffel Paraprofessional-Elementary Dani Jo Kline Paraprofessional-6-12 Tiffany Rettig Paraprofessional K-12 Kendall Greer Technology Jorgenson Lipp/Nelson

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Lincoln-Mckinley excited for new year Dear parents and guardians of LincolnMcKinley Students, The staff of Lincoln-McKinley Primary School is excited to welcome you to the 2018-19 school year. Hopefully, you had an adventurous, safe and fun-filled summer. Our team is excited to meet all of the new students and welcome back those who are returning. An informational parent orientation will be held from 11:30 a..m. to noon or noon to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 28. This is a great way for families to meet their child’s teacher as well as learn important procedures to make this a wonderful school year.

The first day of classes for secondand third-grade students is Wednesday, Aug. 29. Students begin the day at 8:20 a.m. and are dismissed at 2:45 p.m. Placement letters and class supply lists were mailed out for enrolled students in June, students new to the district should be receiving theirs in a timely manner. Local stores have copies of the supply list, and it is also available on our school’s website at www.blueponyk12. com/. Choose the schools tab, then Lincoln-McKinley, and you will find the supply list link on the left side of the page. For children riding the bus, you will find their busing information on the same website. To register them, click on the

parents tab at the top of the page, then scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the transportation and busing tab to fill out the bus registration form. A few days after you register your child, you can check their bus schedule on the website by selecting the parents tab, then go to the bottom of the page, click on parent portal, search your child, and select the transportation tab to show their routes in Infinite Campus. If you do not have access to a computer or need help, please contact the Havre Pu b l i c S c h o o l s Tra n s p o r ta t i o n Department at 395-8556, ext. 1. In the parent portal you can also select application forms and fill out an online application for free or reduced

meals. For students who have not had the opportunity to register, please take a moment to contact the Robins School Administration building at 395-8550 to schedule an appointment. If you have any questions between now and the beginning of school, or at any time during the year, please feel free to call the school at 3958554. I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you in the building. Let’s work together to make this an enjoyable year filled with learning and laughter. Sincerely, Principal Holly Bitz Lincoln-McKinley Primary School

Sunnyside school looking forward to new year Greetings parents, guardians, and caring adults, We at Sunnyside Intermediate School are looking with excitement to the start of a new school year! We thank you for sharing your children with us and look forward to working with you. Please know that you are always welcome at our school! Transportation information is availa b l e e i t h e r o n l i n e t h ro u g h I n f i n i t e Campus parent portal or from the bus garage. If you have not yet registered

your child for busing or if his/her bussing information needs to be changed, please go online to fill out the bus registration form at http://www.blueponyk12. com/. We strongly encourage you and your student to read the handbook carefully and refer to it for suggestions and information. The handbook provides you with necessary information regarding the daily operation of our school. The handbook is available on the district and Sunnyside web page. Additionally, the Infinite Campus parent portal allows

ease in seeing student grades, paying for lunches, and updating contact information for you and your child. The Sunnyside Open House is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 28, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. This meet-and-greet will begin in the gym at 5:30. After introductions and a brief presentation, parents and students will have the opportunity to visit their classroom as well as tour the school. This is an important event that helps your youngster feel comfortable in the building. We want students and parents to always feel welcome in our build-

ing! I hope to see each of you there! School begins Wednesday, Aug. 29, at 8:20 a.m. The campus opens at 7:50 each morning. The day concludes at 3:20 each afternoon. Please call 395-8553 if you have questions or ideas. I am looking forward to a great year and to working with you as we invest in your student’s education. Respectfully, Principal Carmen Lunak Sunnyside Intermediate School

Davey, Cottonwood schools offer modern one-room school environment Davey Elementary School District 12 Davey Elementary School, a kinderg a r t e n t h ro u g h e i g h t h - g ra d e r u ra l school, with one-to-one ratio teacher to student, started Wednesday, Aug. 22. It

offers great curriculums, a super playground and an excellent staff. If interested in having your student attend a modern “one-room schoolhouse,” call the district clerk at 265-6970.

Cottonwood Elementary School District 57 Cottonwood Elementary School, a kindergarten through eighth-grade rural school, with one-to-one ratio teacher to student, started Tuesday, Aug. 21, with a four-day week calendar. It still has openings for 2018-19. Furthermore, the school board is seek-

ing to fill a vacant seat. People who are interested in becoming involved with their district school can call the Hill County superintendent at 265-5481.

If interested in having your student

attend a modern “one room schoolhouse” with a super staff, call the district clerk at 265-6970.

Hays-Lodge Pole announces new faculty, plans Native American Week activities Press release H a y s - Lo d g e Po l e s c h o o l s h a v e announced some new staff for the 2018-19 school year. Paul Condon is the new physical education teacher for K-12. Kami Cox is teaching business educa-

tion.

Amy Snow is the new elementary spe-

cial education teacher. Students are busy planning for Native American Week activites for the last week in September.

Follow the Havre Daily News for all your Havre Area Schools news, sports and information. www.havredailynews.com

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Tweeten, former Havre Public Schools student, donates a blue pony Kelly Otterness kotterness@havredailynews.com Havre High School got a new pony this summer, which can be found rearing inside a corral on the school’s north lawn. Former students of Havre Public Schools Kevin and Tina Tweeten donated the blue horse to the school system and several other Havre businesses freely gave their time and materials in order to paint the statue a bright, school-pride blue to match the high school’s team name the Blue Ponies. “I was really excited that we were going to get it,” Havre High Principal Ed Norman said, adding that students were excited, too. “We’ve got a lot of kids that have been coming in and out of the building already,” Norman said, “whether they are coming in for registration, or sports teams, or marching bands and we’ve had some really good feedback already. They think it’s neat.” Havre High will invite the senior class to paint the walkway leading up to the pony this year, Norman said, with “Class of 2019” and any positive messages they like. Future senior classes will be invited to paint other sections of the sidewalk, but this year’s class will have the first access to the walkway, Norman said, giving them an opportunity to have pride in the school’s culture. “I think it’s just another way for kids to be involved with what we’re doing. We

already have a really good culture and a lot of kids are participating in what we do,” he said, “but we still want to keep growing that and have more and more students get involved in activities — just have more kids get to buy into our positive behavior.” Kevin Tweeten was happy with the time he spent in the Havre Public Schools, he said, which he attended through his freshman year of high school before moving to Washington state. He has since made his home in Havre with his wife and children as the owner of Hank Tweeten’s Auto Body shop, which is widely known as Hammer’n Hank’s. “This is a great community,” Tweeten said, “especially for raising a family.” “His kids are all gonna go (to Havre High),” Hammer’n Hank’s secretary Kim Purkett added. The horse statue came from the lawn of the Circle Inn Motel, which Kevin Tweeten said he and his wife bought seven years ago. Last year, when the couple shut the motel down, Tweeten said, they needed to find a place for the horse. “There was really no deciding,” Tweeten said. “We knew exactly what to do with it.” Tina Tweeten called Havre Public Schools Superintendent Andy Carlson, who accepted the donation . To paint it blue, however, Tweeten said he and his wife realized they would need help, even though they own an auto body shop.

Rocky Boy and Box Elder schools partner to receive education grant of $231,822 Kelly Otterness kotterness@havredailynews.com By combining forces, Rocky Boy and Box Elder public schools will once again provide after-school and summer programs this year for their students. The schools partnered for the first time this year to apply for the Montana Office of Public Instruction’s 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant Program, which they usually apply for separately, Box Elder Superintendent Jeremy MacDonald said. He added that there were some changes in the grant this year, which became a little more competitive, and the office wanted schools to consolidate. The Office of Public Instruction approved the schools for a $231,822 grant, which will cover a range of different activities for each school, MacDonald said. Box Elder Public School, a K-12 institution, provides a variety of programming, including after-school tutoring, math intervention and cultural components like language-learning, he said. “There’s a big emphasis on physical activity,” he added, “on trying to keep students active and healthy.” Box Elder was able to get a slight increase in funding and add some activities, he said, including field trips. The new activities are focused on “keeping kids active, keeping ’em engaged (and) promoting intellectual activity and physical activity,” MacDonald said.

Working with Rocky Boy schools toward those goals was a natural fit, he added. “With Rocky Boy schools, since we’re both serving the same community and population of students, we definitely want to collaborate with them,” he said, “and work together to meet the educational needs of our community, and of the families, as well.” A representative of Rocky Boy schools could not be reached for comment before printing deadline for this story. RJS & Associates Inc. wrote the grant proposal for the two schools, MacDonald added. “They have the experience and the expertise as far as the grant writing,” he said. “A lot of what we worked on was just sharing with them our ideas of how we could implement things at the school. There was a huge amount of collaboration that went into the process.” Box Elder has an agreement to work with RJS throughout the school year, MacDonald said; the consulting firm researches grants for the school. A representative of RJS was not available for comment before printing deadline for this story. “We are 100 percent American Indian-owned, controlled, and staffed corporation,” the RJS web page says, “with more than 35 years of experience providing a variety of professional services to many satisfied clients throughout the nation, with a particular focus on Indian Country.” The consulting firm has successfully raised more than $350 million dollars for its clients over the last 15 years, the web page adds.

A new Blue Pony stands outisde of Havre High School. “Normally we don’t work on horses,” Tweeten said. Although they did once paint a horse for Norman’s Ranchwear, “This one just wouldn’t fit in our spray booth with the way it’s standing,” Tweeten said, adding that he

Havre Daily News/Ryan Welch

had also been running low on spare time.

That’s when he and his wife thought of

asking other people for help, he said, and made a few calls in the community.

n New Blue Pony Continued to Page 9

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New year starting at Havre High Havre High School will begin school Wednesday, Aug, 29. The school will be conducting a freshman/new student orientation that will be held in the morning from 8:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. All freshmen and new students are required to attend this event. All other students will be required to attend afternoon classes for the rest of the day starting at 12:35 p.m. Buses will run on regular schedules in the morning and in the afternoon, so students who ride the bus will be responsible to transport themselves to school at noon on the first day only. Hot lunches will be served. New student or transfer student enrollment will start at our administrative building located at 425 Sixth Street. All transfer/ new students planning to attend Havre High must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian with a copy of their birth certificate, immunizations and proof of residency (example: utility bill, phone bill, etc.) when coming to register. New I.D. cards for all students are required with a small fee. This I.D. card will allow students admission to all high school events at a reduced charge, or by paying an additional $20 when registering and purchasing the I.D. card, students are pre-paid for admission to all Havre High School athletic and performing arts events for the 2018-19 school year.

Also, any parents who would like to purchase the all-season family pass for the entire 2018-19 school year may do so at the cost of $150. This pass is only good for students in grades K-12. It does not cover students who have already graduated from Havre High School. Individual adult passes are available for the entire year at the cost of $65. Students who are planning to use the hot lunch and breakfast programs may put money on their individual accounts. The daily charge for a student breakfast is $1.80 and hot lunch is offered for $2.55. Havre High School Yearbooks may also be ordered and purchased at the cost of $50. All HHS students need to be reminded that if they have fines due to any non-returned or damaged textbooks, overdue library books, or fines from extra-curricular activities, these needed to be paid for and/ or returned at registration. Please remember the dress code for the upcoming school year. Of note, shorts and skirts must be mid-thigh length or longer and hats are not to be worn inside the school building. The school faculty and staff certainly appreciate parental help in seeing that students are dressed appropriately when leaving for school. Students will be asked to change clothes if a correction is needed. There have been changes to the Student Handbook regarding attendance, electronic usage and other rules. Please

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St. Jude Thaddeus School provides family-centered education with tradition of excellence St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic School, a two-story brick building with a daylight basement, was constructed in 1916. The school opened in September of 1916 with one hundred students in the first four grades, taught by two Sisters of Penance and Christian Charity of St. Francis. The daylight basement has been recently remodeled and is still used today along

with the connected two-story grade school opened in 1954. Due to the generosity of our benefactors and numerous educational grants, many updates have been added such as a computer lab, “Promethean Interactive Touchboards,” updated lab science materials and, most recently, new hallway flooring. The school offers a 3-year-old preschool, a

4/5-year-old pre-kindergarten program, and grades kindergarten through fifth grade along with a sixth- to eighth-grade junior high experience. As it did in 1916, St. Jude Thaddaeus Catholic School provides a family-centered learning environment where every student is encouraged to reach their full potential intellectually, emotionally and spiritually.

Our certified teachers educate students utilizing the Golden Triangle Cooperative Curriculum. Along with our recent accreditation, we continue our tradition of academic excellence, rooted in Christian values and service to others. Principal Mike Haugen St. Jude Thaddeus School

New Blue Pony: Tweeten: 'It looks phenomenal' ■ Continued from page 3

read the handbook on the HPS district website or the HHS webpage. All students utilizing bus transportation for the 2018-19 school year were to pick up their bus schedule during registration and were asked to update their personal bus information and leave it with the office staff.

People with any questions regarding bus transportation can contact Leila at the Bus Garage at 395-8556 or via email a haiglerl@ blueponyk12.com/. Falls sports have already started. If a student wishes to participate in a sport for the 2018-19 school year they must pay a $25 per activity participation fee.

“Kevin actually called me and wanted me to strip it (of its paint),” Shane Christiansen of My Canvas Auto said, adding that he quickly said he’d do it. “I soda blasted it because it was made of fiberglass,” Christian said, “and that way it didn’t dig through the gel like sand would.” Soda blasting uses soda bicarbonate, he said, adding that stripping the original paint off the statue took six to seven hours. After Christiansen stripped the horse of paint it moved over to Custom Collision Repair, where Chris Prepuptin had agreed to give it a makeover. Ryan Reibsome of Custom Collision

Repair did the paint job on the statue, Tweeten said, and KC Auto Paint and Supplies donated the paint. “It looks phenomenal,” Tweeten said. “They did a great job on the painting.” “It took a little bit of work, lots of climbing up and down ladders,” Reibsome said. “I think it turned out really well.” Reibsome said he was excited about the project from the beginning. “I thought it was a really good thing that Shane from My Canvas Auto and Kevin from Hammer’n Hanks got going, and I was just happy to be part of it,” he said, “and that everyone would see it who was going to

the games or just to the school in general.” “The biggest thing was just being part of the donation,” Reibsome added. “We like doing things for the community, so it was a good deal.” Once the horse was painted blue, Tweeten said he picked it up with a trailer and drove it to Robins School Administration building, where he left the decision of the placement at Havre High up to the principal and superintendent. “Apparently they built a little corral for it and everything,” Tweeten said. “When I’ve driven by a couple times, it looks really good where it’s at.”

Carlson chose the spot for the blue pony on the north side of the building, Norman said, adding that he learned that district maintenance workers fabricated the corral while talking to them during its installation. Tweeten said he was happy with how the community stepped in to help him make the donation to Havre High. “I thought it was really cool that, even though we’re all competitors in business,” Tweeten said, “we could come together for the community.” “We’re all friends outside of business,” he added, “and in business.”

HHS principals: Haslem: ‘I think it’s a pretty solid community’ ■ Continued from page 2 happy and excited to do. Havre also has a lot of opportunities for him and his family, Haslem said. Being a single father of two daughters he sees a lot of potential for his daughters’ future. In general, he added, Havre has a lot of opportunities for its kids. “I think it’s a pretty solid community. Everybody I’ve talked to has been very positive,” he said. Haslem was born in Billings and attended college at the University of

Hawaii, where he played baseball, he said, adding that his coach had encouraged him and his teammates to get into substitute teaching where he first got a look at the field. After graduating with a degree in business administration, he said, he got into education. “I just kind of fell in to education; it just kept calling me back,” he said. One of the reasons he is an educator and an administrator is because of his daughters.

“Sometimes as a parent with your kids you think, ‘I do a lot of things that are good for my kids,’ so why wouldn’t you do that for some other people’s kids,” Haslem said. He added that he has taught all over the country including in New York, North Carolina, Nevada and Connecticut, before coming back to Montana, where he taught at Colstrip and was the principle at a middle school. He obtained a master’s degree in edu-

cational leadership at Rocky Mountain College. Haslem said he is impressed with the high school staff, and his whole family is excited to be in Havre. He added that this is his first time at the high school level, and he is very excited to work with Norman. “We’re excited to be here, and there are some good opportunities for us,” Haslem said.

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North Stars Schools enter new year Ye s, N o r t h S ta r S c h o o l s s ta r t e d Monday, Aug. 20! Here is North Star Schools in Rudyard and Gildford ready to begin a new school year with about 175 students K-12! A middle-school concept has been put in place with grades six to eight in Rudyard with grade six having one teacher for most core classes. Also, a half-time morning kindergarten has been added at the elementary in Gildford for students who are 4-5 years old. A few new faces joined the staff this year and several staff members are changing positions. New to North Star is our grades eight to 12 English teacher, Rachel Humphreys. She recently graduated from Montana State University in Bozeman. Also, Kaine Berardinelli will be teaching history to grades seven through 12. After achieving the rank of captain in the U.S. Army, he has recently graduated from MSU, as well. Berardinelli will also serve as our assistant high school football coach. Brandy Knutson will be the assistant cook at the elementary school. Although not new, as she has been coaching volleyball and student-taught at North Star last year, but new as a kindergarten teacher will be Mackenzie Jenkins. Val VanWechel will be teaching third

grade along with some elementary music. She was previously a very good sub for the district and has taught before in both Montana and Wyoming. Kendall Greer, who most recently lived in Bozeman, will be a K-12 paraprofessional this year. Changes include Catalina Carlon moving to the elementary to be the head cook. Chris Lockridge moved to the middle school-high school in Rudyard to be the assistant cook. Terica Schaumloeffel will be our special education teacher this year with the assistance of Marilyn Jurenka from Bear Paw Cooperative. Sahra Lockridge will be the primary teacher for the sixth grade. Jan Donoven will be the lead teacher at the elementary. Davilyn McCormick will teach our halftime kindergarten students. Elizabeth Campbell will be our librarian and leading middle school and high school music. Charlie Chvilicek will take over the Gildford bus duties this year, and Mr. Lockridge will be driving the RudyardHingham route. Mr. Hawkins will coach our middle school football program. Positions that are still open include both the high school and middle school boys and girls basketball teams, which

Courtesy photo The North Star High School speech and drama team, Daniel Nerat, from left, Garret Pederson, Hayden Massar, Coach Linda Lett, Jewel Wicks, Aubrey Welch and Ashley Otto pose for a photograph with the team's 2017 second-place divisional trophy. North Star is into its third week of school with classes and activities well underway

are in need of head and assistant coaches. Contact the main office at 355-4481 if you can help out with any of these positions. School for North Star students began Monday, Aug. 20, at 7:55 a.m. for elementary students and at 8:05 a.m. for students in grades 6-12. School will dismiss as usual at 3:45 p.m. Breakfast and lunch will be served. Buses will run on the same schedule as last year. Check out the school website at http://www.northstar.k12.mt.us for lunch menus, the class schedule, activities, bus routes, free and reduced lunch application, the Infinite Campus portal for parents, elementary information and more. All students entering the seventh grade had to receive a dose of Tdap/Td Havre Daily News/File photo Kira King, left, and Jessica Troupe accept a check for a thousand dollars from Shaud Schwarzbach from Northwest Farm Credit Services. The money went to a fund to buy new playground equipment for North Star Elementary School in Gildford after someone vandalized the old equipment.

booster vaccine prior to the start of school. School pictures will be taken Sept. 4 beginning at the elementary at 8 a.m. and then move to the junior high and high school in Rudyard later that morning. School meals prices are breakfast $1.65 and lunch $2.65 for students. Students must pre-pay or bring money each day they eat. The Free and Reduced-Price School Meals Application is available on the school website. Drivers education is offered second semester during the school day. A fee of $150 must be paid before Jan. 20. Student class schedules were mailed home for each individual in grades six through 12. Drop/adds were accepted until Aug. 13. After that date, students can complete drop/add slips after school begins. Students in grades five through 12 who

■ See North Star Page 11

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Havre Middle School registration this week The Havre Middle School Staff would like to welcome students to the 2018-19 school year. People who have any questions or concerns during the year can contact Principal Dustin Kraske, Vice Principal Jeremiah Nitz or secretaries Tami Karns and Meg Lippy. First day of school is Wednesday, Aug. 29. Registration was last week. At that time, students were to pick up their class schedules; locker assignments; assignment notebooks, $4, required; school I.D., $2; required; sports physical forms; and other pertinent items. Parents, please be aware that assignment books and lunches must be purchased separately. The sports physical form is required of all students participating in sports, it must be completed prior to participation. General supplies for the school year include pencils, pens, highlighters, zippered binder, collegeruled looseleaf paper, 2-inch three-ring binder, paper grocery bags for book covers, five-subject notebook, tissues, combination lock for health enhancement, P.E. clothing and shoes. More information is available on the Havre Public Schools district website at http://www.blueponyk12.com/. Montana School Immunization Law requires that all students entering the seventh grade in Montana schools have a TDAP for tetanus and the required two MMRs for measles, mumps and rubella. HMS has policies in regard to medications, whether prescription or nonprescription. Medications must be delivered to the office by a parent or guardian and a medical authorization form be completed. Upcoming schedule: Aug. 29 — First day of school, cross country and cheer practice start Sept. 1 — Football at Fairfield, girls basketball at Cut Bank Sept. 6 — Fall open house at HMS 5:30 p.m. *Follow Havre Middle School on Twitter*

Havre Daily News/Ryan Welch Jarred Taylor conducts Havre Middle School band members during Havre Middle School's band concert in the 2017-18 school year. The concert consisted of 10 songs including songs from “The Little Mermaid” and the Lion King. Taylor has been the middle school's band teacher since August 2017 and has a master's in conducting.

Box Elder welcomes all to new school year Students, families, community, and neighbors, We are very excited to start our 2018-19. Staff returned Tuesday, Aug. 21, and students began Aug. 23. Fall sports kicked off Aug, 10 and we currently have practices for high school and junior high football, volleyball and cross country with our first competitions last week or about to start. Box Elder’s Administrative and Teacher Leadership teams spent a portion of their summer updating the schools’ Vision and Mission Statement. An emphasis was placed on incorporating our community’s unique history and cultural heritage into the school, while using state-of-the-art educational materials and research to prepare our learners with 21st-century skills. We welcomed six new staff members who wo r ke d w i t h s c h o o l p r i n c i p a l s, M rs. MacDonald and Ms. St. Goddard and we continued our back-to-school professional development when all staff returned.

Box Elder has made many positive gains in recent years and we continue to refine and improve our educational services. We will continue to prioritize the holistic needs of our students while implementing a supportive, safe, and challenging learning environment. As always, any feedback or recommendations from students, families, community and neighbors is appreciated. Here’s hoping everyone has an enjoyable and memorable 2018-19 school year! Respectfully, Box Elder School Administration

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Welcome back to another school

Students register at Havre High School for the upcoming school year.

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year in north-central Montana

Courtesy photo

The Havre High School marching band practices for the 2017-18 sports season laset year.

Havre Daily News/File photo

Havre Daily News/Ryan Welch Ella Hawkins reads a book to her grandmother Diane Clark during Grandparent's Day at North Star Elementary School in Gildford during the 2017-18 school year.

Havre Daily News/Ryan Welch Parents and children play math games at Highland Park Early Primary School during the 2017-18 school year as part of a math night put on by the school. Along with the games, students and their parents also had the opportunity to eat chili and interact with teachers.

Havre Daily News/Ryan Welch Girls wear colorful paper hats and boys, standing, wear paper vines with backward hats as second-graders at Lincoln-McKinley Primary School perform for parents during the 2017-18 school year in the Lincoln-McKinley Spring Garden program. The program, which is split on which class is performing which day, had another performance.

Havre Daily News/Ryan Welch With the light shining on his white hat, Caleb Tomac, a sixth-grader at Havre Middle School, stands out as he and other members of the sixth-grade choir sing "Forever Country" by Mac Huff during the 2017-18 school year.

Havre Daily News / Colin Thompson Kenneth Wilson performs "Pure Imagination" during the talent show in the Havre High School auditorium, during the 2017-18 school year.