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Spring break is in the rear-view mirror, fourth quarter is here, time is flying by. So let's buckle up. 

In the last couple weeks, a couple of high school students accompanied my Mr. Pettis competed in a math competition at Great Falls High. Wheels of Harmony from the Intermountain Opera in Bozeman performed for the entire school with three shows. Last Thursday was our Kindergarten and Jumpstart/Early literacy roundup. Students who attended Close Up and FFA state returned to the building with positive feedback regarding their experience. Tuesday our junior class took the ACT.

Upcoming on the 25th, our 4th grade and junior high classes will be putting on a wax museum, highlighting significant figures of the past. This will be held in the gym. On the 2nd of May, the PTA is sponsoring a Junior High Dance at Wedsworth Hall. A couple of field trips are on the books for the month of May. Finally, hard to believe, but our seniors will graduate before we meet again in May. Busy month and a half ahead. So much going on, but it is fun! 

The final MAST assessment window opened on Monday. The goal is to complete the final round by next week to give a little time before district MAP assessments, which are scheduled for the second week of May. Our 5th and 8th graders will also complete the Smarter Balanced Assessment for science. This is a state requirement for these two classes. With the switch to a state-wide implementation of MAST for the 24-25 school year, I'm unsure on the status for science assessment in these grades at this point.

Elementary reading curriculum is stated to arrive in the near future. Elementary teachers will receive training with Benchmark on the new curriculum in May and another a couple months into next school year. I'm looking forward to the implementation of this new curriculum for the 24-25 school year, and seeing improvement in consistency on content among the grade levels.

The committee that is working on our character initiative for next year continues to meet weekly and to discuss the implementation and goals for the next school year. In order for the process to take hold and remain a part of our culture, it will take some time. I'm looking forward to seeing the progress we make in a year.

Until next month, 

Michael Wilson, K-12 Principal