Christmas Newsletter
Scoop From The Supt.
A letter from Superintendent Klasna...not Santa
Greetings Mustang Families and the Ennis Community,
First of all, Merry Christmas! Secondly, thank you for all you do for this great community and for Ennis Schools. Our success at school is due to the very supportive and giving community.
We are fast approaching the end of the 1st semester (Jan.16), which is tough to believe, and hope this letter will keep you well informed on what is happening at the school. Great communication and full transparency is so important and a major goal of ours. We like to brag a little bit about our incredible staff and our awesome students, so some of the following will do just that! If you have any questions on any portion of this letter or just general questions about the school, please feel free to contact Superintendent Casey Klasna @ 406-682-4258 or cklasna@ennisschools.org.
Staff Housing Initiative
The school board and school district are actively pursuing additional housing options that will assist in the recruitment and retention of staff. We all know that housing costs in our community are high, which makes it tough for people to afford, especially teachers. The housing initiative we are working on now is constructing a duplex on a school- owned lot adjacent to the high school lots. We are fortunate to be able to fund a good portion of this initiative with federal COVID-19 money we received. Hopefully, this duplex will be constructed and ready to go by the start of next school year.
Technology Levy
Due to the very generous shareholders of the district, a technology levy was voted and approved in May of 2016. This levy was for 7 years, which means it will expire this spring. This levy generates money to pay for IT services, all technology infrastructure, devices, software, and so much more. This levy allows for us to be up to date in this fast- paced technological world and allows our students the opportunity to have access to a one-to- one device. Another major benefit of this technology levy is that it allows us to have more money in the general fund for daily operations of the school and more educational opportunities for our students. The school board recently discussed this levy at the December 14th meeting and has decided to pursue this levy, which will more than likely be on the ballot in May of 2023. More information will be provided to all shareholders at a later date.
School Staffing Discussion
We continue our efforts to ensure adequate staff at the school. This is a problem that schools across the nation and state are facing. We have continued our efforts and seem to slowly be closing the gap, but we are still in need of teachers. Currently, we have a temporary HS science teacher, but her last day is January 16th, meaning we need a science teacher for the second semester. We are advertising for this position in hopes to get it filled, but that will be difficult. If we cannot fill that position, we have no choice but to offer the classes through an accredited online program (recognized by the Montana Office of Public Instruction). These classes are online and taught by a certified teacher, which may not be the most ideal situation, but it is the best we may be able to do. We are also in search of an additional HS Math teacher for next school year. Currently, our math classes are covered through the remainder of this year. We are in the process of training an additional bus driver, but it looks like the driver may only be seasonal, which is better than nothing. Lastly, we have seen an increase in mental and behavioral health needs in our school and are advertising for a licensed counselor to assist with our high needs’ kids.
School Safety - A Priority
As most of you are aware, we were recently, and unfortunately, a victim of a hoax 9-1-1 call referred to as “swatting.” The Madison County dispatch center (not the school) received a call about a shooting that supposedly took place at the school and prompted local law enforcement to respond, which in this case was under a minute. Obviously, the school was safe and secure when law enforcement arrived, which resulted in us continuing normal operations after law enforcement deemed the school safe. This call was unfortunate and unnecessary, but gave us a chance to be thankful for our law enforcement and their quick response. Several schools across Montana received the same nature of calls.
When we have events like this, it is natural for people to be concerned and to ask questions about the school's efforts in keeping staff and students safe. We are fortunate to have a very proactive staff, which includes our School Resource Officer. In addition to the staff, your elected board of trustees are up- to- date and involved in our processes. Our school board is addressed as needed by the administrative team and the School Resource Officer, John Moore, about the district’s safety efforts. In addition, all staff are trained in ALICE - Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate. In the event of a school emergency, our staff is trained to respond to the specific situation, which will be different each time. Another safety tool we use is CPTED- Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design. This approach has been useful and has made us think about our environment at the school and how to change that to make school safer. For example, do we have a clear view of the parking lots? Do the trees in the front lawn need to be trimmed up to allow a view of the sidewalks? Is there a tree too close to the school where someone could climb on top of the school? Is our campus properly lit when the sun goes down? These are just a few examples of this approach. Lastly, we have a school safety committee that meets quarterly to discuss safety measures.
4- Day School Week Discussion
At the December 14th school board meeting, the board of Trustees made the decision to start investigating what a 4- day school week could look like for Ennis Schools for the next school year. One of the major key points for looking at this model is recruitment and retention of school staff. There is no secret that finding teachers is a real struggle. Other talking points were improving absences, reducing staff burnout, as well as some cost savings. Several schools (175) around the state have adopted a 4- day school week, including schools in our area such as Three Forks, Shields Valley, Sheridan, and Boulder. There are numerous other schools investigating this model for next year as well. What we do know from educating ourselves is that the instructional hours for kids do not change on a 4- day, which does mean a little bit longer day and not as many vacation days, perhaps. It also means that school staff hours do not change much either, meaning they get their work done in 4 days and not 5 by teaching the same amount of time. However, there is a significant amount of research yet to be done for the school board to make an informed decision. We will be having this discussion at future school board meetings, so please stay tuned and contact the school with questions.
On behalf of all of us at Ennis Schools, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous 2023! Like always, please feel free to contact the school if you have any questions!
Sincerely,
Casey Klasna
Superintendent
Ennis School District #52
What's going on inside Ennis Schools
Speech, Drama & Debate
This program is offered to our high school students, and it is excelling in every way and gaining incredible traction.
The following is from our coach Marci Whitehurst:
“The Ennis Speech and Drama Team (we do not have any debaters this year) has had a great start to the season. We've been very competitive at the meets we've attended. Our students have had some personal bests, and their scores add up to make our team score. The team has placed between 3rd and 1st in Speech and has earned a couple 3rd place Drama trophies. Overall, we've seen our team work very hard and grow in their personal speaking skills. A significant aspect of this team is how they encourage one another. We are so proud of their kindness, as well as their talent. We have 16 kids in Speech and Drama this year, and they've all worked to overcome nerves and present information or stories with skills such as eye contact, pacing, and voice projection. GO MUSTANGS!”
The students also performed for the community at a packed open house last week, going twice so the audience could change rooms to watch every student. Those in attendance commented that the evening was enjoyable and overall an evening of outstanding performances.
K-12 Art!
We are so pleased with our art program and art offerings at Ennis Schools. The art room looks amazing, and the students have been doing outstanding. Ennis Schools has some very talented artists! Not only is student art displayed in the art room, but you can find it throughout the school as well.
The following is from our art teacher, Mr. Pearson:
“Greetings from the art room! Aside from the many fabulous paintings created this month by our high school students, we have just finished over 200 ceramic Christmas ornaments, coil pots, and pinch pots. These decorations were sculpted by the elementary students and glazed with the help of our high school and junior high students. I think they all did an amazing job! In addition, our junior high and 3D art class (high school) have created some beautiful ceramic works of their own. Another big undertaking has been the construction of a decorative fireplace for the cafeteria. The first graders kicked off the effort by painting the bricks for us. Many students have helped since, and it will be done by the end of the weekend. A little later than I had originally hoped, but it has been a very busy month! Merry Christmas!”
Shakespeare In The Schools Presents...Macbeth
Shakespeare in the Schools is a program from Shakespeare in the Parks that brings to life Shakespeare’s plays to students in Montana. This year they presented Macbeth to our 6-12 grade students on December 13. They come to our school with a complete set, costumes, sound effects, etc. so students get the full experience. Once the play has concluded, the actors answer questions from the students in a talk back session. Students in the junior and senior classes also participate in a couple of workshops with the actors in the afternoon. This year’s workshops had the students use the play as an example of choosing leaders and understanding what power can mean with different leadership styles. Their other workshop had the students explore choices and consequences surrounding the play by having them act out alternate endings to Macbeth. This is a great opportunity for our students to have an experience they may not otherwise have. Ennis Schools greatly appreciates the Ennis Arts Association who helps with the funding to bring this program to our school.
Elementary Classes Visit The Madison Valley Manor
It is always a pleasure when our kids get to give back to their community. The staff at the school recognizes the importance of giving back to the community and provides opportunities to do it quite often. Recently, a few elementary classes visited the Manor. Our Kindergarten and 4th graders did just that.
The following is from our 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Brozovich:
“On Monday, December 12th, Mrs. Klein's Kindergartners and Mrs. Brozovich's 4th grade class braved the elements to visit the Madison Valley Manor. The kindergartners sang several Christmas songs, and the 4th graders recited "T'was the Night Before Christmas." The students enjoyed performing, and the residents were happy to see the kids. The students also colored a Christmas card for the residents. A good time was had by all!”
Veterans’ Day In The Lunchroom
We were honored to have almost 30 veterans come eat with us this year on Veterans’ Day. We are always so proud of how our kids welcome and thank these American
Heroes! This year a World War II veteran attended; what a great experience that was for the fifth graders to get to visit with him. We would like to thank the Madison Valley Nursing Home for bringing over the vets who live there and everyone else who took time out of this special day to help us teach the importance of our military!
Middle School & Junior High Happenings:
There is a lot happening in middle school. The following are just a few great things!
“Hello, my name is Tami Jenkins, and for those of you who don’t know me, I teach Middle School History, STEM, and Spanish.
In Eighth Grade Montana History, we just finished our unit on explorers of Montana, including Lewis and Clark, by reading excerpts from Clark’s journal before writing our own. We will be starting our trapping unit next and will be digging into what life as a trapper was like by playing a Fur Trapping simulation game and also watching “Jeremiah Johnson.”
In Seventh Grade U.S. History, we are studying the events leading up to the Revolutionary War, including the Boston Tea Party and Boston Massacre. We are currently working on preparing character speeches for a Town Meeting to determine if we should go to war or not! We will be playing a Revolutionary War game to learn the battles, starting after Christmas.
In STEM class, we are working with Lego Mindstorm robots. We built them and are learning to program them to complete obstacle courses and are also perfecting OREO balls that our robots have to carry through the obstacles. We are also preparing projects for the Science Olympiad competition in Bozeman in March.
Finally, in Spanish class, we just finished household words and did a Scavenger hunt where students had to find certain items around their houses, take pictures of them and then present them to the class with the Spanish and English words. We are now working on Family words and also completing 5 postcards about a Spanish speaking country.
Thanks so much for taking an interest in our school and for all of your support for the educational process!”
From Mr. Nelson, English Teacher For Grades 6th-8th:
“In grades 6-8 we are writing Christmas cards that we will be sending to the Philadelphia Children's Hospital. It is something I have done every year that I have taught in the states. It really brightens up the day of a young child who is spending Christmas in the hospital.
It is 4 paragraphs long. We introduce ourselves and then talk about our school. We then talk about Montana and what it is like to live here and include a little history of our state. The 3rd paragraph is about (you, the writer) hobbies, things that make us who we are. Paragraph 4 is wishing them well. We also jazz up the cards with Christmas art.
I have had the hospital contact me in years past telling me how grateful the kids were to receive the cards. It puts a smile on their faces.”
K-12 Music and Christmas Concert
From 5-12 Music teacher, Mrs. Zucker:
“In my music classes, I teach basic academic musical skills while also teaching students how to be well- rounded people. I value creating a music family where we can get together to make music and also have a good time. We focus on playing music that is interesting to the kids so they are captivated by the story being told while learning about different music concepts. All of my classes have grown as musicians, and I am very proud of them. They were able to show off their skills at our annual Holiday Concert on Monday, December 19th. The students did a wonderful job, and I couldn't be prouder of all the work they put into their music. While 5th graders got a chance to show everyone how much they have learned this year on their instruments, the high school band also got to join in on this since they also learned brand new instruments this year. The middle schoolers have risen to the challenge this year to play increasingly harder music, which has allowed us to dive into pieces with more solo parts and different instrumentation. I am looking forward to playing pep band at the basketball games and hopefully having a marching band in the near future.”
From K-4 Music teacher, Mrs. McCollom:
“The gym was full of joy during our elementary winter show. The students provided such cheer this holiday season. We had kindergarten snowmen, first grade candy canes, second grade reindeer, third grade Santa/Mrs. Claus, and fourth grade Christmas colors. The students have been practicing for the last couple months for this performance. They certainly were stars at their concert! I am very proud and feel like they filled everyone’s hearts with joy and peace. This is the feeling we had intended with this performance. Job well done to our elementary students!”
JH Boys’ Basketball
From Coach Gossack:
“JH boys’ basketball season is wrapping up. The boys worked extremely hard this year, and it paid off on the court. Their dedication to teamwork on offense and defense landed them on the winning side more often than not. The guys' hustle is contagious! They dove after every loose ball as they fed off of each other's energy. These boys have a bright future in Ennis High School basketball!”
HS Athletics
From Activities & Athletic Director Overstreet:
Boys Basketball
“The high school boys’ basketball program is off to a great start. We have 22 boys out for this year's team. We are able to field a C squad, JV, and Varsity team. The JV boys have played 4 games so far, winning 3 out of 4. This group has shown great improvement in the short time they have been together. I look forward to watching this group grow as the season goes on. The varsity boys’ team is off to a great start as well. They are 3-3 headed into the break, with a 3-1 record in conference. The boys have done a great job representing our school and community in a positive manner on and off the court. With a new coaching staff this season, the boys have done a great job learning a new system and growing as players. I look forward to seeing where this team ends up by the end of the season. A huge thank you goes out to the coaching staff for working hard and making this season successful up to this point."
Girls Basketball
"The high school girls’ basketball team is off to a hot start. We have 21 girls participating this season. This is the most girls we have had out in the past 5 years. We have more girls out than any surrounding area team, including class B schools. The JV squad has only had 2 games so far this season due to lack of participation by area schools. They are 1-1 so far this season and have shown great improvement in our short time together. I look forward to watching this team grow and learn the game together. The varsity program is off to a great start, with a 5-1 record heading into the break. All the girls have done a great job representing our school and community in a positive manner. I look forward to working with these girls every day and watching them grow as basketball players and humans. A huge shout out to our community and school staff for all the help in making this season successful for our student athletes. I can’t wait to get back to work with this group after the holiday break."
Winter Athletics & Activities
Lunch Menu-January
Mr. Pearson's Art Class...student work
Mustangs in the moment...
Annual Christmas Concert
Mustang Speech & Debate
Shakespeare at Ennis Schools
Checkout Our School Website
Stay Connected...Get The App!
Ennis School District
Email: cklasna@ennisschools.org
Website: https://www.ennisschools.org/
Location: 223 Charles Avenue, Ennis, MT, USA
Phone: (406) 682-4258