Scoop From The Supt.
What's going on @ Ennis School District # 52
A Message From Superintendent Klasna
On behalf of the Ennis School District, we hope each and every one of you is enjoying the Fall season. It is with great pleasure and enthusiasm that we share with you the incredible school year that we are having. We hope that this newsletter provides you with full transparency and valuable information.
State Test Scores from Spring of 2022
Every year in the spring, public schools in Montana are required to assess their students using the Smarter Balanced Assessment. When the analysis of our spring test results came back, our students showed significant growth over last year. Our overall student scores revealed sizable gains as a district and were also far above the state average scores. As a district, our students were 61% proficient in Math, compared to the state average of 37%. The district scored 61% in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 46%. Congratulations to our students and staff for their hard work in achieving these gains! Our goal as a district is to continue to increase our scores and to see all students reach proficiency in these academic areas. Every student learns differently, which is why we make it a priority to offer individualized instruction to meet individual needs. According to the logistics’ company who analyzes our scores : “Ennis School District scored well above the norm.” Many schools have seen steep declines in their test scores since the pandemic. We are extremely proud of our students and staff for their dedication to learning and of the entire district team for helping each student meet their full potential.
Patriot Day
The elementary students had the privilege of eating lunch with First Responders and showing their appreciation for those who serve our area. This was a definite highlight of the day. Kudos to the Ennis Schools’ cafeteria staff for setting up this important event!
GROWW Program/School Garden
The GROWW program at Ennis Schools is in full swing this year, bringing the classroom outdoors for our kindergarten through fifth grade students. This wonderful school garden, now in its twelfth year, continues to be the ideal outdoor classroom, aimed at giving students first-hand experience in planting and harvesting, as well as an understanding of the importance of the bugs, birds, and bees – and even the deer – that visit our space. This year we have planned garden activities throughout the season, incorporating discussions about our Montana farm and ranchland produce and heritage, and the cycles that our land and environment experience each year. One major kernel our students have learned is that the earth can provide a bounty of food: this year we have harvested carrots, potatoes, beans, corn, squash, beets, tomatoes, cabbage, spinach, asparagus, herbs, and strawberries, and we are getting ready for planting our winter garlic! Our next GROWW project is to install a weather station in the garden – a hands-on science activity for all grades!
Fine Arts’ Offerings
Ennis Schools offers a wide variety of programs for all students, including not only one fine art offering, but two. Our students have been actively involved in the music room, and recently the kindergarten class practiced some songs and sang to our cafeteria staff. Additionally, our elementary classes attend a section of art class from our art teacher, who is also a professional artist. Artistically, our students are very talented! The reports from the art room have been excellent, and the kids are loving their creative opportunities.
Housing Initiatives
Housing opportunities within the Ennis community is definitely a hurdle in recruiting and retaining staff. The school board has been proactive in seeking ways to increase housing opportunities for school staff. We are proud to announce that we have increased our staff housing by currently remodeling a basement of an existing school house into an apartment that is now occupied by a teacher. Also, we are in the process of exploring additional housing initiatives to build staff housing on the lot adjacent to the high school parking lot just west of the preschool. The school board approved this initiative to utilize ESSER (COVID relief) funds, as well as money from other school funds such as the Flex fund to fund this project. We are thrilled that our request to use COVID relief funds was approved by the Montana Office of Public Instruction! This approval allows us to construct a duplex that will house two (2) additional teachers at a very affordable rate. Our goal is to have the duplex completed by the fall of 2023.
School Staffing
You have heard more than likely that the school is short- staffed. That continues to be true, but we have made major gains in filling our positions. Currently, we are making efforts to recruit a high school math and a high school science teacher. For the time being, we have used flexibilities allowed in the law to place some teachers under Emergency Authorization licensure to ensure that we have quality folks in front of our kids. Fortunately, this measure allows these vacancies to be filled for the time being, but we still need to find certified teachers to permanently fill these positions. Please continue to spread the word and to contact the school if you have any leads! A school custodian has recently been hired, which has been awesome. Our custodial team is almost complete, but could use some more interest. Starting pay is $19.30/hr. Bus driver applicants are few and far between, but we have a few that are pursuing certification. Route drivers start out at $25/hr, which is quite competitive! Other staffing needs include two (2) additional instructional paraprofessionals to assist our teachers. Starting pay is $15.45/hr. And we allow 6 years relevant experience. Lastly, we could always use sub teachers! Please contact the school for more information.
Enrollment/Growth
We are growing! Our school enrollment is on a continuous trajectory, with the most growth in the elementary. Our largest elementary class is the 1st grade with 40 kids, the largest class in the middle school is the 7th grade class with 41 students, and the largest class in the HS is the 9th grade with 34 students. We continue to see our enrollment increase, which is posing concerns with having enough adequate space for our staff and students. Our enrollment currently is 422 students K-12, which is up 16 kids from last spring. If the bond is passed, the new facility will provide safe and spacious classrooms with proper acoustics to enhance learning. It will also provide each school its own identity with the floorplan, which will provide a more efficient school environment.
School Safety Committee
The school safety committee meets quarterly to discuss school safety issues that range on a variety of topics from grounds to secure entries to mental health. Our committee is composed of administration, the school resource officer, school nurse, maintenance, and other key personnel. School safety is a priority, demanding vigilance in our efforts to maintain a safe and positive learning environment for staff and students. If the bond is passed on November 8th, the new facility will make several new site safety upgrades from better supervision of the campus to ADA accessibility and so much more.
Ennis Continuing Education Program (ADULT ED)
In addition to offering a well- rounded education to students, the Ennis School District also prides itself in what it offers the community through the Ennis Continuing Education Program. The following is our mission for Continuing Education:
“The Ennis Continuing Education (ECE) Program offers a broad range of courses, skilled instructions, and facilities intended for the personal enjoyment and professional benefit of adults in Madison County. Our hope for this program is two-fold: first, our program encourages as many people as possible to enrich themselves by discovering and/or further exploring their respective interests, pursuits, and talents. Secondly, our program inspires participants to share whatever they gain with one another in a genuine spirit of community building. The Ennis Continuing Education Program is devoted to providing a variety of superior-quality, lifelong learning opportunities that both enhance individual lives and build communal spirit throughout Madison County.”
To learn more about the program, offerings, and important dates, please visit the school website and click on “Continuing Education.”
Communication
Our hopes are that our communication efforts have been adequate and that you have access to valuable information. This newsletter only captures a small portion of all the awesome happenings at our school. We strongly encourage you to visit the school website for more information as we continue to look at ways to improve communication and always invite your feedback. We add new information to our website almost daily and also encourage you to follow the Ennis Schools’ Facebook page, as well as download the Ennis Mustang mobile app. Like always, we recommend you call the school if you have any comments, questions, or concerns.
The Ennis School District & Board of Trustees cannot thank you enough for your support of our school, staff and students. A key ingredient to a successful school is a supportive community. We will continue our efforts to make our school the best that it can be and always strive to do what's best for kids. Have a wonderful rest of your Fall!
Go Mustangs,
Casey Klasna
High School Happenings
High School Happenings
Like the elementary and the middle school, education is moving right along in a very positive direction. When it comes to opportunities for our high school students, we stand out above the rest. The number of course offerings, in addition to the programs offered, is second to none. However, we continue to explore what more we can offer to enhance the school experience for the kids. A vital component to our high school is the student council and their leadership. Every year, our student body votes on who they want to represent them at the school. So far, our student council has been extremely involved, with members stepping up to help our students. Recently, they organized Homecoming Week, the parade, dance, etc. Their leadership has been exemplary , making the staff genuinely proud of them.
High School Journalism Class
If you have not heard of Mustang Monthly, you should consider taking a closer look at that. This is our school newspaper that captures a wide variety of important topics each month. This talented class and teacher produce an upbeat, interesting newspaper! You can find their monthly publication on the school website under the news section. Please check that out!
Junior High School Happenings
8th Grade Yellowstone Trip
Expedition Yellowstone
The 8th grade class, along with two school advisers and volunteer chaperones, traveled to Yellowstone National Park for four days from September 30th - October 3rd to live at the Youth Conservation Corps to explore the wonders of the park with the help of two park rangers. The days were packed with early mornings, late nights, a little rain and lots of fun. The eighth graders learned about geological features at Norris Geyser Basin and Mammoth Hot Springs as they sampled the water and identified the thermophiles in those areas. They also spent time diving into the interactions between all kinds of species within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem . Throw in the bugling elk, massive bison, legends of the past, making the experience memorable for all!
Museum of the Rockies
Recently our 6th grade students had the privilege of visiting the Museum of the Rockies, as well as the Tipi Rings after studying the Archaeology of Tipis. In addition, the 6th graders also viewed and studied the Crow Tribe exhibit at the museum. These activities not only educate our students, but also help fulfill the district’s obligation to implement Indian Education For All into our various curriculums.
Elementary School Happenings
Elementary Happenings
When you walk through the halls of the elementary, it is quite impressive– impressive in the sense of how engaged students are in their classrooms. Currently, we are averaging around 17 students per class and have 2 teachers per grade level. Through our strategic plan, our goal is to keep our class sizes smaller, which in turn benefits kids. Although too lengthy to put all the awesome educational moments in this newsletter, the following is just a snapshot of what happens in our school:
Ennis School District Administrator Team
Superintendent Klasna
Principal Newman-JH/HS
Principal Hilton-Elementary
Counselor Connection
Mike Speck-JH/HS Counselor
A school counseling program, regardless of age, is a very important part of the school day. High school students meet with the counselor consistently to discuss career options, transcripts, course offerings, college admissions, and FAFSA, just to name a few targeted areas. Recently, on September 19th, our school counselor, Mr. Speck, took the seniors over to the Montana State University College Fair. At the fair, there were 88 schools that consisted of 4-year universities, 2-year junior colleges, cosmetology schools, and trade schools. It was a great opportunity for the students to talk to a specific school they might be interested in, and it was valuable for students that are undecided to see many options. The seniors also took a campus tour for a complete picture of the entire environment. Then, on September 26th, Mr. Speck took the juniors over to Butte for the Montana Tech College Fair. There were over 60 schools there for the students to talk to in order to gain more information on specific universities.
A Message From Our School Resource Officer, John Moore
Greetings,
First off, please allow me to introduce myself to our new parents. My name is John Moore and I am a sworn Police Officer for the Ennis Police Department (EPD). I have been employed with the police department since 2011. Prior to working for the EPD I left the Fire Service after 20 years as a Firefighter and Paramedic. I worked in West Yellowstone for 7 years with the Hebgen Basin Fire District prior to coming to EPD full-time.
My job within the school is 3-fold; I am a mentor, a guest educator and a sworn police officer.
I look forward to the opportunity of interacting with your students in any way that I can, as I focus on maintaining a safe learning environment for both students and staff. As we move forward into the school year. I am excited to assist you with any challenges that may arise, and to help educate students and staff on issues related to law enforcement and school safety.
Please understand that we have a variety of students with a vast difference in needs. As a school we will strive to make sure every student has an opportunity to learn in a safe and productive environment. We hope to work with parents as a team to help your students get the best opportunities available.
Please, let’s work together for the safety of all.
Officer John Moore
Activities & Athletics-A message from J. O.
It has been a positive and exciting fall sports’ season. Athletics/extracurriculars are such a vital part of the whole school experience. We offer so much for our kids, which is outstanding.
Our HS volleyball team has found great success, consisting of a varsity,a junior varsity, and a C-squad team, which is due to the number of participants. They have given back to the community through volunteering for the Habitat for Humanity and other community service efforts. The post season (district tourney) is coming up in a few weeks and will be held at Manhattan Christian High School.
The junior high volleyball season just concluded, and we can not be more proud of these young ladies and their dedication. We continue to support 3 teams, consisting of 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. The improvement these girls demonstrated was awesome.
HS football has achieved great success, winning all of their games, except for a hard- fought battle with Flint Creek (Drummond/Philipsburg). There are over 30 participants out for football, which allows us to easily field a varsity and junior varsity team. Currently, the varsity team is sitting in 2nd place in the conference, which means the school will host a first- round playoff game in Ennis!
Jr high football has over 20 participants for this season. They have also been successful on the gridiron , only having 1 loss to this point in the season. Just recently, our school received an email from an opposing fan, bragging about our kids' sportsmanship and the way they carried themselves.
Our high school cross- country program has 6 participants this season. We have 2 boys and 4 girls. All 6 of the student athletes have pre-qualified for the state meet on 10/22 in Missoula. The cross- country team has been active, competing in meets around the state, as well as one in Island Park, Idaho, this season.
The junior high cross- country team has 8 participants this season. They have competed in multiple meets and have done a great job representing our school and community.
It has been fun to watch the students compete and represent our school and community in such a positive matter. A huge thank you to all the coaches and staff that have made these seasons successful for everyone involved. It truly is great to be a Mustang!!
November 7th-11th, from 7:45am-3:45pm
All purchases through the Book Fair benefit our school. Thanks for supporting our kids!
Happy reading!
For more information please contact Cindy Pederson, email: cpederson@ennisschools.org
Blurb from the School Nurse
The Ennis School District is very fortunate to have a great working relationship with the Madison Valley Medical Center. We are one of the few schools our size that has a full-time registered nurse in the school during the school day. The following is a message from Nurse Whitney:
“This marks my 5th year having the wonderful opportunity to serve our school community as the School Nurse. This year has been off to a busy start. We have made it a priority to get students caught up on immunizations according to Montana State Law. Unfortunately, the pandemic hindered many students from getting vaccinations and well-child checkups. We also have offered flu shots again this year through MVMC and have had a great turnout among our staff and students. As the year progresses, I hope to be in the classrooms more with the students, teaching a variety of topics: first aid, how to brush teeth,how to wash hands properly, and puberty instruction. I would also like to get into the high school classes with STD/STI teachings, as well as the importance of abstinence. I love that every day is different and that I am able to help our students stay healthy and succeed fully in their learning. It's a true privilege to be here!”
Thanks, Nurse Whitney, for all your efforts in maintaining a healthy and positive school environment and thanks to MVMC for the great partnership!
Homecoming Week!
Homecoming is in the books for another year and as always, very successful. We celebrated all week long during Homecoming week, displaying positive school spirit and morale! Several events scheduled for our students ranged from dress-up days, to a pep rally, to a Homecoming parade, and to numerous games. Community involvement kicked off with a beautiful night on Wednesday for the BBQ, Open House, and the bonfire, which was very well attended! In my 7 years at Ennis Schools, it was a record turnout and just an awesome way to bring our community together. The Homecoming parade was a big hit on Friday, and the Homecoming floats prepared by the students were full of Mustang Pride. The volleyball team beat the Lima Bears in 3 sets to win their Homecoming game. The football team took on the very gritty Cascade Badgers and came out with the victory ,44-38. It is definitely a plus to win the Homecoming games. To round off the festivities, the high school kids celebrated with a Homecoming Dance on Saturday.
School Bond November 8, 2022 - Don’t forget to vote!
Your vote counts! There is no secret that the Ennis School District is pursuing a 45 million dollar bond on November 8, 2022. The school board and administration have been working diligently to get valuable information out to the taxpayers so that everyone can make an informed decision. All five (5) of your elected trustees are in full support of this project and did a meticulous job adjusting after listening to taxpayer feedback when the last bond was unsuccessful. A few weeks ago, every shareholder should have received a trifold in the mail that detailed the four (4) main pillars of the bond - Safety, Adequate Space, Together, and Future Ready. On that trifold, there was a visual aide with a program legend that shows the upgrades to the existing building, new educational spaces, and the site and safety upgrades. I would also like to point out that on the school website, www.ennisschools.org, there is valuable information that shows the proposed floor plan, bond language and resolution, the cost breakdown of the 45 million, and the entire process from start to finish. A key piece of information on that trifold was the tax impact and how to calculate the tax impact on you as a property owner. We encourage you to please contact the school if you have any questions and hope that all of you can cast your vote on this important measure!
Ennis School District #52
Mailing address: P.O. Box 517, Ennis MT 59729
Email: cklasna@ennisschools.org
Website: www.ennischools.org
Phone: (406-682-4258