High School Entry Reaches Substantial Completion

New High School Entry Opened January 18, 2011

The Joyce Easter Student Commons Area

Direct Entry with the H.S. Offices and Attendance Station to the right.

Concession stand and gym & classroom entry.

by Superintendent Robert "Bob" Lewandowski

The High School Entry reached "substantial completion" on January 15, 2011. It is one of two construction projects the District has undertaken this year. Earlier the District completed the Multi-Purpose Complex which houses a new cafeteria, stage, technology center and special needs classroom. Both structures are at "substantial completion" which allows the district occupancy while the contractors complete items on a formal punch list. When visiting the facilities, you may notice a blemish or flaw in workmanship. These type of  items are on the punch list for the contractor to fix, but they do not prohibit occupancy.

The completion of the High School Entry presents a challenge in getting everyone to use the new entry into the school.  The old entry has been restricted to exit only. If you come to the old entry, you will notice appropriate signage indicating the the location of the new access. 

We understand that this transition will take some time, but we encourage everyone to patiently work into the facility as the school staff will help you do so. It is imperative that we maintain student safety by monitoring those accessing the building. As always, we ask all visitors to check into the office before frequenting the school. 

Thank you for your understanding. I hope you enjoy our new facility!

Board Works on District Core Purpose and Values

by Superintendent Robert "Bob" Lewandowski

Why are we here? What do we stand for? The school board met in a workshop session on Tuesday, January 11 from 5:00 PM until 9:00 PM and worked with the Montana School Boards Association to develop the District's core purpose and values. Answering these questions and establishing purpose and values are vital in developing a strategic plan to address district needs.

The Board would like to invite everyone to join them on January 27, 2011 at 5:00 PM in the Multi-purpose Complex (elementary cafeteria) to complete this process with stakeholder input.  It is all about developing a system of discipline. According to Jim Collins, author of  Good to Great: through disciplined people, disciplined thought an organization is able to establish disciplined actions that meet an organization's needs.

Developing a core ideology clarifies the values of an organization in order to identify purpose and establish brand. Collins goes on to say: "Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness is largely a matter of conscious choice and discipline." At Mission, conscious choice and discipline start with identifying the core purpose and values of our educational system.

We can not leave learning success up to chance.  The old saying: "There is never enough time to do things right the first time, but there is always enough time to do them again" is not acceptable when it comes to educating our children.  Please join us on January 27.  Together, with discipline,  we can move forward with identified purpose to take the action necessary to provide the best opportunity for learning success.

School Calendar Development Meeting

We will be developing a school calendar for the next two years and would like to invite all interested parties to come and participate in this process. The 1st meeting will be on Monday, January 10, 2011 in the Elementary Multi-Purpose Room (cafeteria) at 6:30 PM.

We will discuss current issues and challenges facing the district that a calendar and school schedule may affect. Those participating may choose to sign up for committee work to gather information and develop a survey as well as other needs of the group.

This is an excellent opportunity to get involved with the educational processes here at St. Ignatius. Once the committee has developed several calendar options, we will provide the board with the options and rational supporting a recommendation. The board will then consider all recommendations and make a calendar decision. 

Once again, this is an exciting time for our school. A calendar and schedule are key foundation elements for learning. I hope to see you January 10 at 6:30 PM to set a course for the future!