Dear Families,

Food drives, toy collections and holiday service projects are in full swing at each of our schools.And it feels like those efforts are super-charged this year.

At Helena Middle School, students “super-sized” the holiday food bags they assemble each holiday season for families in need, adding more food to carry households through this year’s longer Winter Break. A big thanks to HMS neighbor and community partner St. John’s Lutheran for their support.

Meanwhile, Rossiter Elementary raised the bar – and the roof.

This morning, Principal Wynn Randall was escorted up to the school’s rooftop by none other than The Grinch. The green grouch had heard about Dr. Randall’s promise to climb up on the rooftop and not come down until he had raised $2,000 for families in need.

While the Grinch tried his best to spoil the fun – eventually getting sent home by Dr. Randall for throwing snow – the Rossiter gang had actually met their $2,000 goal before the day even began.

By the time Dr. Randall descended from the roof at 2 p.m., the “Rossiter Raise the Roof” fundraiser had brought in $7,000: $3,500 for Helena Food Share and $3,500 for Rossiter families in need.

Way to go Rossiter Royals!

I want to collectively thank the students, staff, parents, volunteers, community organizations and businesses who are supporting holiday giving projects at each of our schools. In addition to helping families in need, these annual projects allow our students to experience the joy of giving and plant the seeds of community spirit.

It’s impossible to highlight each of the amazing projects taking place at every school, but I do want to share the story of one young man, CRA eighth-grader Patrick Tracy, whose generosity and work ethic represent the community spirit we aim to instill in every student at Helena Public Schools.

Please join me in commending Patrick Tracy and his teacher, Sarah Bailey, for their efforts to support the Lewis & Clark Humane Society. And special thanks to KTVH Anchor Marion Davidson for sharing Patrick’s heartwarming project with our community!

Wishing you a wonderful weekend,

Respectfully,