Dear Families and Staff,

As we begin to wind down the year, I want to thank Karen Ogden for her work over the last four years. Karen is responsible for developing a positive communications strategy that continually showcases the great things that occur in our schools every day.

From academics to athletics to activities to award-winning teachers and students, our community is regularly reminded that Helena provides a great public education. I hope you will join me in thanking her for the work she has done.

In addition to her true gift in communications, Karen is a remarkable human who cares deeply for the Helena Public Schools students and staff, and this great place we call home, Helena.

I want to wish her well as she readies to move to her new position with Montana The Magazine of Western History! Thank you, Karen, from all of us.

This week we also recognized 55 students and 55 educators in our district at a very special event.

If you’ve ever been to the “Celebration of Excellence,” you’ll understand my heartfelt disappointment when I learned I could not attend this year because of a serious illness of a family member.

This once-a-year, one-of-a-kind event celebrates the profound work that our teachers do and the students whose lives are forever changed by it.

Anyone who’s experienced this special evening also knows that A.) You should bring Kleenex, and B.) You will leave feeling inspired, humbled and motivated to reach out to a teacher who made a difference in your own life.

Those of us who could not be there for this year’s banquet, which was held Tuesday evening, are in luck. The Helena Education Foundation (HEF) has beautifully captured the evening in an e-book.

If you are an ardent supporter of public education, if you have doubts about the value of our public schools, if you’re a student seeking rolehttps://online.fliphtml5.com/ymlgi/hscs/ models, or an educator seeking inspiration, this book is for you.

If you’re unfamiliar with the “Celebration of Excellence” program, it works like this: Each year, staff nominate graduating seniors for personal and academic achievements. Approximately 50 of these students are selected as either “Distinguished Achievers” or “Distinguished Scholars.” The students then nominate educators who had a positive impact on their school career to be honored as “Distinguished Educators.” All are recognized at the “Celebration of Excellence” banquet, hosted by the Helena Education Foundation and its generous donors.

This year’s banquet emcee was University of Montana President Seth Bodnar, who read the students’ nominations for their teachers as each pair was recognized.

I want to share an excerpt from a nomination written by Helena High Senior Olivia Cook for her French Teacher, Madame Susan Bartels.

“Madame Bartles is an extravagant teacher with so much passion for what she does,” writes Olivia. “In the four years I’ve known her, I have gained so much wisdom and joy from being her student.”

Extravagant: While the word perfectly captures the special spirit of Madame Bartels, it also defines what it means to dedicate one’s life to education. Our teachers care extravagantly for the students they serve.

I hope you will take a few minutes to browse through these colorful and inspiring pages.

I also want to recognize another individual who has given extravagantly to our students, our educators and our Helena community.

This year’s Celebration of Excellence marked the retirement of the Foundation’s Executive Director Lisa Cordingley. Since taking the reins in 2008, Lisa has built HEF into Montana’s premiere K-12 public education foundation – a model for how a community can come together to support its schools.

From the Fabulous Firsts program, which puts a new book in the hands of every first grader each fall, to the “Spark” and “Great Ideas” grants that help teachers pursue innovative classroom projects, our schools would not be the same without HEF.

Thank you, Lisa, for the tremendous impact you have made on generations of Helena students and teachers. It is impossible to capture all you have done for our community here. We are grateful.

I also want to recognize HEF’s new Executive Director Becca Leaphart. Becca has shown her leadership skills and passion for public education as HEF’s Deputy Director and I am excited to see her move the Foundation forward.

Enjoy this beautiful weekend,

Respectfully,

Rex M. Weltz, Superintendent
Helena Public Schools

Helena High Senior Olivia Cook and French Teacher Madame Bartels