Friday Update from Superintendent Weltz | October 25, 2024

Graphic element with headshot of Helena Public Schools Superintendent Rex Weltz and the Helena Public Schools logo with tagline: "A great place to learn."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Families and Staff,

Every school day, our district operates like a small city.

Healthcare workers (school nurses) keep the school community healthy and respond to medical emergencies. Law enforcement (school resource officers) keep the population safe. Grounds crews care for our parks (playgrounds and sports facilities). And secretaries, like secretaries everywhere, keep our citizenry organized and efficient. The analogies go on and on.

We are, in essence, a small and vibrant city built to support a singular goal – providing dynamic educational experiences that prepare students for life. Helena Public Schools "Better Together" logo with text: Strong Schools, Strong Communities.If you’re in the job market, or just looking for a way to serve your community, I invite you to join our dynamic team. If you’re not looking for work, consider referring a friend or family member who would be a good fit.

Our district is currently seeking applicants for multiple roles supporting our students and teachers: paraeducators, custodians, secretaries and food services staff. Each of these positions offers personal and professional growth opportunities and a way to have a positive impact on Helena students. These are ideal positions for parents, as most don’t require nights, weekends, or holidays. Some major holidays are paid and these positions offer quality retirement and health insurance.

If athletics are your passion, the district is also seeking a head women’s track coach at Capital High.

Whether you’re seeking extra income as we approach the holidays or simply looking for a way to serve youth in our community, these positions are great opportunity for fulfilling work. Apply today at helenaschools.org/departments/human-resources/join-our-team/ or share this link with a family member or friend.

Today, I’d like to recognize another employee group that provides an essential service to our district – our bus drivers and district transportation team.

Our drivers carry an enormous responsibility getting students safely to and from school each day. School bus drivers are the first and last faces students see as they start and finish their school day. And in the wee hours of icy winter mornings, hours before the start of the school day, District Transportation Manager Drew VanFossen is out driving rural routes to determine whether they’re safe for buses.

As we observed National School Bus Safety Week over the past few days, each of our district principals and administrators participated in a school bus route ride-along to make sure they know the details of our bus operations inside and out. If your family uses our district bus service, which is provided by our district transportation vendor, First Student, please join us in giving your bus driver a big thank you!

Among those riding bus routes this week was Smith Elementary Principal Sarah Simpson, who spoke with KTVH about how she will use her ride-along experience and what our district does to keep school buses safe. Here are some school bus safety highlights:

  • Helena Public Schools was among the first districts in the nation to require seatbelts on buses back in 2012.
  • In 2019, Helena Public Schools in partnership with First Student, was among the first in the nation to implement on-board “Edulog” tablets. The tablets replace paper maps and paper onboarding and offboarding lists. The devices can be used only when the bus is stopped, greatly reducing the potential for distracted driving.
  • Students must swipe their bus card when they embark and disembark the bus. Parents can use the Edulog app on their phone to confirm whether their child got on and off the bus and see their exact location along the route.
  • Each bus serving Helena Public Schools is equipped with eight high-definition cameras with night vision. The cameras are able to capture license plates of vehicles that run school bus stop arms, day or night. Photos are sent to the Montana Highway Patrol. The cameras also allow the driver and the bus dispatch center to see nearly 100 percent of the bus interior.

If you’re interested in signing up for bus service, please visit our Transportation web page.

As these October mornings grow darker, please help us keep our school bus riders and drivers safe. Slow down in school zones and watch for those stop arms.

Speaking of traffic safety, with Halloween less than a week away, our schools and community have a lot of safe offerings for festive fun, everything from Bootastic Bingo at Four Georgians to Trunk or Treat festivities at Hawthorne. Check your school’s newsletter for details.

Finally, I want to share the correct dates for the beginning of the official Montana AA winter sports season – swim, wrestling and basketball – which were incorrect in last week’s update. The official first allowable day for practice for AA sports is Nov. 25 and the first day of competition for any Helena teams is Dec. 7. Check with your students’ high school principal or coach for specific dates for your student’s sport. Helena Middle school sports currently starting their seasons include wrestling as well as 6th and 7th grade girls basketball.

I wish you and your family a fun, festive and safe week!

Respectfully,
Signature for Rex M. Weltz, Superintendent, Helena Public Schools

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rex. M. Weltz, Superintendent
Helena Public Schools

 

 


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Poster for "Symphony Kids" Concert: The Four Musicians" featuring the music of J.S. Bach. Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, 10 a.m. St. Paul's Methodist Church, free performance.

District News


 

Helena Public Schools is now hiring paraeducators. Positions offer school-related paid days off; 10-month work calendar, up to $18/hr to start. With questions call (406)324-2012. Apply now at helenaschools.org. With tagline: Positive impact; Personal Growth; Community Pride."