Supt. Weltz Friday Flyer | January 9, 2026
Dear Families, Staff, and the Helena Community,
Happy New Year and welcome back!
While there is always an initial excitement to get back into the swing of things, I know the transition back from winter break can be tough. I want the emphasize the importance of checking in with our students – at home and at school. Maintaining consistency in routines is the most effective way to help our students (and ourselves) feel settled and successful.
There are a few upcoming key dates that you should note:
• Monday, January 19 (MLK Day): No School. The District Office is also closed.
• Friday, January 23 (Early Release): Grades 6-8 will be released at noon for Records Day. It remains a full school day for grades PreK-5 and 9-12.
• Monday, January 26 (Records Day/In-Service): No School for all students. The district office will be open. This time allows teachers to finalize the quarter and prepare for the new term. It also means that parent/teacher conferences are right around the corner – make sure to keep an eye out for notifications from your teacher or principal on your school(s)’s conference dates and times.
As always, please continue to stay up to date on all district and your local school announcements and events through newsletters, social media, and our websites. It continues to be a busy time, and we encourage staying informed as much as possible.
Sincerely,
Rex Weltz, Superintendent
Helena Public Schools
BONDS PROJECTS UPDATES
**View the FB live from the January 7 Brews and Blueprints event HERE.
12/21-01/09 Recap:
Bonds: The $31.5 million Helena ESD and $130.0 million Helena HSD that were advertised in the Independent Record and on our website, sold within 30 minutes of their offering (in $5,000 increments) through D.A. Davidson on November 20, 2025.
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The sale of the first set of bonds was completed Thursday, December 18, 2025.
HHS + Project for Alternative Learning (PAL) Project: Weeks 9-11
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A&E + SMA Design Updates:
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Schematic Design Week 4-6 of 10
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Campus Master Planning Conclusions Review Meeting
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GCCM Kickoff Meeting
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District Kitchen Kickoff Meeting
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HHS Building Committee Meeting
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Community Engagement: Brews & Blueprints Meeting on Wednesday, January 7.
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Dick Anderson Construction confirmed by the BOT as the GCCM on Friday, December 19.
CHS Project: Weeks 7-9
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Slate Architecture + RTA Updates:
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Capital High School’s existing Architectural background floor plans and elevations are nearing completion.
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Developed Programming Document and Reviewed with District.
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Developed Design Options and Site Planning.
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Developed Options for Summer 2026 Work Packages.
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Acoustic, Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing engineers to begin background drawings and prep for site visits during winter break.
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Survey of CTE Equipment and Area Analysis.
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Developed four design options and site planning studies.
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Community Engagement: Brews & Blueprints Meeting on Wednesday, January 7.
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CHS GCCM RFQ/RFP were due on Monday, January 5. The submissions were reviewed on Tuesday, January 6.
Kessler Project: Weeks 5-7
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Mosaic Architecture + Cushing Terrell Updates
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Existing site model has been developed.
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Ongoing Programming.
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Working on physical site model for future engagement meetings.
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Developing the Programming document.
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Teachers are using the If I Built A School book to engage with students.
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Engagement board delivered to school for students to answer questions.
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Full day of engagement with students on Wednesday, January 7.
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Kessler Building Committee meeting on Thursday, January 8.
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Community Engagement: Brews & Blueprints Meeting on Wednesday, January 7.
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Kessler GCCM RFQ/RFP Notice #1 was published on Tuesday, January 6.
Our architect teams have been going above and beyond to ensure the future of Helena’s schools reflects the voices of our staff, students, and community.
Yesterday, Gretchen from mosaic_architecture met with nearly every class at Kessler Elementary School to gather their input. While the ideas were as creative as you’d imagine, one thing was crystal clear: our students have an incredible amount of heart and care for their school.
We are also thrilled to have Paul Blumenthal back with us! He is creating a special mural depicting the students’ ideas for the new Kessler. It will hang in the current gym for now and move to its permanent home in the new school once construction is complete.
Up Next: 01/10-01/17
HHS + Project for Alternative Learning (PAL) Project: Week 12
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A&E + SMA Design Updates:
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Schematic Design Week 7 of 10
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HHS Student Council Meeting
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HHS Student Engagement Lunch Sessions
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Board of Trustees Meeting
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PAL Building Committee Meeting
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Board of Trustees update on Tuesday, January 13.
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Dick Anderson Construction Updates:
CHS Project: Week 10
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Slate Architecture + RTA Updates:
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Capital High School’s existing architectural background floor plans and elevations are nearing completion.
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Design Advisory Group (DAG) Meeting No. 3 on Jan. 13th.
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Board of Trustees update on Tuesday, January 13.
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Developing options for Summer 2026 work packages.
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CTE equipment area analysis and space requirements.
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Develop a recommendation for the preferred design options and site plan.
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CHS GCCM interviews will take place on Tuesday, January 13. The BOT will confirm a GCCM for CHS on Friday, January 16.
Kessler Project: Week 8
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Mosaic Architecture + Cushing Terrell Updates
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More student engagement sessions on Monday, January 12.
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Community Engagement Night at Kessler on Monday, January 12 at 4:00 p.m. in the Kessler Gym.
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Programming meetings with Kessler teachers and staff every day this week.
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Board of Trustees update on Tuesday, January 13.
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Kessler GCCM RFQ/RFP Notice #2 will be published on Tuesday, January 13.
If you have questions or want to chat about what’s next, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us!
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COMMUNITY CORNER
Resources for students, families, and the HPS community.
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HPS THREE WAYS TO DONATE – partnership with Helena Food Share
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Community food pantries at each HPS school, in partnership with Helena Food Share
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Helena Food Share – food, money, volunteers
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HPS RevTrak Donations
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RUNNING RESOURCE LIST ON OUR WEBPAGE
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Resources for federal employees and military family affected by the government shutdown (and after)
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Free and Reduced Lunch Program
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Helena Area community resources
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HPS SCHOOLS’ FOOD DRIVES AND OTHER RELATED EVENT LISTINGS
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CONTACT CENTER FOR QUESTIONS AND TO GET CONNECTED (WEBPAGE)
Innovative Tax Credit donations are due this month on January 20!!
YOUR donation can help Helena Public Schools expand our innovative educational programs that benefit our students- just like at our schools with KinderSprout classrooms, where age appropriate playgrounds were installed to help them play, learn, and grow.
DONATE TODAY! Fill out the donation form and bring the completed form and your donation to the Helena Public Schools Business Office at 1325 Poplar Street by Tuesday, January 20.
HPS will enter the information with the amount donated, into the DOR Education Donations portal. The DOR will pre-approve the donation (so long as the individual and statewide thresholds noted above have not been exceeded) and you will receive a confirmation number along with a receipt that you will file with your 2026 taxes.Your donation will be returned if it is not approved by the DOR
NOTE: Please make your check out to Helena Public Schools.
DOWNLOAD THE FORM AND DONATE TODAY
QUESTIONS?
If you have questions, please contact Helena Public Schools Communication Officer, Taylor Lassiter at tlassiter@helenaschools.org.
Dona Losett, Montana Department of Revenue, (406) 444-1991 or dona.losett@mt.gov.
You may also find more information by scanning the QR code below or by going to https://helenaschools.org/departments/business-finance/.
JUDGES STILL NEEDED for the VALLEY OF GOLD SPEECH AND DEBATE TOURNAMENT this weekend, January 9 & 10!
More than 500 students from across Montana will travel to Helena to compete in one of the largest Speech & Debate tournaments of the season. All Speech events will be held at Capital High School, while all Debate events will take place at Helena High School. The tournament relies entirely on community support and requires a large pool of judges to run successfully. No prior experience in Speech & Debate is needed to serve as a judge.
Individuals interested in judging may sign up online HERE.
DID YOU KNOW?
Kindergarten – Kindergarten registration opened last Wednesday, January 7!
Your child is eligible to start kindergarten in Fall 2026 if they will be five years old on or before September 10, 2026.
Go to our webpage for registration information and other need-to-knows.
KinderSprouts – Helena Public Schools’ FREE preschool program for QUALIFYING STUDENTS. To qualify your child must:
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Be 4 years old by September 10, 2026.
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Take a skills screening assessment to determine if your child would benefit from early literacy or numeracy intervention. Screenings will begin in February 2026.
For more information, go to our WEBPAGE. You can also find frequently asked questions HERE.
Montessori – If you have a student you plan to register for Kindergarten for Fall 2026, and are interested in being in the Montessori program, mark your calendar for April 24, 2026 as the application deadline date.
Go to our webpage for more information. It includes application instructions, dates to remember, and other need-to-knows.
There will be a total of 12 lucky winners chosen from grades 3rd -5th grades here in Helena. These finalists will compete in our in-person contest at the Capital High Base Kitchen on March 7th – 8am-12:30pm. All contestants will receive a personal chef coat and hat just for making it to the competition. The grand prize winner will win a 3’ fire trophy and have their recipe submitted for the regional and nation level competition. There are also a variety of other prizes available in each of the other categories the student chefs can win.
Please fill out the recipe card (found below) and turn into your school’s office or with the kitchen staff. A student can submit as many recipes as they want, but only one can be chosen. The recipes must be submitted by February 6th. All winners will be chosen by February 20th. All parents/guardians will be called after the 12 contestants have been chosen, and they will need to verify that their chef will be able to physically compete in a real-life cooking competition on the day of the event.
MAKE A NOTE:
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Pen and Ink Submissions due on January 16th (see below)
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Great Ideas & Spark Grants due January 27th
WHAT’S COMING UP THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT?
January 10, 2026 – January 24, 2026
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If we missed something, please let us know – helenamtschools@helenaschools.org. As a good rule of thumb, always check with your school on what they have going on. You can also find upcoming event information and more in this year’s calendar online at https://helenaschools.org/25-26-calendar-flipbook/.
