A newsletter delivered every month after the Regular School Board meeting to update parents, students, and our Philipsburg community.
High School Corner:
What It Means to Be a Prospector
“A PROSPECTOR is always expected to achieve a standard of excellence, most importantly in the classroom, but also in sports. .” — Zach Waldbillig
The Flint Creek Titans concluded the Class C football season with an impressive second-place finish against Scobey. Congratulations to the players and coaches on a tremendous and hard-fought season.
Junior High boys basketball wrapped up on Saturday, December 13, with a tournament in Sheridan, Montana. Thank you to coaches Dustin Keltner and Heather Rich for their dedication, and to the players for their hard work and commitment throughout the season.
Granite High School boys and girls basketball teams participated in the Tip-Off Tournament in Hamilton earlier this month. Both teams were enthusiastic and encouraged by the progress they were making this year. The teams hosted Drummond at home Thursday, December 11.
The Philipsburg Junior High/High School Christmas Concert was held on Tuesday, December 9, at 6:30 p.m. The Philipsburg Elementary Christmas Concert will follow on Tuesday, December 16, at 5:30 p.m.
Mrs. Huckfelt and Mrs. Burch have been working diligently over the past several weeks preparing the Operation Santa program. In January, we will be able to share totals on the number of families supported through this program.
On Thanksgiving, we donated thirteen Thanksgiving meals to families in the Philipsburg community. We plan to donate the same number of meals for the Christmas holiday.
Weekly Prospector Awards continue with the support of the Granite High School Student Council. We average one to three recipients each week. Award winners receive a Prospector Award certificate, a candy bar, and a drink.
Elementary Corner:
Elementary students participated in a schoolwide food drive throughout November, proudly donating 500 food items to the local food bank. First Grade collected the highest number of items and earned a well-deserved pizza party for their outstanding efforts. Thank you to all families who supported this meaningful service project.
To foster school spirit and a sense of community, we held several themed dress-up days, including Cat-Griz Day, Titans Day, Crazy Hair Day, and Dress Like a Turkey Day. Students also showcased their creativity during our Turkey in Disguise Contest, with winning entries receiving prizes. In addition, the school library hosted a Thanksgiving Break Reading Challenge, which drew participation from 23 students. Prizes were generously donated by the PTO and Mrs. Tallon.
On November 26, we welcomed guest speaker Charlie Farmer, a member of the Blackfeet Tribe. Mr. Farmer shared his heritage with students and presented cultural items such as buffalo hide, moccasins, sage, and beadwork. Following his presentation, students rotated through engaging, hands-on IEFA stations, including a teepee craft, a lesson on the first Thanksgiving, and Native American games. The experience was both meaningful and enriching for students across all grade levels.
And don't forget to check out 6th Grade News!
Booster Corner:
The Booster Club has continued to support our students and athletic programs in several ways this year. Booster has donated funds toward the Titan Football Pizza Party and provided pizzas for the 2nd grade poster contest winners. In addition, the Booster Club contributed $900 toward new warm-ups for both the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams.
We’re proud to support our students, but we still need more Booster Club members! If you're interested in helping with events, fundraising, or student activities, please reach out. Every helping hand makes a difference!
Thank you for your continued support of our Titans and Prospectors!
Upcoming Events:
Dec 16th - Elementary School Christmas Concert @ 5:30 in the High School Gym.
Dec 18th - HS Basketball @ Sheridan: 4pm Girls' Varsity - 5:30pm Boys' Varsity
Dec 19th - SCHOOL IN SESSION
Dec 19th - HS Basketball @ Deer Lodge: 5:30pm Girls' Varsity - 7pm Boys' Varsity
Dec 22nd - Jan 2nd - CHRISTMAS BREAK
Jan 2nd - HS Basketball @ Victor: 4:30pm Boys' Varsity - 6pm Girls' Varsity
Jan 5th - SCHOOL BACK IN SESSION
Jan 9th - HS Basketball vs Anaconda @ Home: 5:30pm Girls' Varsity - 7pm Boys' Varsity
Jan 10th - HS Basketball @ Twin Bridges: 2:30pm Boys' Varsity - 4pm Girls' Varsity
More events are listed on our Events Calendar.
Get the School App and Stay Informed:
Download the school app onto your phone and receive notifications about what's happening at Philipsburg Schools!
Useful Links:
Our website has a bunch of information for students, parents, and our Philipsburg community. You can access our Events calendar on the home page. The Elementary Secretary Brandi Morales issues a weekly newsletter that you can find under News. These Monthly Newsletters will also be located under News. If you get the School App, you'll receive push notifications that a newsletter has been posted to the website.
You can find the Printable Academic Calendar on the website in the top-right hand corner. You can access your Parent Portal in Infinite Campus and Student Portal in Infinite Campus on the website as well as the School Store. All three links are in the top-right hand corner of the website.
If you need to find information on Graduation Requirements, Assessments, Academic Rewards, "How to Help" Strategies, Career-related Exploration, Standardized Testing, or the Course Catalog, click on Academics in the website's Menu.
You can also click on College & Career Pathways to get scholarship information, FAFSA information, apprenticeships, and more.
Facility Information:
We'll be creating a facility information page soon for our website that will have helpful links to our new facility user agreement, volunteer form, facility user calendar, and more. Keep an eye out!
Out-of-District Enrollment:
Check out our Out-of-District Enrollment on our website to stay abreast of policy, application links, and requirements. Application deadline with ALL SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION is due by 4:00 p.m. on the First day of June and MUST be hand-delivered to the Superintendent/Principal, Assistant Principal, or District Clerk at 407 Schnepel Street, Philipsburg, Montana during regular school hours, Monday through Thursday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
New Attendance Policy:
Make sure to read the Parent/Student Handbook on the new attendance policy and how it affects your student's grades. Here are three key points:
Excused absences are caused by illness, danger to health from serious exposure (weather) or imperative necessity (emergency medical and dental appointments, death or funeral in the family). Students are allowed three (3) days to make up missed work.
Unexcused absences are with parent/guardian knowledge but for reasons not listed above or due to no prior notification. A parent/guardian can apply for a waiver for an upcoming lengthy absence with the principal.
Missing nine (9) or more days per semester per class, the student receives a 2% reduction per class for each additional absence on the 9th and subsequent days. Ex: a student misses a total of 12 days and has a 74% at the end of the semester, an additional 2% x 4 days = 8% points off 74% = 66% for a final semester grade.
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Board Meeting Information:
The Philipsburg School District No. 1 School Board consists of the following members: Chairperson Genevieve Kulaski, Vice Chairperson Margie Lee, and Trustees Joy Lucero, Connie Schiedermayer, and Jennifer Graham. You can find their Contact information here.
You can access school board messages, minutes, and policies here.
The School Board meets every Tuesday of the month at 5:30 p.m. in the High School Library. If a scheduling conflict arises and the meeting time/day changes, a notice will be posted around town in public areas, on the website, and on the school app. A notice will also be posted on both school front doors. We hope you're able to join us!