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 cares about what he or she is doing and will put the extra time into it without fail.” — Zach Waldbillig
The Home Economics room in the high school is being renovated and will soon be finished. It's looking great! The Elementary Custodian Ms. Thomason is a great addition to our team and is keeping the elementary school clean and ready for students.
Two new water fountains have been installed in the high school. Thanks to Head Custodian Bob Mcguire and Aaron MacPherson with MacPherson Plumbing! New phones at the high school and elementary, which can page both buildings and connect with individual classrooms. Students and teachers can make phone calls from the classroom without needing cell phones or needing to leave class to go to the office.
Semester Attendance and Academic Awards for Quarter 2 and Semester 1 will be handed out the 4th week of January.
Mr. Hess is getting certified to give the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) Test at the high school. Once certified, he will administer the ASVAB to sophomores.
Shout out to Mark Bretz of Bretz RV!! Mark Bretz donated $5,000 to the shop department, which will be used to purchase a small engines curriculum. Bretz is overjoyed with the small engine's curriculum and has offered to help out in any way he can.
We have 9 high school students signed up for Spring Dual Credit classes, which will amount to thirty-six (36) college credits. Taking in account the 10 dual credit students in the fall, amounting to a total of forty-eight (48) college credits, all dual credits, fall and spring, will amount to eighty-four (84) college credits for the 2025-2026 school year!
Shout Outs this month:
Shout out to JH Boys Basketball coaches Dustin Keltner and Heather Rich for an outstanding season. Thanks for your help with coaching this year.
JH Girls basketball started after the Christmas break. Coach Jackie Walter and Hans Bohrnsen are currently practicing with their first games January 16th vs. Drummond.
GHS boys and girls basketball is in the grind and doing great. Paul Kulaski and Brian Ward are heading up the boys basketball team. Kendra McAnally and Jason White are coaching the girls team. We have three more home games in January alone.
Senior night is February 14th here at GHS.
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:
December Highlights
December 16 – Christmas Concert - Our Christmas Concert was held on December 16 and was a success. Ms. Radtke and the students did an outstanding job, and we are very proud of their hard work and performances. A thank you to our families for joining us and for providing cookies to share afterwards!
December 17 – Rock Creek Ladies Christmas Sale - The Rock Creek Ladies hosted their annual Christmas Sale, and our students enjoyed the opportunity to shop for gifts for their families. We appreciate the time and generosity of the Rock Creek Ladies for making this meaningful experience possible.
December 19 – Movie & Class Parties - Students enjoyed a movie at the Opera House Theater followed by class parties. It was a fun and festive way to wrap up the school days before winter break.
Winter Benchmark Assessments - Winter benchmark DIBELS assessments were completed for all students. We are excited to report that all students demonstrated growth. 16 students moved from strategic to benchmark status. This is a testament to the hard work of our teachers, Mr. Morales, and our students—excellent job everyone.
Door Decorating Contest - Our December Door Decorating Contest brought holiday spirit throughout the building. Every class did a fantastic job. Congratulations to 3rd grade and 6th grade, who were selected as this year’s winners.
Staffing Update
We are pleased to share the following staffing updates:
Joanna Krogstad has joined us as the 5th grade teacher.
Payten Varela is a new paraprofessional supporting 3rd grade.
We are grateful to have both Joanna and Payten as part of our school team.
And don't forget to check out 6th Grade News!
Booster Corner:
The Booster Club has continued to support our students and athletic programs. Booster purchased warm-ups and will buy pizza for the 3rd and 6th grade winners of the Christmas door competition.
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:
Jan 23rd - HS BB @ Drummond
Jan 24th - HS BB @ Lincoln
Jan 27th - HS BB vs Sheridan @ Home
Jan 30th - HS BB @ Victor
February 202 6- I love to Read Month!
Feb 5th - HS BB vs Valley Christian @ Home
Feb 7th - HS BB @ Seeley
Feb 12th - HS BB @ Charlo
Feb 13th - Outdoor Classroom Day 3rd - 12th grades
Feb 14th - HS BB vs Lincoln - SENIOR NIGHT!
Feb 19th - 21st - Districts Basketball @ Frenchtown
Feb 26th - 28th - Divisionals Basketball @ Butte Civic Center
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.
Social Media:
Follow us on Facebook , YouTube, and Instagram.
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!