Watch for your ballot to arrive soon! The county will send your mail-in ballot by U.S. Mail on April 14. Your post-marked ballot is due back to the Lewis & Clark County Elections Office May 2.

On the ballot

BUILDING RESERVE LEVIES

Helena Public Schools is grateful for our community’s long-time support of its Building Reserve Levies to pay for regular care and maintenance of school buildings and grounds.

The Building Reserve Levies are the main source of funding for the operation of school district buildings – everything from heating, plumbing and electrical work to maintaining rooftops and parking lots.

There are two Building Reserve Levies on the ballot – one for the Elementary District (K-8) and one for the High School District (9-12)

GENERAL FUND MILL LEVY

General Fund Levy dollars pay for everything from books and school supplies to staff salaries and benefits. The General Fund also pays for day-to-day operational costs such as electricity, natural gas, water and custodial supplies. These dollars pay for the district’s most fundamental operational needs.

Find more information on the 2023 election ballot at Helena Public Schools 2023 Election.” Not a registered voter? Visit the Lewis & Clark County Elections Office site for information on how to vote.

Running club has begun! Tuesdays and Thursdays last recess students are "running" the track to build up stamina for the Governor's Cup on June 9th or just for some great exercise. If you want to volunteer and help out on the track please contact swunderlich@helenaschools.org. We have weekly drawings for students that are participating.

Hello Future HMS Families!

Our Parent Night for incoming 6th graders is this coming Tuesday, April 18th, at 7:00pm in the HMS auditorium. This meeting will cover everything parents/guardians and students need to know to prepare for next year.

Welcome to Middle School! We hope to see you there. You are welcome to bring your student with you.

Thanks!

Cal Boyle, Principal

Tools for the Age of Your Child

Parenting Montana provides easy-to-use parenting tools to support your child’s success from kindergarten through the teen years.

parentingmontana.org

Florence Crittenton provides two fabulous parenting classes to the community. All classes are held at Helena College, University of Montana, 1115 N Roberts, Helena, MT 59601. For more information on upcoming classes or to enroll please call Jen Burckhard at 406 442 6950 x207 or email jenb@florencecrittenton.org.

Circle of Security®

At times all parents feel lost or without a clue about what our child might need from us. Imagine what it might feel like if you were able to make sense of what your child was really asking from you. The Circle of Security® Parenting™ program is based on decades of research about how secure parent-child relationships can be supported and strengthened.

Using the COSP™ model developed by the Circle of Security originators, our trained Facilitators work with parents and care-givers to help them to:

• Understand their child’s emotional world by learning to read emotional needs
• Support their child’s ability to successfully manage emotions
• Enhance the development of their child's self esteem
• Honor the innate wisdom and desire for their child to be secure

Classes run:

Tuesdays May 11th to June 29th, 2023 5 - 6.30pm

at Helena College, 1115 N Roberts, Helena.

Facilitated by Jen Burckhard

Love & Logic All Ages

The Love and Logic approach to parenting is built around the science of caring and respectful relationships. An authentic, loving connection between parents and their children forms the foundation of good behavior and healthy decision-making.

Sounds easy enough but never before in history have parents been faced with so many challenges! The Love & Logic approach provides a variety of simple and effective strategies for parenting children from birth to adulthood. Whether you’re embarking for the first time with your new baby or navigating the turbulent teens with your child, our strategies and techniques will help you create calm and loving solutions.

Classes run:

Tuesdays July 13th to August 24th 2023, 5pm to 7pm

at Helena College, 1115 N Roberts, Helena.

Facilitated by Jen Burckhard

FLORENCE CRITTENTON WEBSITE

Please take a moment to check out attached flyers for summer football camps put on by HHS.

Our 3rd-5th grade students will be taking their state assessments starting Monday, April 24th. The tests are computer based and require lots of focus. It is important that our students are well rested and in attendance for the testing. Please be sure to notify the office of any absences or other situations so we may plan accordingly. We are here to support in any way we can. Students have been practicing with the online format and are prepared. If you have any questions please contact the main office.

Please contact the office if you know you are moving and/or will no longer be attending Smith next school year. We make every effort to be as accurate as possible for class lists and numbers in grade levels. Giving the office a heads up, even if it is just a possibility, is very helpful.

We so appreciate all our PSS does to support our students and staff throughout the school year. Many hands make light work and there are multiple ways to get involved. Our PSS is looking for more volunteers to help with various projects. Please reach out to me or parents4smithschool@gmail.org if interested.

Three of our teachers will be retiring at the end of this school year, Mrs. Thennis, Mrs. Shepherd and Mrs. Waterman. We appreciate all their dedication to our Smith family and wish them nothing but the best in their retirement.

As we begin to plan for next school year we are fortunate at Smith to have such a wonderful staff to support our students and families. Next year we will have a 3/4 combo class at Smith. Teachers spend a great deal of time creating class lists for the next school year taking many things into consideration such as academics, social emotional development and peer relationships to name a few.

Students will participate in "Move Up" day at the end of the school year where they will meet the grade level teachers for their next school year. Students will not find out who their specific teacher is until August.

Meetings: Third Tuesday of the Month

Email: parents4smithschool@gmail.com

Saber Gear

Our Saber Gear store is up and running. Please plan on visiting the link and placing your order. Great merchandise for both young and not so young! 10% comes back to Smith!

https://1stplacespiritwear.com/schools/MT/Helena/Smith%20Elementary%20School

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