DVD purchase

Mr. Mike Schmidt and his crew spend an amazing amount of time filming, editing and recording the DVD's of various school events.
Once again this year, he is willing to do this for the Elementary School Program.  This year all the proceeds will go to Mike's efforts and helping him buy supplies.
DVD's will be $5.00.

Tis the Season

Reminders for the week:
1.  High School and Junior High Concert is this evening (Tuesday) at 7:00 PM in the Small Gym.
2.  Elementary Christmas Program is Thursday Evening at 7:00 PM in the Small Gym.
3.  Geography Bee is 8:30 AM on Friday morning in the Small Gym. Students who qualified in grades 4-8 from their classroom bees will participate in the school bee.
4.  Friday is a 1/2 day.  Dismissal is at 11:57 and buses will run.
5.  Start enjoying the Christmas vacation!!!!

Second Graders using Algebra in their morning calendar math!

This morning I watched a second grader conduct Algebra skills using total number of kids in their class, how many students were absent and lunch count to make and solve an Algebra problem!  Amazing!  Amazing! 

Common Core Math which may be frustrating to some parents has allowed this type of thinking and problem solving to occur at levels that were beyond our reach before!  

1/2 Day today

Not to forget that today is a Half Day PIR day.  Students will be dismissed at 11:57.  Teachers will be doing a variety of training this afternoon.  Smarter Balanced Practice testing, My Access Training and Problem Solving in RtI.  

JH Boys Tourney Info

Tuesday, 12.10.13, the 8th grade plays Choteau here at 4 PM.  7th grade will be playing Cut Bank here at 5 PM.  If they both win....8th will travel to Shelby and play on Saturday the 14th and 7th grade will travel to Browning Middle School on the same day.

Honor Society Carnival on Friday

This Friday, December 6th the High School Honor Society will be hosting a Fundraiser Carnival for students in the Elementary during the afternoon.  Games are 50 cents each and all the money raised will go to the local food pantry.  Please make sure that your student has money to play the games.

Holiday Stroll

Cold, Cold, Cold

Make sure your munchkins come with warm clothes this week....looks like it's going to be a dandy!

Griz vs. Cats Food Drive

     vs.   


Food drive at the school!  

All proceeds benefit the local food pantry!

Celebrating Veterans

Please click on the link below and vote for Cindy Luoma and the Trading Card Kids!!!!

http://www.thankmontanateachers.com/vote-for-a-proposal/

JH Basketball

Best of Luck to the JH Boys Basketball team as they begin their season today in Browning....Tomorrow they are at home against Havre...stop by and watch Coach Schmidt and Coach Drishinski and the boys! 

COLD WEATHER IS COMING

IT'S COMING, IT'S COMING, THE COLD IS COMING!  UGH UGH UGH!

FAIRFIELD ELEMENTARY REQUIRES THAT STUDENTS K-4 HAVE BOOTS, SNOWPANTS, GLOVES, COATS ETC. FOR THEIR SAFETY.  

ALL EQUIPMENT IS STRONGLY ENCOURAGED FOR THE UPPER GRADES.

YOUR STUDENT WILL BE ASKED TO STAY ON THE SIDEWALK IF THEY DON'T HAVE THE PROPER EQUIPMENT.  

REASONS:  SAFETY OF YOUR STUDENT AND IT MAKES FOR A BETTER LEARNING ENVIRONMENT INSIDE THE CLASSROOM.

THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR ALL YOUR HELP WITH THIS.  

A bit of good news!!!!

The United States Department of Education just released an expanded comparison of National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) test scores in each state to international benchmarks.  As expected, Montana students scored very favorably in a comparison to other countries' scores in both math (6th in the world) and science (4th in the world).

International Comparison of Math Performance in Montana
International Comparison of Science Performance in Montana

Montana's performance was an impressive part of an overall trend that found that most eighth graders in the United States are competitive in math and science when compared to their peers from around the world.   

The full report can be viewed at the following link:  Results from the 2011 NAEP-TIMSS Linking Study

As we have stated previously, nearly as impressive as Montana students’ academic performance is the relative efficiency of Montana’s Public Schools when compared to spending in the rest of the Nation:

1. Per pupil current expenditures in Montana’s Public Schools are ranked 29th in the nation, approximately $850 below the nationwide average. 
2. Per capita expenditures in Montana’s Public Schools are ranked 41st in the nation , approximately $292 below the nationwide average. 
3. School revenues Per $1,000 in Personal Income in Montana’s Public Schools are ranked 29th in the nation. 
4. Montana public school administrator staffing is effective and efficient with 1100 students per Superintendent and 257 students per Administrator(Superintendents and Principals), as well as, supervision of nearly 26 licensed professional and paraprofessional staff per Administrator. 

The results of this study provide further affirmation that Montana's Public Schools provide top level performance for below average costs to Montana families and communities. Montana's public schools can be rightly proud of this latest evidence of their progress in providing a world class education to the children of Montana.

Thanks

Lance Melton
Executive Director
Montana School Boards Association

Red Ribbon Week

Next week is Red Ribbon Week where we celebrate the promotion of making our students drug and bully free.  It is held in conjunction with spirit week of High School Volleyball and Football Playoffs.  Here is a run down of things that are happening:
Monday, October 28th:  Stomp out Drugs Day:  Wear two different colored shoes.  Take guesses at the red jar full of goodies in order to win the jar at the end of the week.
Tuesday, October 29th:  Run Away from Drugs:  Wear Red today.  Fairfield Elementary School will be starting a run at recess program.  Also, walk or bike to school today...weather permitting.
Wednesday, October 30th:  Put a cap on drugs....wear your favorite or goofy hat.
Thursday, October 31st: Say Boo to Drugs.  Today is Halloween and students will be allowed to dress up in the afternoon.  The Junior High Student Council will be hosting a dance for the students from 2:30-3:15 along with a spook house on the back stage of the small gym.  
Friday, November 1st:  Drugs will Make you Blue:  Wear your Blue and White Gear to show how proud you are that you are an Eagle and to be Drug and Bully Free.


November 1st is the end of Quarter One.  Report Cards will be given out at Parent Teacher Conferences on Tuesday, November 5th.  If you haven't signed up for a conference, please contact Terria at 467-2425.

Trading Card Kids and 4-H

Last night at the school board meeting, the local 4-H clubs presented the school with a plaque to show their appreciation for the cooperative community efforts the school has with local clubs.

Also here are some pics of the Trading Card Kids interacting with the elementary kids.

No School

Just a reminder that there is NO school on Thursday and Friday this week!

Wednesday will be a normal day and there will be FLY after school!

Congrats on successful seasons to the Junior High Boys Football Team and the Junior High Girls Basketball teams!  

Good Luck to the 5th Grade Girls Basketball team as their tourney is this Friday at Great Falls.

Junior High Boys Basketball starts Monday the 21st!

Thanks for the support

In a cooperative effort with Choteau Schools, we raised over 500 dollars for the Teton County Health Department to provide free mammograms, cervical screens and colon screens for those folks who qualify.  

Thanks for your support!

Thank a teacher when you get a chance

I AM A TEACHER
I went to college, got a four year degree.
Was required to go back to college and get a Master's Degree.
I applied for many positions and even worked as a substitute teacher.
I endured state and national testing.
I was finger printed and background checked.
I trained before, during, and after my training/ education.
I continue to train because I am a lifelong learner.
Since full time employment, I have sacrificed time, sleep, and Family.
I have sacrificed my own money year after year to provide for my students.
I am a teacher.
I have learned, lasted, endured change, endured further change, and endured orders to embrace the change.
While you were sleeping, I have corrected papers and tests, researched and created, and endured harassing phone calls and emails with grace and professionalism.
I teach the kids who live on your streets.
I teach the kids that have been bailed out of jail.
I teach the kids who have been kicked out of psychiatric centers because they were beyond help.
I teach the kids whose home situations you could never imagine even in your worst nightmares.
I teach ALL students no matter their socio-economic status, race, ethnicity, medical/ psychiatric condition, good or poor attitude, religion, family circumstances.
When accused by the federal and state government for being part of a failing system,
I endure name calling, shame, and criticism simply because I am a teacher.
I am professionally evaluated on two days worth of test scores and not the amount of time and effort I put into my teaching.
And despite it all,
I AM a teacher
And devoted to this noble calling.

Stick it to Cancer

Next Tuesday night in Choteau I (Mrs. Bake) have been volunteered to Stick it to Cancer and be stuck to a wall with Duct Tape.  

Please come to Choteau for the High School Volleyball game and show your support for this great cause.  

You can purchase a strip of duct tape and stick it on me or Nate Achenbach, High School Principal at Choteau!  

All proceeds go to Teton County Health Department in their support of  free screenings for those who qualify.  

Come show your support and cheer on the Lady Eagles!

October

Some of you may have seen the Halloween gear out already!  Please keep in mind these items won't be allowed to the school parties:
1.  Fake knives, bows, arrows, guns, etc.
2. Excessively scary or gorry masks.  This is usually what the older kiddos get but keep in mind there are young children here and it is rather scary for some of them.
3.  Please plan healthy snacks and drinks for your kids parties.  

Weather changes

Tomorrow the weather is supposed to change.  Please, please, please make sure your child is properly equipped with enough clothing for weather changes.

Tennis parent fun night for tonight has been canceled.  

Title Meeting

What:  Title Meeting

When:  Thursday, September 26, 2013 6:00 PM

Where: High School Media Center

Why:  To sign parent student compacts and school parent compacts as required by law.  If your student receives any type of Title services please attend.  

Bus Evacuation Drill Friday

Students at Fairfield Schools practiced bus evacuation drills as required by law!

RtI Benchmark

Last week, we tested your students in Reading Fluency, Reading Comprehension, Spelling, Math Computation, Math Application, and Writing.  With our program that we have used for the last seven years called AimsWeb (please check it out here: http://www.aimsweb.com).  We plug in the data and it will kick out reports to us determining where your kiddo may need help.  The assessments vary in length with the longest one being eight minutes.
For the past two days, we meet as teams and discuss what best fits all the kids in their learning styles.  For the kiddos below targets we offer them "double and triple dosing"  which means we get them extra help in various facets.  For the kiddos on target, our teachers continue to challenge them and for the students above benchmark our teachers will provide opportunities to stretch them as well.
If your student is placed in the RtI program, you will receive an email or letter from me stating what we are for them and ask permission to continue.
As a school, we continually look at data not only for individualized instruction but to make decisions about curriculum, teaching methods, interventions, and placements.  We have been doing RtI for the past seven years, we continually strive to get better.  Our rate of Special Education services has dropped dramatically due to this process and we feel that it is just how we do business.

change

dress up change

tuesday:  duck dynasty

wednesday: college pride day

Homecoming Next week

Next week is Homecoming!

Spirit Week dress up days:

Monday: Color Day

Tuesday: College Wear

Wednesday: Duck Dynasty Day

Thursday: Gender Bender Day

Friday: Blue and White Day

9/11 Recognition

In honor of 9/11 and Patriot Day, Fairfield Schools began our day outside in front of the school gathering around the flags that were placed out front.  Students said the Pledge of Allegiance and Mr. Meyer spoke for a few minutes about the significance to our students from the events that happened that day.

Reminder about FLY

Just a reminder to all parents that this is for students in Grades 3-8!  We have had some inquiries to making special accommodations and feel that we can not do that at this time.  

Stuff

We started our RtI Benchmark testing this week.  We test three times a year in the areas of reading fluency, reading comprehension, spelling, writing, math computation and math applications.  We then read the data and decide what types of instruction the students need.  We are in our 8th year of this process and we have found that the number of our special education referrals have dropped dramatically.

*****5th Grade Girls Basketball Parochial League Practice starts TONIGHT at 7 PM!  All 5th grade girls interested in playing in this league will need to show up tonight in the little gym.******  

Opinion

Looking at developing a facebook page for Fairfield Elementary and Twitter feed....thoughts from the community?  Post your comment, I get to see them and decide to publish them before anyone else does....

PICTURE DAY FRIDAY

Picture day is Friday....your child should have come home with a flyer with all their first day papers....your child needs to have the envelope and money to get their picture taken....no scholarships for this sorry!

Happy Tuesday

We are off to a flying start!

Today the Junior High Tennis team will travel to Choteau for a match.  The bus leaves at 2:30.

Just a reminder that school pictures are this Friday and money needs to come with your student!

Don't forget!

Fridays are a 2:30 out!  Busses run!

No school on Monday and celebrate Labor Day and the last few moments of summer!  

Junior High Tennis today at Great Falls CMR vs. Fort Benton and Conrad!  Good Luck Ladies!
High School Girls Volleyball is at Choteau Invitational today and tomorrow!  Go Eagles!

What a fantastic first day of school!  Thanks so much for your support last night at the teacher meet and greet!  We had a great turnout and we had many compliments on how well it was run and how much it was appreciated!
Today was AWESOME, so much energy in this building today!

August 28, 2013 

Here is to a great 1st day of school! 

 Whoop! 

Let's Go Little Eagles!!!!

I stole this from a facebook page and don't know who to give credit to, so certainly don't credit me for writing this.  

I grew up on a ranch and feel that this can metaphorically apply to all kids and parents as we are helping our kiddos grow up!  

And cheers to a fantastic start to a new school year!

 25 Things I Want My Ranch  Kids to Know.

1. You have chores, because we love you.

They seem tedious, but they are the building blocks for your future.  Responsibility, accountability, and basic life skills begin with sweeping the floor, scrubbing the toilet, and feeding pets and livestock.  We love you, we want you to find success in life.  Success comes from preparation, so we give you chores.

2. Boredom is a choice.

Don’t let me hear you say you are bored.  Boredom is a choice, when your backyard is the whole outdoors, there are chores to be done, and books to be read.  If you can’t entertain yourself with a stick and a bucket full of calf nuts, we’re doing something wrong.

3. There is magic in watching the sunrise.

Early mornings are hard,  we don’t rise as early and as easily as Dad.  Do it anyway.  The beauty you will witness with the awakening of the world is worth sleepy eyes and cold fingers.

4. A pet is more than a companion.

Your cats, dogs, calves, and ponies are more than friends and playmates.  They are lessons in empathy, responsibility, love, and letting go.

5. Grow your own food.

Our world is increasingly rife with poor food choices, the easiest response to unhealthy options is to grow your own food.  I don’t care it’s a single tomato plant or a garden large enough to feed 10 families, cultivate an appreciation for fresh, whole food.

6. Be open to learning.

In horsemanship and life, you will never know it all, never assume that you do.  A humble open, attitude towards learning will lead to new skills and experiences.

7. Dress appropriately for the occasion.

A cowboy’s uniform, hat, long-sleeved shirt, jeans, and boots, evolved out of necessity.  Protect yourself from the sun, wind and weather with the proper clothing.  I nag and question your clothing choices, because you are precious to me.

8. There is a time and a place for bad language.

Sometimes you just need to cuss; spew anger and frustration in one grand verbal barrage.  Smash your thumb with your shoeing hammer/fencing pliers, massive runback at the gate, ringy heifer won’t take her calf?  Yes.  At the dinner table,  the classroom, in front of your grandmother?  No.

9. Feed your help.

Neighbors, friends, or hired men?  It doesn’t matter, sometimes the best way to show your gratitude for a long day of hard work is a lovingly prepared hot meal and cold drink.

10.  Don’t judge, but if you do, judge them by their abilities, attitudes, actions not appearances.

Buckaroo or cowboy, flat or taco, slick or rubber? In some circles these comparisons can lead to heated debates, more often than not based strongly in personal opinion, rather than rooted in truth.  This is true outside of  the ranching world, as well.  Words have power to create divisiveness, do not use them to speak against yourself or gossip about others.

11. Stewardship.

Dad and I choose to be responsible for landscapes and livestock, this lifestyle defines who we are.  Sometimes that means ballgames are trumped by pasture rotations and dinner time is delayed by cesarean sections, it does not mean we love you any less.  I hope you approach the world with a sense of respect and connectedness.

12. Fake it till you make it.

You don’t have to be confident in everything you do, but taking a deep breath and acting like you are helps you get through it.  This can be applied in the arena, the sorting alley, to horses or people, and life as a whole.  Stand up straight and look the challenge in the eye, as you gain experience confidence will catch up with you.

13.  That said, don’t mistake arrogance for confidence.

No one likes a swaggering braggart, even if he is a competent swaggering braggart.  There is honor in being unheralded, if you enjoy your work.

14. Low-stress is best. . .

. . .for you and for livestock.   Don’t let it defeat your spirit and energy.  Don’t let it impact your livestock health.

15. The only dumb question is the unasked question.

Where is  the gate?  Which calf? Can you help me?  Ask questions, no one will think less of you.  Clear communication helps prevent misunderstandings.

16. Always do your best.

There are days when your best is better than others, recognize that.  Avoid self-judgement, abuse, and regret and enjoy the process.

17.    “There comes a time when you’re gonna get bucked and you’re gonna need to know what to do so you don’t get stepped on.“  -Betsy Swain, 1875

  Do not let fear of pain or disappointment stand in the way of new experiences.  What I regret most in my life are opportunities missed out of fear.  Pain and disappointment are a part of living, learn to take them in stride and keep moving forward.

18. Be polite and kind.

Enough said.

19.  But, don’t be a pushover.

Stand up for yourself.

20. Develop a sense of place.

Wherever you may live, learn the names of plants, rocks, and animals, visit old homesteads (or neighborhoods) and educate yourself about Indigenous cultures.  In doing so, you gain roots, a sense of belonging that will lend you stability in all that you do.

21. Break a sweat everyday.

Pound a steel post or take a jog, whatever you do, break a sweat daily.  Your mind and body will thank you for it.

22. Be present.

If you are mindful of the moment, it is easier to catch a mistake before it happens, redirect a broncy horse before wreck, and have better relationships.  It might surprise you, what you observe and what you achieve when you are fully in the moment.

23. Unplug.

Go to cow camp.  Leave the computer screen, TV, and cell phones behind.  Watch the chipmunks and rock dogs, read a book, or share a conversation with your family.

24. Sometimes the hard decisions are the right ones.

We cannot rationalize suffering and pain to animals.  Sometimes the best decision is the hardest one to make, know when to let them go.

25. You do not have to maintain this lifestyle, but please appreciate it.

I don’t expect you to grow up and follow in our footsteps, the long hours and low pay aren’t for everyone.  Carry these early horseback mornings in your heart.

~Anonymous~

Welcome to the 2013-2014 School Year!

FAIRFIELD ELEMENTARY MEET AND GREET YOUR TEACHER NIGHT IS TUESDAY, AUGUST 27TH FROM 5:30-6:30.  PLEASE STOP BY, BRING ALL YOUR SCHOOL GEAR, DROP IT OFF, AND MEET YOUR TEACHER AND STAFF MEMBERS.

School begins August 28th at 8:15 AM!

AR reader champs!

Bravo!

Great concert by the fifth and sixth graders today. What great improvement you make over the course of a year! Thank you, Mrs. Allen!

School Board

Congrats to our new board member, Chris Christensen and incumbents, Joan Schmidt and Mark Coverdell and our new Board Clerk Jim Drishinski on all being sworn in at last nights board meeting by Teton County Superintendent of Schools Dianne Inbody!

What an amazing morning at Fairfield Elementary School

Special thanks to Discovery Education, WebMD and Sanford Health to make this day special for Mrs. Caroline Rogers!  Mrs. Rogers won $5,000.00 for the school and for herself to try to make kiddos more healthy....Bravo....

Special thanks to the High School National Honor Society under Mrs. Patterson for raising funds for the FLY program with their dodgeball tourney....it is much appreciated!