PLC hard at work in Bigfork schools, elections upcoming

Bigfork Public Schools Board of Trustees held their meeting Wednesday, Dec. 11.  

Second grade teachers Mandy Fausset and Jennifer Gustavson presented with high school science teacher Vicki Heupel as part of a professional learning community designed to improve teaching and learning.  

Heupel has helped the other teachers evaluate their lesson plans and rework them to their student’s needs. The pair are able to work as a teaching team and make sure both their classes are learning as much as possible as simply as possible. They reported the program has been working well.  

“Kids that you would have thought, they need extra math or intervention all the time, no, they’re getting 100s because we are working so hard and we know our standards so well...,” Gustavson said.  

High School band teacher Brian Philips had two out-of-state field trips approved, one to the University of Idaho and one to New York City. The Idaho trip will take place in April, students will attend the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival and have the opportunity to perform and experience other artists in action. Costs are estimated at $150 per student and will be fundraised.  

The New York trip will not take place until 2026, with the opportunity to see working musicians in the city, including on Broadway. Costs are estimated at $2,500 per student, also to be fundraised.  

A resolution to run the annual school election for Zack Anderson and Deb Johnson’s board positions, with terms ending in May, was passed. The election will be held by mail ballot Tuesday, May 6.   

Board policy 8460 on naming school district facilities passed on its second reading. This would allow Turf Club to give naming rights to donors in their efforts to fundraise a new stadium.  

Scheduling changes have resulted in the elementary bleachers being replaced over spring break rather than summer. Triple B Manufacturing will work with the school to replace four wooden staircases from the lower campus to upper campus.  

Community members desiring to see data collected from the four-day school week survey may be able to see them on the school website in the future. They may also be requested as public information at any time.  

The next school board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 5 p.m. in the Bigfork High School library.