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CALENDAR
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Help us celebrate! MCPS will graduate more than 800 students this year!
Ceremonies:
Willard Alternative High School Program
Graduation Celebra-tion, 7 p.m., May 30, UM Music Recital Hall.
Sentinel High School
Commencement, 10 a.m., June 1, Adams Center, UM.
Big Sky High School
Commencement, 12:30 p.m., June 1, Adams Center, UM.
Hellgate High School
Commencement, 3 p.m., June 1, Adams Center, UM.
Seeley-Swan High School
Commencement, 1 p.m., June 2, Seeley Lake, Mont.
DID YOU KNOW?
MCPS continues to make strides in its goal of 100 percent student graduation. The graduation rate for 2012 was 90.3 percent, the highest among AA school districts in all of Montana! Many people ask, "What are you doing to ensure students graduate?" One strategy that the high schools employ is the establishment of a "on-time graduation" committee that identifies and assists students who are at risk due to credit deficiencies or other issues. Intervention is provided to help students get back on track. The Montana Digital Academy and other programs can assist with credit recovery.
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CHALLENGE FUND GRANT
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Graduation Matters receives $5,000 grant
Graduation Matters Missoula was recently awarded a $5,000 Challenge Fund Grant from the Montana Office of Public Instruction to continue programs that will help reduce drop-out rates in MCPS schools. The grant funding was made available through a partnership between OPI and the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation. Additional funding came from State Farm Insurance, which contributed $15,000 to the GMM Challenge Fund for 2013.
 The 2013 Challenge Grant will be used to support expansion of "Youth Building Bridges" workshops in MCPS elementary classrooms. These trainings are provided by the National Coalition Building Institute and serve to facilitate positive school cultures, increase student engagement and support students as they transition from elementary to middle school. This early-intervention model will help reduce drop-out rates in MCPS schools by giving students the tools to succeed emotionally and academically. NCBI is currently completing the second round of 5th grade workshops under the project.
This year's work with 5th graders was funded by a Challenge Grant awarded in April 2012 to support students in transition.
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| APPLIED LEARNING PORTAL | |
 MCPS recently launched a new online resource that will enable students and teachers to connect with professionals in the Missoula community. The web portal, titled the Applied Learning Portal, will allow local professionals to register to provide work-based learning experiences to students, such as job shadows, internships or to serve as senior project mentors. The Applied Learning Portal will make it easier for students to identify valuable volunteer service opportunities in Missoula and will be highly useful as all MCPS schools as they implement capstone projects. These experiences engage students and help them link what they learn in the classroom to the "real world." If you would like to learn more about the portal or register as an applied learning professional, please click here. |
FAF$A MATTERS MISSOULA
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This spring, through workshops and outreach, more than 100 MCPS students and parents received one-on-one support through a GMM program titled "FAF$A Matters Missoula." The outreach resulted in a 5 percent increase in FAFSA submissions from MCPS seniors before March 1, which is the priority financial aid deadline for most Montana colleges.
" FAF$A Matters Missoula" was initiated in December 2012 after GMM received a $5,000 College Readiness grant from Graduation Matters Montana and the Student Assistance Foundation. GMM sponsored six workshops to help MCPS students and parents complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. In addition, 10 educators (FAFSA coaches) were trained to contact and provide guidance to students and families. The FAFSA is crucial to post-secondary success because it is the gateway application to most types of college financial aid, including grants, student loans and work-study. GMM hopes to continue this program during the 2013-14 school year. |
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EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION & SUPPORT
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 A Graduation Matters Missoula subcommittee is focusing on how MCPS staff and community members can work together to better support families with children ages 0-5. Headed by United Way of Missoula County Director Susan Hay Patrick, the subcommittee is beginning efforts to bring more attention to the needs of young families. Its work so far has included a "quick tips" mailer to all Missoula households that provides suggestions for reading to preschoolers, making "healthy" food more appealing and introducing science concepts to young children. If you would like to be involved in these efforts, email Lesli Brassfield at lbrassfield@mcps.k12.mt.us.
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