GREAT FALLS — Andee Thares is in her second year as the principal of Chief Joseph Elementary School in Great Falls.
She said, “What struck me last year walking around was just how much positive things are going on in this building, and so my goal was really just to, really get us all paddling in the same direction.”
The school is always looking to improve and adapt its ways for their 244 students.
“Really where we tried to push the envelope is by putting the onus back on kids,” Thares said.
The hard work of the faculty has paid off. The US Department of Education recognized 356 schools with their prestigious Blue-Ribbon Award, and Chief Joseph was on the list for the first time since 2005.
“I knew that, given our data and, you know, obviously the hard work of our teachers and our team, that it was deserved,” Thares said.
Chief Joseph Elementary School is one of only two schools in Montana to receive the award this year; the other is Russell Elementary School in Missoula.
The award recognizes the school’s excellence in academics and achievements. This was done with the help of programs like CharacterStrong.
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“CharacterStrong is a activity and a learning software that we use,” said Tristan, a sixth-grade student at Chief Joseph. “And it talks about respect, responsibility, empathy, encouraging others, discipline. And, it teaches you really how to just be a better person.”
The school also uses class-wide goals to motivate the students.
“We set goals for testing,” said Addison, another sixth-grader. “And if we get a certain percentage, we can, like earn a reward or a party.”
The school embodies changing learning methods to fit modern classrooms.
Tristan said, “You don't learn just like, they give you a worksheet and you have to do it. They actually work with you.”
In the past year, 85% of Chief Joseph Students met or exceeded one year’s growth in math, and over 50% exceeded a year’s growth in reading.
“Our goal is, no matter where kids come in to us, whether they're below, on, or above grade level, we still want to give them that year's growth,” Thares said.
The progress is felt and appreciated by the students as well.
“Yeah, I do feel like I learn a lot here because the teachers just make it better,” Addison said.
“I love going to school here,” said Tristan. “The teachers are extremely encouraging, and they make learning funner than normal.”
More information on the Blue Ribbon Award can be found here.
