District office 273-6751 • HS Office 273-6301 • MS Office 273-0587 • Elementary Office 273-6741

Florence-Carlton School District 15-6, 5602 Old Hwy 93, Florence, MT 59833

Home page: http://www.florence.k12.mt.us

-a line of communication between school, parents & community members-

December 2009

Non-Profit Org. U.S. POSTAGE PAID

Florence, MT 59833 Permit No. 3

The Florence-Carlton parents, school and community will provide a safe, respectful environment that strives to prepare all students to become responsible, lifelong learners by

empowering them with the integrity, knowledge and skills to contribute to a changing world.

In November, Mrs. Williford, our middle

school counselor, Officer Gividen, the school

resource officer, and I presented a lesson on

bullying and harassment to grades 6-8. Mrs.

Williford’s lesson included insight into the

mind of a bully. Students watched a couple of

video clips that demonstrated ways that stu-

dents can handle bullying situations. Student’s

role played different scenarios. Officer Givi-

den presented the law enforcement side of the

topic, in addition to reinforcing parts of Mrs.

Williford’s presentation. I talked to students

about what occurs when bullying is reported to

my office.

When I receive a report of bullying/

harassment, I typically visit with the victim

first. I ask for the names of students who can

corroborate the incidents. From that point, I

look into the matter by talking to teachers,

other students, etc... Bullying can be a one

time event but normally isn’t. It’s usually a

pattern of behavior or a number of incidents

that target one particular student. If I am able

to confirm that bullying did take place I follow

the progressive discipline matrix as outlined in

our student handbook. Additionally, teachers

are contacted. I encourage teachers to be vigi-

lant in their supervision of the students in-

volved, and I solicit reports from them that

give me their general observations about the

situation. If, after exhausting all school conse-

quences, I haven’t been able to get the atten-

tion of the student who is bullying, I refer the

incident to Officer Gividen. After considering

all the information, he determines whether a

citation will be issued. In most cases, the bul-

lying/harassment stops after the initial office

visit with the bully and a phone call to parents.

Finally, I want to assure parents that our school

takes the safety of our students seriously. We

work at providing the safest learning environ-

ment that we can. With that said, there is al-

ways room for improvement. Our school staff

will continue to look at what we are doing that

works and areas where we can improve.

A Few Words from Mrs. Backus – FCMS Principal

Alex Mitchell then read the ―Veterans Day

Proclamation‖. We were honored to have

Brigadier General Dale Stovall of the United

States Air Force as our guest speaker. General

Stovall's combat decorations for rescuing 12

downed airmen in North Viet Nam and Loas in

1972 include the Air Force Cross, the military's

second highest award; two Silver Stars; two

Distinguished Flying Crosses; and six Air

Medals. General Stovall has over 4,000 flight

hours in military fixed wing aircraft and heli-

copters. General Stovall spoke to the students

about the history and importance of Veterans

Day as well as his personal experience. Vocal

Ensemble, led by Deborah Ogle sang ―Song

for the Unsung Hero‖. Eighth grade student,

Rachel Castillo then read a poem by Joanna

Fuchs entitled ―Veterans Day Tribute‖. The

assembly concluded with a moment of silence

and Mrs. Judie Fisher playing ―Taps‖. Our

thanks to all who participated in the assembly

to honor all veteran’s who currently serve and

have served our country.

Veterans Day is intended to thank and honor

all those who served honorably in the military -

in wartime or peacetime. In fact, Veterans Day

is largely intended to thank living veterans for

their service, to acknowledge that their contri-

butions to our national security are appreci-

ated, and to underscore the fact that all those

who served - not only those who died- have

sacrificed and done their duty.

In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower

signed a bill proclaiming November 11th as

Veterans Day and called upon Americans eve-

rywhere to rededicate themselves to the cause

of peace. He issued a Presidential Order direct-

ing the head of the Veterans Administration,

now the Department of Veterans Affairs, to

form a Veterans Day National Committee to

organize and oversee the national observance

of Veterans Day.

There are nearly 25 million veterans living

among us, in every state and territory and from

every walk of life. Many of our students, par-

ents and members of the community may be

the son, daughter, cousin, parent, or relative of

a veteran or current service member.

On November 12, Florence-Carlton Middle

and High School held a memorable Veterans

Day assembly. A representative from the

United States Army, Staff Sergeant Dustin

Skarecky, along with seniors Chris Benson and

Lacie Krier and eighth grade students Misty

Gill and Jed Syrenne posted the colors. This

was followed by Lacie Krier singing ―The Star

Spangled Banner‖ which led into our high

school’s Concert Band, led by Jennifer Kirby

playing a piece entitled, ―With Each Sunset‖.

School Board Trustee Steps Down by John C. McGee

Trustee Linda Harris resigned his position after 1 year with the School Board.

The resignation leaves a hole in the five-member board. Whenever a trustee position becomes

vacant the remaining trustees shall declare such position vacant and they shall appoint in writing

within sixty (60) days, a competent person as a successor. Any person who is qualified to vote in

our school district is eligible to be appointed for the office of Trustee.

The School Board has sixty (60) days from the date the board takes action to declare the trustee

position vacant. If the trustees do not make the appointment within 60 day period, then the

County Superintendent of Schools shall appoint.

The Florence-Carlton School District will be seeking an individual to serve on the Board of

Trustees until the next regular school election held in May 2010. Interested candidates should

follow school board meetings closely to find out when letters of interest will be due and when

interviews will commence.

A special board meeting to declare a trustee position as vacant took place on November 18, 2009.

Florence-Carlton School Honors Veterans During Assembly

High School News Page 2

December 2; 7:00-Financial Aid Night in

the theater at the University of Montana.

Florence-Carlton will also be hosting a

Financial Aid Night on January 13th at 7:00

in the Band Room. If applying for financial

aid attending one of these free events is

very important. Experts in the field of

financial aid will help guide seniors and

their parents through the confusing process.

Junior parents are also welcome to attend.

December 4-A representative from

Montana Tech will be on campus. Sign up

with Mrs. Holden

December 15-Deadline to register for

January 23 SAT

Scholarships: MSU Presidential Scholarships

Deadline: January 5

Amount: Tuition Waiver

Applicants must apply for admission to

Montana State University as entering

freshman

A cumulative GPA of 3.75 and a composite

score of 30 on the ACT or 2000 on the

SAT are the expected norms.

MSU Freshman Scholarship

Deadline: January 5

Amount: Various

Minimum ACT score of 23, SAT score of

1050

Minimum GPA 3.5

University of Montana Freshman Scholarship

Deadline: December 31

Amount: Various

High School GPA 3.4

ACT composite score of 25, or combined

SAT score of 1700

Oh, The Places You’ll Go!

2010 College Scholarship

Deadline: February 15

Amount: $5000

Must be in the 12th grade

Must submit an essay

Upcoming Dates, Deadlines and Scholarships by Stacy Holden, HS Counselor

Alert

No deadline

Amount: $500

You need to write a 600-1000 word essay

about a personal encounter you or someone

you know has had with drug and/or alcohol

abuse, how it was dealt with and in your

opinion what was right or wrong about the

way the incident or problem was handled.

You must be a senior in high school

You must have a GPA of 2.5 or higher

You plan on attending college after

Graduation

SAE Engineering Scholarships

Deadline: January 15

For full details, applications and FAQs,

visit: www.sae.org/students/engschlr.htm

U.S. Bank Internet Scholarship Program

Deadline: March 2010

Amount: 40- $1000

Anyone can apply-it is a random drawing

Apply online at: www.usbank.com/

studentloans

KFC Colonel’s Scholars Program

Deadline: February 10

Amount: $20000

Graduating from high school this academic

year

Maintaining a GPA of 2.75 or higher

Enrolling in a public, in-state college or

university no later than 9/30/2010

Pursuing a bachelor’s degree

A U.S. citizen or permanent resident

Apply online at www.kfcscholars.org.

Online applications are not available until

December 1.

ESA Foundation Scholarship

Deadline: February 1

Amount: Various

A senior high school student who will be

an incoming college freshman with a mini-

mum GPA of 3.0 OR a minimum score of

ACT 22/ (verbal/critical reading and math

1030)

Congratulations to Alex Mitchell and Abby Mytty who were voted Students of the Month for the month of September and to Corinne Griggs and

Chris Benson who were voted Students of the Month for October.

Each month the high school staff votes a male and a female senior to be the Student of the Month. This program is sponsored by the Elk’s Lodge,

and each month that month’s winners attend a dinner at the Elk’s Lodge in Missoula along with the other Student of the Month winners from around

the area. The criteria for the Student of the Month are: academic excellence, extracurricular activities, and community service. So, congratulations

September and October Student of the Month

Alex Mitchell is National Honor Society Presi-

dent, Key Club member, Student Council Vice-

President, Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership

school representative, Life Scout, AmeriCorps

member and high honor roll throughout high

school.

Abby

Mytty is Key Club President, National Honors

Society Vice-President, Senior Class Vice-

President, 4-H Vice-President, 4-H

member for five years, Varsity Basketball,

Varsity Track.

Corinne Griggs has received many band awards, is Art

Club treasurer and President, member of Ravalli

County Leadership ReACT and Radar group, Key

Club reporter, and Girl’s State Delegate.

Chris Benson is a member of the Varsity Boys Basket-

ball team, Varsity Track, Student Council Representa-

tive, National Honors Society Treasurer and Key Club

Treasurer, and an AmeriCorps member.

I was very proud of the girls' performance this

season. Placing 3rd at Districts and 5th at Di-

visionals was amazing! Ours is the only team

in statewide in Class B volleyball that has both

a freshman setter and a freshman middle

blocker. Those two positions are usually occu-

pied by the most seasoned, veteran play-

ers. Our young girls stepped in and accepted

the challenge and our veteran players provided

leadership, encouragement and, above all, a

belief in their rookie teammates. In both the

regular season and into tourney play we

faced teams whose players had much more var-

sity experience and we consistently beat

them! The girls quickly progressed from

"rebuilder season" to being a strong opponent

n o m a t t e r w h o t h e y p l a y e d .

For the 4th consecutive year a Florence volley-

ball player has been selected for the All State

team! Congratulations to Amanda Heffner for

rightfully earning this honor. We also have

two All Conference players, Odessa Conley

and Abbie Maricelli. Chayla Pedersen earned

Honorable Mention All Conference Hon-

ors. Good job, Girls! Your school and your

teammates are proud of the way you

represented them.

High School Volleyball Season by Kelly Daniels

Page 3 Community Information and Middle School Sports

Middle School Students have the opportunity each year to play competitive sports against other

schools in the valley. Middle School Boys can play football during September and October and

basketball the end of October through the beginning of December. They can also compete in

track in April and May. Middle School Girls can play basketball during September and October,

volleyball during February and March and compete in track in April and May.

This year there were more football players than in the past years, 17-8th graders and 27-7th graders

went out. Practices had to be held up at the park due to daylight hours and high school football

teams needing the school fields. They started the season with a Jamboree at Stevensville in Mid-

September and ended with their last game at Corvallis in Mid-October. The teams got to play

new teams this year like Frenchtown, Bonner and Salmon, ID for a total of 8 games. They ended

up with the higher score sometimes, but overall seemed to improve throughout the season. To

round off their season the parents put on a Football Awards Banquet for the players in early No-

vember. For the most part the season was a success.

There were many girls out for basketball as well this year. They started the season with 14-8th

graders and 18-7th graders, which divided into 1-8th grade team and 2-7th grade teams. With the

season starting right after school started and games within 10 days of starting there were a few

rocky moments, but it balanced out to some solid basketball. The girls teams each played 10

games. The 8th grade team ended their season with a tournament in Hamilton where they placed

4th. It was great to see many new players trying the sport.

Boys Basketball started just two days after football ended, so some players had to switch gears

quickly. There were 12-8th graders and 16-7th graders, so again 1-8th grade team and 2-7th grade

teams were formed. Again there were some newcomers to the sport this season. Games started

just a week after practices and they will end their season with games Tuesday, December 1st at

Hamilton at 4:00, host Corvallis on Thursday, December 3rd at 5:00, and the 8th grade team will

go to Stevensville for an end of the season tournament on Saturday, December 5th. Be sure to

catch their last few games and cheer them on.

This past fall all teams had to battle with the sick players and finding enough healthy players to

make a team, but they survived and most seem eager to try this again next year.

7th & 8th Middle School Fall Sports

High School Yearbooks must be paid for by

JANUARY 31, 2010 or a book will not be or-

dered for your student. You can pay online at

www.jostens.com or bring payment to Mrs.

Briney at the high school.

SENIOR PHOTOS are due January 15, 2010.

Please submit a toddler picture as well. Photos

can be emailed to brineyk@florence.k12.mt.us

The Yearbook Staff invites students and par-

ents to submit photos for the yearbook. If

you’ve got great photos of school and commu-

nity events or you and your friends just having

fun, we’d like to see them. Our photographers

can’t be everywhere. Help us get as many pho-

tos as possible to create a terrific book every-

o n e w i l l w a n t t o h a v e .

Submit photos to brineyk@florence.k12.mt.us or here is how you can submit photos online:

Go to: https://images.jostens.com/login If it

does not automatically log you into the site,

enter username: 400004512 and password: fal-

cons

The Yearbook Staff will review all photos and

determine final yearbook content. We cannot

guarantee that all submissions can be used in

the book.

High School Yearbook Information

What a great Fall it has been. Things have been running very smoothly. Don't ever hesitate to call Majestic Bus Service with any questions or concerns you may have. 273-3346. With poor weather conditions upon us, we just want to continue to remind all of you, our kids safety is FIRST, please drive appropriately. With the holidays just around the corner, we'd also like to remind everyone to count their blessings and pass along a little extra kindness this holiday season. Continuing to "meet the drivers"

Jeff Johnson—‖Scooby Doo‖ and he like his Scooby Snacks. Jeff joined us in 2008 from Edmonds, WA where he drove transit bus. He is also one of our diesel mechanics. Jeff enjoys attending custom car shows and collectable toy events as well as traveling.

Kristy Camitsch—‖Shrek‖, and she’s no Ogre! Kristy has been with Ma-jestic for over 3 years and is also our Compliance Assistant. She enjoys biking, hiking and reading. She has two children attending FCS.

Dick Dunn—‖Snow White‖, Dick has been a familiar face in the com-munity for over 28 years. He is a retired teacher/coach from Missoula and Ravalli counties. He enjoys his morning strolls, golfing and garden-ing. Dick has four sons who graduated from FCS.

From the Bus Barn by Beverly Fix

Middle School Update Page 4

Thank you to all of the Middle School Football

Parents for your time, money and food donated

toward our Football Practice Pizza and

Banquet. It was nice for our boys to be ac-

knowledged for their hard work and determi-

nation toward the 2009 Season. A special

thank you to Heidi Summers, for making the

football pennants for the tables and the boys.

Also, a big thank you to Coach Zach Jenkins

and Coach Tyler Gilder for recognizing and

appreciating each of our players. You guys are

awesome!

Luci Synek—Team Mom

What is bullying? Bullying among children is aggressive behav-ior that is intentional and that involves an im-balance of power or strength. A child who is being bullied has a hard time defending him-self or herself. Usually, bullying is repeated over time. Bullying can take many forms, such as hitting or punching (physical bullying); teas-ing or name-calling (verbal bullying); intimi-dation using gestures or social exclusion (nonverbal bullying or emotional bullying); and sending insulting messages by phone or computer e-mail (cyberbullying). A general note about bullies: The word ―bully‖ has negative connotations. At times, a general attitude is that the bullies are bad and must be made to stop their bullying. However it may be more correct to define bullies as people who apparently have the upper hand in the bully/victim interactions.

Why do kids bully? There are many questions surrounding issues of bullying that need to be addressed. Why does bullying happen to my child, at this school or in society? There are several theories about why bullying occurs in our schools, on the job and in the community. Bullying behavior can be a way of gaining power and status in a group or school class. The hidden phenomena of bullying can initiate with a person or group targets another person by teasing, taunting or other behaviors. Bullying behavior continues when a victim status is maintained by the person being har-assed. This can create a social ―norm‖ that can cause students in the bullying community to follow them. Tormenting the bullied student increases the group's cohesion and the treat-ment of the bullied student creates fear in other students, who do not dare to fight bullying. In a community where bullying occurs, fear and guilt are obvious. What does research show? There is conflicting research on the effective-ness of school-based programs. Research sug-gests that many school bullying interventions produce modest positive outcomes. The pro-grams implemented are more likely to influ-ence knowledge, attitudes, and self-perceptions rather than actual bullying behaviors. What does work? It is important to provide children and youth with strategies that are effective. If they are using strategies that do not work, they are only going to increase the victimization over time. Children should know that the reason they are being bullied has nothing to do with them as a person. For example: Billy gets pushed every day when he's in line in school. He doesn't know why the kids do it to him. The only explanation he can think of is that they hate him. But Billy is wrong. Maybe some kids hate him, but that's not why they push him. Jennifer's friends bring her rumors of other kids calling her stupid behind her back. Jenni-fer does great in school and gets 90's and 100's on all her tests. Jennifer believes the rumors are spread because other kids are really jealous of her. But Jennifer is wrong. The other kids might be jealous of her intelligence, but that's not why they are spreading rumors about her.

Buy your Middle School Yearbook now before

we sell them all. You need to order and buy

your 2009-2010 yearbook now as we only

order a limited number of books. Don’t wait

until next spring and be left without one. They

are $10 and can be purchased at the Middle

School Office. Get your reserved today.

2009-2010 Middle School Yearbook

The schools cannot force students to like each other and be nice to one another. It's impossible to do that. The school's job is to educate. So if schools want students to have better social skills and get along better, they can give les-sons. There will be times when parents and teachers need to intervene. Teachers, counselors and principals sometimes are unaware of situa-tions and need parents and students to inform the school if there is a situation causing their child distress. One of the most effective ways to reach students is with education that shows them what works and what doesn’t. Florence Middle School will be addressing the topic of bullying throughout the year. The middle school counselor and the School Resource Offi-cer will be in the classroom over the next sev-eral months delivering lessons on dealing with bullying in the 6th, 7th and 8th grades. Many of these lessons are available online for parents to review and role-play with your child through bullies2buddies.com. Excerpts taken from: Kalman, I. (2007). Bullies to buddies: Victim-proof your school. Twinsburg, OH; Author as well as bullies2buddies.com For more research information on Bullies to B u d d i e s P r o g r a m v i s i t www.bullies2buddies and click on “evidence supported”

Your child needs to know bulling is not fair and there is a way they can break the cycle. The reason why they are bullied may be be-cause they are showing that they are getting upset. Anyone who gets bullied should be up-set. Should they show it? Not if they want it to stop. If your child reacts by crying, threatening or telling, it reinforces the bullying. It’s show time for the bully! I wonder what will happen next time I... (shove, name call, etc). The cycle is perpetuated every day, day after day. The bully continues to make fun of the bullied child, and the child keeps trying to make them stop. And nothing works. No mat-ter how hard they try, the teasing continues. When kids call your child names and they get mad, how does the teasing child feel? Do they feel bad for what they did? They sure don't! If they felt bad about the teasing, they wouldn't do it! When they tease your child and your child gets mad, they love it! They feel great! They can't get enough of it! You are the one who feels lousy, not them. And the angrier your child becomes, the more fun they have. Whatever they try to do to stop the bully only makes the bully feel better. The bully’s reac-tion is, "Ha, ha, go ahead and try to stop me. They can't do it no matter how hard you try!" Even if your child tries to hide their feelings, chances are they can tell by the look on their face that they are upset, and this makes them feel good. But it really doesn't matter if the things they say are true or not. All that matters is if it both-ers your child. If your child is beautiful and they get mad when they call them ugly, they will keep calling your child ugly. If your child is thin and they get upset when they call you fatso, they will keep calling your child fatso. Whatever succeeds in upsetting your child is exactly what they are going to do again. How do I teach my child not to respond? Childhood is a time when children practice the skills they will need in their adult lives. If they don’t learn how to deal with aggression in their formative years, how in the world are they go-ing to know how to do it when they are adults? It is more useful to see bullies as the social sparring partners of our children. Bullies give our children the opportunity to learn to deal with aggression, an essential life skill. Our job is to not only protect the victims from the bul-lies, but to teach the victims how to defeat the bullies – by not getting upset. One way to get your child to learn this skill is to role-play a situation where they are being bullied. Have your child call you names and respond by getting really angry with them. Watch as your child gets almost delighted with your response as you show more and more emotion. Ask your child, ―How did that feel to you? Do you respect me more?‖ Chances are they will say no they do not respect you and that it was kind of fun to make you mad. Now role play without showing emotion in the ex-change. For more examples of role playing visit www.bullies2buddies.com and enter ―idiot game‖ in the search menu.

Bullies to Buddies Program by Ali Williford, Middle School Counselor

Middle School teachers using program in the classroom to teach students how not to become victims.

Thank You to all MS Football Parents

What’s Coming Up at the Middle School?

December 9th - MS Choir Concert 7:30

December 11, 2009 - Midterm

December 16th – MS Band Concert 7:30

December 23, 2009 – Early Release

Page 5 Elementary Students At Their Best

My parents are special.

Ask me why.

BECAUSE . . .

They love me.

Mom is nice.

Dad is silly.

They are cool.

They take care of me.

That’s why.

My parents are special!

By Madalyn Evans

My parents are special.

Ask me why.

BECAUSE . . .

They take care of me.

Mom drives me to the bus stop.

Dad works to make money.

They make dinner.

They protect me.

That’s why.

My parents are special!

By Brendan Schneiter

My parents are special.

Ask me why.

BECAUSE . . .

They love me.

They cuddle me.

They give me kisses.

That’s why.

My parents are special!

By Gabbie Reed

My parents are special.

Ask me why.

BECAUSE . . .

They take care of me.

Mom loves me.

Dad let’s me have candy when I get home.

Dad is very nice to me.

That’s why.

My parents are special!

By Robert Lindquist

My parents are special.

Ask me why.

BECAUSE . . .

My mom protects me.

She does make dinner.

My mom helps me.

That’s why.

My parents are special!

By CashLynnWood

My parents are special.

Ask me why.

BECAUSE . . .

They help me with my homework.

And take me out to eat.

And get me clothes.

They love me too!

And pick out my clothes.

They take me shopping.

And go camping.

They make me dinner.

That’s why.

My parents are special!

By Catlin Brugh

My parents are special.

Ask me why.

BECAUSE . . .

My mom drives me to school.

My dad takes me fishing.

They feed me.

That’s why.

My parents are special!

By Kellen Bradt

My parents are special.

Ask me why.

BECAUSE . . .

They love me very much.

Mom helps me with my homework.

Dad helps me with dictionaries.

They take care of me.

They protect me.

That’s why.

My parents are special!

By Izaya Ward

My parents are special. Ask me why. BECAUSE . . . Mom is nice. Dad helps me. Mom and dad love me. That’s why. My parents are special! By Layla Windsor My parents are special. Ask me why. BECAUSE . . . They keep me safe. My dad makes pancakes. They make my room. That’s why. My parents are special! By Casey Nuckolls

My parents are special. Ask me why. BECAUSE . . . They feed me. Mom helps me with my homework. Dad takes me places I need to go. They love me. They take care of me. That’s why. My parents are special! By Grace Edgar My parents are special. Ask me why. BECAUSE . . . They feed me. Mom drives me to school. Dad helps me with my homework. They both care about me. They keep me safe. That’s why. My parents are special! By Gianna Migliaccio

My parents are special.

Ask me why.

BECAUSE . . .

Mom is nice to me.

They love me.

Dad is silly.

That’s why.

My parents are special!

By Loch Tate

My parents are special.

Ask me why.

BECAUSE . . .

They keep me safe.

They give me food.

They love me.

That’s why.

My parents are special!

By Jayden Hendricksen

My parents are special.

Ask me why.

BECAUSE . . .

They keep me safe.

They give me food.

My dad takes me places.

My mom drops me off at school.

They keep me healthy.

That’s why.

My parents are special!

By Jaren Lue

My parents are special.

Ask me why.

BECAUSE . . .

They love me.

They get me food.

They buy me toys.

That’s why.

My parents are special!

By Eli Pedersen

Mom & Dad Poems Written by Mrs. Crawford’s 1/2 Combo Class—My Parents are Special

Congratulations to Ms. Verlanic’s class, the

first class to complete 100 miles in The Mile-

age Club. Student Sean Huseby is leading the

class with a total of 25 miles and Ms. Verlanic

is the first teacher to complete a mileage card.

Parents and/or guardians are encouraged to

walk with their children at the Florence Carl-

ton Track during lunch on Tuesdays and

Thursdays. Hannah Burt, a student in Mrs.

Miller’s class along with her mother Alicia

have each walked 20 miles.

Keep on walking,

Nancy Stock and Lisa Brager

Elementary Health Enhancement Teachers

The Mileage Club

Mrs. Bolton’s kindergarten class is studying

what birds we can see in Florence during the

fall and winter seasons. David Lockman, wild-

life biologist from the Stevensville Forest Ser-

vice office, brought in a collection of mounted

owls, hawks, woodpeckers and warblers. He

talked to us about why birds can stay in Mon-

tana during the winter, why some birds have to

migrate away from Montana, and why some

birds actually migrate to Montana. We ex-

plored the different shapes of beaks , what the

birds would eat and where you can find these

birds.

The students then made masks of their favorite

birds. We put on our masks and ―flew‖ to our

outdoor classroom where we hid in the trees,

and hooted, cawed and tapped. Do you recog-

nize any of these birds?

Kindergarten Class Makes Masks of their Favorite Bird

Page 6 Elementary Outlook First Grade and T-1 Classes Presents Snowflakes Welcome to the Elementary Art Program!

Art Rules Respect yourself, your peers, adults, and materials. Be prepared for class and creativity. Have fun! Art Skills Explore the elements and principles of de-sign: Line, Color, Space, Shape, Form, Texture, Repetition, Balance, Emphasis, and Rhythm. Explore a wide variety of materials and tech-niques. Art Grades Criteria Class participation, attitude, work ethic, and attendance. Kindergarten, T-1, and 1st Grades S+ above average S average N needs improvement 2nd Grade E excellent S+ above average S average N needs improvement 3rd through 5thGrades A excellent B above average C average D below average F unsatisfactory We will use a wide variety of materials during the course of the year. I would like to suggest that you send a painting shirt to school that can remain in your child's desk/locker to be used during class time. Christy Hartman, Elementary Art Teacher 406-273-6741 ext 212

Elementary Art Program

The first grade classes and the T1 class will be

presenting Snowflakes,

their musical presentation

for this school year on

Wednesday,

December 2, 2009 on the

stage in the

Florence-Carlton Old Gym

at 7:00 pm. The students

will use tuned and untuned

percussion instruments,

along with scarves, snow-

men, flags, and ribbons to

welcome in the snowy

winter season and the

month of December.

Students will be wearing snowflake artwork

that they created in Mrs. Hartman’s art classes.

Free adult-supervised daycare in the elemen-

tary music room will be provided by the

Elementary Family Resource Center.

The T-1 students in Mrs. Adams class had fun

counting the lines on pumpkins, measuring the

circumference, comparing weights and count-

ing 515 seeds!

Florence Elementary students elected their 2008-2009 Student Council on November 11th. Student Council members are in Grades 3-5.

Class Representatives partner with K-2 classes to allow younger students to be involved in council decisions.

Student Council’s first project will be a Food Drive from December 14-16. Non-perishable food items will be collected in each classroom to help

Pantry Partners restock its food supply, and Student Council plans to offer incentives for the classes that collect the most food. Watch for more

Elementary Student Council events during the year. Thanks for your support!

2009-2010 Student Council members are:

President: Ethan Stensrud

Vice President: Jewel Zeiler

Secretary: Regan Boehm

Treasurer: Seth Harris

Class Representatives & Alternates

Hettick Trevyn Wood, Owen Andersen

Mazur Sierra Cornwell, Sawyer Haas

Miller Shannon Byrne, Zach Blomquist

Janego Hudsyn DiBrito, Sam Pflug

Lightfield Celena Squires, Jesse Squires

Parker Trevor Weyers, Tyler Gillespie

Hennig Alexis McClurg, Casey Davis

Tamietti Brennan Kappes, Natalia Whalen

Weldon Jade Zeiler, Brianna Brugh

Advisors: Mrs. Weldon & Mrs. Maul-Smith

Elementary Student Council—Newly Elected Officers

Music Programs are held on Wednesdays

@ 7:00 pm in the F-C Old Gym

December 2, 2009 - 1st grades and T1

February 24, 2010 – 4th grades

March 24, 2010 – 3rd grades

April 14, 2010 – 2nd grades and 1-2 comb.

May 5, 2010 – Kindergarten

Music Times Kindergarten – 20 minutes twice a week

T1 through 5th grade – 30 minutes twice a

week

Music Grades Kindergarten, T1, and 1st grade S+, S, N

2nd grade E, S+, S, S-, N

3rd – 5th grade A, B, C, D, F

Music Skills

Kindergarten and 1st grade

Melody, Rhythm, Form, Movement, Timbre,

Expression

2nd through 5th grade

Melody, Rhythm, Harmony, Form, Movement,

Timbre, Expression

Super Singers

An elementary choir open to students in 3rd,

4th, and 5th grade that meets during lunch

recess on Wednesdays to sing. Performance

fieldtrips are scheduled for a Wednesday after-

noon in December and in May.

Recorder Karate

An individualized recorder method open to

students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade to learn the

various recorders. Students will need a re-

corder to practice on at home (which can be

purchased in the music room). Recorder Karate

is held at 10:25 for 4th and 5th graders and 1:45

for 3rd graders (except on Wednesdays).

Lauree Sayler, Elementary Music Specialist

273-6741 Ext. 226

Elementary Music Schedule

T-1 Students Learning Math

Page 7 Community News

Many thanks to PACT and all the elementary

parents who provided the wonderful food for

the elementary school teachers during Parent/

Teacher Conferences! We appreciate your

support!

A Special Thank You

With the fall sports season coming to an end we would like to thank the community for all of the support you showed our football and volleyball teams this season. We are so proud of both teams. The Football Boys lost out in round two of the playoffs, (their first appear-ance in round two since 2004). They made the long trip to Glasgow with about 60+ fans and a drum-line in tow. They would like to thank Ward Wenholz and the Florence Carlton Com-munity Church, drum–line director, Alex Petrusaitis, (student teacher), and his amazing drummers and Bill and Kelly Ostheimer for donating their time and driving the drum-line to Eureka and Glasgow to support the team. Having them there was amazing. The Billings Gazette even wrote about our fans online “Quite a fan following for Florence - Carlton. The drum core and about ½ the Bitterroot Val-ley it seemed, made the trip to Glasgow. They even had a grill set up in the parking lot at about 10:30 and did a real tailgate.‖ Congratu-lations boys! The Lady Falcon Volleyball team made a good showing placing 3rd in districts and advancing to the divisional tournament in Superior where they took 5th place. Way to go Ladies!!! We look forward to the start of winter sports and wish the Boys and Girls Basketball teams and the Wrestling team good luck in the months to come. Please check out the school website to view pictures of the falcon athletic teams in action.

I am so thankful for all the great parent

help we’ve had this fall: donations of pie,

baked goods, and other food; help with

dances, popcorn distribution, Family Fun

Nights, Vision and Hearing Screening, and

Picture Day… The list goes on. We’ve had

great involvement in our Tot Time and Lit-

eracy Lunch programs as well. Thanks

also to the wonderful teachers and staff

who make this such a great work environ-

ment!

The next Family Fun Night (a great activity

for the whole family!) will be on Thurs.

Dec. 17 in the Old Gym from 6 to 7:30pm.

Please mark your calendars and plan to at-

tend! I will send home a flier to all ele-

mentary families and will post details on

the FRC webpage closer to the date. I also

value ideas for/ feedback about Family Fun

Nights!

Tot Times allow parents to connect with

each other and kids aged 0-5 to find play-

mates. We meet twice monthly on Wed.

mornings. Contact me for specific dates

and times or if you would like to be added

to the Tot Time phone list.

I am trying to keep the FRC website up to

date. Please check for more details about

programs throughout the month: http://

www.florence.k12.mt.us/13701010101559

46513/site/default.asp

As always, I would love to help you get

more involved in the school! Contact me

for more information about FRC activities:

PerticaraL@florence.k12.mt.us or 273-

6741 ext. 203. I also am open to new ideas

for what the FRC should do!

Announcements from Laura and the FRC

Registration forms for Christmas Share Tree and Christmas Food Boxes are now available.

Forms are posted in the Elementary Foyer, by Ms. Hulla’s office. The deadline is Dec. 11 and distribution will be Dec. 18. Please call 273-0002 for more information. If you would like to donate a new toy to the Christmas Share Tree, there is a box

by Ms. Hulla’s office.

Christmas Share Tree in Full Swing

Booster Club News

Attention Community Members!

High School Student Council would love your

involvement in this year’s food drive. Please

send your donations of non perishable items

with your child to school or place them in

boxes located at Farmers State Bank and Gary

& Leos IGA. Donations we collect each year

go to the local food bank, Pantry Partners in

Stevensville. Our donations are used to replen-

ish their stocks after the busy holiday season.

We will collect all food by December 18th.

Your donations will be greatly appreciated!

Student Council Needs Your Help

Thank you Florence for supporting our Annual

Pancake breakfast on Homecoming! We had

an awesome turnout!

Music Booster definition: If you have a student

in band or choir 5th grade through 12th grade,

you are a music booster. If you are a commu-

nity member that enjoys music and has an in-

terest in supporting our fabulous music pro-

gram, you are a music booster.

We are a non profit organization that supports

the music program in many ways. We fund-

raise to help defray the costs of instrument re-

placement and repair, choir robes/attire and

anything else that might be a need that the

budget doesn’t cover. We offer two scholar-

ships to graduating seniors; usually there is one

band recipient and one choir recipient. We

help chaperone the music festivals and provide

support and encouragement for our awesome

directors.

For the 2009-2010 school year the officers for

the Music Boosters are:

Sandy Smith – President

Mari Windemeuller – President Elect (next

year’s president)

Mary Beth Edens – Treasurer

Helen Greenberg – Secretary

Ronda Smith – Past President (last year’s

president)

We cordially invite anyone who is interested in

supporting the music programs to attend our

monthly meeting. We always welcome fresh

ideas and input! We meet the first Monday of

the month at 7:00 pm in the Choir room. Stop

by and see what we are all about!

Music Booster News

Mrs. Crawford’s 1-2 Combo class spot-

lighted Snoopy, the cartoon character

created by Charles Schulz as a STAR

for a week in October. We wrote letters

to Snoopy explaining why he deserved

this title and held a celebration day hon-

oring this special dog. Then we sent the

letters along with a snapshot of all the

students with Snoopy as the star to the

Schulz family.

Good Grief, Snoopy, you are the BEST.

Snoopy is ―STAR STUDENT of the WEEK‖

Please join us for the 8th Annual Holiday

Bazaar at Florence-Carlton

School! The Bazaar will be on

Sat. Dec. 5th from 9am to 4pm

in the school’s Old Gym

(lunchroom). The bazaar is free

to the public. There will be

great arts and crafts, food, mu-

sic, Santa (9-10:30am), a Kids’

Corner, and more. Booth space

is available-- $25 for a 6’x10’

space, plus $5 for a rented table

(first come, first served basis). Booth fees

support the Family Resource Center. Hope to

see you at this great community event! SAVE YOUR OLD CELL PHONES!

FCHS Band students are par-

ticipating in a cell phone recy-

cling program. We are col-

lecting old cell phones and

sending them to our partner

c o m p a n y P a c e B u t l e r

Corp. We will receive vary-

ing amounts of money per cell

phone anywhere from 10

cents to $70 depending on the model cell phone

collected. There are collection boxes at Gary

and Leo's, Farmers State Bank-Florence, and at

the High School office. Please encourage those

you know with old, unused cell phones lying

around to drop them off at the collection boxes

or offer to collect them yourselves. We will be

accepting cell phones until March 1 and all

money collected will be applied to reduce the

total cost of the band’s trip to California.

December 2009 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30 31

*Hot or cold cereal w/ toast or muffin, fruit or juice, and milk are available if a student does not want the day’s special

Breakfast Menu Mon– Hot entree

Tues– French toast

Wed– Scrambled eggs w/ham

Thurs– Waffles

Fri– Cinnamon rolls

MS Band Concert 7:30 old gym

High School Band Concert 7:30 old gym

8th Grade BBB Tournament @ Stevi TBA

Booster Club Mtg 7:00 library

MSBBB (7B/7D/8) @ Hamilton 4:00

MSBBB (8/7D/7B) vs Corvallis 5:00

HS Wrestling @ Cascade 11:00 am

School Board Mtg 7:00 District Conference Rm

Early Out 2:05

Early Out 2:05

Elementary Music Concert 7:00

MS Choir Concert 7:30 old gym

HS WR @ Cascade 9:00 am

HS Wrestling @ Mission 6:00

HS Wrestling vs Cascade/Salmon 6:00

HS Wrestling @ Hamilton 9:00 am

HS Wrestling @ Corvallis 6:00

HS Wrestling @ Corvallis 10:00 am

HSBBB (C) @ Arlee 9:00 am

HSBBB (C) vs Frenchtown 6:00

HSBBB (C) vs Sentinel 10:00 am

HSBBB (C/JV/V) vs Deer Lodge 4:15/5:45/7:15

HSBBB (C) vs Corvallis 7:15

HSBBB (JV/V) vs Corvallis 1:30/3:00

HSBBB (C/JV/V) @ Loyola

4:15/5:45/7:15

HSBBB (JV/V) vs Superior 3:00/4:30

HSGBB (C) @ Arlee 9:00 am

HSGBB (C) vs Frenchtown 7:30

HSGBB (C) vs Sentinel 11:30 am

HSGBB (C/JV/V) @ Deer Lodge 4:15/5:45/7:15

HSGBB (C/JV) vs Corvallis 4:15/5:45

HSGBB (V) vs Corvallis 4:30

HSGBB (C/JV/V) vs Loyola

HSGBB (C/JV/V) @ Superior 1:30/3:00/4:30

Florence-Carlton Holiday Bazaar

Turkey sub, French fries, apples, 1% choc & white milk, white skim milk

Barchetta, green beans, pears, graham cookies, 1% choc & white milk, white skim milk

Chicken nuggets, scalloped potatoes, corn, applesauce, 1% choc & white milk, white skim milk

Veggie soup, crackers, toasted cheese sandwich, peaches, snickerdoodles, 1% choc milk, white skim milk

Cheese pizza, salad, fruit cocktail, 1% choc & white milk, white skim milk

Chicken drummies, sweet potatoes, apples, brownies, 1% choc & white milk, white skim milk

Spaghetti, garlic bread, green beans, applesauce, B-Day cake, 1% choc & white milk, white skim milk

Sausage McMuffins, potato puffs, orange juice, graham crackers, 1% choc & white milk, white skim milk

Chicken taco, broccoli, orange halves, 1% choc & white milk, white skim milk

Corn dog, baked beans, fruit cocktail, 1% choc & white milk, white skim milk

Taco salad, Mexicali corn, oranges, cinnamon bread-stick, 1% choc & white milk, white skim milk

Hamburger & French fries, apples, 1% choc & white milk, white skim milk

Pack 4915 would like to thank you for all your support. Popcorn sales went wonder-fully. Your support of our popcorn sales helps make Scouting in Florence such a fun extra curricular activity. Popcorn sales are our main fundraiser. These sales pay for our patches, camping, registrations, bowling, pinewood derby, the winter Klondike and did we mention camping? Scouting is fun with a purpose! And we have lot's of fun. If you have any questions on popcorn or scouting please contact Mary Beth Edens at 273-6598. I have extra popcorn so if you found that you have already finished your container and would love to have one more please give me a call.

Thank You Florence!!

Troop 115 will once again be selling Christ-

mas Trees at Gary and Leo's IGA, and a new

location at Harvest Foods in Lolo starting

November 28th. Set up of the stands will

start the 27th so you may be able to pickup

your tree as soon Friday afternoon. We will

have a wide variety of tree sizes in the wild

and plantation trees that will be available.

New this year we will also have wreaths and

sand bags for purchase. The tree stands will

be manned after school and on the weekends

by the Boy Scouts. If you stop by and there

isn't an attendant, just pick out your tree and

take the tag into the store where they will

collect the money for us. Thank you for sup-

porting the Florence Boy Scouts.

Christmas Tree Sales Begin!!

Speech & Debate Meet @ Ronan 8:00

Speech & Debate Meet @ Dillon 8:00

During the Parent-Teacher Conferences

PACT, the Family Resource Center and the

community fed the teachers. All of Florence-

Carlton teachers would like to say THANK

YOU. The food was delicious and greatly

appreciated.

HS Choir Concert 7:30

Sloppy joes, French fries, peaches, orange halves, pumpkin pie bars, 1% choc & white milk, white skim milk

Chili cheese potatoes, mandarin oranges, rice crispy treats, 1% choc & white milk, white skim milk

Hotdog & French fries, fruit cocktail, pudding cups, 1% choc & white milk, white skim milk

Waffles, sausage, muffins, orange juice, 1% choc & white milk, white skim milk

Scalloped potatoes w/ham, dinner rolls, green bean casserole, applesauce, easy s’more pies, 1% choc & white milk, white skim milk

Florence Baseball Board meeting,

Sunday, January 10th, 7:00 pm in District Of-

fice.

Fees for the 2010 season will be decided, New

Board members will be elected, and the budget

will be discussed. Come get involved, baseball

will be here before we know it.

Thank you for help.

April Thorson

Thank You From FCS Teachers

The school board appointed committee to

study a 4-Day School Week has completed

over a year of study into this issue. At the

December 8, 2009 regular school board meet-

ing findings will be presented to the school

trustees.

4-Day School Week Update