Mt. Hall Elementary Newsletter

School is officially in session! It seems like it was just last week when I was wishing everyone a safe and happy summer, and now I’m welcoming students back to school. To say this is an exciting time of year is an understatement. I have had the great privilege of spending the summer with some dedicated teachers gearing up for a successful 2018-19 school year. There was hardly a day that Mt. Hall Elementary wasn’t graced with the presence of one of these dedicated individuals.

Before I get too far into my newsletter, I need to introduce the new staff at Mt. Hall Elementary. Taking on the incredible task of teaching Kindergarten, Mt. Hall welcomed Mrs. Kari Dameron with open arms. As equally delighted, Mt. Hall also welcomed Mrs. Kylee Guthrie as our new second grade teacher. To foster a love of reading and prepare the students for the technology demands of the 21st Century, Mt. Hall is excited to have Mrs. Gabriela Solum as our librarian and computer lab teacher. Keeping things running, Mt. Hall is thrilled to have Mr. Vincent Barnett as our head custodian. Soon to be filling the very big shoes of our beloved Mrs. Beth Butters, Mt. Hall is excited to have Mrs. Maria Martinez joining our team as our secretary come the end of September. We will also be hosting two student teachers this Fall. Mrs. Kristina Westbrook will be student teaching with Mrs. Lyndsay Hart in fifth grade, and Mrs. Sally Hull will be student teaching with Ms. Angie Schnuerle in fourth grade.

It’s exciting to welcome new faces, and we’ll have some new students joining our family too. We will be a full house up North. Mt. Hall is currently capped in grades Kinder, first, second, and third with wait lists in effect. To get on the waitlist, please call our office at 208-267-5276.

Over the summer, Mr. Bob Overman and the maintenance crew did an incredible job getting summer maintenance projects done. I still can’t believe all they accomplished. If you stop by Mt. Hall you will notice our playground is now entirely fenced. We also had our crumbling dormers repaired on the west facing side of the building. The students and staff are most excited about our water bottle filling station. Just at our Back-to-School Night we saved more than 30 plastic bottles from being used. I know that number will just continue to grow.

Anyone who has ever stepped foot in an elementary school knows that it takes more than students and staff to run a school. Mt. Hall is so blessed to have wonderful families that support and volunteer at our school. There were a few items on my maintenance wish list that just couldn’t get done, so I reached out to some of our families, and they more than delivered. A huge thank you to Jason and Shandee Alexander for pressure washing our playground slab and bringing our hop scotches and foursquare games back to life. Another huge thank you to Derek and Lindsay Oxford. Soccer is a big deal at Mt. Hall, and the Oxfords came up and outlined our soccer field. Thank you to George Shutes and the State guys. They came up and spent a day clearing the brush in front of the school. This will give our school bus drivers clearer sight lines when pulling out onto the highway.

Speaking of incredible efforts and volunteers, Mt. Hall’s PTO has been working tirelessly all summer preparing for our upcoming Mt. Hall Auction. After taking a year off to regroup, this auction is going to be huge! We are so blessed by all of the generous donations from our community and afar. If you want to check out what’s going to be available at the auction, check out the facebook page at Mt. Hall School Auction 2018. Mark your calendars for Oct. 20! Doors open at 4:30 p.m., and the auction begins at 5:30 p.m.

I plan on starting up a Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) this year. My goal is to meet monthly with parents and discuss programs offered through our schools and district, share data, seek input, and answer questions. Parents are a big part to what makes a school successful, and I want parent input and buy-in. So, if you are Mt. Hall parent and you’re interested in being on my PAC, please contact the school.

I’m excited of what’s in store for this year, and I know before too long I’ll be writing my June farewell. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to working with some of Boundary County’s best students, families, and educators. I know that sounds biased, but I sure do love my school. Until next month, Go Wildcats!

— Lisa Iverson

Mt. Hall Principal