Evergreen School District focuses on community connections

The Evergreen School District is in its 122nd year of continuous operation and is the 48th largest school district in Montana (of almost 400 districts). 

The district has approximately 650 students and 120 staff. The district operates three schools: East Evergreen Elementary School (preschool through fourth grades), Evergreen Junior High School (fifth through eighth grades), and the Evergreen Crossroads Program (kindergarten through eighth grades).

With a strong history of working with and supporting students and their families, many of whom attended the Evergreen School District themselves, below are several ways we continue to partner with our community to help provide additional opportunities and support outside the traditional classroom.  

Community Council

The Evergreen School District Community Council is composed of community members representing our high school partner district, higher education, the business community, the civic community, the faith-based community, an elected official, and 10 parents/guardians of current students. The Council engages our District with the community regarding overall District operations and goals for continued improvement. The Council meets quarterly throughout the year.

Extra Curricular and Athletics

The Evergreen School District offers a variety of sports and activities available for students at all three campuses. The Junior High and Crossroads offer football and volleyball for students in 7th and 8th grades in the fall, and boys and girls basketball is available for students in 5th-8th grades. Boys basketball season is in the fall, and girls basketball season starts in January. Our cross-country program begins in March, and students in kindergarten through 8th grade may participate in cross-country. Our Junior High football program is unique in that we welcome students from smaller districts around the valley with whom we have cooperative agreements to play on the Wolverine Football Team, which allows student athletes the opportunity to play a sport not offered in their home districts. 

Student to Family Communication

This school year, each school has implemented a weekly student reflection to support communication between school and home as well as to encourage students to take ownership of their own learning. Each school has developed age appropriate opportunities for reflection where students are encouraged to think about their school experience for the week. Some items included in these reflections are positive learning activities, goals for future learning, information about friendships and other social activities as well as work samples, current grades, and missing assignments. Students are sharing these reflections weekly with their families through Google Classroom or a paper copy. Communication and support from both school and home makes a positive impact on a student’s school experience. Families are always encouraged to reach out to teachers with questions. 

Family Nights

Last year, Evergreen School District began hosting Family Community Engagements Nights. These nights are designed to bring our students and their families into our school buildings to create positive home and school connections. Last year, we hosted five events, and we are excited to host five events again for the 2024-2025 school year. This year, we launched our Family Community Engagement events with a Family Movie Night. As we near the holiday season, we are looking forward to hosting our Ornament Decorating with Cookies and Cocoa on Wednesday, Dec. 5. (Santa will be coming in from the North Pole for pictures with students and families.) We are also hosting our Read across Evergreen night in February, Missoula Children’s Theatre in March, a Family Fun Run in April, and we are culminating our events with the Evergreen Chamber of Commerce Kids Count in Evergreen Family Carnival in May.    

Adult Education

Each school year, the Evergreen School District offers a variety of no-cost Adult Education classes. We are thrilled to continue this time-honored tradition for our community members. These classes are approximately five or six weeks in length and meet one night per week for an hour and a half or two hours. In the past we have offered scrapbooking, dance, GED and HiSET (High School Equivalency), fly tying, first aid/CPR, and many more classes. We are always looking for instructors who have special talents and high interest topics to add to our Adult Education class offerings. This year, we are excited to be offering Basic Guitar, fly tying, Country Western Waltz dance, and first aid/CPR. Community members who are interested in signing up for any of our no cost Adult Education classes may access the Evergreen Adult Education page on our website at www.evergreensd50.com/page/adult-education.     

School and Health Community Liaison

In January 2023, our School District welcomed the addition of a School and Health Community Liaison, a position funded by the Montana Healthcare Foundation, which also supports our onsite Greater Valley Health Center Evergreen Cares Clinic. The Liaison plays a crucial role in bridging the gap between students/families and essential health and community resources. By collaborating closely with District and Clinic staff, the Liaison ensures that families have access to a variety of resources, including physical and mental health support as well as community services including housing, clothing, and food assistance. Since the implementation of this position, we have seen improvements in student attendance, behavior, and academic performance, highlighting the positive impact of integrated health support within the school environment.

    Read across Evergreen Family Night hosted by the Evergreen School District in February 2024. (Courtesy photo)
  

    The Evergreen School District held an Adult Fun Run Family Night in May. (Courtesy photo)