Fairfield Public Schools

Fairfield FFA is clearing out the last of their Christmas trees for this year's Christmas tree sales. Prices are now reduced from $5/foot to $3.00/foot as the trees need to be gone by Thursday (12/15/2022). Fairfield FFA wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday Season! If you ordered fruit from FFA members, it should be arriving soon.

Parents of Junior High Students: Please make sure that your child returns the yellow form for the ski trip. It is scheduled for 1/11/23, but we need to send those forms in so Showdown can start planning for our trip. Also, there will be an informational letter going home tomorrow. Make sure you take a few minutes to read over it. Contact me at school or through email, pwilson@fairfield.k12.mt.us, with any questions.

Tennis Players: There is a tournament in Great Falls at Meadowlark Country Club December 2-4, 2022 for any interested players ages 10-18. Players are allowed to compete in both singles and doubles if they would like to. Registration fees are $30 for singles and $25 for doubles. The Fairfield tennis club will help with registration fees for any high school players who are interested and need help paying for the tournament. Registration forms are available from Mr. Wilson, and they are due by Wed., Nov 23 at 5:59 pm. Players can call in their entries if they pay with a credit/debit card.

After checking some of the roads early this morning, I have decided that we will continue to run the bus routes this morning. There is a fair amount of drifting snow, especially on the north edges of the east/west roads. I have instructed the drivers to take it as slow as necessary to be safe and to use alternate routes if necessary. Parents should get a message if their child(ren) cannot be picked up. If you know the bus will not be able to get to your house, please contact your driver. Bus routes will likely be a little behind their regular schedules today. Thank you, in advance, for your understanding.

Our music department is gaining even more accolades. Max Gjerde, Shea Ostberg, and Maya Wilson were selected for the North Central Honor Band. Isaac Lauver, Emilee Lear, and Robyn Mathison were selected for Honor Choir. They will travel to Cut Bank on November 28th and 29th. There will be a public performance in the evening on the 29th. Congratulations to all of you!

Congratulations to Maxwell Gjerde, Shea Ostberg, and Kameron Lidstrom for being accepted to participate in the University of Montana All-Star Band! There were 292 students from 80 high schools in the Northwest and Canada who applied for this opportunity. They will be traveling to Missoula to participate from November 11-13. Max plays the baritone sax, Shea plays the tenor sax, and Kameron plays the trumpet. We are proud to have them represent our community and Fairfield High School!

Clothing Drive at the Fairfield School The Cascade County 4-H Ambassadors are hosting a clothing drive. Donations will be dispersed in several schools and the GF Rescue Mission. There are donation boxes available in both the HS and Elem lobbies. This clothing drive will run through October 11. For more information please contact Kyona Yeager, student ambassador from our local 4-H club.

Reminder! Fall Scholarship checks are ready for those who are eligible. The Deadline is November 1st. Please submit an unofficial transcript to Brenda in the high school office or email it to her prior to the deadline.

If anyone is planning to go watch the JH Tennis meet today, they changed the location to Choteau in hopes of beating the weather. It started raining in Great Falls when they got there. It's clear in Choteau now, so let's hope it holds out long enough for the girls to play!

Just an FYI: We have noticed that traffic during the morning drop offs has been getting more hectic lately. In the interest of child safety, please only drop off your children heading north on 7th St. This may mean having to go around the block from where you would normally drive, but it could make the world of difference in keeping our students safe. Also, please remember that all traffic laws apply in front of the school building. If you pull across the oncoming lane and park facing south by the sidewalk, you could face getting an embarrassing visit from a deputy in front of the school. Thank you!

The school will be taking the junior high and many of the high school students to the school presentation in the morning on September 29th. There is also a community presentation that evening at 7:00 pm. There's always a lot going on this time of year, but this presentation will be well worth your time!

In order to earn cash for your school, you'll need to use the Box Tops app on your mobile device. Be sure to sign up to earn for Fairfield Elementary.

Due to the cold and rainy weather, the JH Tennis meet in Great Falls has been cancelled. There will not be tennis practice, either. If your daughter is also in basketball, she is expected to attend practice after school from 2:30-4:15.

Homecoming dress up days next week!

Theme nights for the rest of the fall season!

Attention 2022 Seniors: Yearbooks are in the High School office. They can be picked up Monday-Thursday from 8:30-4:00, or Friday 8:30-2:30.

Back to School Night is today from 5-6 PM. This is a casual event in which students can see/meet their teacher and bring their supplies! We have found that this process makes for an easier transition on the first day of school. Junior High students are encouraged to attend to get their lockers and their schedules.

Link to the school newsletter! https://www.smore.com/n7fm8

Class night tonight 7:30pm.

Fairfield School Elections / Information Congratulations to re-elected school board members: Chris Christensen, Robert Garner, and Michelle GJerde. Thank you for all you do for our school and for the hard work you have put in over that past couple years. Your dedication to our school, students and community is appreciated. The 20 Year Facilities Bond set to expire in June! Believe it or not, the last facility upgrade bond was 20 years ago. The last payment on that bond will be made next month. That multimillion dollar bond was serviced by an annual tax payment of: $110,442 in the Elem District $110,390 in the HS District Thank you for supporting our last facility upgrade for 20 years. Technology Levy On March 15th, 2022, the Fairfield School Board voted to support running a Technology Levy. This Technology Levy is in conjunction with the Facility Bond Expiring and would be dedicated to specifically servicing and helping to support the ongoing technology needs of the Fairfield School District. The circumstances of the past couple years have required schools to purchase new technology and equipment in order to provide education. Every student attending our school has a device and we have entered into a new era for teaching and learning. The federal funding made available to purchase much of the current necessary technology will soon expire creating a local need that our current budget cannot fill. The District is creating a replacement strategy for student devices that also address the growing needs for internet, software, wifi, IT and digital security. The Technology Levy is split equally between the Elementary - $60,000 and High School - $60,000 = $120,000 Total. According to the current Tax Values provided by the county and OPI the Levy would result in a tax amount of... $60,000 ($23.27 per yr / $100,000 House Value) in Elem District $60,000 ($16.06 per yr / $100,000 House Value) in HS District *(Please note these amounts differ for agriculture assessments) *If this School Technology Levy passes, there would still be an approximate 46% overall local tax reduction for everyone residing in this school district due to the 20 year bond expiring. Everyone residing in the Fairfield District will be receiving mail in ballots after May 6th. Voting and ballots are due by 8pm, May 25th. If you have any questions, please contact: Dustin Gordon - Fairfield Superintendent Denise Grant - Fairfield Business Clerk