School will be back in session in Kalispell next week for the largest district in the Flathead Valley.

Wednesday is the first day of school for first through ninth grades at Kalispell Public Schools. Tenth- through 12th-graders start school Thursday.

Linderman Education Center students will start attending classes Sept. 2.

Parents of kindergarteners should check with their child’s school for the first day of school schedule, or with enrollment clerk Mary Hartsoch at 751-3430.

There are an estimated 310 kindergarten students enrolled in the district.

Regular class times are as follows:

 Kindergarten through fifth grade, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

 Sixth through eighth grade, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

 Ninth through 12 grade, 8:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.

For specific school site information, visit www.sd5.k12.mt.us.

Hot lunch is served on the first day of school. Meal prices are:

 Kindergarten through fifth grade: breakfast $1.50; lunch $2.50

 Sixth grade through 12th grade : breakfast $1.50; lunch $2.75

 Reduced prices for eligible students: breakfast 30 cents; lunch 40 cents

Students riding the bus must be registered with the district every year.

To register, visit the Transportation Office at 233 First Ave. E. Registration forms are available at www.sd5.k12.mt.us/Page/223. For more information, call 751-3404.

The Kalispell district welcomes a new superintendent this year: Mark Flatau succeeds Darlene Schottle in the district’s top job. Tracy Scott is the district’s new human-resources director.

The following is school-specific information provided by the district.

 Edgerton Elementary will start the year with a projected 643 preschool through fifth-grade students. Of that number, 100 are kindergarteners.

Edgerton continues its “super” classroom format at the second- and first-grade level. A super first-grade class and a super second-grade class, each with 35 students, will be team-taught by two teachers.

This year, students can look forward to new playground equipment and welcome seven new staff members.

New staff members include Tricia Stuker, first-grade teacher; Stephanie Campbell, kindergarten teacher; Cody Bowman, P.E. teacher; Annie Flynn, special education teacher; Trisha Smith, speech language pathologist; John de Neeve, counselor, and Shelly Means, librarian and tech person.

Before kindergarteners start their first day of school, they and their families are invited to meet teachers and bring supplies at a barbecue from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the school.

 Elrod Elementary also is full at the kindergarten level with an enrollment of 40 students.  

The school welcomes new staff members Tracy Ketchum, first-grade teacher; Jackie Robbins, fourth- and fifth-grade combination classroom teacher, and Brian Cox, school counselor.

The school will continue its second year of the Watch D.O.G.S (Dads of Great Students) program, which invites men to volunteer in the school and serve as positive male role models.

With limited parking, families are asked to park in designated areas. Families are reminded that while unloading and loading is permitted in front of the school, parking is not.

 Hedges Elementary has brought on several new staff members, including James Deering, kindergarten teacher; Brooke Samson, third-grade teacher; Chase Fairbank, fourth-grade teacher; Megan Emmot, fourth-grade teacher and Angie Love, fifth-grade teacher.

Over the summer, the school was refreshed with new painted trim around the windows and wood chips in the playground were replaced.

Families should be prepared for road closures around the school due to storm-water system improvements. These closures may continue through Sept. 3.

 Russell Elementary added new fascia over the summer in addition to repairing concrete steps at the west entrance and adding sprinkler lines to the field.

Shannalee Finlayson, music, and Vickie Buck, first-grade teacher, join the staff at Russell.

About 50 kindergarten students are expected to enroll this year.

Russell Principal Bill Sullivan said he looks forward to having students back in school.

 Peterson Elementary’s kindergarten classrooms are full with 80 students.

Peterson anticipates a total enrollment of about 430 students.

New staff members include: kindergarten teachers Courtney Westphal and Josie Akey; Kyle Dunfee, P.E. teacher, and Andrea Vanderark, speech language pathologist.

Peterson Principal Rick Anfenson said technology improvements have been made thanks to the support of elementary district voters for passing a technology levy.

Anfenson added: “We look forward to seeing all of our Peterson students and their families.”

 Kalispell Middle School will roll out its Gateway to Technology program this year and has been developing classrooms for the science, technology, engineering and math-specific curriculum.

Over the summer, several improvements were made including new carpeting in the health rooms, athletic field improvements and installation of sound absorption and acoustic panels in the cafetorium and a digital sign system in the hallways.

Seventh- and eighth-grade fall activities will begin right away. Football will begin with sign-up and equipment checkout from 4 to 5 p.m. Tuesday at the south end of the main football field. The first day of practice is Wednesday after school.

Seventh- and eighth-grade volleyball will have sign-up Wednesday during lunch. The first practice is Thursday.

Cross country sign-up will be held after school Thursday in the cafetorium. The first practice will be held Sept. 2.

All sports participants need to have current physicals, medical release forms, concussion forms and parent consent forms filed in the office before athletes are eligible to participate. Paperwork may be picked up at the office and turned in at the time of sign-up or the first practice.

A schoolwide open house is planned Sept. 11.

 Flathead High School will begin its four-course biomedical program this year using Project Lead the Way curriculum with the class “Principles of Biomedical Science.” In this class, students will study human medicine, physiology, genetics, microbiology and public health.

The school also introduces the Promise Academy, which is designed to serve students who demonstrate a desire to succeed but are at risk of failing or dropping out.

Flathead welcomes several new staff members, including Barb Sorenson, special education teacher; Kristie Caratelli, art teacher; Layne Taylor, agriculture teacher; Matthew Avanzino, English teacher; Alison Kriess, English teacher; Roger Rudd, math teacher; Kyle Samson, health/P.E.; Linzi Reiersgard Napier, science teacher; Jennifer Stephens, choir teacher; Reed Watkins, math support; Jesse McFarland, student support teacher; Emily Doepke, Academic Transition Center/Promise Academy teacher, and Michelle Maddock, French teacher.

A back-to-school assembly featuring Maj. Jason Curtis, a U.S. Air Force Thunderbird pilot and 1999 Flathead graduate, is planned from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Friday.

A Flathead Family Night open house is scheduled from 5 to 8 p.m. Sept. 10. The night will kick off with a barbecue in the commons. There will be information available on how students can get involved in clubs. Informational meetings will also be held on the International Baccalaureate Programme and accessing student information through PowerSchool. Students can get tips on being successful in school, graduation information and meet teachers.  

 Glacier High School will offer several new courses for students — Accounting Honors, Aerospace Engineering, Digital Electronics, Culinary Arts 3, AP French, Applied Geometry, Intermediate Algebra, Beginning Percussion and Botany.

Students also will be able to enroll in a Fine Arts Academy, International Academy, Business Academy or Agriculture Academy.

Glacier welcomes new staff members Ross Dankers, P.E. and head wrestling coach; Jennifer Kessler, counselor; Dotty Zier, special education teacher; Chad Fetveit, student resource officer; and Molly Denman, nurse.

An open house is planned Sept. 10.

Facilities-wise, the school plans to repair the pole-vaulting area by spring 2015. An arson fire destroyed the pole-vaulting mat and portions of the track surface in May.

 Linderman Education Center students will attend a scheduled orientation Wednesday through Friday. Students will start school Sept. 2.

School hours are from 7:15 a.m. to 6 p.m.

This year there will be one advisory period and two lunch periods.

For enrollment questions call 751-3990.

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