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Growth & Enhancement of Montana Students
The 63rd Legislative Session has adjourned, Sine Die, April 24, 2013.
Montana Office of Public Instruction's Executive Staff
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GEMS - Data Warehouse
Growth & Enhancement of Montana Students
The 63rd Legislative Session has adjourned, Sine Die, April 24, 2013.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
On Tuesday, May 21, Montana’s First Lady Lisa Bullock joined me at Lincoln School in Helena to kick off the Summer Six Reading Challenge. Last summer, nearly 1,000 students took the Challenge. This year, I have set a goal of 2,000 students signing up for the Summer Six Reading Challenge! Students in K-12 are encouraged to participate, and if they sign up on the OPI webpage, they become eligible to win prizes.
Research shows that students who don’t read during the summer break run the risk of losing some of their reading comprehension skills and have a much harder time of catching up when school starts again in the fall. This is called the “summer slide.” Over the years, the achievement gap widens between students who read during the summer break and those who don’t. Research also demonstrates that reading just six books during the summer can help keep a struggling reader from falling behind.
As part of the challenge, the Office of Public Instruction has launched a webpage where students can read along with First Lady Bullock as she reads “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein and with me as I read “Red Parka Mary” by Peter Eyvindson.
Are you interested in supporting the Summer Six Reading Challenge or looking for ideas to spread the word in your community? Contact Colet Bartow at 406-444-3583 or cbartow@mt.gov.
This year, many Montana schools were recognized for excellence in school wellness. These schools have worked hard to make healthy eating and physical activity a routine part of every school day. Their students fuel their bodies with nutritious meals and snacks, are physically active, and learn about nutrition—all of which maximize performance at school. It's a win-win for students, families and schools!
These award-winning schools receive cash rewards, media recognition, and the pride of creating a school environment that supports better health and academic success for students and staff.
Seventy-three schools have received the prestigious HealthierUS School Challenge Award, and nineteen schools have received a Healthier Montana Menu Challenge Award. You can find out more about these awards and our award-winning schools at this link.
Congratulations to these Healthy School Champions!
If your school would like to join this group of Healthy School Champions, OPI's School Nutrition Program and Montana Team Nutrition are available to assist schools with the application process. Contact Katie Bark at kbark@mt.gov or Molly Stenberg at stenberg@montana.edu for more information.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 11-Jun-2013 09:46:14 MDT
"The Montana Office of Public Instruction provides vision, advocacy, support and leadership for schools and communities to ensure that all students meet today's challenges and tomorrow's opportunities."
The Montana Office of Public Instruction, Denise Juneau, Superintendent • P.O. Box 202501 Helena, Montana 59620-2501 • In-State Toll-Free 1.888.231.9393, Local (406) 444.3095
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