Students return to class next week

Whitefish students will head back to the classroom on Wednesday, Aug. 29 for the 2018-19 school year.

At Muldown Elementary School, changes in traffic flow and some new curriculum will start next week.

As construction of the new Muldown school to the west of the existing building continues, buses will begin dropping students off in the new bus lane between the high school and the future school. Buses will then exit north through the parking lot behind the high school and adjacent to the track, returning to Second Street via Fir Avenue.

Muldown Principal Linda Whitright said this will bring changes into who can use that high school parking lot moving forward.

“Because of that, the most important thing we want to stress is that Muldown parent parking and drop off is no longer available back there for the safety of our kids. That will be Whitefish High School and Muldown staff parking only.”

Whitright also stressed that the pickup and dropoff area in front of the school is to be used for those purposes only. The rest of the front Muldown parking lot is available for parents who want to park, as well as the nearby Nazarene Church parking lot.

There will be some new changes in the classroom as well.

Whitright said the school will begin implementing a new social and emotional learning curriculum called Getting Along Together.

“And it does just that. We’re working with the kids on just those social skills of getting along together and what happens if there’s a conflict — how do we treat each other? Which is integral to the success of the school,” she said. “That’s huge, we’re all excited about it.”

The school year begins at 8:30 a.m. on Aug. 29 at Muldown. Kindergartens and first graders will have a meet-and-greet meeting with their teachers instead of a full school day on Aug. 29. Second through fourth graders will have full school days as normal.

Picture day for Muldown students will not be until Oct. 15, 16 and 18.

For any questions call the main office at 862-8620.

School at Whitefish Middle School will kick off as well, with the first bell at 8:23 a.m.

Principal Josh Branstetter said one exciting addition to the curriculum will be a music technology course, which will act as an introduction to the same new class at the high school.

“It’s very similar to what’s at the high school,” Branstetter said. “We’re developing the music technology component of creating music through technology.”

The middle school will also start integrating the Center for Sustainability and Entrepreneurship in its science curriculum.

Open house meet and greets will also start with the fifth-grade open house on Monday, Aug. 27 at 7 p.m.

The sixth through eighth open houses will be on Sept. 11 at 7 p.m.

Picture days for WMS students are Sept. 18-19.

For any questions call the main office at 862-8650.

New freshmen at Whitefish High School are invited to the Freshman Walkabout Aug. 23 from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. Students will be able to get copies of their schedules and find their classrooms before the first day of school.

Schedules for students in grades 10 through 12 will be distributed on the first day of school.

Picture day at the high school will also be the first day of school.

For any questions call the main office at 862-8600.