Troy Schools meeting recap

District property

The Troy Public Schools Board of Trustees voted to dispose of several district property items Oct. 9 by bequeathing them to the Troy Volunteer Fire Department and the Troy Museum.

The items included the school’s gazebo, which has been relocated to the Troy Museum lawn and a set of office waiting-room style chairs that went to the fire hall.

The Board also approved trading in an outdated plasma cutter that no longer has software updates available.

Literacy grant

The Troy Public Schools Board of Trustees heard an update Oct. 9 on the Montana Comprehensive Literacy Project grant the school district began receiving last school year.

The grant provides an average of $300,000 per year over three years, and has the potential to be renewed.

Amelia Downey told the board that in the second year of the grant, the school has purchased new materials to help students reading below grade level, as well as an assessment tool to help educators evaluate what students need.

The grant has helped to fund professional development for Troy educators, and they are working on a program that will help new parents with starting their children on the path to literacy.

Parent engagement

On Oct. 9, Wendy Tunison told the Troy Public Schools Board of Trustees about progress in a program to help parents and students to keep education going at home.

In its second year, the Family Academic Collaborative Teams (FACT) program is already seeing greater parent interest after incorporating feedback they received last year, she said.

She showed the Board a breakdown from the CDC on how most school children spend their time, with a focus on the 12 percent of their time in school and 25 percent on “screen time,” such as socializing or playing games on computers and phones.

Tunison focused in on the difference between parent involvement and parent engagement, which she said is the teamwork created between staff and parents.

“I have had the opportunity this year to talk to a few parents who were not enthusiastic about FACT last year, and due to the changes that we’ve made this year, they’re actually very excited about it,” she said.

Recognition

Among the recognition the Troy Public Schools Board of Trustees gave for student and staff accomplishments Oct. 9, the Board had one special recognition for a community member that came from a student request.

W.F. Morrison Elementary student Brayden Ridgeway sent a letter to Schools Superintendent Jacob Francom in September asking that former teacher Sylvia Maffit be given an award “for being very kind and always helping children.”

In his letter, which he read aloud to the Board, Ridgeway said that Maffit is always at soccer and cheers on the team, as well as making them cookies for after games and practices.

“Just recently, she purchased a pair of goalie gloves for Gunnar and me. They reduce the pain a lot,” he said. “She is just a generous and kind person overall and we appreciate all of her doings.”

Ridgeway talked about how Maffit encourages children, and said she was a great teacher who still serves the children after her retirement.

“Ms. Maffit is amazing and deserves and award,” he said.

Maffit was recognized by the Board along with Tyann Hermes of True Value Hardware, who donated paint for repainting the “T” on the mountain above Troy.