Fun Times & School Business Reminders

As we look at the list of new and returning families in preparation for the year to begin, we're all so excited about seeing and meeting everyone. Plans are in the works for a party on the slab foundation in mid-August - so stay tuned for details from Anne Burchenal. Community Bank has offered to come and BBQ for us all in celebration of the expansion and it will be a great opportunity to reconnect and have folks meet our new Director, Linda.

Just a reminder to everyone to get contracts returned to the office ASAP so you're all official with your enrollment. Be in touch with the office if you need to make any additional arrangements. August is going to be a busy month for teachers, board and staff getting prepared, so any information we have before the rush would be appreciated. Anyone looking to fill some parent hours early should contact Lauren Fern or express interest to the office - there will be plenty to do and a nice way to get those hours fulfilled before school starts.

Hope you're all surviving the dog days of summer and this hot weather. Keep in touch!

Well, the foundation walls are in place and the plumbers have been working to put in all of the underground pipes and tubes they need to before the concrete slab is poured. The process of hooking the school into the sewer is also underway, and, as with all construction projects, there have been a few unanticipated discoveries! Today while trenching for the sewer main, the excavator discovered a water line that feeds our school, as well as the houses to the north and south of our building. Fortunately he didn't break it with the excavator because the shut-off valve at the street was filled with rocks - probably curious kiddos dropping them down the tube! There would have been a nice lake in our parking lot if it would have been broken, and a challenge to get shut off! To make a long story short, they had to switch gears, and plan to have a main line shut off to put in a different valve, and then put in new shut-offs for each separate property which will be good for the long run, but a bit of a pain tomorrow. Once all repairs are made, they can proceed as planned and get the existing and new lines all tied to Missoula city sewer - that'll be a good thing for the school into the future in any case.

Site work continues with a lot of thought and effort being made to get the playground put back into order for preschoolers to start up on campus just after Labor Day. Kindergarteners and Primary kids will be at the great facility of Mount Jumbo in East Missoula. Thanks to Mark Wilson, Will Grant and TJ Decker for giving input on the landscaping work that will need to be done next month - I know they would love some worker bees when the time comes and if anyone wants to join them in planning or has ideas/resources for materials, we would be happy to hear from you. There will of course be opportunities for input and participation as the building progresses along. The buildings wall and roof panels should be coming in a couple of weeks - they're a bit further out than we'd hoped, but getting through the engineering and planning for electrical needs etc took longer than expected - it's still the plan at this point to have them in place on the foundation by the time school starts up - so keep your fingers crossed! That will be a fun time!

A Warm Welcome to our New Director

On behalf of the CFS Board of Directors, I am so pleased to introduce Linda Symonds to the CFS community. Linda is joining our staff in a Directorship position to lend support and offer her professional expertise to our teachers, parents and kids. We are so excited to have her on board and know she is looking forward to meeting all the members of CFS. She is working some introductory hours in July and will be helping prepare for the school year in August. We hope you'll take the opportunity to introduce yourself and get to know her as a wonderful addition to Clark Fork School.


Here is a bit more about her background.

Linda believes that her return to her home state of Montana is truly a gift and is delighted to have moved to beautiful Missoula. A native of Harlowton, Linda spent many years in Las Vegas, NV, where she worked in the medical field as a hospital administrator and medical office consultant. While volunteering at her children's school, Linda realized she had a strong desire to teach. She holds a degree in Secondary Education, Business and English as well as a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership. She taught English, Publications and Leadership before being appointed as a school administrator in Clark County Nevada. Linda and her husband Gary enjoy their new home, which is shared with two very spoiled pooches. In her spare time, Linda likes to read, walk and cook for family and friends. She is excited to work with the children, parents, teachers and board members and is particularly proud to be associated with Clark Fork School.

Happy Independence Day!

It's been a hot week, but footings are poured and foundation forms are set. Work slowed a bit because of the Independence Day holiday mid-week, but pouring of the foundation walls and the setting of the under-slab plumbing should commence next week. There are a lot of steps to getting all of the plumbing hooked up and the excavation for the sewer started, so don't know how much progress people will be able to see above ground. Here are some pictures of the surveying for the footings.



The contractor's name is Ed and the company he runs is Garden City Builders. Thanks to parents Anne Myers, Mark Wilson, and Kathleen Harper and teacher Shirley Atkins for checking in on the watering of trees and grass - it's been a challenge to keep things watered with the construction, but we're trying to maintain life around the construction zone so it won't be a complete desert by the time school's back in session.