Bullock visits schools in Pablo and Arlee
Pablo Elementary students gathered in full force Wednesday, April 20 to listen to Governor Bullock and Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau talk about the importance of graduation. Then they marched through Pablo to celebrate their commitment to graduate high school.
The Graduation Matters event started with an Honor Song presented by Ronan eighth grader, Ardon McDonald. The first speaker was communications director for the CSKT, Rob McDonald, who talked to the kids about his life path and encouraged them to keep working hard to achieve their goals.
McDonald was followed by Denise Juneau and Governor Steve Bullock, both of whom encouraged the students to stick to their pledge. “Graduate high school, and a whole world of opportunities opens up for you,” Bullock said.
Posters signed by the students with the pledge to graduate were presented to McDonald, Juneau and Bullock, all of whom signed their names underneath the kids’, showing their support for the student’s effort to graduate.
As soon as the posters were signed, the entire school left the gym and gathered outside, congregating with their graduating classes. Each class held banners displaying the years they pledged to graduate – 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, and 2028 – then began a march through Pablo.
Teachers, parents, and 230 kids proudly marched from Pablo Elementary school to the bridge above Highway 93, where they stopped and grabbed the attention of passing cars, many honking in support.
UM Grizzlies’ mascot, Monte, joined the kids, giving hugs and high-fives and dancing with them as they marched.
The Graduation Matters campaign began with Denise Juneau in 2010 as an initiative to boost graduation rates in Montana. Since then, graduation rates have increased from 80.7 percent the year before she began the initiative to 86 percent in 2015.
Bullock believes that starting to push for graduation at an early age is more effective. “If you look at student success, it begins before they even get to the elementary schools,” Bullock said.
Bullock was also scheduled to give a SMART award to the Arlee Joint School District on the same day.
Arlee Joint School District was awarded a SMART School Green Award for their outstanding efforts to make their schools more environmentally friendly.
Arlee’s Environmental Advocates for Global and Ecological Sustainability, or Eagles Club, audited the Arlee School District’s buildings to determine what actions could be taken to reduce their carbon footprint, save money, and find ways to start a recycling initiative.
After auditing the buildings and classrooms, students from the Eagles Club implemented energy savings and recycling programs which have had a large impact on the school. According to Bonnie White, an environmental sciences teacher at the Arlee High School, the district could save 80,000 pounds of CO2 emissions and $3,400 if the students plans were to be implemented. “It would take over 900 tree seedlings over 10 years to sequester that amount CO2 out of the atmosphere,” White said.
Since November, the school has recycled 358 pounds of aluminum, 1956 pounds of paper, 349 pounds of plastic, and 1617 pounds of cardboard.
The Eagles Club is made up of 35 students out of the total 121 at Arlee High School. It was started in 2015 after Tibal Climate Change Committee member, Mike Durglo and Renee Dubay approached White with the idea.
This summer, the club plans on attending a summit at the SKC headquarters where they will have a Skype interview with the Department of Agriculture heads in Washington D.C. where they plan on talking about Eagles Club, native students and the importance of practicing sustainability, and the importance of reducing their carbon footprint.
Two Eagle River High School was also awarded a Green Ribbon Award for their efforts to cut energy costs, help improve student health and focus on sustainability. Denise Juneau presented the award to the school on April 22.