With the first day of school just around the corner, dozens of newly hired Great Falls Public Schools (GFPS) teachers are preparing to step into their classrooms, many of whom landed their jobs during the districts High Voltage Weekend, an annual event aimed at attracting future educators to teach in Great Falls.
Brianna Juneau reports - watch:
High Voltage Weekend, designed to connect graduating educations students and future teachers with opportunities in the district, has become a key tool in GFPS’s efforts to recruit passionate, high-quality educators. For many of the new hires, the event not only offered a job, but also brought them back home to the Electric City.
“Born and raised in Great Falls, I’ve been in the Great Falls district my whole life,” said Ameilia Flamond, a recently-hired fifth-grade teacher who will begin teaching at Giant Springs Elementary School. “We've got a lot of amazing resources in our community and just being able to be there for students and have people that are there for you as a teacher and it's just so welcoming that it's a great place to be.”
Another new teacher is Rennie Napierala — also a GFPS graduate — who shared a similar sentiment. “I've lived here my whole life. It seems like the education community's really supportive, the community I grew up in and I was happy that I get to start here.”
Miss Napierala is beginning her teaching journey at Sacajawea Elementary as a fifth-grade teacher, the same school and grade her mom taught when she first started in the district.
“It’s a full circle moment,” she explained. “My mom started in fifth grade here as her first year so, it’s kind of funny that I’m going to be in fifth grade at the school as well. I’m excited.”
For other new teachers, Great Falls is a brand-new adventure. A future algebra teacher at Great Falls High, Jackson Cossairt, says that he was drawn in by both the hiring process, and the community.
He explained, “I attended the weekend, took a chance, and I ended up getting an offer to work in the district. My goal was to teach in Montana and teach high school math and so I got both those opportunities right away and that was super exciting for me.”
GFPS leaders say the goal of High Voltage Weekend is to make those connections, to show graduating teachers that Great Falls is not only a great place to live, but a great place to teach. With new educators bringing fresh energy and ideas into classrooms across the city, the district is optimistic about the year ahead.
Miss Flamand added, “I’ve always wanted to teach, I’m excited, and I hope that it’s a great school year.”
The first day of school for Great Falls begins on Wednesday, August 27th. For those new teachers, the countdown has officially begun.
