Poplar School Administrators Look Forward

Positive reports were delivered by Poplar’s administrators during the November school board meeting held on Monday, Nov. 10. Superintendent of Schools Keith Erickson noted that his goals for the school year are based on: Students first; increasing student achievement; developing and sustaining a staff/ student wellness program; and creating and maintaining a positive academic and work environment.

Erickson reported that the community feeds have gone very well during the school.

Poplar’s new alternative learning center has been renamed the New Day Academy. “In time, the goal is to make the environment much different than your typical school setting,” Erickson said. He said attendance is at 85 percent for the month of October for all buildings.

Elementary Principal John Wetsit said that after Adrian Spotted Bird was elected to the Tribal Executive Board, school officials initially put a substitute teacher to cover until a different solution is decided. The rest of the thirdgrade teachers agreed to split the students until a replacement is found. “This pushes their classes to 21 students on average,” Wetsit said.

Middle School Principal Morgan Norgaard reported that the Buffalo Unity Project was completed and was successful. The tribal education equipment has received $25,000 of equipment for its media lab. High School Principal Frank Gourneau said goals made by the building leadership team included understanding trauma-informed practice for students and staff to implement a system that readies learner; analyzing individual students learning to make data-informed decisions for differentiated instruction; and establish a framework for all operations that prioritize students’ well-being as the central focus for all decisions.

Gourneau’s goals are to continue to expand and work on building leadership team calendars to collaboratively work together as a building and district for school improvement; and be more involved and aware of the educational component in and outside of classrooms for the teachers, students and parent/ community members. He wants to make sure to be more visible in hallways, classrooms and events in and outside of the school system.