IN THIS EDITION.. SSoM BIG NEWS! | Infinite Campus User Group Registration | Food Program Bonus Perk Details | Upcoming Curriculum Reviews | SSoM Program Updates | SSoM Partner Resources | Joke of the Week | Additional Resources | About SSoM

A Few Words From Our NEW

I’d like to take this opportunity to show my appreciation and gratitude to Tom Franta for his 4 years of service as the SSoM Executive Director. Under Tom’s leadership, we not only survived a pandemic, we evolved into a thriving non-profit education service organization in Montana that continues to creatively respond to the changing needs of our schools. In 2016, I became a curriculum consultant with SSoM to support the Montana Education Curriculum Consortium and moved into a full-time position as Director of Education Services 2 years later. In that role, I planned and implemented professional learning opportunities across the state, as well as provided leadership to MECC.

While I have some big shoes to fill with Tom’s departure, I am honored to be stepping into the role of Executive Director at School Services of Montana to support our talented staff in providing vital services to schools across the state. As I transition into my new role over the next few months, I will continue to lead Education Services and carry out our 2022 - 2023 plans as I seek out education professionals to support this department. I am truly excited about collaborating with our staff, board of directors, educators, and partners to continue serving SSoM member districts and schools in Montana to meet their unique needs.

Executive Director

School Services of Montana

mtovaas@mt-schools.org

(646) 831-7264

- REGISTER TODAY -

Huddle up with peers during a fall User Group and learn the latest and greatest out of the Campus playbook. Lunch provided! Register for the location that works best for you. 8am - 3pm at all locations.

Evergreen School District | 18 W Evergreen Dr, Kalispell

Butte High School | 401 S Wyoming St, Butte

Central Montana Education Center | 773 Airport Rd, Lewistown

Sidney High School | 1012 4th Ave SE, Sidney

Attendance is FREE, and we welcome any users in your district including teachers, administrative staff, curriculum & special education directors, etc. Please forward this message to ANYONE in your district.

Check out the latest deal!

Districts who opt into the 22-23 SY SSoM Co-op Food Program may take advantage of brand new savings from Office Depot - ODP Business Solutions. This K-12 contract was made possible through the partnership between SSoM and the GPO that provides fantastic savings for our Food Program. Highlights include:

For details about the SSoM Co-op Food Program click here, or read our Program FAQ & SSoM Organization Facts email. To opt into this program, please contact:

- UPCOMING EVENTS -

Oct 27 @ Manhattan School District: full day

Nov 2 @ Dillon Elementary School District: full day

Nov 15 is Virtual: half day Elementary, half day Secondary

Library Media Specialists & Teacher Librarians

Nov 21 @ Anaconda School District: full day  

Dec 15 @ Anaconda School District: 10am - 2pm

A SSoM Self-Paced, Online Course | Register Here

This asynchronous, virtual course was designed by literacy expert and consultant, Genevieve Thomas, with Spark Educational Consulting, and brought to you by SSoM. It was constructed to deepen your knowledge about dyslexia as it relates to Montana’s Dyslexia Screening and Intervention Act, the science of reading, and research-based literacy assessment and instructional practices in a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS).

Sign up for massive savings on ALL of your District's needs! Districts who have opted into our 22-23 Co-op Food Program are eligible to access one of the most comprehensive purchasing portfolios for K-12 Schools, featuring over 300 contracts s in these categories:

These tidbits about everything from nature to global politics will make you feel instantly smarter. ~brought to us by BestLifeonline.com

Welcome to Brainstorms!, our monthly e-newsletter. Check out the October 2022 edition featuring PD and STEM resources!

Fall STEM Professional Learning: Science Olympiad Coach Kickoff - Nov 1; FREE grad-level courses on Proficiency-based Education - Spring 2023

MSU & Other Cool STEM Resources: American Mathematics Competitions held @ MSU Nov 10 & 12; FREE resources for teaching about social media; 2023 Big Sky Regional Science Bowl Mar 9 & 10; Montana Aerospace Scholars program for HS Juniors & Seniors

Do you know a Montana STEM teacher interested in cool opportunities? Please share this newsletter so they can follow along for next year! Or, they can subscribe at bit.ly/smrc-news

Oct 20 Putting the Evidence-Base Into Practice: Foundational Skills; 2 - 3:30pm MT

Oct 25 Where the Science of Learning Meets the Science of Reading: Unpacking the Evidence; 2 - 3pm MT

Nov 3 The Urgent Need to Support Older Readers; 1:30 - 2:30pm MT

Nov 15 Exploring Common Misconceptions about the Science of Reading 3:30 - 4:30pm MT

OPI Education Compass - October 2022 Edition

Featuring: 2023 Montana Teacher of the Year Catherine Matthews, a preschool special education teacher at Hyalite Elementary in Bozeman! Read the press release here.

For a complete list of OPI MT Autism Education Program trainings, please click here.

Educator E-Newsletter Oct 1, 2023 | Issue 68

- in the exhibition hall & in the program schedule

Learn at Home, Too! with Montana PBS

USDA Announces Additional $50 Million in Grants for schools to invest in new food service equipment that will allow them to continue serving nutritious meals. This is in addition to the $30 million provided earlier this year.

Press Release Oct 11, 2022

"Fresh Ideas for School Nutrition"

January 15 - 17, 2023 | San Diego, California

USDA Publishes Revised Whole Grain Resource - including the final rule establishing transitional standards for Child Nutrition Program requirements related to milk, whole grains, and sodium.

All 5 Montana CSPDs offer FREE VIRTUAL PD in their regions. Click for details:

Region I - Eastern MT | Region II | Region III | Region IV - SW MT | Region V - NW MT

SSoM is a 501(c)(3) non-profit education service agency committed to unlocking the full potential of every child in each and every school we serve across the state. We accomplish this by providing a wide variety of professional learning activities and business services designed to meet the specific needs of Montana’s excellent educators and administrators. Interested in supporting our work? Click here to make a donation, and be sure to read all about our organization on our website.