1. education
2. high school

CAPITAL HIGH SCHOOL
NEWSLETTER
April, 2015
Calendar of Events
April
4/17—MORP
4/30—Vigilante Work Day
May
5/1– Vigilante Parade—No School
5/4—Awards Night
5/5 & 6—Frosh Lewis & Clark
Caverns Trip
5/9—Prom
5/13—Spring Pep Assembly
5/18—Band Concert
5/25—Memorial Day—No School
5/28—Activities Fair & Arts Trade Show
June
6/1—Spring Choral Concert
6/2-4—Senior Semester Tests
6/4—Graduation Practice
6/6—Graduation (10:00)
6/8-10—Semester Tests—Grades 9-11
Booster Club
The CHS Booster Club meets the 3rd
Tuesday of every month except June,
July and December. Meetings are
held in the CHS
Library Conference Room at
6:30 p.m. All CHS
Booster Club members are welcome to
attend and we also welcome new
members .
Parents: Be sure to inform the school if there
is a change in your contact information; or,
you may change the information yourself in
your Parent Portal.
Vigilante Parade
It’s Springtime in Helena- you know what
that means- the Vigilante Parade is here! The
parade will start at high noon on Friday, May
1st. Please remind your student to pay close attention
to announcements as the
registration process will be starting soon. This
community event started in 1924—let’s keep
it going!
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE LADY
BRUIN BASKETBALL TEAM ON
WINNING THE STATE BASKETBALL
CHAMPIONSHIP! WAY TO GO
LADIES!
National Merit Finalists
Mykaela Edwards and Bailly Noble have advanced to the designation of “Finalist.” Being announced as Finalist is a noteworthy
accomplishment as only 15,000 students are selected nationwide. The National Merit Scholarship program is originally based
on the score that a student receives when taking the PSAT. On
behalf of Capital High School, congratulations once again!
SPEED LIMIT IN FRONT OF SCHOOL
Please be advised that the speed limit in front of CHS, from the
tennis courts to the West student parking lot, is
15 MPH from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm. The police department will be increasing their presence in this
area.
Mr. Burk Receives Northwest District High School Physical Education
Teacher of the Year by SHAPE America
Mr. Burk of Capital High School was honored as the Northwest District High School Physical Education Teacher
of the Year by SHAPE America – Society of Health and Physical Educators at its 130th National Convention and
Expo in Seattle, March 17 - 21.
The SHAPE America Northwest District represents five states from Idaho to Alaska. The award is given in recognition of outstanding teaching performance at the high school level and the ability
to motivate today's youth to participate in a lifetime of physical activity. Burk, a
physical education teacher with 24 years of experience, will vie with four other
district winners for the distinguished honor of National High School Physical
Education Teacher of the Year.
Congratulations Mr. Burk and good luck in the National contest!
Attention Junior Parents: Upcoming Tests!
ACT - All Juniors will take the ACT on Tuesday, April 28th. Attendance is important!
Smarter Balanced Testing - All Juniors will be starting these tests on May 14th. Testing
will be conducted in English III and US History Classes
Full Ride Scholarship to Seattle University
Congratulations to Summer Diegel for her success in obtaining a full-ride
scholarship to Seattle University. Summer is the Skills USA Western Region
Vice President and has been a major part of Capital High Skills for three
years. We wish her best of luck in her endeavors in Seattle and for the rest
of her life.
Poetry Out Loud Winners
Congratulations to Taylor Blossom who won first place in the Regional Poetry Out Loud Competition
held in Butte and went on to place 2nd at the recent State Poetry Out Loud Competition held in Helena
on March 14th. Anna Carter won 6th place at the Regional Poetry Out Loud Competition and also went
to the State Competition. Taylor and Anna were not the only CHS students strutting their stuff at the
State Competition. Four of our best CHS jazz musicians provided musical entertainment during the competition: Ben Weis, Brody Payne, Ethan Holmes and Parker Lane.
Business Professionals of America
State Leadership Conference Results
Sixteen students represented Capital High School at the State Business
Professionals of America Leadership Conference March 8-10 in Billings. The
three-day conference showcased students demonstrating their business and
technology skills in over 60 competitive events with a conference theme of
“Swing Into Prosperity with Roaring Leadership”. Eleven students were top-ten
finishers, and six of these students are moving on to compete at the national
competitions in Anaheim, CA in May. Way to go!
Students placing in the top ten include: 2nd Place—Connor Morrison & Colin Gillespie—Web Site Design Team;
3rd Place—Connor Morrison—Fundamentals of Web Design, Hunter Boardman, Kristina McGee, Jessica Richardson—Global Marketing Team and Zach Hansen—Information Technology Conepts-Open; 4th Place—Connor Morrison—JAVA Programming; 5th Place—Hunter Boardman, Kristina McGee, Dani Marietti—Video Production Team; 6th
Place—Wyatt Fitz—Advanced Accounting and Jamie Mortimore—Payroll Accounting; 7th Place—Jamie Mortimore—
Advanced Accounting; 9th Place—Zach Hansen—Banking and Finance; 10th Place—Andy Turner—Payroll Accounting, Quenten Jatkowski—Advanced Accounting and Hunter Boardman & Kristina McGee—Presentation Management
Team. Other BPA members who competed at state include Becca Corbally, Veronica Jones, Braxton Kent, Kayla
Smith, and Braelyn Standish.
Congratulations CHS Business Professionals of America—good luck at nationals!
From the Desk of the School Nurse:
How to Choose & Use Sunscreen
With all the sunscreens available (organic or mineral? water-resistant or sweat-resistant? lotion
or pray?), choosing the right one for your kids can be tricky. But what matters most when picking a
sunscreen is how well it protects skin from UV rays.
How to Choose
Look for SPF (sun protection factor) numbers on the labels of sunscreens. Select an SPF of 30 or higher to prevent sunburn and
tanning, both of which are signs of skin damage. Choose a sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays (usually labeled
as a "broad-spectrum" sunscreen).
Sunscreen sprays are convenient but should be used with caution. For starters, sprays are easy to breathe in, which can irritate
the lungs. Some sprays also are flammable, so you need to avoid sparks or flames when applying them and wearing them. And,
sprays make it hard to tell if you have applied enough sunscreen, which increases the risk of sunburn.
Other things to consider:
 Don't use sunscreens with PABA, which can cause skin allergies.
 For sensitive skin, look for products with the active ingredient titanium dioxide.
 If your child wants to use a self-tanner sunscreen, be sure to get one that also has UV protection (many offer little or none).
Babies younger than 6 months should be kept out of the sun. When going outside, dress your baby in lightweight clothes that
cover arms and legs — and don't forget a hat. If you can't avoid the sun, you can use a small amount of sunscreen on your baby's
exposed skin, like the hands and face.
How to Use
For sunscreen to do its job, it must be used correctly. Be sure to:
Apply sunscreen whenever your kids will be in the sun. For best results, apply sunscreen about 15 to 30 minutes before kids
go outside.
 Don't forget about ears, hands, feet, shoulders, and behind the neck. Lift up bathing suit straps and apply sunscreen underneath them (in case the straps shift as a child moves). Protect lips with an SPF 30 lip balm.
 Apply sunscreen generously — dermatologists recommend using 1 ounce (enough to fill a shot glass) to cover the exposed
areas of the body.
 Reapply sunscreen often, about every 2 hours. Reapply after a child has been sweating or swimming.
 Apply a water-resistant sunscreen if kids will be around water or swimming. Water reflects and intensifies the sun's rays, so
kids need protection that lasts. Water-resistant sunscreens may last up to 80 minutes in the water, and some are also sweatresistant. But regardless of the water-resistant label, be sure to reapply sunscreen when kids come out of the water.
 Don't worry about making a bottle of sunscreen last. Stock up, and throw out any sunscreen that is past its expiration date or
that you have had for 3 years or longer.
Every child needs sun protection. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends that all kids — regardless of their
skin tone — wear sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. Although dark skin has more protective melanin and tans more easily
than it burns, tanning is a sign of sun damage. Dark-skinned kids also can get painful sunburns.
And remember to be a good role model. Consistently wearing sunscreen with SPF 30 or greater and limiting your sun exposure
will reduce your risk of skin damage and teach your kids good sun sense.

KidsHealth.org—The most-visited site devoted to children's health and development
Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: July 2014
Note: All information on KidsHealth is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses and treatment, consult your doctor.
1995-2015 The Nemours Foundation. All rights reserved.
A Roadmap For Helping Youth in Crisis
It can be difficult to know what to do or how to get assistance for your student if in a crisis. The link below provides a roadmap for “navigating crisis situations.” Although the resources identified in the site are located in Missoula,
we are providing this site due to the excellent information the site contains. Please contact your student’s counselor
with any questions or concerns that you may have. www.missoulayouthcrisis.org
Capital High Students Win Big with Financial Education!
Congratulations to the following Capital High Students who completed the Montana $aves $cavenger Hunt in February and were drawn to win a $100 cash prize: Cassidy Burk, Kendall French, Quenten Jatkowski , Spencer Keeton ,
Grace Robinson, Kayla Smith and Dylan Veach.
The Montana $aves $cavenger Hunt is for youth between the ages of 15 and 19 who are interested in learning the
benefits of saving and investing, how credit can be a friend or foe and how to be in control of their finances. With the
completion of nine units, students are eligible to be in a drawing for one of 33 cash prizes, valued at $100 each. A total
of 192 Montana high school students participated this year, with more than 30 students participating from Capital High
School. Cash awards are provided by the following organizations: First Interstate BancSystem Foundation, Montana
Credit Unions for Community Development, Montana Consumer Protection Division, Office of the Attorney General,
Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, Montana Society of Certified Public Accountants Legacy Foundation, Montana Bankers Association Education Endowment Fund, Montana Community Foundation, Montana 4-H Foundation, Montana America Saves and Montana State University Extension.
March 18, 2015
Dear Parent or Guardian:
In our continuing efforts to ensure that your child – and all children/students – in the Helena School District are prepared
for success, I’m excited to share our efforts to reach challenging academic goals and to put in place improved assessments.
In 2011, the Montana Board of Public Education approved the Montana State Standards, and implementation began in
our state. Developed with input by teachers, parents, and education experts, the standards provide clear and consistent
grade by grade expectations in English and math of the knowledge and skills students need to be successful in school and
after graduation. In order to ensure our students are on track for success, new assessments have been developed to measure where students are succeeding and where they need help.
This school year, the online Smarter Balanced assessments will replace our previous paper-and-pencil CRT Reading and
Math assessments. The new assessments offer significant improvements over tests of the past. They include writing at
every grade level, more interactive questions, and performance tasks that ask students to demonstrate a range of critical
thinking and problem solving skills. We believe this assessment will be a better tool for parents and teachers, providing a
much clearer picture of where students are and what we need to do to move them forward.
We are committed to working with teachers and parents to provide support for all students to succeed. As we approach
the testing window, we are excited about implementing new assessments that will better prepare students for success
throughout their education and after high school graduation.
For more information about the Smarter Balanced assessments in our district, please contact your child’s school principal. You can also learn more about Smarter Balanced at http://www.smarterbalanced.org.
Sincerely,
Dr. Kent Kultgen
Superintendent
CHS Smarter Balanced testing dates: May 14 – 22 11th Grade Testing
**Each student will need a pair of ear buds or earphones for testing**
HELENA SCHOOL DISTRICT #1
CAPITAL HIGH SCHOOL
55 S. RODNEY
HELENA, MT 59604
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
HELENA, MT 59601
PERMIT NO. 94
CAPITAL HIGH SCHOOL
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Career Center News
Senior Award Night is coming up on May 4. Please let Mrs. O know by April 17 of any scholarships or financial award
your student receives so we can recognize him/her at the Ceremony.
Coming up on April 9 – Helena Job Service is hosting a Job Fair at the Fairgrounds. We will hold a series of lunchtime
workshops covering job search skills on April 7, 8 and 9 to help our students prepare to make their best impressions
with local employers. More info will be coming.
See Mrs. O if you haven’t gotten your log in info for the Free Online ACT Prep Program.
There are many summer programs offering college and career preparation opportunities
for students. Here are just a few:
 The 2015 Montana Tech Mining Camp will be held in Butte June 21-26. Camp is limited
to 15 students entering their junior or senior year. Application must be submitted by
April 10.
 MINES – Summer Camp for Young Women is a week long camp that exposes young
women entering their junior or senior year to some of the most exciting careers of the future! Through hands-on
experiments, field trips, and lab based activities, students get to experience what it’s like to work in the Science,
Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields. The camp will be held in Butte June 21-26. Application deadline
is April 10.
 The Junior Police Leadership Academy will be held July 12-18 in Helena. JLPA is open to any high school student,
with preference to be given to first time attendees going into 10th, 11th, or 12th grade. Application deadline is April
23.
See Mrs. O for more information about these and other camps.