School bells are ringing once again, heralding the start of another academic year. With the excitement of new books and fresh supplies, there's also plenty of caution as parents, students, and drivers navigate the hustle and bustle of back-to-school traffic. Whether it’s learning how to stay alert on the streets or finding effective ways to engage with schoolwork, the focus on education and safety is more important than ever.
With kids back on their feet and crossing busy streets, it becomes imperative for drivers to be extra vigilant. Helena Police Department's School Resource Officer Program emphasizes, “Just have your head on a swivel and keep your eyes open, keep your eyes off your cell phone and on the road, and we'll all make it through this school year.” This simple yet powerful reminder serves as the lifeline to ensuring the safety of thousands of children who will be making their way to school.
This year, collaboration between bus drivers, crossing guards, and local police aims to bolster safety measures with new strategies. The Helena Public School District has incorporated innovative surveillance systems, installing HD cameras on school bus stop arms to monitor any violations. According to the department’s officers, “You have to stop and wait. It may be a delay, but that's part of the deal to get the kids safely to school.”
Despite these precautions, the risk still looms large. Reports from the Montana Department of Transportation reveal alarming statistics: 17 pedestrian fatalities were recorded within the year, underscoring the continued risk children face when school starts. National data highlights the danger, with 111 fatalities recorded among school transportation vehicle occupants from 2013 through 2022. Yet, students rely heavily on buses, reportedly 70 times safer than private transport.
Crossing guards play key roles, standing watch at crosswalks to safeguard the minute travelers. Carly Lindstrom and Michelle Gransbery, both crossing guards and paraeducators at Four Georgians Elementary, articulate their commitment: “Watch out for the kids. They're going to be at the crosswalks. If you're in a school zone, slow down.” Their presence on the streets also humanizes the process of school travel for children, providing reassurance as they traverse unpredictable traffic.
Where some students need guiding eyes, others require proactive and supportive learning environments. Teachers are implementing fresh educational strategies to keep students engaged and hesitant to leave the classroom. Staci Durnin, who has taught sixth-grade math for years, has adopted the “thinking classrooms” methodology developed by Simon Fraser University professor Peter Liljedahl. This classroom model emphasizes collaborative, active problem-solving, steering away from rote memorization and imitation.
Looking back over 29 years of teaching, Durnin notes the drastic shift the methodology has introduced. “A lot of times I hear kids say, ‘That was two periods of math already?’ And you know, when I hear this, it just makes me so happy,” she said, indicating the bond students form with the material and with each other. During class, students work together at whiteboards, building their knowledge by tackling problems collectively.
One of the core tenants of this teaching method is creating what’s called “visibly random grouping,” which breaks the norm of preassigned groups often fraught with social dynamics. Remarkably, when students are placed together randomly without the student-selection process, they engage differently. “When empathy is unlocked, so many things work in the classroom,” Durnin stated, highlighting how collaboration fosters care among classmates.
Liljedahl's teaching approach encourages students to immediately interact with math problems rather than passively absorb lectures and notes. This instant engagement results in more dynamic discussions and keeps the energy high within the classroom - creating environments where students feel their contributions matter. Durnin shared, “Now I’m almost running out of time because, when the bell rings, they don’t want to leave the boards.”
Each method incorporates tactile learning and peer interaction which are particularly important as students return post-pandemic. Despite the hesitance of parents and educators alike surrounding how children will adjust, innovative strategies are breathing fresh life back onto school campuses. There is palpable excitement to get kids back to learning productively and safely.
Though improvements are seen within classroom dynamics, the task of engaging teens requires additional attention. Many high schoolers are less likely to fill out paperwork indicating their eligibility for free and reduced lunches, which tends to stabilize as students age. This year, the summer data indicated about 69,000 students across Montana qualify for such aid, with Matt Torix, the Laurel Public Schools superintendent noting, “We would just as soon feed every kid, every day.”
The schools of Laurel will serve free lunches to students at South, West, and Graff elementary schools this academic year with percentages hovering around the 40 marks for reduced lunch eligibility. Torix expressed hope for the numbers to decrease, indicating this trend resolves itself when families find solid footing once again. “I don’t want more and more kids to qualify for free and reduced lunch because it means more families are struggling,” shared Torix, shedding light on the overall educational environment.
This back-to-school season carries with it not just the resumption of learning and camaraderie but the continuous push for safety, engagement, and the nurturing of young minds as they move through transitional periods from childhood to maturity. Each classroom is making the most out of the lessons learned from the past few years, but still, the watchful eyes of parents and authorities are aimed unerringly at creating the safest spaces possible. Navigational vigilance is warranted not just for drivers this August, but for students, teachers, and families as well.
Indeed, the school year brings promises of new knowledge and friendships, but it also ventures significant responsibilities intertwined with awareness. With protocols established and practices refined, it is clear everyone has a part to play as the wheels of education turn ever forward.
