Student accomplishments highlight Bleed Blue week
As I reflect on the year we have had so far at Columbia Falls High School, I realize how lucky I am to be part of this institution.
I appreciate the faculty members and coaches dedicated to our students. I’m thankful for a community that always supports our students. And I am grateful for our students, who continue to excel and demonstrate the core values of Columbia Falls High School.
It is important to celebrate the many accomplishments of our students. To name them all would certainly exceed the space provided, but the following stand out:
Kelsey Wright was selected as a 2019 Coca-Cola Scholar semifinalist. She is one of 1,896 students selected from over 95,000 applicants from across the country.
During first semester Columbia Falls High School students participated in many projects to help others. Key Club, for example, organized a sock project for the Samaritan House homeless shelter in Kalispell, collecting nearly 500 pairs of socks from first-period classes.
We served nearly 250 people at a community dinner during parent teacher conferences.
The student council collected holiday gift donations from the Columbia Falls student body, serving nearly 30 families.
Columbia Falls students, staff and community members put together nearly 200 food packages for students to take home for the holidays. Students in Ms. Marsh’s Intro to Business class worked hard at the food bank, boxing and stacking 450 boxes of potatoes, bagging another 6,000 pounds of potatoes and packing 768 food bundles for the backpack program.
The girls soccer and football teams both won conference championships, and the football team hosted the state championship game.
The Columbia Falls Speech and Debate team won its 14th consecutive state title. Individual state champions included Ian McKenzie and Maggie McKeon in Policy Debate and Cassidy Norick and Kelsey Wright in Public Forum Debate. Cassidy Norick was also named Academic All-American by the National Speech and Debate Association.
Taylor Gladeau captured the 2019 Class A state wrestling title in the 285-pound division.
Senior Kayla Johnson was Montana’s Top High School Youth Volunteer in the 2019 Prudential Spirit of Community program.
I encourage everyone to recognize these and the rest of the hard-working Columbia Falls students during Bleed Blue Week, February 25 through March 1. The theme for Bleed Blue Week this year is “Honoring Yourself and Others Through Service.”
We will be celebrating student successes, and many of our students will be involved in community service projects throughout the week. Fly the blue flag and attend Bleed Blue events.
Wildcat Job Fair — Thursday, February 21, open to community members from 4 to 6 p.m.
Free community dinner — Tuesday, February 26, 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the cafeteria
Student talent show — Tuesday, February 26, 7 p.m. in the Little Theatre
Bleed Blue assembly, Friday, March 1, 10 a.m.
Join me and many others who are grateful to be part of Columbia Falls High School. We are proud to bleed blue!
— Principal Scott Gaiser