HELENA — The first day of school is right around the corner, and Helena Public Schools formally welcomed back teachers on Monday.
Helena Public Schools (HPS) staff members gathered on the front lawn of Helena Middle School (HMS) for a free breakfast and to see each other face-to-face after summer break.
The superintendent of HPS, the chair of the board of trustees, and the 2025 Helena Education Association Educator of the Year, Lauren Gustafson, shared their thoughts on the year ahead.
(Helena teachers discuss heading back to school)
"You will be a piece someone carries with them until the end of their life," Gustafson said.
After the social hour, educators got back to work – attending trainings and getting their rooms prepared for the first day of school on Wednesday.
"You need an environment that allows that to happen – being able to talk with a teacher, being able to have that safe space," Andy Roberts, a 7th-grade math teacher at Helena Middle School, said.
Roberts, like many other teachers, had a portion of his summer designated to learning a new curriculum.
He said, "Even though I have a lot of experience in teaching the same subject many times, every year it seems to be evolving."
Roberts says he got a $150 budget for supplies, but he says he paid for the majority of his classroom decorations.
"I have all of the pictures of the outdoors for the kids that connect with that," Roberts said. "It makes me feel happy and calm, so hopefully that does the same for the kids."
Each teacher has their own aesthetic for their classroom, but all of them share the same goal.
"The thing that we want most is when the student walks in the classroom, that it feels inviting, it feels safe, and it feels engaging," said Kristin Bishop, a HMS sixth-grade English and language arts teacher.
She says the first day of school for teachers is a lot like the first day of school for kids.
"We usually have trouble sleeping, we wake up way too early, we're nervous," said Bishop. "I think a lot like the students, as soon as we're in our space, our level of excitement, I think, matches them."
Over at Broadwater Elementary School, first-grade teacher Brooke Alexander says she got $400 for supplies throughout this school year.
"Everything that's in here besides tables, the SmartBoard, [and] the desk has all been bought or donated," said Alexander.
HPS says individual schools decide supply budgets for teachers and that parent-teacher organizations may provide more funds to increase the amount teachers receive.
After four years, Alexander says she has built up her classroom collection and spends less and less time preparing every summer.
"This year, I would say close to probably like three [or] four days total," she said. "My first year, it was probably like an entire month that I was in doing non-stop work."
The majority of HPS students start back at school on Wednesday, with some starting back on Thursday, and kindergarten starts next Tuesday.
You can find more information on when specific grade levels start here.
