September 2025 DILLON ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
TEACHING EFFECTIVELY-LEARNING SUCCESSFULLY
SUPERINTENDENT’S MESSAGE: RANDY SHIPMAN
Welcome to the 2025-2026 school year! I hope everyone enjoyed a great summer and is ready to start another school year. After 22 years in the District, I am extremely excited to get started and want you to know that I am very humbled and honored to be the superintendent of Dillon Elementary School District #10. I will strive to do right by our students, their parents/guardians, the staff, the Board of Trustees, the community, and all stakeholders in the district. Our students, your children, are our most precious resource and I consider it an honor and a privilege to work with them. I will do everything in my power to make sure they are safe, healthy, happy, engaged, and educated while they are under our care at school.
I would like to take this time to welcome all of our students back to school. To our new students, I especially want to welcome you and let you and your parents know that you are coming to a great school with an excellent staff that really cares about you as an individual and your development as a student and citizen. We have a staff that is truly committed and dedicated to helping all our students succeed. Speaking about staff, let me introduce our newest staff members:
Mrs. Kieryn Bleecker – PV 1st grade, Mr. Chance Mayer – PV 2nd grade, Mr. Spencer Zavala – PV Sped Para, Mrs. Ashlee Clarno – PV Secretary, Mrs. Stacy Burgin – Secretary, Mrs. Maria Hansen – PV Sped Para, Mrs. Dana Herrick – PV Sped Para, and Ms. Katherine Becker – PV Title Para. Please make these folks feel welcome when you see them.
As I have mentioned in the past I come with an extraordinary passion and dedication for what we do as educators and greatly look forward to working with the quality staff here in School District #10. I also mention, every chance I get, that growing up in Clovis, Dr. Floyd Buchanan, the Clovis Unified School District Superintendent, had the greatest educational influence on me. Dr. Buchanan was a true educational visionary and the many lessons he taught me and many others such as high standards, competition, and accountability have stayed with me throughout my life. He believed that everything mattered including your appearance, your attitude, your teaching skills and your ability to work with students and colleagues. I believe in these ideals as well and believe these traits help our students reach their full potential and I am grateful to foster them every chance I get.
Don’t forget that you can stay informed of what is happening at your child’s school by accessing our website at www.dillonschools.org. You can find out academic information about your child such as teacher lesson plans, your child’s grades, and their sports schedules. You can also access things like the student handbook, the district’s policy manual, board meeting agendas, and the school calendar.
In closing, let me say once again how excited and honored I am to be the superintendent of School District #10 and part of such a great community. I would like to thank everyone in advance for working with us to make School District #10 a great place to be for all of our students. I look forward to an extraordinary school year and am excited to begin. If there is anything I can help with, please stop in or call the district office at 683-4311 option #3.
PARKVIEW ELEMENTARY NEWS: GREG FITZGERALD
We are so excited for the 2025-26 school year. At Parkview our goal is to create a community of learners and compassionate citizens who positively influence others. I am extremely excited for the opportunity to work in Parkview Elementary school with all of the students in Dillon.
Here are couple of reminders that help our school run smoothly as we begin this new school year.
School Day: The school opens at 7:50 a.m., and under no circumstances should your child arrive at school before this time. Students will not be allowed in the school building before that time.
Drop Off: Students being dropped off should be dropped of in the semi-circle in front of Parkview. Parents are not allowed to get out of their vehicles during student drop off. To help eliminate congestion and keep things running smoothly no parents will be allowed into the body of the school during the first week of school. Our circular parking lot will be drop off only in the morning so you will not be able to park in front of the school during our drop off times from 7:45 am until 8:15 am. If you would like to walk your student to the front door please park in our Parking lot that is across Cottom Street. At no time should students be dropped off in the back parking lot.
Free/Reduced Lunch Form: Free and Reduced lunch form is available online at : https://dca.opi.mt.gov/frapp Hard copies of the Free and Reduced lunch form are available upon request.
Phone Messages: If you have a message you want delivered to your child at the end of the school day, we ask that you call before 3:00 pm Monday-Thursday and by 2:00 pm on Friday’s.. This will allow enough time to ensure that all messages are delivered prior to the student dismissal times.
MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS: JOEL ROGERS
Welcome back to school from the DMS office for the month of September 2025! I hope you all had a great summer. I am excited to get started and look forward to a great school year. Mrs. Polly Mickelson and I have been busy in the office preparing for another school year and are greatly anticipating the start of school on Tuesday, September 2nd.
I would like to welcome any new student and/or incoming 6th graders and their parents to DMS. I would also like to welcome back our returning 7th and 8th grade students and their parents. I look forward to having all of you at the middle school for the 2025-2026 school year.
There are two new staff members at DMS this year I have the pleasure of introducing. Mrs. Stacy Burgin is a district secretary that will be helping in both the Parkview and DMS offices throughout the school year. Also, Mrs. Kim Pape is our new 6th grade reading teacher and district Gifted and Talented Teacher. We welcome both ladies to DMS and are excited to have them be a part of our team.
As in years past at DMS, all students will use a planner to help with their organizational skills. It will also be used as their hall pass and as a communication tool between the teachers and the parents. Students must have it with them at all times while at school. The cost of the planner is $4.00, which can be paid with Mrs. Mickelson at the DMS office. Please encourage your child to take care of this planner as it is also their hall pass throughout the school year.
As a reminder, students who want to participate in activities/sports need a physical on file at the DMS office. In addition, there is an online activities packet that must be completed before any participation. The physical and online activities forms can be found at www.dillonschools.org, under the parent tab for Dillon Middle School. The most up to date activity schedules can also be found on our district website at any time.
Speaking of our website, make sure you have downloaded our mobile app to better help with communication that is linked to our website. You can download the app by searching Dillon Elementary School in your app store or Google Play store to download.
In closing, let me reiterate how excited and honored I am to be part of such a great school district and such a tremendous community. I would like to thank all the parents and community members in advance for working in partnership to make DMS a great place to be. I look forward to a great school year and if there is anything I can help with please don’t hesitate to contact me here at the DMS office at 683-2368, option 2.
Joel Rogers, DMS principal
September Calendar
Tues. Sept. 2nd –8:10 a.m. – School begins.
Mon. Sept. 8th –3:45 p.m. – 6th grade Volleyball begins.
Tues, Sept. 9th-1:00 p.m.-Cross Country @ Anaconda.
Thurs, Sept. 11th-4:00 p.m.-Volleyball @ Butte East
Mon, Sept 15th-4:00 p.m.- Volleyball A @ Butte Central
Tues, Sept 16th-4:00 p.m.- Football @ Butte East
Tues, Sept 16th-4:00 p.m.- Volleyball B @ Deer Lodge
Tues, Sept 16th-4:00 p.m.-Football @ Butte East Jamboree
Thursday, Sept. 18th-4:30 p.m.-Football @ Home
Mon, Sept 22nd- 4:30 pm-Volleyball at Home
Tues, Sept 23rd- 4:00 p.m.- Football @ Deer Lodge
Tues, Sept 23rd- 4:30 p.m.- Volleyball @ Home
Thurs, Sept 25th-12:30 p.m.- Cross Country @ Butte East
Thurs, Sept 25th-4:30 p.m.-Football @ Hamilton
Sat. Sept 27th- 9:00 a.m. – Cross County @ Home (Beaverhead Golf Course)
Mon, Sept 29th-1:30 p.m.-Cross Country @ Clancy
Tues, Sept 30th-3:45 p.m.-Fall Sports Pictures