On January 26, 2010 the work of Superintendent Denise Juneau was featured in the New York Times: 

Today, about one-third of Montana schools have adopted "recess before lunch," and state officials say more schools are being encouraged. "The pilot projects that are going on have been demonstrating that students are wasting less food, they have a more relaxed eating environment and improved behavior because they’re not rushing to get outside," said Denise Juneau, superintendent of the Office of Public Instruction. "It’s something our office will promote to schools across the state as a best practice. Read more in the New York Times.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau was in Missoula Monday January 19 to deliver the annual Martin Luther King Day Celebration address to a packed house at St. Paul's Lutheran Church.

 


"People around the world, the country, and our state fundamentally share many of the same values: we all love our family and friends, we want to be safe--we want to be educated--and we want to be healthy," said Juneau.  
 


Prior to the address, the First Baptist Church, home of the Poverello Center, hosted a "Day of Service" where Montanans participated in service projects to help the homeless population.
 


"We must continue to be inspired by Dr. King," said Juneau. "We have come a long way but we still have many miles to go."

More Montana parents and caregivers will have the opportunity to prepare their children for success with reading thanks to a new partnership between the Montana Office of Public Instruction and the Hopa Mountain Foundation.  Juneau's office recently announced the purchase of 5,400 high quality books for Montana children ages 0–5 living in families with limited access to early learning resources.

Juneau says she hopes the partnership will give parents and caregivers tools and information to help them prepare their children to become successful readers and learners. Hopa Mountain, a Montana–based non–profit that heads up a statewide literacy initiative, will match the purchase in the spring of 2010. Read more here or here.

By Denise Juneau, Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction

A new school year holds the promise of learning that will open so many doors for the children of Montana. Education is still the most important ingredient in ensuring a child's success in life and our state's strength and economic well-being. It is still the great equalizer in our society. Ensuring students' academic achievement takes parents and community members partnering with schools and teachers to promote a quality education.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau visited schools throughout the Mining City on Tuesday, December 14th.

During her visit to Butte, Juneau visited Margaret Leary Elementary, East Middle School, Butte High School and ended her day at Hillcrest Elementary.

She was in Butte because students at local schools are excelling and Juneau wanted to see the programs and innovations happening in Butte public school classrooms. 

"Montana's public school classrooms have demonstrated exceptional expertise, dynamism and creativity in motivating students to learn," said Juneau. "I look forward to learning more about the successes these schools are having so that we may share what's working here with other schools across the nation." Read more and watch a video at Montana's News Station.

It was reported by The Prairie Star, Montana's Ag Newspaper that Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau awarded nearly $119,000 in grants to advance agriculture education. Seventy-nine Montana schools will receive grants to help prepare students for successful careers in agriculture—a $2.8 billion industry in Montana.

"These grants are an investment in the young people who will shape the future of Montana agriculture," said Juneau. "Advancements in agriculture education will fuel the state’s economy and serve its residents for many years to come.” Read more.

It was reported by Montana's News Station that Denise Juneau visited Missoula High School students recently to talk about life after high school and how to handle different kinds of people.

"You must have the courage to seek truth, speak truth, and stand up to the underdog, stand up against intolerance," explains State Superintendent of Public Instructions, Denise Juneau. More

Thanks to a new grant, the Montana Office of Public Instruction and the Office of Higher Education will be working together to help more Montana students go on to college after high school and be better prepared for college once they get there.  Montana is one of only seven states that will receive a grant.

Specifically, the grants will:

• Make more courses at high schools, technical colleges, 2-year colleges, and community colleges transferable to other higher-education campuses around the state.
• Have adult education programs at two-year schools so students can finish high school diplomas.

• Have two-year schools be responsive to work force development needs in their communities. 

Read more in the Billings Gazette.

 

Healthy snacks of fresh fruits and vegetables are helping to teach kids healthy habits at local schools across Montana.

“We can teach children about a wide variety of fruits and vegetables they might enjoy,” OPI superintendent Denise Juneau said in a press release. “The hope is that children will continue to make fruits and vegetables a part of their eating habits.”