Elementary Principal Moves on to Seeley Lake
 | Author:
Linda Kent, MT43 News Staff Reporter
MT43 News Correspondent |
Elementary Principal Moves on to Seeley Lake
Linda Kent
MT43 News Staff Reporter
June 30 will be Townsend Elementary Principal Christina Hartmann’s last official day with Townsend Schools as she leaves the community she’s called home for the past eight years to take on the role of K-8 Superintendent in Seeley Lake.
It was a decision, she said, that wasn’t easy to make.
“This community has been so welcoming to Keith and me,” Hartmann said. “We’ll miss this community dearly.”
Hartmann spent eleven years in Billings schools as a Title I teacher, working with students with academic and behavioral challenges. She earned her degree in administration in 2012. In 2015, she accepted the newly created Dean of Students position for Townsend Elementary.
Moving from the classroom into administration, first in Townsend and soon at Seeley Lake, came from the desire to have a greater positive impact on students and the community, Hartmann said.
“As a teacher, I could have an effect on this many students,” she said, making a small circle with her hands. “As an administrator, I can have a positive effect on a whole school.”
Over a tenure in Townsend spanning the passage of a levy and construction of a new elementary school, COVID and remote learning, and the development of several programs to meet student needs outside of the school day, Hartmann said her biggest accomplishment in the role was bringing in the elementary’s new reading curriculum.
“Listening to our staff and what they were wanting,” Hartmann said. “I learned a lot.”
Hartmann’s contributions as an administrator have gone well beyond the typical role of a principal. Throughout her time in the district, she's actively pursued and developed programs that provide support for students outside of the classroom. Such work has included summer camps, afterschool and fifth-day programs for students that offer learning experiences, adult supervision, as well as snacks and meals.
“Mrs. Hartmann has done an incredible job,” Superintendent Susie Hedalen said during the April 29 special school board meeting where Hartmann’s resignation was announced. Hedalen noted Hartmann’s work to bring Title I status to the elementary school district, work as the homeless student coordinator, and efforts to maintain the 21st Century Grant that funds programs outside the school day.
“It’s going to take a lot of work to figure out how to fill those roles,” Hedalen said.
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PhotoCredit: Photo Credits: Linda Kent
Image 1 Caption: Townsend Elementary principal Christina Hartmann will leave Townsend Schools this summer after eight eventful years as an administrator for the district. She will be taking the reins as K-8 Superintendent at Seeley Lake.
Photo Credits: Linda Kent
