Flathead High School

The KEF is happy to announce that First Interstate Bank will be partnering with us to fund the Veteran Blankets project for Helen Lyford at Flathead High School. The project will involve special needs students producing blankets for retired veterans in the Kalispell area. Helen posed with Susie Bailon and Barb Kelly from FIB, along with KEF Director Mike Kofford.

FHS teacher Sean O’Donnell faced some tough challenges in completing his display cases showcasing local history. Graduating students had just run out of gas at the end of last year, and it has taken until mid-September for him to invigorate a new group. However, with new life to the project, Sean has announced the display will be up and running in his final report to the KEF. According to Sean, “The images which were selected from the Northwest Historical Societies collection turned out to be striking. There are not ten large, framed photographs of the early Flathead Valley hanging in the alcove outside the history office. On a regular basis I see students looking up at them and sometimes even asking a history teacher about a particular picture. The irony is that one of the greatest benefits of this project was the actual selection of images. During the process, we all learned a remarkable amount about early Kalispell. The museum staff was so knowledgable that each of us left with information that we could share with our classes about our hometown. My hope is that those connections formed with the Central Museum can be fostered and, ultimately, offer a greater connection for our teachers and students to local history.”

The KEF would like to thank Sean and his FHS students for all of their hard work.