My grandmother - a student at Prescott School in the early 1900's

 

Nellie Ellen Tiffany McAlear

Prescott School Missoula thought it would be fun to add a picture on this blog of my grandmother, Nellie "Ellen" Tiffany McAlear.

She was born in Missoula on June 7th, 1908 during Missoula's big flood.  The river provided quite an obstacle in getting the doctor (or midwife?) to her birth.

She and her family lived on Missoula Street in the lower Rattlesnake. Her uncle lived on Van Buren Street for many years.

 Later the family would move to Rollins near Flathead Lake and then to Polson where she met my grandfather, Murl McAlear.

She loved living in the Rattlesnake area.  She and her three brothers would play games at the kitchen table. She liked to go to Finnegans Restaurant later in life because she loved watching Rattlesnake Creek as it brought back memories of her childhood.

She told me that she went to Prescott School to take sewing classes.  I'm not sure what school she attended for the other classes, perhaps, Lincoln School, or maybe Central School?

One story I remember my grandma telling us is when her father went to Lincoln School one morning he was greeted by a mountain lion on the front porch. 

There are other mountain lion stories at Lincoln School including the story of many mountain lions in the big pine tree on the corner of Lolo and Gilbert Streets which was recently cut down.

She died at the age of 79 in 1987.

It's too bad that I don't know more of her school history and more about the Prescott School she knew. It would be fun doing some research into her early years in Missoula.  Money was tight for the family, therefore, there were few pictures of her early years.

Former Prescott School teacher Dan Rude named international president of Sons of Norway

Missoula Son of Norway named international president

The above link is to a Missoulian article dated October 27, 2008, reporting on former Prescott School teacher Dan Rude and his involvement in the Sons of Norway organization. As reported in the article, Dan Rude was a long-time teacher at Prescott School. 

Quotes from the article follow - 

"These were the beginnings of one Norwegian family in America. Now, their grandson lives in Missoula and values this heritage so much he has risen through the ranks of the largest Norwegian cultural organization outside Norway to become the international president of the Sons of Norway."

"For the past 40 years, Rude has been a teacher in Missoula, working for 12 of those years at Franklin School, and 28 at Prescott School. After retiring, the 65-year-old Rude got more involved in Sons of Norway and now receives a stipend for his work as international president, a mantle he assumed last month."

It's great that Dan has risen so high in the Sons of Norway organization.

Prescott School Missoula would like to thank Dan Rude for his many years of teaching at Prescott School.

Scott Reed negligent in approving MIS requests for major changes to Prescott School

Missoula International School wrote a letter in November of 2011 to the administration of MCPS requesting to make many changes within the Prescott School building, including changes to the classroom structure of the Prescott School building.  Additionally, MIS requested to make additional changes to the playground area of Prescott School.

Some of the changes to Prescott School requested by Missoula International School in November of 2011 are:

-adding a kiln in the boiler room

- completely changing the structure of some classrooms. This is a historical school built around 1950. Because Prescott is historical and was designed by a noted architect from the Missoula area, H.E. Kirkemo, an associate of A.J. Gibson, the school needs to remain intact and as close to it's original state as possible.

- additional changes to the playground, including removing a piece of playground equipment, the monkey bars, which were enjoyed for many years by public school children.


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The Prescott School change proposal appeared on the November, 2011 Finance and Operations Committee Meeting agenda
which appears below:


PRESCOTT SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS

Background Information: Missoula International School (MIS) has requested minor tenant improvement projects for Prescott school. These projects have been reviewed and approved by the Director of Operations & Maintenance as they are consistent with improvements that have been made at other MCPS facilities. MIS will use licensed contractors that have been approved by MCPS. MIS will be responsible to pay for the improvement projects, including the building permits, as referenced in the letter attached hereto.

Discussion: Reed explained that Missoula International Schools has requested permission to do some minor improvement projects at Prescott School. These projects are consistent with projects completed in other buildings. Reed reviewed their request and approved it. MIS is using the same procedure that Head Start and Walla Walla University have used in the past in requesting improvements per the lease agreements. This is for information only. THERE WAS NO DISCUSSION.

DIRECTION: INFORMATION ONLY.

Note:  The larger font size and the red font color in addition to the underline, bold, and the italics emphasis included in the agenda above is by Prescott School Missoula.


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Prescott School Missoula's opinion on the above issue:

 This decision bypassed the Board as the sole decider was MCPS Maintenance and Operations Director, Scott Reed. There was no discussion at the November 16th Finance and Operations Committee Meeting according to the minutes, no voting, and the topic was not forwarded to be placed on the MCPS monthly Board Meeting agenda.

One could ask - Why was the subject even on the agenda?

Prescott School Missoula is deeply disappointed in the administration of Missoula County Public Schools specifically Scott Reed.

 Scott Reed states above, "Missoula International School (MIS) has requested minor tenant improvement projects for Prescott school."  

Prescott School believes that tearing out walls and moving them is NOT a minor change. This much damage and renovation to the current structure of a building, any MCPS building, would be considered by most people to be a MAJOR change.

There is too much leeway given to the lessee to change the structure of one of our public school buildings. The  changes mentioned above are to accommodate MIS and in all likelihood will not be in the best interests of the public schools when Prescott returns for use as a public school. 

The changes need not be named "improvements" for the district. They are just changes desired by MIS to fit their needs, not the needs of MCPS. This is a common tactic by this administration.

Scott Reed also states above, "These projects are consistent with projects completed in other buildings."

Presccott School Missoula believes that there is a difference between projects completed in other schools which are occupied with public school children and those which are leased. The projects completed in a leased building, as stated above, are for the benefit of the leasee which may or may not benefit the public school children and the school district facility.

It is Prescott School Missoula's opinion that the school district is not looking out for the children of the school district as it is directed to do.

We have a rogue school district where private schools get sweetheart lease deals and on top of that they get full rein to do whatever they please to our public school buildings.

The issue of a private school leasing a public school is corrupt in itself and to allow the private school to remodel both the school and the grounds to suit it's needs is doubly corrupt.