Benton Lake teacher named Montana's rural teacher

Benton Lake Elementary School isn't on your way to anywhere but Benton Lake Elementary School.

Considered to be in Floweree (though 20 miles away), the K-8, one-room school is located 17 miles north of Great Falls on dirt roads and feeds its students into the Fort Benton schools.

For 17 years, Dawn Dawson has called this school and this small population of students home. She's invested time in getting a pre-kindergarten program started and takes her seven full-time students and eight part-time students on field trips on a regular basis.

For this reason, and many more, Dawson was recently named Montana's rural school teacher of the year by the Montana Association of County School Superintendents.

"It's just very humbling," Dawson said. "I'm very honored."

Though there are a number of challenges facing rural schools and she's pretty much operating on her own, Dawson said there are great rewards to be had.

"I know each of my kids really well," she said. "Nobody yells at you if you're late for lunch because it's just you. You have a lot more responsibilities, but a lot more freedom."

She regularly brings her students in to Great Falls for swimming lessons or takes them skiing or to the dinosaur museum in Bynum. When it comes to developing curriculum, she works with Marjorie Scott, who teaches at the one-room school house in Carter. Dawson has a master's degree and her educational leadership endorsement. She said there would definitely be a benefit to teaching in a larger school, but she's not sure how she would spend her time.

"I probably wouldn't have to change the lights (in a larger school)," Dawson said. "I'm not bored here. I don't know what I would do with a prep period."

A new recovery center in Lewistown

When it comes to receiving treatment for addiction, Lewistown has services.

But according to one group, there hasn't really been a strong support system for those with addictions once they are out of treatment. Fortunately a new non-profit has opened its doors in downtown Lewistown.

Together Our Recovery Center Heals (TORCH) has received its 501(c)(3) nonprofit status and has opened to provide space and resources for those recovering from all kinds of addictions.

"There's not anything for recovery once a person gets out of treatment," said Derik Gibbs, one of the TORCH board members. "There's good things that happen when people get into recovery."

TORCH will provide a social setting for those in recovery while also helping people find jobs and housing as well as hosting support groups. Gibbs said there are already Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous group meetings in Lewistown. TORCH isn't meant to compete with the others, but just to provide more space and more opportunity.

"We just want to remove any of the barriers that prevent people from reaching out," Gibbs said. "People go away for treatment and then they come home right back into the same environment. We're making an impact in our small community."

TORCH will bring a guest speaker to Lewistown at the end of April to talk about recovery. More programming will be available soon, too. TORCH is currently located at 212 W. Main, but will be moving to another facility downtown in May. For more information, call 538-6724 (53TORCH).