Good afternoon and a very happy Wednesday to all of you Flathead Beacon readers! Mariah Thomas here for the Daily Roundup today — and yesterday, I hit a milestone, celebrating a full year of writing about education and state politics here at the Beacon. It sounds cliché, but it’s gone by so quickly! I’m honored by each of you who have trusted me with your stories these past 12 months.

That said, I’ve got yet another story about a wonderful member of our community to share with you all today.

If you’ve had a student go through Kalispell Middle School in the past couple decades, chances are they’ve heard about or participated in the hands-on activities that happen in Kristopher Schreiner’s eighth grade history class.

Schreiner grew up on a farm in Laurel and attended Montana State University Billings where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history. But teaching always stood out as a passion for Schreiner. As early as his own middle school days, he recalled teaching his peers how to tie flies for fly fishing.

After he earned his history degree, his first teaching position was in Kalispell, where he’s stayed for his entire career so far. Schreiner has spent the better part of two decades making history come alive for his students.

In his classroom, students don’t just learn about the Native American tribes in Montana and the struggles of surviving in the state’s historic landscape; they have a chance to throw real atlatl spears, emulating how tribes used to hunt big-game animals. When students examine the fur trade, Schreiner concludes the unit by having them tan raw deer hides in class using hand scrapers and hand tools. Every year, Schreiner and his family go out to the Ruby Reservoir to collect mine rust material, and when he teaches his eighth graders about Montana’s mining history, he turns his classroom into a gold mining site for a day (pictured below). Students often find precious gemstones in the material Schreiner gathers and brings back. His students have built a log cabin in the middle school courtyard, learned to grind wheat he brings back from his family’s own farm, churn butter and to bake traditional bread.

“As a history teacher, I always kind of looked at history as stories,” Schreiner said. “… Just, every era had its challenges and its necessary skills, and the stories to go with it. And I wanted students to be able to connect with that information rather than just reading it or listening to it from a book or from a video documentary. I wanted them to experience parts of what those challenges and heritage pieces are of people that have lived in Montana for thousands of years.”

This year, Schreiner’s efforts to bring history to life in his Kalispell Middle School classroom earned recognition on the statewide level. Earlier this week, Kalispell Public Schools and the Montana Historical Society announced Schreiner was selected as the Centennial Bell Montana History Teacher of the Year.

The award was first created by Norma Ashby, a Montana television newscaster. For more than three decades, the award has been handed out to history teachers across the state — in even-numbered years, going to teachers in grades 7-12, and to teachers in grades 4-6 during odd-numbered years. It comes with a cash prize of more than $3,000, a plaque and Schreiner will be honored at a ceremony at the state capitol building on Nov. 9.

Schreiner said one of his students nominated him for the award, which required him to submit teaching materials and a letter from both himself, and Kalispell Middle School principal Dallas Stuker. Schreiner said he was still in disbelief at winning the recognition.

“I don’t know if it’s sunk in. I feel extremely honored, but at the same time, it’s a lot to process,” Schreiner said. “And it’s a little emotional, because I feel like I have invested kind of my heart and soul in Montana’s history and educating students here at KMS on the past in Montana. And it feels amazing to have that level of appreciation and recognition, it really does. And I don’t necessarily feel that I fully deserve it, but I’m honored to have received it for sure.”

Schreiner said it can be a challenge to get middle schoolers to love history — “They have lived such a short life so far that they don’t have a lot of history themselves,” he said — but by making it hands-on, he hopes to help it feel more exciting and relevant to them. His classroom activities have been made possible, he said, largely through grant funding from the Kalispell Education Foundation.

Dorothy Drury, the executive director of the Kalispell Education Foundation, called Schreiner a “thoughtful, innovative teacher who thinks creatively to engage his students in their coursework.” She added the foundation has supported many of his classroom projects including building a heritage log cabin and materials for his Montana mining unit.

“We get excited when we see his name on a funding request because we know it means students will have the opportunity to get out of their seats and engage in hands-on activities that make learning fun and very memorable,” Drury said.

Beyond his efforts to bring history to life in his classroom, Schreiner leads the middle school’s fly-tying club, which Drury said provides parents a chance to bring their children to school early and “make connections while practicing a skill.”

“KEF has been proud to support his work here as well, and he collaborates with local fishing supply companies to ensure families can have access to this opportunity at no cost,” Drury said. “He genuinely cares about the mental well-being of students and growing good humans who are active, engaged, and curious learners. We are very lucky to have Mr. Schreiner in our district and KEF is grateful to our donors who make Mr. Schreiner’s work possible!”

For Schreiner, the goal has always been to connect students with the land, environment and history of Montana in whatever ways he can. And he hopes to continue building on that goal in the future.

“I feel… kind of fueled to bring even more hands-on and creativity into the classroom,” he said. “It’s kind of, I don’t know, it’s not like anything was getting boring or anything, but you do start to get worn out. And I feel like this has really spurred that creative thought process that goes into figuring out how to really engage kids given the world today, which is all fancy AI, digital, behind screens, but getting them away from that and just looking outside and being outside.”

And… that’s what I’ve got for you all this Wednesday. Now, onto the rest of the Daily Roundup.

Join the Humane Society of Northwest Montana for a heartwarming day of fun, community, and compassion at the annual Summer Shindig & Fundraiser, “Paws in Paradise,” happening Saturday, June 13, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 100 Adopt A Pet Way in Kalispell. This free, family friendly event invites the entire Flathead Valley to come together in support of animals in need.

The Shindig is more than just a celebration — it’s an opportunity to make a meaningful difference. Guests can enjoy a wide variety of activities, including a silent auction, raffle basket drawings, and the final day to enter the exciting 50/50 raffle. Live music from local favorite Stevendebi will set the tone from noon to 3 p.m., creating a festive atmosphere for all ages.

Families will love the kid-friendly area featuring a bouncy house and games, while pet lovers can participate in fun contests designed for both people and their four-legged companions. Local vendors will be on-site showcasing unique goods, and delicious offerings from food trucks—including BBQ and refreshing treats—will keep everyone energized throughout the day.

Every moment spent at the Summer Shindig helps support the Humane Society’s mission to care for, protect, and find loving homes for shelter animals. Bring your friends, bring your well-behaved dogs, and experience a joyful day dedicated to a great cause. Together, we can give more animals the second chance they deserve.