Noxon welcomes new superintendent

Noxon School District has appointed a new member to their administration. For just over one week, Jonathan Martin has sat at the desk assigned to Noxon's superintendent.

"I am really excited to meet everyone, especially the kids, and get to work," exclaimed an enthusiastic Martin, who has had very little time to settle into the new position after relocating from the Montana Hi-Line town of Chinook.

In addition to signing on to his first superintendent position, Martin chose Noxon to be closer to his parents who live in the Bitterroot and to be closer to the outdoor activities he enjoys. "I've already taken Forest Service maps and looked at trails I want to hike," he shared. "I wanted to get back west and have some trees!"

Less than a dozen days on the job, he said for now it is all about "learning a lot of people and the culture of the town." Martin feels it is important for any new community member to get a feeling of the area's vibe. He even offered that advice to his predecessor, Chinook's Elementary principal, upon his departure, reported the Blaine County Journal.

In addition to meshing with your surroundings, Martin has strong feelings toward getting to know the staff and enjoying and trusting them, understanding student needs and the resources available to meet these needs and making it a goal to be present every day.

Martin believes he is a good fit for Noxon as his knowledge and skill set can be implemented to increase opportunities for kids and meet board goals. "I have a strong strategic plan that is in line with what I have done in Chinook."

Martin's top four accomplishments during his four years at Chinook include receiving "Silver Status" as an "Exemplar School" through his initiation of Montana Behavior Initiative, a program that encourages lifelong academic, emotional and social success.

Having served as a Gifted Education Coordinator, Martin cherishes the idea of reaching out to students of all abilities and encouraging level-appropriate learning. He encourages learning in the great outdoors and believes learning on sight, such as implementing lesson-related field trips, "makes learning relevant."

Lastly, Martin takes student and staff safety seriously. He is proud of the measures he took in providing a safe playground area for students and training staff to better handle an unfortunate event such as a lockdown or other emergency.

Prior to becoming principal at Chinook, Martin spent time working as the Gifted Education Coordinator in Lolo, Montana. Before that, he taught in a four-room schoolhouse south of Hamilton, Montana, at Grantsdale (which closed due to budget cuts). He started his teaching career in Tacoma, Washington after graduating from Montana State University in Bozeman with his graduate degree.

Martin replaces former superintendent Mike Ehinger who recently resigned.