Long-time teachers leaving Havre schools

As the school year ends, it won't be just the Havre High School seniors who are leaving the district.

Between just Havre Middle School and Lincoln-McKinley Primary School, the district will be losing more than 110 years of cummulative education experience: third-grade teacher Betty Callies, who has taught for 44 years, middle school science teacher Greg Dolven, who has taught for 35 years, and middle school special education and social studies teacher Wayne Bolken, with 32 years under his belt.

Throughout their careers, these teachers have helped educate thousands of students.

"When you have folks with that kind of history, you just can't replace that, " Havre Public Schools Superintendent Andy Carlson said. "I've actually received several phone calls from members of the community about these teachers.

"It's tough to put into words how much they've meant to people here. "

Betty Callies

Callies has taught for 44 years, 43 of which were with the Havre Public Schools elementary district.

A graduate of Northern Montana College, now Montana State University-Northern, she first taught in Havre at the Devlin School and did so for more than 30 years. In 2003 she moved to Lincoln-McKinley, where she is wrapping up her last year of third-grade education.

Members of her first class are now entering their 50s.

According to Vicke Schend, assistant to the HPS personnel director, Callies will "always be remembered for her school store. "

Greg Dolven

Dolven, another NMC graduate, started his career in the Havre schools 35 years ago, teaching fourth- and fifth-grades at Sunnyside Intermediate School.

As he told the attendees of last month's Havre schools' Pride Celebration, where he was honored, eventually he asked to move to the middle school for a challenge in 1995, which he received.

Since the move, Dolven has taught a number of subjects, from social studies to life and earth sciences.

Wayne Bolken

Bolken is also an NMC education program graduate who went directly into the Havre school system.

Throughout his 32-year career, he has always taught at the middle school.

Originally a special education teacher, the past few years have brought him into teaching social studies as well.

Aside from educating, Bolken has also been involved in coaching a number of extracurricular activities.