Great Things Going On
I want to begin this week by thanking Center Schools instructional paraprofessional Maria Villagomez for going the extra mile with her summer school students. One of her language arts attendees, through his writing, expressed an interest earlier this week to go fishing. Without giving it second thought Maria arranged to take him after the school day. It pleases me to share this wonderful picture of the results of their effort. Center Schools is simply filled with guardian angels like Maria who find ways to connect to children and offer them life experiences far above and beyond the call of their regular duty.
This past week Center Schools employees Katrina Ruggles, Rebecca Anaya, and Ashlee Welsh traveled to Fort Worth, Texas to experience training on how to manage an Americorps grant and the workers who are hired though it. On this trip they learned how to develop personnel policies, offer effective training, and run a successful Americorps state program. Our local Americorps program provides much needed assistance to teachers by supporting classroom instruction and giving students the opportunity to experience many enrichment offerings throughout the school year and during the summer.
On Friday I had the pleasure of presenting a session along with Center Schools contracted counselor Katrina Ruggles and Center High School secretary and health education coordinator Marsha Felmlee at the Colorado Education Initiative's Healthy Schools Leadership Summit. Our presentation was about the ways Katrina collects and analyzes data to support grant writing and our school district health and wellness efforts. Mrs. Ruggles is recognized as an expert throughout the state of Colorado in this area and her audience was very appreciative that she was willing to share her talents.
This past week Center Schools employees Katrina Ruggles, Rebecca Anaya, and Ashlee Welsh traveled to Fort Worth, Texas to experience training on how to manage an Americorps grant and the workers who are hired though it. On this trip they learned how to develop personnel policies, offer effective training, and run a successful Americorps state program. Our local Americorps program provides much needed assistance to teachers by supporting classroom instruction and giving students the opportunity to experience many enrichment offerings throughout the school year and during the summer.
On Friday I had the pleasure of presenting a session along with Center Schools contracted counselor Katrina Ruggles and Center High School secretary and health education coordinator Marsha Felmlee at the Colorado Education Initiative's Healthy Schools Leadership Summit. Our presentation was about the ways Katrina collects and analyzes data to support grant writing and our school district health and wellness efforts. Mrs. Ruggles is recognized as an expert throughout the state of Colorado in this area and her audience was very appreciative that she was willing to share her talents.
Big Thing We Are Working On
Last Tuesday at our regular June board of education meeting Center Schools Response to Intervention coordinator Susan Banning reported on many of the things she is oversees in our district. First, she shared the effort she puts forth to keep our students in grades 6 through 12 from falling through the cracks and possibly dropping out of school through our Response to Intervention program. She also shared detailed information with our board members about the Center Schools homeless student support program, including offering up such statistics as the fact that in 2013-14 124 of our 650 students qualified for homeless education services because they lived in situations where they were doubled up with another family in a home, lived in a shelter, were defined as an unaccompanied youth, lived in dormitory style housing, or lived in inadequate housing. Finally, Ms. Banning shared information regarding student participation in our alternative to expulsion program during the past school year.
Also on Tuesday evening the Center Schools board of education received basic training in boardsmanship from Colorado Association of School Boards representative Randy Black. Mr. Black taught our board members about basic tactics for operating as a school board member, including the fact that they only supervise and evaluate one employee (the superintendent) and can only act to solve problems not as individuals but as an entire body.
Also on Tuesday evening the Center Schools board of education received basic training in boardsmanship from Colorado Association of School Boards representative Randy Black. Mr. Black taught our board members about basic tactics for operating as a school board member, including the fact that they only supervise and evaluate one employee (the superintendent) and can only act to solve problems not as individuals but as an entire body.
The Past Week
I took a personal day on Monday to do some home improvement work on our new house in Cañon City. On Tuesday I attended my last San Luis Valley Superintendent’s Advisory Council meeting, a meeting about the future of the Race to the Top of the Valley collaborative, the Center Schools District Accountability Committee meeting, and our regular Center Schools Board of Education meeting. I met about our RTI and homeless student programs on Wednesday. On Thursday and Friday I was in Vail to attend and present at the Colorado Education Initiative's Healthy Schools Leadership Summit.
The Week Ahead
This week I will continue to prepare my office for our next superintendent Chris Vance. He, I, and school board president Michael Lobato will attend a meeting with the Saguache County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday related to the distribution of federal Secure Rural Schools funding. On Tuesday evening I hope to make my way to Denver to attend Commissioner Hammond's retirement party at the Colorado Department of Education. On Wednesday and Thursday I will work on department head evaluation paperwork and our annual consolidated federal programs grant application. On Friday I will attend a meeting at the Colorado Department of Education focused on developing capstone graduation projects for graduating seniors.
Thanks for listening once again.
George
Thanks for listening once again.
George