Great Things Going On Now
I want to offer our appreciation to Haskin Elementary music teacher Gabriel Swanson for the fine job he did preparing his students for the annual spring concert. His kids performed wonderfully and the community truly appreciated the show!
Congratulations also go out to Center High School varsity baseball Coach Lloyd Garcia and the Viking Nine for their victory in the league tournament that has allowed them to proceed to the next level of the state baseball playoffs.
Congratulations also go out to Center High School varsity baseball Coach Lloyd Garcia and the Viking Nine for their victory in the league tournament that has allowed them to proceed to the next level of the state baseball playoffs.
It is the time of year when Center Schools does its best to expose students to a variety of experiences both within and beyond the San Luis Valley. Last Monday the 3rd grade class experienced a trip to the Sand Dunes Recreation swimming pool thanks to their teachers Meagan Long, Christine Mikeljack, and Christa Seitz. On Tuesday a delegation of Center Schools students and staff members left for Houston, Texas to compete in the International Sustainable World Energy Engineering and Environment Project Olympiad (ISWEEEP) thanks to the efforts of Center High School science teacher Daniel Newmyer and math teacher Diego Martinez. On Wednesday Center High School principal Kevin Jones and Skoglund Middle School principal Carrie Zimmerman were able to arrange a trip to Denver for students to see the Colorado Rockies play the Los Angeles Dodgers and to experience 9 News Science Day at Coors Field.
Also on Wednesday many Haskin Elementary students participated in the annual Hershey's Track meet in Alamosa thanks to the efforts of Haskin Elementary PE teacher Andy Hawkins and his student teacher Jay Adams. On Friday our marching band performed in the Canon City Blossom Festival parade. A big thank you goes out to Center Schools band director Kate Newmyer and a cadre of fine parents and staff members who supported this activity.
If that were not enough, this coming week Center Schools students will be taking an Anatomy class trip to Pueblo, a Biology trip to the Blanca Wetlands, a class reward trip to the bowling alley in Monte Vista, and the 5th grade class will take its annual overnight trip to Denver to visit the Museum of Science and Nature.
If that were not enough, this coming week Center Schools students will be taking an Anatomy class trip to Pueblo, a Biology trip to the Blanca Wetlands, a class reward trip to the bowling alley in Monte Vista, and the 5th grade class will take its annual overnight trip to Denver to visit the Museum of Science and Nature.
Our staff members work very hard for our children. I have, no doubt, failed to mention many of them who played important roles in the trips described above. Coordinating such learning and enrichment opportunities takes a lot of time and effort. I know for a fact these efforts cut into personal and family time. Please be sure to thank our folks for offering such opportunities to our kids. In addition, these trips simply could not happen if it were not for the many wonderful parent volunteers who take on the responsibility to assist us in supervising the children.
Finally, imagine trying to coordinate transportation for all the events I just described. Add to this list current middle school and high school athletic events, and simply transporting students to and from school on a daily basis. Therefore, a big thank you goes out to Center Schools transportation director Mike Phillips and his assistant Tony Garcia for coordinating all of this travel, assigning safe drivers, and making sure our vehicles are well taken care of!
Finally, imagine trying to coordinate transportation for all the events I just described. Add to this list current middle school and high school athletic events, and simply transporting students to and from school on a daily basis. Therefore, a big thank you goes out to Center Schools transportation director Mike Phillips and his assistant Tony Garcia for coordinating all of this travel, assigning safe drivers, and making sure our vehicles are well taken care of!
The Past Week
On Monday I was in Parachute attending the Colorado Department of Education Rural Education Council meeting. I am one of many council members from all over the state whose purpose is to support education efforts in small and remote school districts throughout Colorado.
On Tuesday I participated in spring contract negotiations and facilitated a Haskin Elementary Building Leadership Team meeting.
On Wednesday and Thursday Center Schools administrators gathered to finalize 2012 Teacher Evaluations. Wednesday also included our bi-weekly construction committee meeting and an evening gathering at the Center Volunteer Fire Station where we are currently making plans to run an active shooter drill sometime this coming July.
On Thursday Center school board president Michael Lobato travelled to Colorado Springs with me to testify in the Secure Rural Schools funding arbitration session held there. This arbitration session came about because the Saguache County school districts and the Saguache County commissioners were unable to come to an agreement through regular negotiations as to how to share these dollars allocated from the federal government.
I proceeded to Denver on Thursday after the arbitration session, spending the late afternoon and evening in the Senate Education Committee testifying in regard to the 2012 School Finance Act. I stayed in Denver through Friday where I chaired the Colorado Association of School Executives Coordinating Council meeting, then stopped in at New Vista Image to work with their artists on concepts for our new school heritage wall and varsity gymnasium silhouettes.
On Tuesday I participated in spring contract negotiations and facilitated a Haskin Elementary Building Leadership Team meeting.
On Wednesday and Thursday Center Schools administrators gathered to finalize 2012 Teacher Evaluations. Wednesday also included our bi-weekly construction committee meeting and an evening gathering at the Center Volunteer Fire Station where we are currently making plans to run an active shooter drill sometime this coming July.
On Thursday Center school board president Michael Lobato travelled to Colorado Springs with me to testify in the Secure Rural Schools funding arbitration session held there. This arbitration session came about because the Saguache County school districts and the Saguache County commissioners were unable to come to an agreement through regular negotiations as to how to share these dollars allocated from the federal government.
I proceeded to Denver on Thursday after the arbitration session, spending the late afternoon and evening in the Senate Education Committee testifying in regard to the 2012 School Finance Act. I stayed in Denver through Friday where I chaired the Colorado Association of School Executives Coordinating Council meeting, then stopped in at New Vista Image to work with their artists on concepts for our new school heritage wall and varsity gymnasium silhouettes.
Big Things We Are Working On
Our Spring contract negotiations went well on Tuesday, allowing teachers and administration to discuss a series of non-contract matters, to focus on the creation of a staff development Memorandum of Understanding, and tweaking various leave policies.
As a Colorado Department of Education pilot district, Center Schools has been working hard this year to replicate the future requirements of the Senate Bill 191 teacher evaluation process. In so doing we are evaluating and providing feedback to all our teachers two times this year. Until SB 191 officially goes into effect during the 2013-14 school year, state law only requires that probationary teachers be evaluated twice annually and that non-probationary teachers only be evaluated once every 3 years. It has been a huge undertaking to conduct SB 191 style teacher evaluations on all our teachers this year, especially since the process is still evolving. However, we feel doing so will allow us to offer better feedback to CDE about the process. In addition, we believe that doing so also allows our entire teaching staff to see where they will stand regarding the state required evaluation process before it actually goes into effect.
Much of the rest of the month of May will focus on developing our building and district improvement plans. When these are complete the hard work of creating a preliminary budget to support our improvement efforts will then be undertaken.
As a Colorado Department of Education pilot district, Center Schools has been working hard this year to replicate the future requirements of the Senate Bill 191 teacher evaluation process. In so doing we are evaluating and providing feedback to all our teachers two times this year. Until SB 191 officially goes into effect during the 2013-14 school year, state law only requires that probationary teachers be evaluated twice annually and that non-probationary teachers only be evaluated once every 3 years. It has been a huge undertaking to conduct SB 191 style teacher evaluations on all our teachers this year, especially since the process is still evolving. However, we feel doing so will allow us to offer better feedback to CDE about the process. In addition, we believe that doing so also allows our entire teaching staff to see where they will stand regarding the state required evaluation process before it actually goes into effect.
Much of the rest of the month of May will focus on developing our building and district improvement plans. When these are complete the hard work of creating a preliminary budget to support our improvement efforts will then be undertaken.
Construction News
We had a festive day on the construction site Wednesday as we allowed the Class of 2012 to permanently leave their mark on the new building project by sinking their handprints in the pathway students will be taking from the cafeteria to the playground for the next 50 or so years. We allowed this activity to take place because this class has had to endure many disruptions to its regular school routines, including the loss of locker rooms, gyms, and access to the facility we planned to hold their graduation in.
We are now getting serious about the upcoming move to our new building. A first wave relocation will take place from some of our current facilities such as the old gym, vocational building, and alternative school into storage containers during the time period from May 9th through May 18th. A second wave of moving items directly into our new school will take place during the week of May 21st through May 25th. Here are some important bits of information regarding our upcoming move and how it will affect availability of facilities:
· All schools close to students at the end of the day May 15th. Teachers can still access the school until the end of the day May 16th.
· The Library will close to the public at the end of the day Saturday May 19th. We hope to reopen it to the community in the new building sometime in early July.
· School offices will be open through the end of the day May 23rd and will not reopen in the new facility until July 30th.
· The alternative school will close its current location on May 16th. ARC summer school will be held at the district administration office from mid July through mid August. The new alternative school building will open shortly after Labor Day in September.
· The first day of school for the 2012-13 school year is scheduled for Monday August 13th.
Ribbon cutting ceremonies are scheduled for Saturday July 28th.
We are now getting serious about the upcoming move to our new building. A first wave relocation will take place from some of our current facilities such as the old gym, vocational building, and alternative school into storage containers during the time period from May 9th through May 18th. A second wave of moving items directly into our new school will take place during the week of May 21st through May 25th. Here are some important bits of information regarding our upcoming move and how it will affect availability of facilities:
· All schools close to students at the end of the day May 15th. Teachers can still access the school until the end of the day May 16th.
· The Library will close to the public at the end of the day Saturday May 19th. We hope to reopen it to the community in the new building sometime in early July.
· School offices will be open through the end of the day May 23rd and will not reopen in the new facility until July 30th.
· The alternative school will close its current location on May 16th. ARC summer school will be held at the district administration office from mid July through mid August. The new alternative school building will open shortly after Labor Day in September.
· The first day of school for the 2012-13 school year is scheduled for Monday August 13th.
Ribbon cutting ceremonies are scheduled for Saturday July 28th.
The Week Ahead
On Monday I will have the pleasure of taking the 5th grade class on a tour of the new school building. I imagine they will want to focus on the upstairs so they can see their new middle school. I will also be attending their continuation ceremony on Monday evening. On Monday at 3:30 PM I will also be holding an information session about the proposed restructuring of Haskin Elementary School. This will take place in the Haskin staff development room upstairs near the library.
Tuesday is the monthly marathon day of meetings. I will be at the San Luis Valley Superintendent’s Advisory Council meeting in the morning, then will be at our monthly district accountability and school board meetings in the evening.
On Wednesday I am off to Denver and back as I will once again be meeting with the CEA, CASE, CASB Anchor Group.
Thursday should be routine day on campus an in the office.
On Friday I will be travelling to Winter Park to attend the Colorado Cooperation Conference on Friday and Saturday. This conference is being held to gather political, business, community, and education leaders together to grow a better understanding of the many challenges facing Colorado’s emerging budget and revenue struggles.
Thanks for listening again and have another great week.
George
Tuesday is the monthly marathon day of meetings. I will be at the San Luis Valley Superintendent’s Advisory Council meeting in the morning, then will be at our monthly district accountability and school board meetings in the evening.
On Wednesday I am off to Denver and back as I will once again be meeting with the CEA, CASE, CASB Anchor Group.
Thursday should be routine day on campus an in the office.
On Friday I will be travelling to Winter Park to attend the Colorado Cooperation Conference on Friday and Saturday. This conference is being held to gather political, business, community, and education leaders together to grow a better understanding of the many challenges facing Colorado’s emerging budget and revenue struggles.
Thanks for listening again and have another great week.
George