Echoes from Cañon
Our Core Beliefs
1. We meet the social-emotional needs of all students, putting Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs before Bloom’s Taxonomy.
2. We believe learning growth matters most, requires risk-taking, and the work we do in our schools has the greatest impact on this.
3. We’re future-focused, believing the development of certain traits and skills will best prepare our students for ever-changing careers.
4. We emphasize what is good for kids over the needs and comfort of adults.
1. We meet the social-emotional needs of all students, putting Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs before Bloom’s Taxonomy.
2. We believe learning growth matters most, requires risk-taking, and the work we do in our schools has the greatest impact on this.
3. We’re future-focused, believing the development of certain traits and skills will best prepare our students for ever-changing careers.
4. We emphasize what is good for kids over the needs and comfort of adults.
Our Core Beliefs in Action
Word has it Cañon City High School Social Studies Teacher Chris Newton was recently recognized with the University of Colorado at Boulder Educator of the Year for Cañon City Award. Mr. Newton has long been preparing our students for an unknown future through project-based learning and capstone style presentation. I've observed how students who complete his American Government class have incredible opportunities to develop our valued traits of knowledge, tenacity, agency, civility, and integrity. They even end up pushing us to consider policy change at the school district level (think later high school start, longer lunch periods, and consideration of a 4-day week calendar). Congratulations Mr. Newton, and thank you, you are truly deserving!
The Cañon Exploratory Middle School Destination Imagination team has qualified for the International Destination Imagination Competition!
Lincoln School of Science and Technology Destination Imagination students present to the Board of Education.
Congratulations are also due not one, but two of our district Destination Imagination teams! Cañon Exploratory School middle school students, led by their Math-Science Teacher Heather McLaughlin, including Dillon Hall, James Keller, Kaylene Ontiveros, Hannah Worthen, Rachel Geiger, Luke Farr, and Keenan Cooper, have qualified for the Destination Imagination International Competition in Kansas City, Missouri. They have already begun fundraising efforts to cover the $7,000 costs. If you would like to support them on this journey, you can do so at this weblink.
Meanwhile, the Lincoln School of Science and Technology team consisting of Kiana Guion, Jovannia Arsenault, Robert Pryor, Taiya Fisher, Gabriella Shepherd, Lacy Hagenau, and Elyvia Hopper also qualified for the International Competition! Congratulations to them, and to their sponsors Tanya Fisher and Michelle Williams for this wonderful accomplishment!
Finally, late last week Wyatt Cosat and Cameron McFarland competed in the Colorado Skills USA state welding competition in Leadville. Both did an outstanding job, with Cameron coming in 3rd place and Wyatt winning the state championship in the welding sculpture competition with an artistic piece he calls "Soldiers Prayer." This qualifies Wyatt for Nationals, which will be held in Lexington Kentucky. Congratulations Cameron and Wyatt, and Mr. Daniel Vinci, for doing such a great job preparing them for the competition!
Meanwhile, the Lincoln School of Science and Technology team consisting of Kiana Guion, Jovannia Arsenault, Robert Pryor, Taiya Fisher, Gabriella Shepherd, Lacy Hagenau, and Elyvia Hopper also qualified for the International Competition! Congratulations to them, and to their sponsors Tanya Fisher and Michelle Williams for this wonderful accomplishment!
Finally, late last week Wyatt Cosat and Cameron McFarland competed in the Colorado Skills USA state welding competition in Leadville. Both did an outstanding job, with Cameron coming in 3rd place and Wyatt winning the state championship in the welding sculpture competition with an artistic piece he calls "Soldiers Prayer." This qualifies Wyatt for Nationals, which will be held in Lexington Kentucky. Congratulations Cameron and Wyatt, and Mr. Daniel Vinci, for doing such a great job preparing them for the competition!
Our Future Focus
We had a great turnout at our SEAC meeting.
Two weeks ago the Colorado Department of Education released its annual Concurrent Enrollment Report. You can view the entire document at this web link: http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdedepcom/2018concurrentenrollmentreport. As reported last week, Cañon City High School was featured prominently in the report, in fact, achieving the highest per capita college enrollment participation of all high schools in Colorado! Please remember this data is from the 2016-17 school year, and thanks to outstanding support from our Early College partners at Pueblo Community College, we have since greatly expanded on this work. Though the 2018-19 report won't come out until April of 2021, an analysis of the Cañon City High School Class of 2019 shows the 250 or so kids who will soon receive their diplomas are on track to earn a whopping 4,235.75 college credits in everything from English to Humanities to Math to Performing and Visual Arts, to Welding, Auto Mechanics, and Nursing. Based on current tuition prices, this means Class of 2019 parents has saved $639,958 in tuition costs. How about that!
On Thursday evening I attended a special education parent (SEAC) meeting and experienced the best turnout I have yet seen at one in our district. The topic was college options for special education students. Director of Special Services Tim Renn asked me to pass on appreciation to his Secretary Raynette Douglas, Harrison Special Educator Teresa Manfredo, and Cañon City High School Psychologist Sienna Wamsganz for their planning and coordination efforts. Thank you all!
On Thursday evening I attended a special education parent (SEAC) meeting and experienced the best turnout I have yet seen at one in our district. The topic was college options for special education students. Director of Special Services Tim Renn asked me to pass on appreciation to his Secretary Raynette Douglas, Harrison Special Educator Teresa Manfredo, and Cañon City High School Psychologist Sienna Wamsganz for their planning and coordination efforts. Thank you all!
Override Progress
Dan Coppa presents to Cañon City Middle School staff.
Cañon City High School teachers JoAnn Bliss, Chris Coppa, and Jamie Reed joined the Harrison K-8 staff during Wednesday's delayed start professional development work time to share how they are using the Schoology learning platform to support student learning using Chromebooks. I hear this effort really put staff at ease about this upcoming challenge at Harrison, actually turning trepidation into excitement. Thank you, JoAnn, Chris, and Jamie!
At the same time, District Technology Instruction Coordinator Dan Coppa continues his work at Cañon City Middle School, guiding the staff through more blended learning lessons in preparation for their Chromebook implementation next year. As can be seen, we're already hard at work preparing staff, students, and parents for our grade 6-8 Chromebook implementation that begins next August.
At the same time, District Technology Instruction Coordinator Dan Coppa continues his work at Cañon City Middle School, guiding the staff through more blended learning lessons in preparation for their Chromebook implementation next year. As can be seen, we're already hard at work preparing staff, students, and parents for our grade 6-8 Chromebook implementation that begins next August.
Bond Progress
Parking lot demolition began last Friday at Cañon City Middle School as folks from Cooley Construction began tearing out asphalt in preparation to dig footer trenches where our new 8th-grade-commons-life skills classroom wing will stand. Meanwhile, cement flooring was poured at the site north of Icabone Pool where the new district grounds shop is being erected.
Also, we set a date for our Washington Elementary Groundbreaking Ceremony. Please mark your calendar for Monday, May 20th at 10:30 AM if you'd like to join us.
Also, we set a date for our Washington Elementary Groundbreaking Ceremony. Please mark your calendar for Monday, May 20th at 10:30 AM if you'd like to join us.
Last Week
Last Monday and Tuesday I attended a board work session and meeting, a Superintendents Advisory Council meeting, and traveled to Denver to testify in the House Education committee about proposed legislation to fund full-day kindergarten. On Wednesday I touched base with our classified association leaders, and throughout the week I began finalizing principal evaluations, preparing for our next Civic Canopy visioning session, and I also attend to legislative advocacy work.
This Week
On Monday and Tuesday, we have classified agreement language negotiations scheduled. On Wednesday I have some expulsion hearings, principal evaluations, and hopefully a meeting with senator Corey Gardner. On Thursday I touch base with Stacie Kwitek from Fremont County Department of Human Services again, and I have more expulsion hearings. On Friday I'll catch up on office work and conduct a few more principal evaluations.
Other Voices
Cameron McFarland and Wyatt Cosatt check the quality of their state level Skills USA medals!
As superintendent of schools I am once again in receipt of a communication from our Cañon City High School Design and Drafting Instructor Mr. Scott Smith. I can't tell you how exciting it is to read this message each spring. I'll let you enjoy it here:
Hello Mr. Welsh,
Our ADDA students did well again this year regarding their ADDA national competition. There are four categories tested. We won four first-place, four second-place, and two third-place spots. Traditionally, students are presented with their awards from the American Design and Drafting Association by you at a school board meeting. Would you like to do that again this year?
Below are the winners by category:
DIVISION B-APRE Architectural Rendering
Alexandra Weatherill 1st- Board of Governors Award of Excellence
Shea Garcia 2nd - Board of Directors Award
Joseph Carochi 3rd - Presidential Award
DIVISION B-ARES Architectural Residential Design Drafting
Anastasia Snow 1st - Board of Governors Award of Excellence
Allison Appleman 2nd - Board of Directors Award
DIVISION B-TILM Technical Illustrated Mechanical
Kealan Trainor 1st - Board of Governors Award of Excellence
Cole Sullivan 2nd - Board of Directors Award
Joshua Creany 3rd- Presidential Award
DIVISION B-MECH Machine and Mechanical Working Drawings
Matthew Morganthaler 1st - Board of Governors Award of Excellence
John Crawford 2nd - Board of Directors Award
Scott Smith
Ummm, Mr. Smith, you, Alexandra, Shea, Joseph, Anastasia, Allison, Kealan, Cole, Joshua, Matthew, and John, along with their no-doubt extremely proud parents, are cordially invited to our April 22nd Board of Education meeting at 5:30 PM so we can honor their achievement and thank them for putting Cañon City on the map as a place of excellence when it comes to technology education!
Sincerely, and thanks for listening once again,
George S. Welsh
Hello Mr. Welsh,
Our ADDA students did well again this year regarding their ADDA national competition. There are four categories tested. We won four first-place, four second-place, and two third-place spots. Traditionally, students are presented with their awards from the American Design and Drafting Association by you at a school board meeting. Would you like to do that again this year?
Below are the winners by category:
DIVISION B-APRE Architectural Rendering
Alexandra Weatherill 1st- Board of Governors Award of Excellence
Shea Garcia 2nd - Board of Directors Award
Joseph Carochi 3rd - Presidential Award
DIVISION B-ARES Architectural Residential Design Drafting
Anastasia Snow 1st - Board of Governors Award of Excellence
Allison Appleman 2nd - Board of Directors Award
DIVISION B-TILM Technical Illustrated Mechanical
Kealan Trainor 1st - Board of Governors Award of Excellence
Cole Sullivan 2nd - Board of Directors Award
Joshua Creany 3rd- Presidential Award
DIVISION B-MECH Machine and Mechanical Working Drawings
Matthew Morganthaler 1st - Board of Governors Award of Excellence
John Crawford 2nd - Board of Directors Award
Scott Smith
Ummm, Mr. Smith, you, Alexandra, Shea, Joseph, Anastasia, Allison, Kealan, Cole, Joshua, Matthew, and John, along with their no-doubt extremely proud parents, are cordially invited to our April 22nd Board of Education meeting at 5:30 PM so we can honor their achievement and thank them for putting Cañon City on the map as a place of excellence when it comes to technology education!
Sincerely, and thanks for listening once again,
George S. Welsh
