Echoes from Cañon
Our Mission and Core Beliefs
The Cañon City School District is future-focused, providing innovative educational opportunities to successfully prepare all students to meet any challenge they may face.
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.
The Cañon City School District is future-focused, providing innovative educational opportunities to successfully prepare all students to meet any challenge they may face.
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
CCHS Math Camp Participants
Shaun Kohl shares a moment with CASSE Executive Director Bret Miles
Academic growth matters and this week Cañon City High School exemplified this belief by holding a Math Camp for incoming Freshmen. The concept behind this is to help students brush up on math skills before they start their high school level coursework. CCHS Principal Bill Summers reports that as of Monday August 2nd, more than 20 students were in attendance.
On Friday July 30th Cañon City Schools Director of Technology Shaun Kohl was sworn in as Chair of the Colorado Association of School Executives CALET Department. This is quite an honor for Mr. Kohl, as he was selected by people who fill like positions all around the state. Shaun will server as CALET Chair for the 2021-22 school year, and I have no doubt he will represent Cañon City Schools well while gaining access to important information and advice that can support the work we are doing here as we continue to be a future focused school district.
On Friday July 30th Cañon City Schools Director of Technology Shaun Kohl was sworn in as Chair of the Colorado Association of School Executives CALET Department. This is quite an honor for Mr. Kohl, as he was selected by people who fill like positions all around the state. Shaun will server as CALET Chair for the 2021-22 school year, and I have no doubt he will represent Cañon City Schools well while gaining access to important information and advice that can support the work we are doing here as we continue to be a future focused school district.
Our Future Focus
Superintendent Designee Adam Hartman facilitated the annual Administrative Retreat
While at the CASE Conference, Adam Hartman engaged state education thought leaders about how to address community questions about Critical Race Theory
On Thursday July 22nd, twenty-five Cañon City School District leaders participated in our annual administrative retreat. This included all directors, building leaders, and a smattering of manager/coordinators. We hold this event each year to share and discuss important information as we prepare for the coming school year.
This event was followed on Monday July 26th with our annual school secretary back to work information sharing meeting. This takes place each year marking the official opening of our buildings. This means parents can now go to each school to register their children for the fall semester.
Lase in the last week of July a significant contingent of CCSD leaders attended the annual Colorado Association of School Executives conference in Breckenridge. At this event CCSD folks were exposed to motivational and informative keynoters and had opportunities to network and grow professionally by attending breakout sessions designed to meet their needs. Something I noticed while in attendance was just how excited folks around the state are that Mr. Adam Hartman will be taking over the leadership reigns of the school district. While there’s he participated in a presentation highlighting the way Cañon City measures the progress of its schools through Instructional Program Reviews, and he was even asked by state leaders to share his thoughts around how to increase equity and fairness for all students. The highlight of my attendance was a presentation I participate in regarding how to inform a school community, as well as the time we got to just sit and discuss district matters with our contingent.
This event was followed on Monday July 26th with our annual school secretary back to work information sharing meeting. This takes place each year marking the official opening of our buildings. This means parents can now go to each school to register their children for the fall semester.
Lase in the last week of July a significant contingent of CCSD leaders attended the annual Colorado Association of School Executives conference in Breckenridge. At this event CCSD folks were exposed to motivational and informative keynoters and had opportunities to network and grow professionally by attending breakout sessions designed to meet their needs. Something I noticed while in attendance was just how excited folks around the state are that Mr. Adam Hartman will be taking over the leadership reigns of the school district. While there’s he participated in a presentation highlighting the way Cañon City measures the progress of its schools through Instructional Program Reviews, and he was even asked by state leaders to share his thoughts around how to increase equity and fairness for all students. The highlight of my attendance was a presentation I participate in regarding how to inform a school community, as well as the time we got to just sit and discuss district matters with our contingent.
At the CASE Conference I was part of a presentation about how educators can inform their community. A highlight of this session was focusing on my six years of publishing Echoes from Cañon installments
Applying Our Traits and Skills
As we gear up to open our schools to children once again, and with a fourth wave of COVID hitting the country in the form of the Delta Variant, we are getting many questions about what our position on masks will be.
To understand our mask policy for the 21-22 school year you need to first be familiar with two terms, recommendation and requirement.
A recommendation is an action that is suggested.
A requirement is an action that must be performed.
As of this moment in time, the United States Centers for Disease Control is recommending, NOT requiring, mask-wearing for ALL individuals who work in or attend schools, when indoors, whether they are vaccinated or not.
Once again, at this point in time, this is NOT a requirement.
At the same time, the United States Centers for Disease Control is requiring mask-wearing for ALL individuals, whether they are vaccinated or not, when on public transportation. This requirement specifically includes school buses.
Our position in Cañon City Schools is to adhere to all federal requirements and to fully cooperate with local authorities when it comes to abiding by federal recommendations or requirements.
Please know the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Fremont County Department of Public Health and Environment CAN override the United States Centers for Disease Control’s recommendations by making them requirements if they deem it necessary, based on up to the moment local COVID outbreak conditions.
Last year Cañon City Schools kept its doors open all year while adhering to all local requirements. For this school year, we intend to once again adhere to local requirements as they evolve.
So at this point in time, the Cañon City School District is NOT requiring masks for individuals, be they vaccinated or not, in any instance other than when children ride our school buses.
As we prepare for the new school year, we will post signs recommending, not requiring, mask-wearing for all individuals who enter our facilities. Anyone who wishes to wear one will be welcome to do so.
To understand our mask policy for the 21-22 school year you need to first be familiar with two terms, recommendation and requirement.
A recommendation is an action that is suggested.
A requirement is an action that must be performed.
As of this moment in time, the United States Centers for Disease Control is recommending, NOT requiring, mask-wearing for ALL individuals who work in or attend schools, when indoors, whether they are vaccinated or not.
Once again, at this point in time, this is NOT a requirement.
At the same time, the United States Centers for Disease Control is requiring mask-wearing for ALL individuals, whether they are vaccinated or not, when on public transportation. This requirement specifically includes school buses.
Our position in Cañon City Schools is to adhere to all federal requirements and to fully cooperate with local authorities when it comes to abiding by federal recommendations or requirements.
Please know the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Fremont County Department of Public Health and Environment CAN override the United States Centers for Disease Control’s recommendations by making them requirements if they deem it necessary, based on up to the moment local COVID outbreak conditions.
Last year Cañon City Schools kept its doors open all year while adhering to all local requirements. For this school year, we intend to once again adhere to local requirements as they evolve.
So at this point in time, the Cañon City School District is NOT requiring masks for individuals, be they vaccinated or not, in any instance other than when children ride our school buses.
As we prepare for the new school year, we will post signs recommending, not requiring, mask-wearing for all individuals who enter our facilities. Anyone who wishes to wear one will be welcome to do so.
Other Voices
Each year our friends at the Cañon City Daily Record ask me to submit a welcome back top school letter. With Mr. Hartman already taking over many of our superintendent responsibilities, this will be my last annual submission:
At the Cañon City School District, our mission is to equip each student with Learning for life! Each child's educational experience must be deeply connected to their future success.
How do we do this?
Our foundation is our vision. The Cañon City School District is future-focused, providing innovative educational opportunities for all students to prepare them to meet any challenge they may face.
The past year and a half have proven just how important it is to strive for this.
As educators, we adhere to our Three Pillars of Instruction, ensuring each day we teach to a specific learning target, actively engaging all students, and assessing whether appropriate learning occurred, making instructional adjustments if it did not.
In every subject area at every grade level, instruction and learning must include a commitment to a knowledge core, place high demands on thinking and problem solving, and offer students opportunities to develop targeted traits and skills. By developing in students the 7 key traits of knowledge, innovation, tenacity, agency, agility, civility, and integrity, and 7 critical skills surrounding collaboration, communication, solution-seeking, contribution, reflection, empowerment, and leadership, we believe each will be ready to face ANY challenge they may confront in an uncertain future.
Toward this end, we abide by our agreed-upon core beliefs.
We are committed to meeting the social-emotional needs of all students, putting Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs before Bloom's Taxonomy. We believe learning growth matters most, requires risk-taking, and that the work we do in our schools has the greatest impact on this. We are future-focused, believing the development of certain traits and skills will best prepare our students for ever-changing careers. Finally, we emphasize what is good for kids over the needs and comfort of adults.
We thank you for trusting us with your children and for enrolling them in the most innovative education system in Colorado!
George S. Welsh
Superintendent of Schools
At the Cañon City School District, our mission is to equip each student with Learning for life! Each child's educational experience must be deeply connected to their future success.
How do we do this?
Our foundation is our vision. The Cañon City School District is future-focused, providing innovative educational opportunities for all students to prepare them to meet any challenge they may face.
The past year and a half have proven just how important it is to strive for this.
As educators, we adhere to our Three Pillars of Instruction, ensuring each day we teach to a specific learning target, actively engaging all students, and assessing whether appropriate learning occurred, making instructional adjustments if it did not.
In every subject area at every grade level, instruction and learning must include a commitment to a knowledge core, place high demands on thinking and problem solving, and offer students opportunities to develop targeted traits and skills. By developing in students the 7 key traits of knowledge, innovation, tenacity, agency, agility, civility, and integrity, and 7 critical skills surrounding collaboration, communication, solution-seeking, contribution, reflection, empowerment, and leadership, we believe each will be ready to face ANY challenge they may confront in an uncertain future.
Toward this end, we abide by our agreed-upon core beliefs.
We are committed to meeting the social-emotional needs of all students, putting Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs before Bloom's Taxonomy. We believe learning growth matters most, requires risk-taking, and that the work we do in our schools has the greatest impact on this. We are future-focused, believing the development of certain traits and skills will best prepare our students for ever-changing careers. Finally, we emphasize what is good for kids over the needs and comfort of adults.
We thank you for trusting us with your children and for enrolling them in the most innovative education system in Colorado!
George S. Welsh
Superintendent of Schools
