Echoes from Cañon
Examples of Excellence
The Cañon City High School Building Leadership Team includes student representation.
On Tuesday I had the pleasure of attending an early morning Cañon City High School building leadership team meeting. During the session decisions were made about student drop-off and pick-up safety, refocusing efforts on requiring students to display ID badges every day, establishing four career pathways clusters, moving to a five block instructional day, and moving forward with exciting new course offerings for students. What excited me most about the meeting was that the six students who participated in the Colorado Association of School Boards student leadership academy last year are active members of the team whose input is sought, valued, and acted upon.
Speaking of students doing great things, I want to thank the Cañon City High School Pride for the effort they are putting forward as Salvation Army Bell Ringers this holiday season, and for the great work they are doing whit their holiday shop with a kid fundraising.
On a final note this week thanks are due to director of technology Shaun Kohl an dos crew members Mike Fry, Chase Wheeler and Rachel Arsenault for support they offered over the the past two weeks related to solving glitches our literacy team has been experiencing with its Lindamood-Bell instructional support robots. Each of them went above and beyond the call of duty providing timely response, even taking extra steps investigating the source of the issues. As this work is directly related to our ability to bring struggling readers up to grade level, their hard work will reap immeasurable rewards.
Speaking of students doing great things, I want to thank the Cañon City High School Pride for the effort they are putting forward as Salvation Army Bell Ringers this holiday season, and for the great work they are doing whit their holiday shop with a kid fundraising.
On a final note this week thanks are due to director of technology Shaun Kohl an dos crew members Mike Fry, Chase Wheeler and Rachel Arsenault for support they offered over the the past two weeks related to solving glitches our literacy team has been experiencing with its Lindamood-Bell instructional support robots. Each of them went above and beyond the call of duty providing timely response, even taking extra steps investigating the source of the issues. As this work is directly related to our ability to bring struggling readers up to grade level, their hard work will reap immeasurable rewards.
The Focus of Our Work
On Saturday the board of education met with this year's CASB student leaders.
As the season has arrived where we occasionally face the necessity of cancelling or delaying the start of school because of dangerous travel conditions, I want to take a moment to communicate how we make such decisions.
Whenever possible we will communicate a cancellation or delay before 9 PM in the evening. However, when a storm hits us unexpectedly in the middle of the night we’ll have to do our best to make a decision by 4 AM in order to keep our nutrition services staff off dangerous roads. We’ll spread the word about a cancellation or delay in a number of ways. We’ll submit our status to the regional Flash Alert system, post information on our web page, and share it with local TV and radio stations. We’ll also notify folks on our district Facebook page, and though an all staff email. We have even been working on a way to employ our automatic texting/dialing system to contact parents when an official announcement is made. However, please understand that if we don't have your current phone number we won't be able to reach you like this.
Our primary effort is always to contact staff members first to keep them off the roads, then to spread the word to parents and community members as soon as possible.
Checking our website at http://www.canoncityschools.org, or our Facebook page, would be a great habit to form on questionable weather days.
As a final reminder to staff members, parents, and students, whether we cancel or delay the start of school or not, your first responsibility is your personal safety.
No matter what we have decided we expect you to use your best judgement in making your way to classes. Please just stay home or turn back if the roads are not passable. We would rather see you arrive safe later in the day than to risk getting hurt in an effort to arrive on time. We can work out the details when the snow has settled, and we will always treat folks reasonably on such occasions.
Another major are of focus for the district has been seeking ways to solicit input form students about their educational experiences int eh Cañon City School District. As part of its transformation to a pathways education model, Cañon City High School has already been surveying students as to their career interests and how they might feel about certain additional class offerings. This weekend our board of education once again invested in bringing students to the Colorado Association of School Boards student leadership academy. because of the leadership qualities they already display, Macy Willis, Kyndal Smith, Kylie Henninger, Brandon Waddas, and Joe Carochi were chosen to attend. While at the convention theses students learned about the design thinking problem solving process and had the opportunity to meet with and learn from students from all around Colorado, and to work in groups developing solutions on such key issues as how to utilize technology in school, creating community partnerships to allow for internship experiences, and addressing student mental health and suicide issues.
On the second day of the convention our board of education had the opportunity to discuss each CASB student leader’s school experience. We heard about each student’s favorite programs such as JROTC, Encore, Marching Band, and Sports, and we learned about each student’s post high school goals. Most importantly, we also had the opportunity to hear what we might do better as a district to meet the needs of all students.
This is the second year we have participated in the CASB student leadership strand. Last year’s cadre of student leaders have already played a major impact in driving positive change at the high school. We fully expect this year’s participants will do the same!
Whenever possible we will communicate a cancellation or delay before 9 PM in the evening. However, when a storm hits us unexpectedly in the middle of the night we’ll have to do our best to make a decision by 4 AM in order to keep our nutrition services staff off dangerous roads. We’ll spread the word about a cancellation or delay in a number of ways. We’ll submit our status to the regional Flash Alert system, post information on our web page, and share it with local TV and radio stations. We’ll also notify folks on our district Facebook page, and though an all staff email. We have even been working on a way to employ our automatic texting/dialing system to contact parents when an official announcement is made. However, please understand that if we don't have your current phone number we won't be able to reach you like this.
Our primary effort is always to contact staff members first to keep them off the roads, then to spread the word to parents and community members as soon as possible.
Checking our website at http://www.canoncityschools.org, or our Facebook page, would be a great habit to form on questionable weather days.
As a final reminder to staff members, parents, and students, whether we cancel or delay the start of school or not, your first responsibility is your personal safety.
No matter what we have decided we expect you to use your best judgement in making your way to classes. Please just stay home or turn back if the roads are not passable. We would rather see you arrive safe later in the day than to risk getting hurt in an effort to arrive on time. We can work out the details when the snow has settled, and we will always treat folks reasonably on such occasions.
Another major are of focus for the district has been seeking ways to solicit input form students about their educational experiences int eh Cañon City School District. As part of its transformation to a pathways education model, Cañon City High School has already been surveying students as to their career interests and how they might feel about certain additional class offerings. This weekend our board of education once again invested in bringing students to the Colorado Association of School Boards student leadership academy. because of the leadership qualities they already display, Macy Willis, Kyndal Smith, Kylie Henninger, Brandon Waddas, and Joe Carochi were chosen to attend. While at the convention theses students learned about the design thinking problem solving process and had the opportunity to meet with and learn from students from all around Colorado, and to work in groups developing solutions on such key issues as how to utilize technology in school, creating community partnerships to allow for internship experiences, and addressing student mental health and suicide issues.
On the second day of the convention our board of education had the opportunity to discuss each CASB student leader’s school experience. We heard about each student’s favorite programs such as JROTC, Encore, Marching Band, and Sports, and we learned about each student’s post high school goals. Most importantly, we also had the opportunity to hear what we might do better as a district to meet the needs of all students.
This is the second year we have participated in the CASB student leadership strand. Last year’s cadre of student leaders have already played a major impact in driving positive change at the high school. We fully expect this year’s participants will do the same!
Last Week
Mr. Albrecht's Madrigals entertained our classified staff members at their annual Christmas party.
I began last week in a team budget session related to the progress of our Early Literacy Grant. I then spent time finalizing my weekly blog before pedaling over to Cañon City High School to meet with social studies teacher Daniel Coppa and the students who were selected to attend the Colorado Association of School Boards student leadership strand. I then met with an administrative intern, followed by CCHS principal Bill Summers. I spent the last part of Monday attending to work in my office. I began Tuesday at a Cañon City High School building leadership team meeting. Then I appeared on Morning Line at KRLN radio before returning to the administration building for our weekly SAC meeting. Next I attended the quarterly PCC Fremont Campus advisory committee gathering before returning to my office for a series of meetings. I started Wednesday in our monthly administrative office team meeting, followed by a touching base meeting with director of special services Lynnette Steinhoff, then a discussion with our operations staff at the district warehouse. On Thursday I was in Colorado Springs at the pre-session of the Colorado School Boards Association annual convention, but returned to Cañon to attend our annual classified staff Christmas party. I was back in Springs on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday attending the remainder of the school board convention.
This Week
I’ll begin this week with a parent meeting Monday morning. During the rest of that day I’ll take some Golden Age Center board members on a tour of CCMS, I’ll take CDE Capital Construction office consultant Anna Fitzer on a tour of our facilities, I’ll meet with board president Larry Oddo over lunch, I’ll meet with director of special services Lynnette Steinhoff and a parent about a child, and I’ll attend a board work session and board meeting. On Tuesday we have our our monthly meeting with the CCPD. We’ll also hold a SAC meeting, meet with our leadership team in the afternoon, and I’ll participate in a technology visioning meeting. On Wednesday I meet with our classified employee association leaders over breakfast, then with Fremont County human resources executive director Steve Clifton. In the afternoon we’ll hold our administration office Christmas party, and then I’ll attend a Mountain View Core Knowledge Charter School board meeting before spending dinner with board vice president Lloyd Harwood. On Thursday I travel to Denver for a Colorado education visioning meeting but will return to Cañon in time for a 2020 committee session in the late afternoon. So far I have a light schedule on Friday, but do plan to attend a meeting about some possible new course offerings for next year at Cañon City High School. I am also excited that on Saturday I get to travel to the San Luis Valley to see my 25 year old son Adam graduate from Adams State University!
Thanks for listening once again. Have a great week!
George S. Welsh
Thanks for listening once again. Have a great week!
George S. Welsh