Cañon City thrives through adventurous spirit, dynamic people, innovative schools, and historic charm.
Echoes from Cañon
Our Mission
The Cañon City School District is future-focused, providing innovative educational opportunities to successfully prepare all students to meet any challenge they may face.
The Cañon City School District is future-focused, providing innovative educational opportunities to successfully prepare all students to meet any challenge they may face.
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
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Congratulations to the Harrison Gils basketball team!
Caleb Thornton and Ashlee Nix
I understand Harrison Middle School Girls Basketball Coach Jonathan Freehling has a bit of a new hair style. It seems he promised his hoopsters that they could cut his long locks if they secured the league championship title. Well they did, and the girls immediately set out to hold him to his promise. Congratulations Hawks, what a great season you had!
On Monday February 10th Caleb Thornton, Legal, Policy, and Rulemaking Manager at Colorado Secretary of State's Office traveled to Cañon City High School to bestow the Eliza Pickrell Routt award on the school. It was accepted on behalf of the student body by CCHS Tiger Open Pathway student Ashlee Nix, whose capstone project set the goal of registering as many of her eligible high school classmates as possible. This award only goes to high schools that achieve an 85% voter registration target, and Cañon City High School was one of the few schools in the state to do this.
On Monday February 10th Caleb Thornton, Legal, Policy, and Rulemaking Manager at Colorado Secretary of State's Office traveled to Cañon City High School to bestow the Eliza Pickrell Routt award on the school. It was accepted on behalf of the student body by CCHS Tiger Open Pathway student Ashlee Nix, whose capstone project set the goal of registering as many of her eligible high school classmates as possible. This award only goes to high schools that achieve an 85% voter registration target, and Cañon City High School was one of the few schools in the state to do this.
Our Future Focus
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On Wednesday February 12th we conducted an Instructional Program Review at Cañon Exploratory School
A CES student programs a robot using code
This is the first year we are applying our new Uniform Instructional Program Review rubric to our annual school evaluation process. The rubric was designed by Compass Committee to be our next-generation way to measure the progress of our schools, and to support their continued improvement through the lens of what we hope to become as a district as codified in our core beliefs and our Student Empowered Learning Framework.
On Wednesday February 12th, Cañon Exploratory School was the first building we visited toward this effort. As expected by the team, we saw many amazing things, some of which I'd like to specifically highlight for the community.
The Cañon City Board of Edcuaiton will mee this Tuesday at Noon to discuss feedback recieved regarding their annual evaluation of the superintendent. This process is designed to lead to a unified completion of the evaluation rubruc so it can be shared with me at our February 24th work session.
On Wednesday February 12th, Cañon Exploratory School was the first building we visited toward this effort. As expected by the team, we saw many amazing things, some of which I'd like to specifically highlight for the community.
- At every turn, we saw deep engagement by students, thanks to teachers performing at an expert level.
- In every classroom, we met kids who can explain what they were learning, and why.
- We witnessed teachers and kids approaching learning processes by utilizing high-level academic vocabulary.
- At every turn, the rigor of instruction was right on target.
- The quality of instruction offered by paraprofessional support staff was incredible!
- It is clearly evident CES's focus on a culture of kindness is clearly taking hold.
- Support for leadership at CES is at a level we have rarely seen in this district.
- From the time we entered to the time we left, we felt a positive energy. As Larry Oddo, one of our Compass Committee members said, "CES is a beacon for the community. We can easily invite everyone in because we would never be embarrassed by anything that is going on here."
- I was personally pleased by my observations of how many teachers are clearly taking ownership of the skills and traits we have pledged to develop in our students.
- We witnessed technology being implemented at an expert level, enhancing CES's multi-grade instruction and to support blended learning.
- We saw a commitment to expanding the depth and complexity of student learning.
- CES even received high praise from Molly Merry, who said, "I am simply impressed by how this staff does not stand still. They continually strive to improve their implementation of the four pillars of the exploratory model; Multiple Intelligences, Choice Theory, Multi-Grade instruction, and Project-Based Learning."
The Cañon City Board of Edcuaiton will mee this Tuesday at Noon to discuss feedback recieved regarding their annual evaluation of the superintendent. This process is designed to lead to a unified completion of the evaluation rubruc so it can be shared with me at our February 24th work session.
Override and Bond Progress
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Music Teacher Cortney Richardson and Principal Jesse Oliver explore their new work spaces
The CCMS staff toured their new building
Last week I participated in a construction site walkthrough with members of the Cañon City Middle School staff, and attended to construction budget issues related to the complettioon of the CCMS and Washington projects, as well as relocating solar panels we already removed from CCMS and will soon need to remove from the old Washington facility. The Cañon City Middle Schools projects is still projecting well, and we are sitting on a lot of contingency funding should we find some unknowns when we begin remodeling the 1925 section of the structure and demolish the 1970 wing. Washington's contingency budget is quite a bit tighter, though we have quite a but less trepidation about how demolition of the old facility will go when the he time comes.
Last Week
CCHS clubs and organizations were on display at Freshman Roundup
Last Monday I wrote another installment of Echoes from Cañon, worked with McKinley Elementary School Literacy Coach Jessica Stevens to finalize our new instructional program review rubric in a format that works in Google Sheets, wrote up a series of director evaluations, than attended a board work session and meeting. On Tuesday I touched base base with CCEA leadership, held a directors meeting and a District Leadership Team meeting, participated in a Cañon City Middle School construction walkthrough, and dropped by CCHS's Junior Parent Night and Freshman Roundup. On Wednesday we met about renewing our employee health plan, I joined in an Opportunity Coalition legislative call, facilitated an Instructional Program Review visit to Cañon Exploratory School, and attended a construction project budget update meeting. On Thursday I phoned in to a Pikes Peak Alliance meeting, worked on director evaluation narratives, and met about a possible Positive Youth Development training. On Friday I attend a regional superintendent an impportant Colorado School Finance Project meeting in Denver.
This Week
We held our monthly District Leadership meeting last Tuesday
I start this week by writing this blog, then trekking to participate in an Aspen Institute session on school reform. I'll be a discussion panelist along with Lamont Brown, Executive Director of Autonomous Schools for Aurora Public Schools, and Dr. Jason Glass, Superintendent of Schools in Jefferson County. Tuesday brings an accountability reform cohort phone conference, our annual Cañon City High School Instructional Program Review, a director evaluation, and a reconvening of our Civic Canopy cohort round the topic of Cañon Thrives. I'll start Wednesday at a Fremont Economic Development Corporation board meeting, attend a DHS FIOG meeting, join Mr. Morton at McKinley for come instructional evaluations, and conduct one final director evaluation. On Thursday we have a district-wide visit by our instructional technology partners at iLearn. On Friday I'll meet with SolVista Director Brian Turner, conduct an expulsion hearing, and attend a special City Council meeting about Rudd Park.
Other Voices
To: All Media Outlets
From: Kyle Horne, Cañon City Area Recreation and Park District
Re.: Royal Gorge Area Aquatics and Recreation Center Survey
Surveys for a possible Recreation Center will be mailed out this week to around 80% of the residents within the Cañon City Area Recreation and Park District.
This was made possible through a partnership with the City of Cañon City, Fremont County, Recreation Enhances our Community (REC), and the Recreation District. This survey will take around 10 minutes to complete and will provide information to the partners about the recreational wants and needs of our community. We ask that you please take the time to answer the survey, so your voice is heard.
At this time no decisions on a Recreation Center have been made, other than to have a survey go out. We are looking for the input of the citizens we serve. You now have the opportunity to tell us what amenities you would like in a recreation center, where you would like it to be located, and how it could be funded. The partners are aware that many are questioning the possible location of a Recreation Center but at this time they are simply options; no decisions have been made. All future decisions on a possible Recreation Center will be based on what the citizens want and this survey will provide those answers. We truly want to know what your opinions and thoughts are on this project.
The survey will be mailed on Thursday February 13th and you are welcome to use the printed copy and mail it back or use the link on the form and answer the questions online. This is a scientific survey, so not everyone will be mailed a copy. However, there will be an open version of the survey made available for anyone to take online. A link will be provided for this survey through local agency websites and social media once the mailed surveys have been delivered. We want and need your input so please take advantage of this opportunity to have your voice heard.
Kyle Horne
. . . and thanks for listening once again!
George S. Welsh
From: Kyle Horne, Cañon City Area Recreation and Park District
Re.: Royal Gorge Area Aquatics and Recreation Center Survey
Surveys for a possible Recreation Center will be mailed out this week to around 80% of the residents within the Cañon City Area Recreation and Park District.
This was made possible through a partnership with the City of Cañon City, Fremont County, Recreation Enhances our Community (REC), and the Recreation District. This survey will take around 10 minutes to complete and will provide information to the partners about the recreational wants and needs of our community. We ask that you please take the time to answer the survey, so your voice is heard.
At this time no decisions on a Recreation Center have been made, other than to have a survey go out. We are looking for the input of the citizens we serve. You now have the opportunity to tell us what amenities you would like in a recreation center, where you would like it to be located, and how it could be funded. The partners are aware that many are questioning the possible location of a Recreation Center but at this time they are simply options; no decisions have been made. All future decisions on a possible Recreation Center will be based on what the citizens want and this survey will provide those answers. We truly want to know what your opinions and thoughts are on this project.
The survey will be mailed on Thursday February 13th and you are welcome to use the printed copy and mail it back or use the link on the form and answer the questions online. This is a scientific survey, so not everyone will be mailed a copy. However, there will be an open version of the survey made available for anyone to take online. A link will be provided for this survey through local agency websites and social media once the mailed surveys have been delivered. We want and need your input so please take advantage of this opportunity to have your voice heard.
Kyle Horne
. . . and thanks for listening once again!
George S. Welsh
