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
The CCHS ALP Team works on a Capstone rubric.
On June 13th and 14th, the Cañon City High School Assessment for Learning Project (ALP) team attended another workshop coordinated by the Colorado Education Initiative. At the two day session in Arvada Jennifer VanIwarden, Madison Tortessi, Bill Summers, Megan Clasby, Kristy Cushman, Andrea Davis, and Adam Hartman worked together to create and refine a rubric to be applied to scoring student capstone graduation projects. This was exciting work as we have developed a way to judge each capstone based on student demonstration of the various traits and skills we have targeted through our Student Empowered Learning Framework. I wish to thank the folks who attended and engaged in this work, as they had to give up precious personal time to do so. This is definitely a great example of core belief 3, "we’re future-focused, believing the development of certain traits and skills will best prepare our students for ever-changing careers."
For those of you who are looking to support our core belief number one, "we meet the social-emotional needs of all students, putting Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs before Bloom’s Taxonomy," it is my understanding the Boys and Girls Club of Fremont County is in need of good adult mentors for children. If you are interested in supporting this effort, I encourage you to contact them at 719-345-4038. You can also just drop in during business hours.
For those of you who are looking to support our core belief number one, "we meet the social-emotional needs of all students, putting Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs before Bloom’s Taxonomy," it is my understanding the Boys and Girls Club of Fremont County is in need of good adult mentors for children. If you are interested in supporting this effort, I encourage you to contact them at 719-345-4038. You can also just drop in during business hours.
Our Future Focus
A great trap has been installed at Washington, and footers are being framed for cement pours.
In SAC this week we discussed our future need for Riso machines, on which we are wrapping up a 5-year lease contract. We're hoping to not have to continue our use of all 3 of these machines, thereby saving some money. We also continued planning our July 29th administrator retreat, discussed possibly replacing the well-worn furniture in the administration building lobby, made decisions about an upcoming customer service training for key employees, talked about our soon to be upgraded administration building security alarm system, and planned some follow-up support for our central office staff related to Raynette Douglas' recent passing.
It also looks like we have MOU language approved by Cañon City Education Association leadership related to our calendar changes. Our plan is to put changes in place for this year only, committing to making actual adjustments to the agreement next spring, as deemed necessary.
It also looks like we have MOU language approved by Cañon City Education Association leadership related to our calendar changes. Our plan is to put changes in place for this year only, committing to making actual adjustments to the agreement next spring, as deemed necessary.
Bond Progress
Along with many other summer projects, Cañon Exploratory School is getting a lockdown alarm system.
After much work, Washington's Elementary soils tests have been coming back at 100%. This has allowed us to install a concrete grease trap for the new cafeteria kitchen and to begin pouring footers. This week construction crews will continue to frame and pour additional ones in an effort to get the project back on schedule.
At the Cañon City Middle School site, we are still waiting for final approval of our asbestos clean-up. Between this and the discovery and mitigation of two fuel tanks, we have been knocked significantly off our construction timeline so much that we are committed to moving into the new structures at the end of next school year, as opposed to spring break which was our original hope. This will also push back our ability to renovate the 1925 core building, and so it's looking like we won't move back into it until around Christmas break during the 20-21 school year. The footings on the new wing on the west side of the gym are starting to be backfilled, meaning plumbing installation, and stub-outs for electricity are next before slabs get poured. Reclamation of materials from the auditorium/gym complex appears to be done. Once final asbestos abatement is completed there, that structure will be demolished. The north side of the 1925 building will then be enclosed and weather protected, and access to the outside from within the school will be completely blocked off. Eventually glass and reclaimed brick will close this gigantic hole.
At the Cañon City Middle School site, we are still waiting for final approval of our asbestos clean-up. Between this and the discovery and mitigation of two fuel tanks, we have been knocked significantly off our construction timeline so much that we are committed to moving into the new structures at the end of next school year, as opposed to spring break which was our original hope. This will also push back our ability to renovate the 1925 core building, and so it's looking like we won't move back into it until around Christmas break during the 20-21 school year. The footings on the new wing on the west side of the gym are starting to be backfilled, meaning plumbing installation, and stub-outs for electricity are next before slabs get poured. Reclamation of materials from the auditorium/gym complex appears to be done. Once final asbestos abatement is completed there, that structure will be demolished. The north side of the 1925 building will then be enclosed and weather protected, and access to the outside from within the school will be completely blocked off. Eventually glass and reclaimed brick will close this gigantic hole.
Last Week
This week I published another issue of Echoes from Cañon, touched base with Director of Student Support Services Paula Buser, met with the Cañon City Police Department about our upcoming functional lockdown drill, held a Superintendent Advisory Council meeting, worked on some digital file organization, attended a furniture purchase planning session with the Cañon Exploratory School staff, and had the pleasure of meeting new Pueblo Community College Gateway to College instructional staff.
The Cañon Exploratory School staff discusses spending some of its discretionary dollars on a furniture upgrade to support the exploratory learning model.
This Week
A slew of Mr. Albrecht's present and former students are highlighted in the year's Pueblo Summer Musical performance of Hello Dolly!
This week I'll publish another installment of Echoes, finalize an important employee evaluation, revise our annual all staff back to work letter, conduct a Superintendent Advisory Council meeting, attend a monthly regional Manager's meeting, attend Raynette Douglas' funeral, attend a showing of Hello Dolly in Pueblo, meet with Fremont County DHS Director Stacie Kwitek, share information about our School-Based Health Center on KRLN's Morning Line, and tour CCHS with the Cañon City Police Department in preparation for our mid-August functional lockdown drill.
Thanks for listening again!
George S. Welsh
Thanks for listening again!
George S. Welsh
