• Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • December 6, 2021
  • December 13, 2021
  • December 20, 2021
  • December 31, 2021
  • Past Installments
    • 2015 >
      • July 5, 2015
      • July 12, 2015
      • July 19, 2015
      • July 26, 2015
      • August 2, 2015
      • August 9, 2015
      • August 16, 2015
      • August 23, 2015
      • August 31, 2015
      • September 6, 2015
      • September 13, 2015
      • September 20, 2015
      • September 27, 2015
      • October 4, 2015
      • October 11, 2015
      • October 18, 2015
      • October 25, 2015
      • November 1, 2015
      • November 8, 2015
      • November 15, 2015
      • November 29, 2015
      • December 6, 2015
      • December 13, 2015
      • December 20, 2015
    • 2016 >
      • January 10, 2016
      • January 17, 2016
      • January 24, 2016
      • January 31, 2016
      • February 7, 2016
      • February 14, 2016
      • February 21, 2016
      • February 28, 2016
      • March 6, 2016
      • March 13, 2016
      • March 20, 2016
      • March 27, 2016
      • April 3, 2016
      • April 10, 2016
      • April 17, 2016
      • April 24, 2016
      • May 1, 2016
      • May 8, 2016
      • May 15, 2016
      • May 22, 2016
      • May 30, 2016
      • June 5, 2016
      • June 12 and 19
      • June 26 to July 3
      • July 24, 2016
      • July 31, 2016
      • August 7, 2016
      • August 14, 2016
      • August 21, 2016
      • August 28, 2016
      • September 4, 2016
      • September 11, 2016
      • September 18, 2016
      • September 25, 2016
      • October 2, 2106
      • October 9, 2016
      • October 16, 2016
      • October 23, 2016
      • October 30, 2016
      • November 6, 2016
      • November 13, 2016
      • November 27, 2016
      • December 4, 2016
      • December 11, 2016
      • December 19, 2016
    • 2017 >
      • Facilities Options
      • January 8, 2017
      • January 15, 2017
      • January 22, 2017
      • February 12, 2017
      • February 26, 2017
      • March 5, 2017
      • March 12, 2017
      • Spring Break 2017
      • April Fools
      • April 9, 2017
      • April 16, 2017
      • April 30, 2017
      • May 7, 2017
      • May 14, 2017
      • May 29, 2017
      • June 4, 2017
      • June 11, 2017
      • June 18, 2017
      • June 25, 2017
      • July 2, 2017
      • July 9, 2017
      • July 16, 2017
      • July 23, 2017
      • July 30, 2017
      • August 6, 2017
      • August 13, 2017
      • August 20, 2017
      • August 27, 2017
      • September 3, 2017
      • September 10, 2017
      • September 17, 2017
      • September 24, 2017
      • October 1, 2017
      • October 8, 2017
      • October 15, 2017
      • October 22, 2017
      • October 29, 2017
      • November 5, 2017
      • November 12, 2017
      • November 26, 2017
      • December 3, 2017
      • December 10, 2017
      • December 13, 2017
    • 2018 >
      • January 7, 2018
      • January 14, 2018
      • January 21, 2018
      • January 28, 2018
      • February 4, 2018
      • February 11, 2018
      • February 18, 2018
      • February 25, 2018
      • March 4, 2018
      • March 11, 2018
      • March 18, 2018
      • March 25, 2018
      • April 2, 2018
      • April 8, 2018
      • April 15, 2018
      • April 22, 2018
      • April 29, 2018
      • May 6, 2018
      • May 13, 2018
      • May 20, 2018
      • May 27, 2018
      • June 3, 2018
      • June 10, 2018
      • June 17, 2018
      • June 24, 2018
      • July 1, 2018
      • July 8, 2018
      • July 15, 2018
      • July 22, 2018
      • July 29, 2018
      • August 5, 2018
      • August 12, 2018
      • August 19, 2018
      • August 26, 2018
      • September 2, 2018
      • September 9, 2018
      • September 16. 2018
      • September 23, 2018
      • September 30, 2018
      • October 7, 2018
      • October 14, 2018
      • October 21, 2018
      • October 28, 2018
      • November 4, 2018
      • November 11, 2018
      • November 18, 2018
      • November 25, 2018
      • December 2, 2018
      • December 9, 2018
      • December 16, 2018
    • 2019 >
      • January 6, 2019
      • January 13, 2019
      • January 21, 2019
      • January 27, 2019
      • February 3, 2019
      • February 10, 2019
      • February 17, 2019
      • February 24, 2019
      • March 3, 2019
      • March 10, 2019
      • March 17, 2019
      • March 24, 2019
      • March 31, 2019
      • April 7, 2019
      • April 14, 2019
      • April 21, 2019
      • April 28, 2019
      • May 5, 2019
      • May 12, 2019
      • May 19, 2019
      • May 27, 2019
      • June 3, 2019
      • June 9, 2019
      • June 23, 2019
      • June 30, 2019
      • July 8, 2019
      • July 15, 2019
      • July 22, 2019
      • July 29, 2019
      • August 5, 2019
      • August 12, 2019
      • August 19, 2019
      • August 26, 2019
      • September 3, 2019
      • September 9, 2019
      • September 16, 2019
      • September 23, 2019
      • September 30, 2019
      • October 7. 2019
      • October 14, 2019
      • October 21, 2019
      • October 28, 2019
      • November 4, 2019
      • November 11, 2019
      • November 18, 2019
      • November 25, 2019
      • December 2, 2019
      • December 9, 2019
      • December 16, 2010
      • December 23, 2019
      • December 31, 2019
    • 2020 >
      • January 13, 2020
      • January 20, 2020
      • January 27, 2020
      • February 3, 2020
      • February 10, 2020
      • February 17, 2020
      • February 24, 2020
      • March 2, 2020
      • March 9, 2020
      • March 30, 2020
      • Special Message to Community
      • April 6, 2020
      • April 13, 2020
      • April 20, 2020
      • May 4, 2020
      • May 11, 2020
      • June 1, 2020
      • June 15, 2020
      • June 30, 2020
      • August 5, 2020
      • August 24, 2020
      • October 12, 2020
      • October 26, 2020
      • November 9, 2020
      • November 30, 2020
      • December 14, 2020
      • December 30, 2020
    • 2021 >
      • January 11, 2021
      • January 25, 2021
      • February 8, 2021
      • March 22, 2021
      • March 29, 2021
      • April 6, 2021
      • May 31, 2021
      • June 7, 2021
      • June 14, 2021
      • June 21, 2021
      • July 5, 2021
      • August 3, 2021
      • August 16, 2021
      • August 31, 2021
      • September 13, 2021
      • September 28, 2021
      • November 8, 2021
      • November 15, 2021
      • November 22, 2021
      • November 29, 2021
      • 2021 Instructional Program Reviews >
        • CCHS 2021 Instructional Program Review
        • CCMS 2021 Instructional Program Review
        • CES 2021 Instructional Program Review
        • Harrison 2021 Instructional Program Review
        • LSST 2021 Instructional Program Review
        • McKinley 2021 Instructional Program Review
        • Washington 2021 Instructional Program Review

Echoes from Cañon

Examples of Excellence

PictureMountain View students celebrated the 100th day of school by dressing up.
Mountain View Core Knowledge School just completed its 21st year of operation.  Established to offer parents a greater level of academic choice for their children, more opportunities for school and community involvement, and a focus on curriculum fundamentals, MVCKS once again achieved a Performance accreditation rating, the highest a single school can earn in Colorado.  Most impressively, MVCKS grade K-5 students are exhibiting 60th percentile or greater growth on all state administered assessments.  Meanwhile, MVCKS middle-school students achieved 63rd percentile growth in English Language Arts.  

Highlights from the 2016-17 school year include the school's participation in the statewide model Moneywiswer financial literacy program, class projects that supported care packages for military service members, donations to support the Fremont County Humane Society, and as always, a slew of class music and drama performances displaying the unique talents of students and made available to the entire community. 

Despite a legacy of success, the MVCKS staff, led by school principal/director Karen Sartori, is making several significant changes in the coming year.  The school will move to a 4-day attendance week, and with the support of CCSD Title II funding, plans to implement the Capturing Kids Hearts culture program.  Also, after a year-long exploration, a new math curriculum will be implemented for students.  

Picture
An annual tradition at Mountain View is to welcome children back by giving them the red carpet treatment.
Picture
An annual medieval history unit culminates with the building and labeling of replica castles.
In the past few weeks, we received notification the Colorado Department of Education awarded our region (including the RE-2 and RE-3 school districts) roughly $450,000 per year for 3 years to hire six additional school health professionals (nurses, mental health counselors, and nurse technicians) to serve students.  These grant dollars come out of the pool of funds set aside each year in Colorado from marijuana tax revenues.  

Prior to this announcement, we also received notification our two-year Colorado Health Foundation grant application for $660,000 was approved.  This grant will support our entire region's student health and wellness initiatives as well as help us to purchase curriculum, training, and staff to effectively teach student growth and development concepts at all grade levels.

The Focus of Our Work

Picture
A key area of focus this summer has been exploring more viable long-term solutions to our facilities deficiencies at Cañon City Middle School.  Readers may recall we submitted a Building Excellent Schools Today grant application this spring with a proposal to replace structurally failing Washington Elementary and to build a new CCMS while hoping to repurpose the 1925 section of the facility.  Feedback received on our failed grant application indicates we were not given the award as a result of concerns surrounding our current plan for CCMS.  Thus, we are pricing a variety of solutions, including a possible short term Bandaid approach, while also considering a major remodel or actual replacement of the 1925 core while continuing to make use of some of the more modern spaces on the campus.  The board hopes to arrive at a viable path forward in the next month. 

On Thursday I met with director of instruction Adam Hartman, director of technology Shaun Kohl, Harrison principal Marne Autobee, Harrison assistant principal Garrett Olguin, CCMS principal Tim Renn, and middle school technology instructors Melanie Smith and Tanna Miles about upgrading the curriculum and devices in our middle school Synergy Labs.  This is becoming a necessity as we upgrade computers to the Windows 10 operating system because believe it or not, many of our curriculum modules still run on Windows 98. The goal of our meeting was to build support for addressing the issue.   Our next step will be to agree on new modules to purchase in consort with high school staff to ensure we are preparing students for their pathways programs.

Last Week

I started a short work week on Wednesday, continuing to plug away at our federal programs grant application.  On Thursday I attended a middle school technology curriculum meeting and a regional Positive Youth Development program training discussion.  I spent Friday in the office catching up on communication items and finalizing work on our federal programs application.  

This Week

Picture
I'll start my week in Denver on Monday morning, but will be back to Cañon in time for our board work session and meeting.  On Tuesday we have our monthly touching base meeting with CCPD and we'll hold a Superintendent's Advisory Council meeting.  I'll also attend an informational meeting about the Tiger Open Pathways program later in the day, and then a Building Bridges for Quality Cañon City Schools meeting in the evening.  On Wednesday we have a whole day scheduled for a district technology visioning meeting.  Our goal will be to codify our vision, select and cost out devices to put in student's hands, and build action plans for doing so.  On Thursday I'll meet with a new employee about their role in the district, and I'll meet with Mountain View Core Knowledge School leaders about their budget.  On Friday I'll meet with Harrison's new administrative team to further orient them on their role in the district, and then I'll meet with Harrison 1st and 2nd-grade teachers about their plans for the beginning of the school year.  

Thanks for listening once again.

George S. Welsh

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.