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
A highlight of the annual Fun-Fest is silly games and fabulous prizes!
The 20-21 school year wrapped up with a traditional in-person Senior Fun-Fest event. It was exciting this could take place!
I wish to thank hardworking coordinators Shad and Deanna Johnson for their continued dedication to it.
Of course, they always push the accolades to others. Their end of Fun-Fest message offered a heartfelt thank you to sponsors and volunteers.
This was the 33rd year the Fun-Fest took place and it would not have been possible without the support of the Rotary Club of Cañon City, St. Thomas Moore Health Foundation/Yankton Benedictine Sisters, Canon City Firefighters Local 1002, Canon City Area Metropolitan Recreation & Park District, the Royal Gorge Association of Realtors, Starika Car Wash LLC, Cornella Brothers Mini Storage, Cañon City Dairy Queen, John and Mary Kay Evans, the Fremont County Board of County Commissioners, Pamela Hamby, City Market, Dr. Jeremy Ley - Four Mile Veterinary Clinic, and the Cañon City School District.
This year’s volunteers included Bill Summers, Andrea Davis, Claudine Paolino, Della Reiger, Eddie Basham, John Fear, Kerri Kingery, Kevin Marushack, Michelle Johnson, Marcy Epperson, Mary Kay Evans, Matt Gessaman, Mike and Lisa Tedesko, Nate Brantley, Paul Atwood, Scott Witkowski, Shad and Deanna Johnson, Scott Manchester, Sean Moore, Shane Rowe, Tanya Marushack, and Troy Wold.
Thank you all!
I wish to thank hardworking coordinators Shad and Deanna Johnson for their continued dedication to it.
Of course, they always push the accolades to others. Their end of Fun-Fest message offered a heartfelt thank you to sponsors and volunteers.
This was the 33rd year the Fun-Fest took place and it would not have been possible without the support of the Rotary Club of Cañon City, St. Thomas Moore Health Foundation/Yankton Benedictine Sisters, Canon City Firefighters Local 1002, Canon City Area Metropolitan Recreation & Park District, the Royal Gorge Association of Realtors, Starika Car Wash LLC, Cornella Brothers Mini Storage, Cañon City Dairy Queen, John and Mary Kay Evans, the Fremont County Board of County Commissioners, Pamela Hamby, City Market, Dr. Jeremy Ley - Four Mile Veterinary Clinic, and the Cañon City School District.
This year’s volunteers included Bill Summers, Andrea Davis, Claudine Paolino, Della Reiger, Eddie Basham, John Fear, Kerri Kingery, Kevin Marushack, Michelle Johnson, Marcy Epperson, Mary Kay Evans, Matt Gessaman, Mike and Lisa Tedesko, Nate Brantley, Paul Atwood, Scott Witkowski, Shad and Deanna Johnson, Scott Manchester, Sean Moore, Shane Rowe, Tanya Marushack, and Troy Wold.
Thank you all!
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CCMS and Harrison students benefitted from a great middle school to high school transition experience this spring.
At the end of the school year, the Cañon City High School special education department offered an outstanding transitionary experience to students who will be coming to the school from other district schools at the middle school level. CCSD Director of Special Services Tim Renn described it best in a note of appreciation to staff. “This was so cool! Thank you for working proactively to ensure the best possible transitions for students, in this case, students with disabilities, to seamlessly move from the middle school to the high school by organizing visits for our kiddos. This is the kind of work that makes for better experiences for both students and staff. I love it!"
We thank Siena Wamsganz, Lorraine King, and Teresa Manfredo for their hard work on this front!
Last week Superintendent Designee Adam Hartman prepared an end of year report outlining the impact COVID had on staff and student attendance during the 2020-21 school year. Despite keeping our doors open the entire year, we’re aware a lot of learning opportunities were lost. Some highlights from Mr. Hartman’s report include:
We thank Siena Wamsganz, Lorraine King, and Teresa Manfredo for their hard work on this front!
Last week Superintendent Designee Adam Hartman prepared an end of year report outlining the impact COVID had on staff and student attendance during the 2020-21 school year. Despite keeping our doors open the entire year, we’re aware a lot of learning opportunities were lost. Some highlights from Mr. Hartman’s report include:
- 2,191 distinct students were out for at least one day of quarantine during the 2020-21 school year. This is roughly 66% of our kids.
- A total of 15,768 student days were missed by those children. This is an average of about seven school days missed.
- Two students missed 31 days each, while roughly 50 missed at least a month of school (22 days or more).
- A total of 191 staff members missed a total of 1,224 days due to quarantine. This is about 40% of our workforce, if you consider the fact that our substitutes would never have been tallied as missing work.
Harrison students started the school year in small cohorts, wearing masks.
Our Future Focus
Last week the Cañon City School District wrapped up 2021 Master Agreement negotiations with the Cañon City Education Support Personnel Association and the Cañon City Education Associaiton.
CCESPA and district leaders first met over the course of two days in May to make adjustments to agreement language related to salary schedule structures, adequately rewarding employees for long term service and loyalty, use of staff as emergency substitutes, notice of positions and work calendars, sick leave bank, allowing instructional staff time to collaborate on student matters, and job classification/compensation for instructional paraprofessionals. We gathered once again on June 9th to address compensation matters for the 21-22 school year.
At this session, a decision was made to adopt a three-dimensional salary schedule that awards larger step increases to employees based on years of service and loyalty to the district. Additionally, each employee will be placed in this new salary schedule at a level equal to or greater than their current rate of pay. After this move, two steps will be awarded to each employee within this new model. It was also agreed the administration will increase health insurance benefits, raising all employees to the level from of PPO 8 to PPO 7, thereby decreasing out of pocket medical expenses.
On Thursday June 10th CCEA and district leaders met to negotiate certified compensation for the 2021-22 school year. Agreements were made to award an experience step to each eligible certified employee, and to add an additional 2% increase to the base (equal to a second experience step for all).
It was also agreed to compensate each employee for an additional work day over and above the current contract requirement during the 21-22 school year, and to decrease out of pocket healthcare expenses for all employees by subscribing to and paying for a health plan that offers better benefits.
It was also agreed that a committee will be formed to explore adopting a new supplemental salary determination formula, and the board and administration committed to offering nominal holiday bonuses to all benefited employees and qualifying substitutes.
The Interest Based Solutions model (IBS) was used to conduct these proceedings and most of this work was facilitated by Dennis Carlson.
CCESPA and district leaders first met over the course of two days in May to make adjustments to agreement language related to salary schedule structures, adequately rewarding employees for long term service and loyalty, use of staff as emergency substitutes, notice of positions and work calendars, sick leave bank, allowing instructional staff time to collaborate on student matters, and job classification/compensation for instructional paraprofessionals. We gathered once again on June 9th to address compensation matters for the 21-22 school year.
At this session, a decision was made to adopt a three-dimensional salary schedule that awards larger step increases to employees based on years of service and loyalty to the district. Additionally, each employee will be placed in this new salary schedule at a level equal to or greater than their current rate of pay. After this move, two steps will be awarded to each employee within this new model. It was also agreed the administration will increase health insurance benefits, raising all employees to the level from of PPO 8 to PPO 7, thereby decreasing out of pocket medical expenses.
On Thursday June 10th CCEA and district leaders met to negotiate certified compensation for the 2021-22 school year. Agreements were made to award an experience step to each eligible certified employee, and to add an additional 2% increase to the base (equal to a second experience step for all).
It was also agreed to compensate each employee for an additional work day over and above the current contract requirement during the 21-22 school year, and to decrease out of pocket healthcare expenses for all employees by subscribing to and paying for a health plan that offers better benefits.
It was also agreed that a committee will be formed to explore adopting a new supplemental salary determination formula, and the board and administration committed to offering nominal holiday bonuses to all benefited employees and qualifying substitutes.
The Interest Based Solutions model (IBS) was used to conduct these proceedings and most of this work was facilitated by Dennis Carlson.
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Classified and certified negotiations took place last week.
Applying Our Traits and Skills
JROTC rifle team students make use of their new scoring system.
In early April the Cañon City High School JROTC program received a grant for $19,500 to purchase a new Athena electronic scoring marksmanship target system. Program leaders have been working for the past 8 months to accomplish this. The system was delivered by the end of the school year and has been assembled and installed on the range, thanks to assistance from the district IT department. Rifle team members tested the system and began using it by mid-April. Rifle coach Paul Vertrees said, “we are really looking forward to our daily practices for the remainder of the school year, and then using this state-of-the art target system for all aspects of our marksmanship program over the summer and beyond.”
Looking Ahead
Board President Shad Johnson talks about some of the challenges faced in the Cañon City School District.
On Tuesday June 8th, the Board of Education hosted a Board Candidate Development Academy for five qualified participants. Topics covered included the following:
What a board of education is and does.
Who is qualified to serve. an the board
How a board does its work through public meetings and under the law.
What happens when board members disagree.
How the board addresses concerns and complaints.
What the role of each individual on the board is.
How the board governs through policy.
The financial responsibilities of the board.
The role of the superintendent on the governance team.
How the board evaluates the superintendent.
How the board sets the vision for the district.
What the greatest challenges have been for this particular board.
What the board expects of new directors.
This fall there will be two seats open on the Cañon City Board of Education, and we hope the folks who attended this Academy move forward with her decision to run for open seats
What a board of education is and does.
Who is qualified to serve. an the board
How a board does its work through public meetings and under the law.
What happens when board members disagree.
How the board addresses concerns and complaints.
What the role of each individual on the board is.
How the board governs through policy.
The financial responsibilities of the board.
The role of the superintendent on the governance team.
How the board evaluates the superintendent.
How the board sets the vision for the district.
What the greatest challenges have been for this particular board.
What the board expects of new directors.
This fall there will be two seats open on the Cañon City Board of Education, and we hope the folks who attended this Academy move forward with her decision to run for open seats
Other Voices
Before the end of the school year, we received this nice note from Pueblo Community College-Fremont Campus Executive Dean Mark Peacock.
Hello Mr. Summers
There is an exciting, new initiative coming from PCC that will offer a $1,000 credit to ALL graduating seniors within our service area who enroll in classes at PCC for the upcoming fall semester.
This applies to all seniors to be used at the Fremont Campus, including AIM Global, Canon City High School, Cotopaxi High School, Custer County High School, Florence High School and GOAL Academy, regardless of whether or not they have participated in Concurrent Enrollment.
We will mail this information out to each student.
What an exciting opportunity for the senior class of 2021!
Mark Peacock
I agree, and what a tremendous education partner we have in Pueblo Community College!
Thanks for listening once again!
George S. Welsh
Hello Mr. Summers
There is an exciting, new initiative coming from PCC that will offer a $1,000 credit to ALL graduating seniors within our service area who enroll in classes at PCC for the upcoming fall semester.
This applies to all seniors to be used at the Fremont Campus, including AIM Global, Canon City High School, Cotopaxi High School, Custer County High School, Florence High School and GOAL Academy, regardless of whether or not they have participated in Concurrent Enrollment.
We will mail this information out to each student.
What an exciting opportunity for the senior class of 2021!
Mark Peacock
I agree, and what a tremendous education partner we have in Pueblo Community College!
Thanks for listening once again!
George S. Welsh
