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 2017-18 Cañon City High School Girls Soccer Team
Bill Christiansen was honored for more than 35 years service at the annual HomeBiEd Banquet.
At our Monday, May 13th board meeting we honored members of the 2017-18 Cañon City High School Girls Soccer Team for earning the United Soccer Coaches Association Team Academic Award. Notice of this award comes during the school year after the season it was earned. These ladies earned this award because of their combined team Grade Point Average of 3.86. Amazing!
On Wednesday, May 22nd the Cañon City High School HomeBiEd class held its annual banquet. During the dinner, HomeBiEd board members honored the many community partners who assisted in the building of this year's house. Board President Bill Christiansen was also honored for more than 35 years of service to the program.
On Thursday, May 23rd, thanks to amazing preparation work by our operations crews, and a well-timed break in the weather, we held our Cañon City High School Graduation ceremony. The event was kicked off by our JROTC Color Guard and punctuated by outstanding students speeches, excellent instrumental and choral music, and conferring diplomas on over 250 graduates.
On Wednesday, May 22nd the Cañon City High School HomeBiEd class held its annual banquet. During the dinner, HomeBiEd board members honored the many community partners who assisted in the building of this year's house. Board President Bill Christiansen was also honored for more than 35 years of service to the program.
On Thursday, May 23rd, thanks to amazing preparation work by our operations crews, and a well-timed break in the weather, we held our Cañon City High School Graduation ceremony. The event was kicked off by our JROTC Color Guard and punctuated by outstanding students speeches, excellent instrumental and choral music, and conferring diplomas on over 250 graduates.
The CCHS JROTC Color Guard kicked off the graduation ceremony.
Our Future Focus
The new Harrison School mural!
During the last week of classes, a new landmark appeared on the Harrison School. This is an art Installation coordinated by middle school art instructor Heidi Hubinger. It now occupies the south-facing wall at the main school entry, and Ms. Hubunger shared some interesting facts about it. The mural is 16 feet wide x 24 feet high. It consists of multiple boards that were painted in the art rooms. During the spring semester, middle school students and many 4th-grade art students created sketches to incorporate in the design. A professional muralist sketched up several options that included many of the student designs. ACE hardware provided all of the mural materials at a generous discount. All expenses were covered by a $1000 gift from the Royal Gorge Artist's Guild and a donation from the Harrison School PTO. Nearly all of the priming, sketching, and painting of the boards was done by 3rd through 8th-grade students. Director of Operations Jeff Peterson and his crew installed the panels, despite continual rain throughout the week. Eventually, two lights will be installed above the mural to illuminate it.
As another school year winds down it's a great time to thank our Board of Education for the manner in which they have adhered to our core beliefs throughout the school year. In my 22 years as a superintendent of schools, I have never worked with a governance team that invested so much time in service to children. In the month of May alone I've witnessed board members spend entire days in compensation negotiations, personally visiting each school and worksite to honor educators, personally engaging students leaders and Gateway to college graduates, expertly organizing our annual Senior Fun Fest, attending Friday TechSTART lunch and learn sessions, sitting in on long construction budgeting sessions, honoring our state champion Encore show choir late in the evening, weathering a nasty groundbreaking ceremony, and attending multiple graduation events. The only compensation each receives is the satisfaction they might be making a difference. Larry Oddo, Lloyd Harwood, Mary Kay Evans, Shad Johnson, and Robin Reeser, each of you are making a gigantic difference in the lives of our children. Thank you for working so hard at your craft!
As another school year winds down it's a great time to thank our Board of Education for the manner in which they have adhered to our core beliefs throughout the school year. In my 22 years as a superintendent of schools, I have never worked with a governance team that invested so much time in service to children. In the month of May alone I've witnessed board members spend entire days in compensation negotiations, personally visiting each school and worksite to honor educators, personally engaging students leaders and Gateway to college graduates, expertly organizing our annual Senior Fun Fest, attending Friday TechSTART lunch and learn sessions, sitting in on long construction budgeting sessions, honoring our state champion Encore show choir late in the evening, weathering a nasty groundbreaking ceremony, and attending multiple graduation events. The only compensation each receives is the satisfaction they might be making a difference. Larry Oddo, Lloyd Harwood, Mary Kay Evans, Shad Johnson, and Robin Reeser, each of you are making a gigantic difference in the lives of our children. Thank you for working so hard at your craft!
Our current Cañon City School District Board of Education!
Bond Progress
A 15,000 pound fuel tank was discovered during excavation at the site where the new CCMS wing will be located.
On Monday, May 20th we held our Washington Elementary new school construction groundbreaking ceremony. Earthwork is scheduled to begin within the next few weeks. Big things were also happening at the Cañon City Middle School construction site as a large fuel tank that was discovered during footing excavation was removed by a crane and a second tank was then located. These unexpected items will cause us to tap into contingency reserves.
Last Week
The CCSD Board of Education had some help breaking ground on the site where the new Washington Elementary School will be located.
Last Monday I met with our Owner's Representatives from RLH Engineering, attended the Washington Elementary groundbreaking ceremony, attended the Gateway to College graduation ceremony, and made it back in time for part of the Farewell Pops concert. On Tuesday, I held a SAC meeting, hosted a Fremont County Regional Manager's Meeting, conducted an expulsion hearing, and attended the annual classified association barbeque. On Wednesday, I conducted another expulsion hearing, conducted a meeting about district case manager services, attended a meeting about our School Health Professionals grant, and attended the annual CCHS HomeBiEd program banquet. On Thursday, I worked on expulsion reports while keeping an eye on the weather as we prepared for Cañon City High School's graduation ceremony. On Friday, I focused on end of school year office work.
This Week
We could not have pulled off graduation last Thursday without the amazing support of our operations crew!
I celebrated Memorial Day with my family, and worked on a draft of this issue of Echoes from Cañon. On Tuesday I'll publish this issue, catch up on more office work, then travel to the San Luis Valley to mix a little work and play as I support some superintendent colleagues embarking on building projects. While in the Valley I'll keep up on email, render a couple of expulsion decisions, work on aligning our building evaluation rubrics to our Studnet Empowered Learning Framework, and pull together some 2018-19 school year highlights for the folks at TechSTART to publicize. On Thursday I have an important construction budget session and a meeting with Director of Special Services Tim Renn about preschool special education services. My schedule for Friday is still fairly open.
Other Voices
Athletic Director Scott Manchester enjoyed dousing seniors during relay races at the annual Fun Fest!
Though the weather was far from perfect, spirits remained high as we broke ground on our new Washington Elementary School project today!
The Cañon City High School Color Guard kicked off the event, Principal Brian Zamarripa welcomed dignitaries and introduced some amazing student speakers, and Board Vice-President Lloyd Harwood punctuated the occasion with the words encapsulated below, before turning it over to the student body to sing the school song as shovels were plunged.
Thanks to Cañon City School District voters and the Building Excellent Schools Today program, one more exciting construction project is underway!
Here is Mr. Harwood's speech in its entirety:
Good morning and thank you all for being here to celebrate the groundbreaking for our new Washington Elementary School.
The Cañon City High School Color Guard kicked off the event, Principal Brian Zamarripa welcomed dignitaries and introduced some amazing student speakers, and Board Vice-President Lloyd Harwood punctuated the occasion with the words encapsulated below, before turning it over to the student body to sing the school song as shovels were plunged.
Thanks to Cañon City School District voters and the Building Excellent Schools Today program, one more exciting construction project is underway!
Here is Mr. Harwood's speech in its entirety:
Good morning and thank you all for being here to celebrate the groundbreaking for our new Washington Elementary School.
Board Vice-President Lloyd Harwood addressed the audience at the Washington Elementary groundbreaking ceremony.
Layla Kruger, Daphne Dempsey, and Emily Davis were the student speakers at the Washington groundbreaking ceremony!
It was on this same site in 1950 that a group of citizens gathered to break ground on the school behind us, which they too called "The New Washington School." With the end of World War II, Cañon City saw men returning from the battlefront, marrying, and building homes. With the schools filled to capacity, parents from throughout the district called on the Board to create more classrooms and better, more modern, school facilities. So, in 1949 the community passed a bond of $600,000 (the equivalent of $6,387,000 in today's dollars) to build two new schools, Washington was one of them. With the funds approved, construction began, and the school opened in 1951 with Mr. Addison Ross serving as it's first principal.
This building has seen generations walk up and down its corridors. Maybe you, or perhaps your parents and grandparents and many more will walk the halls of our new Washington Elementary.
Carol Ann Gentry, a lifelong Cañon City resident and a great supporter of children and education, remembers starting second grade at the new Washington. She said before the school's opening students living West of 9th street attended the old Washington School located on Macon Ave, the present location of the Fremont County Administration building, while those students residing East of 9th Street attended the old Lincoln school located where the current School Administration office now stands. Ironically, when this school opened, former Washington students took classrooms on the West side of the building with students from the old Lincoln school taking classes on the east side. I suppose that was an easy way to keep track of the attendance area. Mrs. Gentry told me how she loves how Washington was, and still is, a true neighborhood school, as she remembered riding her bike there just about every day. She also appreciated that her own daughter could attend the school in classrooms looking not much different than they did in 1951.
Fast forward 60 years when the district realized the school needed significant repairs to serve the students who attend. A bond and mill-levy were proposed in 2013 but both were defeated at the polls. The district then applied for a BEST grant in spring 2017 but lost out to other schools with greater need. But like the parents and residents from 1949, the community and school district recognized in order to provide our students with a quality education befitting the demands to compete in a global economy the school had to be remodeled or rebuilt, because unless it was, this school, rich with neighborhood history and bountiful memories, would have to close. As a school board, we knew closing Washington was not the best option for our students and community. So, the district pressed forward and again asked the community to pass a bond and mill-levy override. We worked with the Building Bridges for Quality Cañon City Schools organization, the community group led by parents, educators, and community leaders, to take our proposal for to the voters. They worked tirelessly to get the message out to the electorate, and in November 2017, we celebrated the passage of the two measures. However, our work wasn't finished. With voter approval of matching funds, we now had to obtain a grant to build. District leadership and Director of Operations Jeff Petersen, in particular, worked tirelessly to make sure all the I's were dotted and T's were crossed to get the funding we desperately needed. We then held our breath and waited. Finally, on May 18th, 2018 we received the wonderful news that we were awarded the grant. A grant to build not only our new Washington school but also for CCMS.
It wouldn't be fitting to end this speech without sharing some memories of Washington School, so I reached out to a classmate of mine, as well as a teacher in this building for 25 plus years, Mrs. Annette Nimmo.
She said, "one thing about Washington that is so important is the generational aspect. Many families have stayed in the area so their kids can go to Washington. Not only that, but former students have become colleagues of veteran teachers. Fun traditions at Washington include crazy acts at the talent show, fun rewards for the kids with fundraising goals. The PTO always had amazing and elaborate silent auctions and carnivals. Our fun runs have been a great success. We have a dependable staff that respects everyone's connection to our students. The biggest thing is that our team cares about our kids. We want them to be successful, and not just at Washington."
"Washington is so much more than a building, more than a school. It is the place both of my kids learned to read and write, and the place I have taught for nearly 25 years. Washington has offered a sense of community and belonging to so many people who still live in our community. I feel like Washington is home."
Thomas Paine said, "The mind once enlightened cannot again become dark." Today we break ground for a new Washington Elementary School, right here where our exceptional educators and support professionals will educate and enlighten the minds of the next generation of students who will start to create new memories and sense of community.
Thank you all for being here today and for making all of this possible!
Lloyd Harwood
. . . and thanks for listening once again!
George S. Welsh
This building has seen generations walk up and down its corridors. Maybe you, or perhaps your parents and grandparents and many more will walk the halls of our new Washington Elementary.
Carol Ann Gentry, a lifelong Cañon City resident and a great supporter of children and education, remembers starting second grade at the new Washington. She said before the school's opening students living West of 9th street attended the old Washington School located on Macon Ave, the present location of the Fremont County Administration building, while those students residing East of 9th Street attended the old Lincoln school located where the current School Administration office now stands. Ironically, when this school opened, former Washington students took classrooms on the West side of the building with students from the old Lincoln school taking classes on the east side. I suppose that was an easy way to keep track of the attendance area. Mrs. Gentry told me how she loves how Washington was, and still is, a true neighborhood school, as she remembered riding her bike there just about every day. She also appreciated that her own daughter could attend the school in classrooms looking not much different than they did in 1951.
Fast forward 60 years when the district realized the school needed significant repairs to serve the students who attend. A bond and mill-levy were proposed in 2013 but both were defeated at the polls. The district then applied for a BEST grant in spring 2017 but lost out to other schools with greater need. But like the parents and residents from 1949, the community and school district recognized in order to provide our students with a quality education befitting the demands to compete in a global economy the school had to be remodeled or rebuilt, because unless it was, this school, rich with neighborhood history and bountiful memories, would have to close. As a school board, we knew closing Washington was not the best option for our students and community. So, the district pressed forward and again asked the community to pass a bond and mill-levy override. We worked with the Building Bridges for Quality Cañon City Schools organization, the community group led by parents, educators, and community leaders, to take our proposal for to the voters. They worked tirelessly to get the message out to the electorate, and in November 2017, we celebrated the passage of the two measures. However, our work wasn't finished. With voter approval of matching funds, we now had to obtain a grant to build. District leadership and Director of Operations Jeff Petersen, in particular, worked tirelessly to make sure all the I's were dotted and T's were crossed to get the funding we desperately needed. We then held our breath and waited. Finally, on May 18th, 2018 we received the wonderful news that we were awarded the grant. A grant to build not only our new Washington school but also for CCMS.
It wouldn't be fitting to end this speech without sharing some memories of Washington School, so I reached out to a classmate of mine, as well as a teacher in this building for 25 plus years, Mrs. Annette Nimmo.
She said, "one thing about Washington that is so important is the generational aspect. Many families have stayed in the area so their kids can go to Washington. Not only that, but former students have become colleagues of veteran teachers. Fun traditions at Washington include crazy acts at the talent show, fun rewards for the kids with fundraising goals. The PTO always had amazing and elaborate silent auctions and carnivals. Our fun runs have been a great success. We have a dependable staff that respects everyone's connection to our students. The biggest thing is that our team cares about our kids. We want them to be successful, and not just at Washington."
"Washington is so much more than a building, more than a school. It is the place both of my kids learned to read and write, and the place I have taught for nearly 25 years. Washington has offered a sense of community and belonging to so many people who still live in our community. I feel like Washington is home."
Thomas Paine said, "The mind once enlightened cannot again become dark." Today we break ground for a new Washington Elementary School, right here where our exceptional educators and support professionals will educate and enlighten the minds of the next generation of students who will start to create new memories and sense of community.
Thank you all for being here today and for making all of this possible!
Lloyd Harwood
. . . and thanks for listening once again!
George S. Welsh
