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
Our awesome District Behavioral Health Team has been hard at work coordinating efforts across all schools.
Drive through COVID testing is now available in Cañon City.
Note: There are several links in this week's installment of Echoes that you may wish to access. The easiest way to two this is to click on your email banner so you are taken directly to the Echoes from Cañon website. You can then click directly on the link to access it.
With our new School-Based Health Center now operating out of the new administrative complex at Cañon City Middle School, we have received a bunch of positive feedback about the services being offered. For all staff, staff families, and students, please don't forget we have this option should you need to make a quick appointment for an illness or to set up counseling services.
On Tuesday, October 20th we became aware an individual at CCHS tested positive with COVID-19. Contact tracing and other reporting led us to conclude several close contacts of that individual, from different households, developed COVID symptoms and could be presumed to have it. This meant CCHS met CDPHE criteria of experiencing a "suspected outbreak," meaning one or more people with COVID-like symptoms from multiple households had been in the school. This required us to place the entire CCHS Cohort A on quarantine. Unfortunately, the entire Cohort A includes all CCHS staff, and so this meant the kids in Cohort B could not attend school. as a result, all CCHS Cohort A and all CCHS staff are in quarantine through the end of the day October 30, meaning all CCHS students (including Cohort B) shifted to digital-only instruction. This was necessary all teachers are in quarantine.
On Wednesday, October 21st we became aware of a positive COVID-19 incident at Cañon Exploratory School. This was similar to what happened at Cañon City High School, with other individuals exhibiting symptoms requiring us to place the entire cohort on quarantine. The good news? It is easier at the elementary level to cohort students in small numbers, so this incident only impacted one class of students as well as a few staff members. So as a precautionary measure, the exposed individuals were being placed in quarantine through the end of the day November 1st, allowing them to return to school on Monday, November 2nd.
On Saturday, October 24th, we became aware of some additional COVID-19 cases impacting our schools. We had another individual test positive at Cañon Exploratory School, in a different grade level cohort than earlier. as a result, all staff and students exposed were contacted, placed in quarantine, and directed to continue learning by digital means. They'll be able to return to school on Wednesday, November 4th.
Meanwhile, we also had an individual test positive at Cañon City Middle School. Though contact tracing indicated excellent mask-wearing and social distancing behavior during class instruction, a large enough number of staff had to be placed in quarantine requiring us to transition the whole 6th-grade to digital learning. Please note none of our 6th-grade students are in quarantine, they just have no teachers available to instruct them in-person until Wednesday, November 4th, when all are welcome to return if they are well.
I have no doubt, staff, parents, and community members have a lot of questions. One thing you can be sure of, if you or your child have been impacted by any of these situations, we will have already reached out to you to let you know what your next steps are.
An additional plea, if you or a family member are feeling ill, to the point where you have decided you or your family member need to be tested, it will be extremely helpful to us in the school system if you could keep your child home from school until you receive your results.
For those who have been moved to quarantine and need or would like to be tested, MAKO Medical is running a COVID-19 testing site at Fremont County Department of Public Health and Environment, 201 N 6th St, Canon City, CO. Testing is free and will be available Monday through Saturday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Pre-registration is encouraged to reduce wait time. To pre-register please visit this website: https://tinyurl.com/canon-15205
On a final COVID-19 note, I wish to thank Assistant Superintendent of Schools Adam Hartman, Director of Student Support Services Paula Buser, District Nurse Patricia Sallie, Cañon City High School Principal Bill Summers, Cañon Exploratory School Teacher on Special Assignment Jessi Hamilton, and Cañon City Middle School Assistant Principal Russel Braiden for all the extra hours they have put in to investigate these recent COVID incidents so we can keep our schools open for as many kids as possible.
With our new School-Based Health Center now operating out of the new administrative complex at Cañon City Middle School, we have received a bunch of positive feedback about the services being offered. For all staff, staff families, and students, please don't forget we have this option should you need to make a quick appointment for an illness or to set up counseling services.
On Tuesday, October 20th we became aware an individual at CCHS tested positive with COVID-19. Contact tracing and other reporting led us to conclude several close contacts of that individual, from different households, developed COVID symptoms and could be presumed to have it. This meant CCHS met CDPHE criteria of experiencing a "suspected outbreak," meaning one or more people with COVID-like symptoms from multiple households had been in the school. This required us to place the entire CCHS Cohort A on quarantine. Unfortunately, the entire Cohort A includes all CCHS staff, and so this meant the kids in Cohort B could not attend school. as a result, all CCHS Cohort A and all CCHS staff are in quarantine through the end of the day October 30, meaning all CCHS students (including Cohort B) shifted to digital-only instruction. This was necessary all teachers are in quarantine.
On Wednesday, October 21st we became aware of a positive COVID-19 incident at Cañon Exploratory School. This was similar to what happened at Cañon City High School, with other individuals exhibiting symptoms requiring us to place the entire cohort on quarantine. The good news? It is easier at the elementary level to cohort students in small numbers, so this incident only impacted one class of students as well as a few staff members. So as a precautionary measure, the exposed individuals were being placed in quarantine through the end of the day November 1st, allowing them to return to school on Monday, November 2nd.
On Saturday, October 24th, we became aware of some additional COVID-19 cases impacting our schools. We had another individual test positive at Cañon Exploratory School, in a different grade level cohort than earlier. as a result, all staff and students exposed were contacted, placed in quarantine, and directed to continue learning by digital means. They'll be able to return to school on Wednesday, November 4th.
Meanwhile, we also had an individual test positive at Cañon City Middle School. Though contact tracing indicated excellent mask-wearing and social distancing behavior during class instruction, a large enough number of staff had to be placed in quarantine requiring us to transition the whole 6th-grade to digital learning. Please note none of our 6th-grade students are in quarantine, they just have no teachers available to instruct them in-person until Wednesday, November 4th, when all are welcome to return if they are well.
I have no doubt, staff, parents, and community members have a lot of questions. One thing you can be sure of, if you or your child have been impacted by any of these situations, we will have already reached out to you to let you know what your next steps are.
An additional plea, if you or a family member are feeling ill, to the point where you have decided you or your family member need to be tested, it will be extremely helpful to us in the school system if you could keep your child home from school until you receive your results.
For those who have been moved to quarantine and need or would like to be tested, MAKO Medical is running a COVID-19 testing site at Fremont County Department of Public Health and Environment, 201 N 6th St, Canon City, CO. Testing is free and will be available Monday through Saturday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Pre-registration is encouraged to reduce wait time. To pre-register please visit this website: https://tinyurl.com/canon-15205
On a final COVID-19 note, I wish to thank Assistant Superintendent of Schools Adam Hartman, Director of Student Support Services Paula Buser, District Nurse Patricia Sallie, Cañon City High School Principal Bill Summers, Cañon Exploratory School Teacher on Special Assignment Jessi Hamilton, and Cañon City Middle School Assistant Principal Russel Braiden for all the extra hours they have put in to investigate these recent COVID incidents so we can keep our schools open for as many kids as possible.
Our Future Focus
Director of Student Support Services Paula Buser plans a safe Trunk or Treat event with community leaders.
On October 14th our entire District Behavioral Health Team participated in an outdoor, socially distance learning session where they discussed ways to support each other in their work and learned how to better support children identified as qualifying for homeless services. I offer special thanks to Behavioral Health Coordinator Jamie Murray for pulling this off.
Cañon City High School was recently featured in a Center for American Progress article about how partnering with local businesses can support the redesign of the schooling experience. As the article states, Cañon City did not set out to dramatically change its schools. "We were simply responding to the community’s desire to bolster local industry and retain talented young people who may have otherwise be inclined to seek employment elsewhere." I encourage you to take a moment to read the article at this link: https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education-k-12/reports/2020/10/14/491542/early-high-school-stem-perceptions-associated-postsecondary-outcomes/
Cañon City High School was recently featured in a Center for American Progress article about how partnering with local businesses can support the redesign of the schooling experience. As the article states, Cañon City did not set out to dramatically change its schools. "We were simply responding to the community’s desire to bolster local industry and retain talented young people who may have otherwise be inclined to seek employment elsewhere." I encourage you to take a moment to read the article at this link: https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education-k-12/reports/2020/10/14/491542/early-high-school-stem-perceptions-associated-postsecondary-outcomes/
Applying Our Traits and Skills
The Cañon City High School Encore show choir performed at the Fall Premiere Concert.
It was great to see some of Cañon City High School's exceptional performing artists on stage once again. On October 12th and 13th Cañon City's Concert Choir, Tiger Ladies, and Encore show choir held four public performances of their annual Fall Premiere Concert. When artists performed in groups including students who are not in their cohort, they wore masks. Also, attendance in the auditorium was limited to no more than 80 per performance, with required social distancing and mask-wearing.
The Cañon City Schools Gifted and Talented Education department has been tenacious in ensuring students can participate in our annual Scary Stories event. This year finalists from Cañon City Middle Schools, Cañon Exploratory School, Harrison K-8, Lincoln School of Science and Technology, and McKinley Elementary, and Mountain View Core Knowledge School will present their stories in a virtual setting. The event takes place Thursday, October 29th, from 6 to 7 PM and you can participate at the following Google Hangout: https://meet.google.com/epp-xkfu-zsc
Speaking of tenacity, in an effort to do all we can to allow children in our community to enjoy Halloween this year, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, we are supporting two upcoming events.
On Friday, October 30th, the Cañon City Middle School National Junior Honor Society is hosting a safe, socially distanced, drive through trick or treat event on the CCMS campus.
Additionally, the Cañon City Daily Record will continue its tradition of holding a Trunk-Or-Treat event. This year it will take place in the form of a drive-through event on the Harrison School campus from Noon to 3 PM Saturday, October 31st. It is my understanding AMR, the Cañon City Fire Protection District, the Cañon City Public Library, Valley-Wide health Services, Young People in Recovery, Cañon Signature Mortgage, the Cañon City Police Department, Liberty Crane, Starpoint, Fremont Adventure Recreation, FCA, and the Fremont County Sheriff's Office will be participating. Also, Cañon City High School engineering students are designing and building mechanical "candy delivery systems" and the school district will be offering transportation to and from the event from neighborhood school sites.
The Cañon City Schools Gifted and Talented Education department has been tenacious in ensuring students can participate in our annual Scary Stories event. This year finalists from Cañon City Middle Schools, Cañon Exploratory School, Harrison K-8, Lincoln School of Science and Technology, and McKinley Elementary, and Mountain View Core Knowledge School will present their stories in a virtual setting. The event takes place Thursday, October 29th, from 6 to 7 PM and you can participate at the following Google Hangout: https://meet.google.com/epp-xkfu-zsc
Speaking of tenacity, in an effort to do all we can to allow children in our community to enjoy Halloween this year, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, we are supporting two upcoming events.
On Friday, October 30th, the Cañon City Middle School National Junior Honor Society is hosting a safe, socially distanced, drive through trick or treat event on the CCMS campus.
Additionally, the Cañon City Daily Record will continue its tradition of holding a Trunk-Or-Treat event. This year it will take place in the form of a drive-through event on the Harrison School campus from Noon to 3 PM Saturday, October 31st. It is my understanding AMR, the Cañon City Fire Protection District, the Cañon City Public Library, Valley-Wide health Services, Young People in Recovery, Cañon Signature Mortgage, the Cañon City Police Department, Liberty Crane, Starpoint, Fremont Adventure Recreation, FCA, and the Fremont County Sheriff's Office will be participating. Also, Cañon City High School engineering students are designing and building mechanical "candy delivery systems" and the school district will be offering transportation to and from the event from neighborhood school sites.
Looking Ahead
In the coming weeks, we'll hold a board work session and regular meeting, conduct an instructional leader professional learning community, prepare for and participate in a CDE Gifted and Talented program review and a CDE health and safety grant audit, and with your support by practicing social distancing, mask-wearing, and proper hand washing, we'll do all we can to keep our schools open to children for in-person learning.
Thanks for listening again!
George S. Welsh
Thanks for listening again!
George S. Welsh
