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.
Examples of Our Core Beliefs

Last Tuesday a number of Cañon City High School staff met with representatives from Solvista to solidify an already great relationship we have that supports CCSD students who need access to low cost mental health counseling services. I want to thank Jamie Murray for her hard work pulling the meeting together and clarifying our agreement with Solvista. This is a prime example of how we work to meet the social-emotional needs of all students, putting Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs before Bloom’s Taxonomy.
Another example of our first core belief in action this week came from Mountain View Core Knowledge School. Some middle schoolers noticed one of their classmates was sitting alone today so they secretly put sticky note affirmations all over the student’s locker. I’m told the look on the child’s face was priceless when they discovered the notes during a passing period. This is a wonderful example of Mountain View’s dedication to Capturing Kids Hearts principles and the district’s desire to focus on the social-emotional well being of every child.
At Harrison K-8 school middle school math teacher Patience Bohna exemplified our second core belief focused on growth, in this case behavioral, by working with students to set up a restorative justice activity with some of the school’s most at hope 8th graders. She did not write a disciplinary referral when some kids violated a school rule. Instead she worked with the kids, setting up a restorative justice activity, and contacting their parents. Thank you Patience for supporting our Harrison’s student centered, Kids at Hope culture!
On a final note this week, it is with sadness we share the news former Board of Education President Honey Moschetti passed away. Honey served 8 years on our board of education, from 2005 through 2013, including several as board president. Her service spanned the timeframe when current directors Lloyd Harwood and Larry Oddo first joined the board, and she even swore in current directors Mary Kay Evans and Shad Johnson before stepping down due to term limits. I never had the pleasure of working directly with Honey, but based on every story I hear about her, Honey always exemplified out fourth core belief, emphasizing what is good for kids over the needs and comfort of adults.
Another example of our first core belief in action this week came from Mountain View Core Knowledge School. Some middle schoolers noticed one of their classmates was sitting alone today so they secretly put sticky note affirmations all over the student’s locker. I’m told the look on the child’s face was priceless when they discovered the notes during a passing period. This is a wonderful example of Mountain View’s dedication to Capturing Kids Hearts principles and the district’s desire to focus on the social-emotional well being of every child.
At Harrison K-8 school middle school math teacher Patience Bohna exemplified our second core belief focused on growth, in this case behavioral, by working with students to set up a restorative justice activity with some of the school’s most at hope 8th graders. She did not write a disciplinary referral when some kids violated a school rule. Instead she worked with the kids, setting up a restorative justice activity, and contacting their parents. Thank you Patience for supporting our Harrison’s student centered, Kids at Hope culture!
On a final note this week, it is with sadness we share the news former Board of Education President Honey Moschetti passed away. Honey served 8 years on our board of education, from 2005 through 2013, including several as board president. Her service spanned the timeframe when current directors Lloyd Harwood and Larry Oddo first joined the board, and she even swore in current directors Mary Kay Evans and Shad Johnson before stepping down due to term limits. I never had the pleasure of working directly with Honey, but based on every story I hear about her, Honey always exemplified out fourth core belief, emphasizing what is good for kids over the needs and comfort of adults.
Our Future Focus

The primary task lying before our new school design teams is to create schools that will be useful long into the future. Our lead architect, Doug Abernathy, is prodding each committee to design buildings that are not only appropriate for meeting today's needs, but will continue to do so 30, 40, and 50 years out. This is a challenging task.
With the distribution of high school Chromebooks we're already observing students good use of devices in their classes. Additionally, we are also tracking more Gaggle notifications about potentially detrimental behavior by students. As a reminder, Gaggle is a software system that scans student email and Google.drive files, then sends notifications to school administrators if it appears a child is engaging in potentially harmful behavior. Much of the time these notifications are insignificant because a student may be doing a project that requires them to reference key words or phrases that tip the system off. However, each school administrative staff takes each one serious. It is safe to say at least one of our Gaggle notifications has already allowed us to get help to a student in desperate need.
With the distribution of high school Chromebooks we're already observing students good use of devices in their classes. Additionally, we are also tracking more Gaggle notifications about potentially detrimental behavior by students. As a reminder, Gaggle is a software system that scans student email and Google.drive files, then sends notifications to school administrators if it appears a child is engaging in potentially harmful behavior. Much of the time these notifications are insignificant because a student may be doing a project that requires them to reference key words or phrases that tip the system off. However, each school administrative staff takes each one serious. It is safe to say at least one of our Gaggle notifications has already allowed us to get help to a student in desperate need.
Override Progress
I want to offer a shoutout to our District Technology Staff this week. As part of our successful override election last year we are able to put a keyboard and screen device in the hands of every student over rate next several years. This year we are placing Chromebooks in the hands of every high school student and teacher, as well as every middle school teacher. Our technology department has taken on this gigantic challenge while migrating the district to new Google Suite platforms including setting up printing and scanning protocols, classroom and office display devices, and making sure wi-fi access is available throughout each building. There have certainly been some bumps along the way, but I could not be more pleased with the work our team is doing.
Bond Progress

Building design meetings began this week and there was wonderful participation by staff and community during each session. We began by conducting a SWOT analysis on each project, focusing on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to each. Here are some of the primary issues that came forth in each category:
Strengths at both schools included school culture, staff, kids, district and community support, and the generally positive trajectory of each instructional program.
Weaknesses at both schools included space limitations for executing projects, and concerns as to whether our budget will be enough to build the facilities we need.
Opportunities included increasing school safety and security, building affordable to maintain spaces, improving traffic, parking, and walk-up flow at each site, and designing multi-use/creative instructional and activity spaces.
Threats included how disruptive the construction projects might be to the eduction process on each site, the overall budget for the projects once again, and the timelines for completing the work.
Next Tuesday we'll convene our design groups, for CCMS once again at 3 PM in the library, and at 3:15 PM on Wednesday in a classroom at Washington. Anyone interested in attending either or both of these meetings is welcome to do so.
Strengths at both schools included school culture, staff, kids, district and community support, and the generally positive trajectory of each instructional program.
Weaknesses at both schools included space limitations for executing projects, and concerns as to whether our budget will be enough to build the facilities we need.
Opportunities included increasing school safety and security, building affordable to maintain spaces, improving traffic, parking, and walk-up flow at each site, and designing multi-use/creative instructional and activity spaces.
Threats included how disruptive the construction projects might be to the eduction process on each site, the overall budget for the projects once again, and the timelines for completing the work.
Next Tuesday we'll convene our design groups, for CCMS once again at 3 PM in the library, and at 3:15 PM on Wednesday in a classroom at Washington. Anyone interested in attending either or both of these meetings is welcome to do so.
Last Week
I had plenty of time to work on some long term projects this week, and I did a lot of that work while out and about in schools. It has been my goal to spend a lot more time in school buildings this year and this week I enjoyed spending several hours over the course of multiple days each in the CES library and Cafeteria, at the CCMS cafeteria, the CCHS commons, Harrison's commons, the Lincoln library and cafeteria, McKinley's cafeteria and North Pod, and Washington's cafeteria and library. I held a Superintendents Advisory Council meeting on Tuesday morning, and began new school design work at CCMS on Tuesday and at Washington on Wednesday. I also spent quite a bit of time screening PCC-Fremont Dean candidates later in the week.
This Week
On Tuesday I'll begin my day on KRLN Radio’s Morning Line, then hold a SAC meeting, attend a quarterly PCC advisory committee meeting. This week I’ll also review student achievement data with Assistant Superintendent of Schools Adam Hartman and Director of Special Services Tim Renn and attend our second CCMS and Washington design meetings. On Wednesday we have a Central Office Staff meeting, I'll sit in on a state visit to the ECHO program, and attend a Regional Wellness Advisory Team meeting. On Thursday and Friday, I'll participate in PCC-Fremont Dean phone interviews, a CCEA officer touching base meeting, and an expulsion hearing related to an incident that took place last year.
Other Voices

While spending time in school common areas this week I had the opportunity to talk to quite a few students. One of my favorite conversations took place while I enjoyed lunch with the some children at Lincoln School of Science and Technology. While there I had a wonderful discussion with Evangelina, and Corin.
When asked what their favorite thing about school was this year, Corin readily answered, “music class!” Evangelina seems to favor recess time, and she “loves, loves, loves gym class!”
When asked what we might do to make school better, I received a resounding response “go outside more.” However, Evangeline thinks playing more learning games in class culd make school better. She also volunteered that her favorite teacher is Ms. Crabtree, and when asked about his favorite person in the school who is not a teacher, Corin responded “Ms. DeWolfe.”
I certainly enjoyed my time in the Lincoln cafetorium, and just can’t tell you how much I appreciate the hard work of the adults I observed making sure each child got plenty of time to eat before heading outside to recess.
Thanks for listening once again!
George S. Welsh
When asked what their favorite thing about school was this year, Corin readily answered, “music class!” Evangelina seems to favor recess time, and she “loves, loves, loves gym class!”
When asked what we might do to make school better, I received a resounding response “go outside more.” However, Evangeline thinks playing more learning games in class culd make school better. She also volunteered that her favorite teacher is Ms. Crabtree, and when asked about his favorite person in the school who is not a teacher, Corin responded “Ms. DeWolfe.”
I certainly enjoyed my time in the Lincoln cafetorium, and just can’t tell you how much I appreciate the hard work of the adults I observed making sure each child got plenty of time to eat before heading outside to recess.
Thanks for listening once again!
George S. Welsh