• 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

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.

Our Core Beliefs in Action

Picture
Picture
McKinley Principal Scott Morton shares the school's accreditation determination with the staff.
PictureA COMOM volunteer prepares dentures for a patient.
This year, Colorado schools that have been on the Accountability Clock due to Turnaround or Priority Improvement ratings were given an opportunity to submit a “request to reconsider status” to the Colorado Department of Education.  This process required schools to participate in CMAS testing at a level that was greater than required in the spring of 2021, and show evidence through those results or data collected locally that justify reclassification. McKinley Elementary School has been on the Accreditation Clock for three years and the staff has deeply engaged in changing the building culture and revisioning itself.  In an effort to improve its accreditation rating, the Wildcat staff and students participated in broader than required testing and submitted evidence justifying such a change.  

The result?  Last week the Colorado Department of Education reached out to us with this message: 

Congratulations!  The department ran calculations for the expedited pathway of the 2021 request to reconsider process and your district has at least one school that meets the criteria for an improved plan type.  Using available 2021 state assessment data, McKinley Elementary School met achievement and growth thresholds equivalent to the 2019 PERFORMANCE expectations.  

What does this mean?  McKinley Elementary School has advanced from Turnaround status, the lowest rating a school can achieve, to Performance, the highest accreditation rating an individual school can achieve.  

We congratulate Principal Scott Morton and the entire McKinley staff on this outstanding accomplishment and look forward to following the school’s continued progress.  With McKinley’s deep focus on developing the traits and skills the district has targeted this is a great example of working toward core belief number 3!

On another front, last weekend the Cañon City School district hosted a Colorado Mission of Mercy Free Dental Clinic for Fremont County residents in need.  Hundreds of community members volunteered for and participated in this event, receiving upwards of a quarter of a million dollars in free dental care.  In support of this effort, the Cañon City School District kept Thursday September 16th and Friday September 17th open on its calendar so operations staff could be on hand to help set up and tear the event down.  We offer a big thank you to all the folks who made this possible!

Picture
Picture
The COMOM free dental care event took place last Friday and Saturday. 

Our Future Focus

Unfortunately, there has been much confusion early this school year regarding how we make decisions regarding who should be quarantined or isolated for how long as a result of COVID exposure. 

In order to put the Cañon City School District’s complete focus back on educating children and driving program improvement, we’ve come to an agreement with the Fremont County Department of Public Health and Environment to hand over all day-to-day COVID isolation and quarantine decision-making to their team. 

What's different?

Beginning Wednesday, September 22nd, being FCDPHE already has access to COVID test results, there is no need for families to communicate them to the school district.  

Related questions are to be communicated directly to FCDPHE located at 201 N. 6th Street, Cañon City, Colorado.  Their phone number is 719-275-7450.  If you have any questions you can contact them for guidance or visit https://covid19.colorado.gov/practical-guide-for-operationalizing-cdc-school-guidance 

Moving forward, when FCDPHE receives information about a positive test related to a CCSD student or staff member, they will conduct all contact tracing and they will notify families regarding the required next steps.  

FCDPHE will then notify CCSD when an individual is placed in isolation or quarantine, and for how long and CCSD will faithfully enforce all isolation and quarantine recommendations made by FCDPHE on its campuses. 

As this effort evolves, the Cañon City School District will closely monitor COVID transmission trends and make school and district-wide decisions about operations and mitigation strategies aimed at keeping its doors open to all children every day for the long haul. 

All along, the focus of the district has been to keep its schools open to as many students as possible, every day, with as few limitations.  The community can support our effort by continuing to practice proven mitigation strategies. This means you should stay home if you have symptoms, keep your child at home if they are exhibiting symptoms, wash your hands regularly, and maintain social distance whenever you can.  

Applying Our Traits and Skills

Picture
Picture
Picture
The students at Cañon Exploratory School are already enjoying new furniture purchased to support their instructional model!
In Spring 2021 the Cañon City School district, thanks to an improved financial position in its Capital Reserve Fund related to lease purchase loans ending and tackling many of its most pressing facilities issues with the support of Building Excellent Schools Today grants, was able to develop a three-year plan to significantly upgrade school furniture.  Many of our current classroom furnishings date as far back as the mid-1900's.  Thanks to a 2005 bond allowing for the building and furnishing of a new Harrison K-8 School as well as a new high school wing, we finally were able to make progress on the classroom instruction equipment front. With the passage of our 2017 bond and the acquisition of BEST grants supporting the building of a new Washington Elementary and a major upgrade of the Cañon City Middle School campus, we have been able to address outdated furniture issues in those buildings. This fiscal year, within our Capital Reserve budget, we committed to upgrading Cañon Exploratory School, and these items were recently installed. Next fiscal year we intend to do the same at McKinley Elementary and Lincoln School of Science and Technology. Two years out, our plan is to complete our upgrade cycle by replacing obsolete furniture at Cañon City High School. When this is done, all classroom furniture will have been installed int eh current century!  

Why has this been a major area of focus for us?  In an instructional environment where we promote problem solving, innovation, collaboration, and communication, the way we set up our classrooms needs to reflect the work students are doing in them. 

​Thanks for making this possible for our students and thanks for listening once again,

George S. Welsh 
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.