Echoes from Cañon
Examples of Excellence
On an annual basis the Colorado High School Activities Association recognizes individuals in Colorado with more than 20 years of service as a head coach or director of its participating programs. These dedicated leaders are provided with a courtesy card from CHSAA allowing them admittance to any Colorado High School Activities Association sponsored event, even state championship contests. Fewer than 150 individuals from all of Colorado's 346 high schools have 20 years or more experience in a specific activity at the same school. This year the Canon City School District is proud to have three of these. They are Canon City High School employees Todd Albrecht (Vocal Music), Pat Callahan (Boys Soccer), and Duff Seaney (Wrestling). From the bottom of my heart I want to thank Todd, Pat, and Duff for their loyalty to our district and its children, and the tremendous impact they have had on the lives of so many of our students, performing artists, and athletes over all these years. Congratulations gentlemen!
I also offer kudos to director of finance Buddy Lambrecht and our hard working facilities staff for the coordination they exhibited in securing dollars for and installing a brand new, restaurant quality, kitchen in our CCHS culinary arts classroom. The dollars for this project were made available through the federal Perkins Vocational
I also offer kudos to director of finance Buddy Lambrecht and our hard working facilities staff for the coordination they exhibited in securing dollars for and installing a brand new, restaurant quality, kitchen in our CCHS culinary arts classroom. The dollars for this project were made available through the federal Perkins Vocational
Grant system, and I know our students are looking forward to working with this new equipment as soon as possible.
Finally, while conducting group administrator walkthroughs in Canon City Middle School on Wednesday I had the pleasure of observing one of our special education paraprofessionals, Donna Luciani, working in tandem in a classroom with language arts teacher Sheri Ravanelli. I want to commend both of these ladies for the mobility they showed in the classroom and the expert use that was being made of Donna’s precious time. Mrs. Luciani is assigned to Ms. Ravanelli’s class to support learning disabled students, but it was clear to me she does so in an unobtrusive manner in which she is not only a benefit to the students she has been assigned to help, but she supports all of the students in the classroom. Thank you Donna for this important work you are doing for the benefit of our students and staff members. Keep up the great work!
Finally, while conducting group administrator walkthroughs in Canon City Middle School on Wednesday I had the pleasure of observing one of our special education paraprofessionals, Donna Luciani, working in tandem in a classroom with language arts teacher Sheri Ravanelli. I want to commend both of these ladies for the mobility they showed in the classroom and the expert use that was being made of Donna’s precious time. Mrs. Luciani is assigned to Ms. Ravanelli’s class to support learning disabled students, but it was clear to me she does so in an unobtrusive manner in which she is not only a benefit to the students she has been assigned to help, but she supports all of the students in the classroom. Thank you Donna for this important work you are doing for the benefit of our students and staff members. Keep up the great work!
The Focus of Our Work
Last week we kicked off an improved suicide prevention and intervention process. Our first step was a free training offered to key staff members on Wednesday afternoon by the Colorado Safe Schools Resource Center on screening and identifying at-risk students and, unfortunately, how to handle circumstances when such a tragedy strikes a school community. Our next step will be training for our folks in a program called Sources of Strength. Sources of Strength is not readily recognized by students as a suicide prevention program because it actually focuses children to recognize all the good things that make their life worth living. Because of its success in this realm it has been proven to significantly reduce teen suicide rates where it has been implemented. Director of special education Kirsten Javernick is heading up the development of this process, supported by our district health and wellness committee and a $10,000 grant from the Fremont County Health Department, and I must say I am very impressed with the direction all of this work is heading, especially in light of the sensitive issue teen suicide can be.
On Wednesday at Noon the ballot order for our upcoming board of education election was determined by a blind draw that took place at the CCSD administration building, and it will be as follows: Nancy Bartkowiak, current board director Larry Oddo, Krysten Econome, Barb Penezac, current board director Lloyd Harwood, and Steve Barton. We have 3 open seats on our 5 member board, and so voters will be allowed to chose up to 3 of these 6 certified candidates. The top 3 vote recipients will be seated on the board in November. I encourage community members to learn all they can about each of these candidates and to have their voice heard by voting in the upcoming election to seat directors who best represent their vision for the future of our educational community.
On Wednesday at Noon the ballot order for our upcoming board of education election was determined by a blind draw that took place at the CCSD administration building, and it will be as follows: Nancy Bartkowiak, current board director Larry Oddo, Krysten Econome, Barb Penezac, current board director Lloyd Harwood, and Steve Barton. We have 3 open seats on our 5 member board, and so voters will be allowed to chose up to 3 of these 6 certified candidates. The top 3 vote recipients will be seated on the board in November. I encourage community members to learn all they can about each of these candidates and to have their voice heard by voting in the upcoming election to seat directors who best represent their vision for the future of our educational community.
This week we began the formal process of working in consort with building administrators to conduct group classroom instructional walkthroughs for the purpose of supporting improved instruction in all of our buildings. So far we have made such visits to classes in Harrison K-8, Washington Elementary, and CCMS, and I must say I have been quite pleased with the general condition of our instruction and the knowledge our administrators already possess regarding how to support teachers through observation. Our overriding goal in conducting these group instructional walks is to make sure administrators are being consistent in the feedback they offer teachers toward improvement, and to make sure all teachers are implementing tried and true instructional strategies including sharing with students clear learning targets or objectives, engaging all students in learning activities, and measuring whether or not students can achieve the learning target as a result of instruction. I believe many staff members are excited about this renewed focus on high quality instruction, while I also sense some are nervous and perhaps even suspicious about what we are trying to accomplish. I would like to ensure everyone the simple goal of this work is to support the teachers we already have in becoming the best possible classroom instructors they can be. It is a core belief of mine that every child’s classroom should be guided by an instructor who is teaching to their full potential. I believe continuous feedback and improvement process is the best, and least expensive, way to achieve this.
Finally, I will be working with CCMS, Washington, and Harrison school leaders next week to develop whole building evaluation processes tailored to their particular needs and the vision they have for each of their buildings. Our end product will be a way to clearly measure the success of each of these schools based on the priorities we have set locally. This process will then guide each school toward the vision each would like to realize, and twice annually, once at mid-year and once at the end of the year, an outside group of educators will be invited on site to measure progress toward stated goals. Some of our other schools may still decide to join this process, as I have given each principal until September 15th to make a decision whether or not to participate in this as a pilot.
Finally, I will be working with CCMS, Washington, and Harrison school leaders next week to develop whole building evaluation processes tailored to their particular needs and the vision they have for each of their buildings. Our end product will be a way to clearly measure the success of each of these schools based on the priorities we have set locally. This process will then guide each school toward the vision each would like to realize, and twice annually, once at mid-year and once at the end of the year, an outside group of educators will be invited on site to measure progress toward stated goals. Some of our other schools may still decide to join this process, as I have given each principal until September 15th to make a decision whether or not to participate in this as a pilot.
Last Week
For the week of August 31 to September 4 I conducted in building office hours at each of our regular school buildings. While doing so I was able to stay up to date on school district related email, attend to several larger projects, and meet many of our teachers, support staff members, and students in a casual setting. I also participated in formal classroom instructional walkthroughs in conjunction with director of student services Dominick Carochi and building level administrators at Harrison, CCMS, and Washington schools. I participated in the monthly KRLN Radio interview of area school superintendents on Tuesday morning, and sure enough while answering my first question I embarrassingly referred to our district as "Center" (a 19 year habit I have been trying to break for the last two and a half months). On Friday I trekked to Denver and back to attend the Colorado Department of Education new superintendent PLC meeting. While there I learned details about many things Colorado school districts must address on the reform front including the READ Act, elementary school early childhood readiness, academic standards, educator effectiveness and evaluation requirements, recent revisions to state assessments, district and school accreditation, unified improvement planning, financial transparency, revised graduation guidelines, and many supports the Colorado Department of Education offers regarding these key tasks. Finally, on Saturday evening I attended the CCHS Tiger Theatre 24 Hour One Act production of Parents Just Don't Understand directed by Andrew Fisher. I marveled at the talent of our students, especially their ability to learn their lines in only 24 hours time, and I laughed and laughed until my side hurt. What a great way to end the week!
This Week
This week I’ll celebrate Labor Day on Monday with my family. On Tuesday I’ll meet over breakfast with CCMS principal Tim Renn about creating his building's evaluation rubric. I’ll do the same over lunch with Harrison principal John Pavlicek and assistant principal Brian Sprenger on Tuesday, and on Thursday with Washington principal Brian Zamarripa. We have SAC, Leadership Team, and Evaluation Council meetings on Tuesday as well, then on Wednesday I’ll conduct CES, Washington, and CCHS in building office hours. I’ll also attend a district health and wellness committee meeting and then a get to know you meeting with representatives from our local Boys and Girls Club. On Thursday director of student services Dominic Carochi and I will conduct group instructional walkthroughs with Mckinley principal Drenda Manning. I also have a CCOE meeting on Thursday and I will conduct in building office hours at CCMS. On Friday September 11th I will be in Colorado Springs attending a Pikes Peak Area Superintendents Association meeting, and I will also hopefully peek in on a staff development session some of our folks will attend on formative assessment (how to measure what a child learns on a daily basis).
With a short week for me in CCCSD this week because of the Monday holiday and my need to be in the Springs on Friday, as well as the following week due to a family commitment, my in building office hours will be spread over the next two weeks as follows:
Wednesday September 9 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM at Cañon Exploratory School
Wednesday September 9 10 AM to 11 AM at Washington Elementary
Wednesday September 9 1 PM to 2 PM at Cañon City High School
Thursday September 10 1:30 PM to 2:30 Pm at Cañon City Middle School
Tuesday September 15th from 11 AM to Noon at Harrison K-8 School
Tuesday September 15th 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM at Mountain View Core Knowledge School
Wednesday September 16th from 8 AM to 9 AM at Lincoln Elementary
Wednesday September 16th from from 11:30 to 12:30 at McKinley Elementary
With a short week for me in CCCSD this week because of the Monday holiday and my need to be in the Springs on Friday, as well as the following week due to a family commitment, my in building office hours will be spread over the next two weeks as follows:
Wednesday September 9 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM at Cañon Exploratory School
Wednesday September 9 10 AM to 11 AM at Washington Elementary
Wednesday September 9 1 PM to 2 PM at Cañon City High School
Thursday September 10 1:30 PM to 2:30 Pm at Cañon City Middle School
Tuesday September 15th from 11 AM to Noon at Harrison K-8 School
Tuesday September 15th 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM at Mountain View Core Knowledge School
Wednesday September 16th from 8 AM to 9 AM at Lincoln Elementary
Wednesday September 16th from from 11:30 to 12:30 at McKinley Elementary
The Way I See It
Beginning this week the Canon City School District will be offering staff members a free and fun program aimed at support in reaching personal wellness goals while earning rewards along the way. This program not only encourages staff members to eat well and exercise more, it also offers advice on how to manage finances, family, and stress.
Our focus on staff wellness is steeped in the belief that happy and healthy employees contribute to a more positive and effective learning environment for our children. Folks who would like to learn more about this can contact Sarah Ley at [email protected] or just check out the program at http://join.virginpulse.com/wellness/
In attempt to motivate you to consider participating in this program I would like to share this motivational story about one of our employees! The bulk of this was penned by Brandon Hopper.
Sandy Vickerman wasn’t in a good place. The 40-year-old mother lacked happiness, confidence and a waist line she could be proud of. It seemed that no matter what she did, she couldn’t lose and keep any weight off.
A friend convinced Vickerman to contact the Fremont Regional Health & Wellness Team’s Sarah Ley about a program called Lose 2 Gain. The program partnered with Cañon City Community Fitness to offer a discounted rate for the 10-week program.
“Sarah let me join, even though I was already a week late,” Vickerman said. “I decided to make a commitment to myself that I was just going to do the best I could, and I knew the only person who could do this was me. I was given an awesome opportunity and I wanted to take full advantage of it.”
Vickerman didn’t start with a certain goal in mind, but she was determined to do everything she could to change her lifestyle. She said the right opportunity presented itself at the right time and she knew hard work would result in positive changes.
At first, it was difficult to just show up to the workout, but that quickly escalated into a desire to attend.
“Working out was my ‘me time’ and such a great stress reliever,” she said, adding that thinking of anything that stressed her during that day’s workout was simply impossible, so it was easy to stay focused.
Vickerman is the Preschool Special Education Clerk at the ECHO Office at the ACCESS Center for the Canon City School District. She’s been in the position for almost two years. She said she’d typically work out after leaving work to burn off the day’s stress before going home to enjoy her family time.
“I feel it was easy to continue because I began to feel and see results almost immediately,” Vickerman said. “I seemed to have motivation all around me, too. So many people at my church said it seemed like the weight just melted off me. I found a lot of inspiration and motivation from pins on Pinterest. Also, just the positive comments and encouraging words from all the amazing people I know at the school district, and now at the gym made it easier and easier.”
Soon after starting, Vickerman saw a post on Pinterest that hit home for her. It said, “I exercise because somehow completely exhausting myself is the most relaxing part of my day.”
As the weight melted off, Vickerman kept going strong throughout the 10-week program. Before it began she reached almost 193 pounds. Recently she weighed in at 147, losing almost 24 percent of her body weight. Her Body Mass Index went from 30.2 to 23, and her body fat percentage went from 35.8 to 22.8.
As fun as it is to look at the measurables, Vickerman said, the best part was having to clean out her closet twice this summer because she had so many clothes that didn’t fit anymore.
Our focus on staff wellness is steeped in the belief that happy and healthy employees contribute to a more positive and effective learning environment for our children. Folks who would like to learn more about this can contact Sarah Ley at [email protected] or just check out the program at http://join.virginpulse.com/wellness/
In attempt to motivate you to consider participating in this program I would like to share this motivational story about one of our employees! The bulk of this was penned by Brandon Hopper.
Sandy Vickerman wasn’t in a good place. The 40-year-old mother lacked happiness, confidence and a waist line she could be proud of. It seemed that no matter what she did, she couldn’t lose and keep any weight off.
A friend convinced Vickerman to contact the Fremont Regional Health & Wellness Team’s Sarah Ley about a program called Lose 2 Gain. The program partnered with Cañon City Community Fitness to offer a discounted rate for the 10-week program.
“Sarah let me join, even though I was already a week late,” Vickerman said. “I decided to make a commitment to myself that I was just going to do the best I could, and I knew the only person who could do this was me. I was given an awesome opportunity and I wanted to take full advantage of it.”
Vickerman didn’t start with a certain goal in mind, but she was determined to do everything she could to change her lifestyle. She said the right opportunity presented itself at the right time and she knew hard work would result in positive changes.
At first, it was difficult to just show up to the workout, but that quickly escalated into a desire to attend.
“Working out was my ‘me time’ and such a great stress reliever,” she said, adding that thinking of anything that stressed her during that day’s workout was simply impossible, so it was easy to stay focused.
Vickerman is the Preschool Special Education Clerk at the ECHO Office at the ACCESS Center for the Canon City School District. She’s been in the position for almost two years. She said she’d typically work out after leaving work to burn off the day’s stress before going home to enjoy her family time.
“I feel it was easy to continue because I began to feel and see results almost immediately,” Vickerman said. “I seemed to have motivation all around me, too. So many people at my church said it seemed like the weight just melted off me. I found a lot of inspiration and motivation from pins on Pinterest. Also, just the positive comments and encouraging words from all the amazing people I know at the school district, and now at the gym made it easier and easier.”
Soon after starting, Vickerman saw a post on Pinterest that hit home for her. It said, “I exercise because somehow completely exhausting myself is the most relaxing part of my day.”
As the weight melted off, Vickerman kept going strong throughout the 10-week program. Before it began she reached almost 193 pounds. Recently she weighed in at 147, losing almost 24 percent of her body weight. Her Body Mass Index went from 30.2 to 23, and her body fat percentage went from 35.8 to 22.8.
As fun as it is to look at the measurables, Vickerman said, the best part was having to clean out her closet twice this summer because she had so many clothes that didn’t fit anymore.
“I am happy, healthy and blessed beyond words,” Vickerman said. “I feel so good. I feel strong and confident and want to push myself, just to know for myself what I can do. I am able to play with my daughters and not get winded after just a few minutes. My 9-year-old has told me more than once when we are just walking around, ‘Mom, will you slow down? You’re speed walking!’ I just really enjoy life.
“I am most proud of all the new friends I have made. They are my amazing crossfit family – really encouraging even now that I have been doing this for eight months. I also feel so proud when I run into someone I know and they say I look amazing – that makes me feel even more amazing and motivated to keep making positive, productive choices.”
Ley is an assistant regional wellness coordinator and ran the program from the wellness team’s end last year.
“Sandy’s change is amazing and we’re all so proud of her. It’s truly incredible to see what people can accomplish when they have the desire,” Ley said. “Sandy’s might have been the biggest change we’ve seen through the Lose 2 Gain program, but we’ve watched so many district employees and their family members make extremely positive strides toward becoming the healthier person they want to be.”
Jen and Brian VanIwarden, teachers at Cañon City High School and owners of Cañon City Community Fitness, decided to continue offering the program with a discounted rate to school district employees and their families.
"It is always awesome to see someone like Sandy start the program not knowing what to expect and come out as a stronger, fitter, and more confident version of herself,” Brian VanIwarden said. “Sandy is a testament to the positive results you can make in your life if you are committed to improving your overall health and fitness."
Now that we have survived the our recent move, my wife Becky and I have decided to join in on the program this fall. We’ll let you know how it goes for us!
In the mean time I encourage each of you to seek some way to take care of yourself just like Sandy Vickerman has.
George S. Welsh
“I am most proud of all the new friends I have made. They are my amazing crossfit family – really encouraging even now that I have been doing this for eight months. I also feel so proud when I run into someone I know and they say I look amazing – that makes me feel even more amazing and motivated to keep making positive, productive choices.”
Ley is an assistant regional wellness coordinator and ran the program from the wellness team’s end last year.
“Sandy’s change is amazing and we’re all so proud of her. It’s truly incredible to see what people can accomplish when they have the desire,” Ley said. “Sandy’s might have been the biggest change we’ve seen through the Lose 2 Gain program, but we’ve watched so many district employees and their family members make extremely positive strides toward becoming the healthier person they want to be.”
Jen and Brian VanIwarden, teachers at Cañon City High School and owners of Cañon City Community Fitness, decided to continue offering the program with a discounted rate to school district employees and their families.
"It is always awesome to see someone like Sandy start the program not knowing what to expect and come out as a stronger, fitter, and more confident version of herself,” Brian VanIwarden said. “Sandy is a testament to the positive results you can make in your life if you are committed to improving your overall health and fitness."
Now that we have survived the our recent move, my wife Becky and I have decided to join in on the program this fall. We’ll let you know how it goes for us!
In the mean time I encourage each of you to seek some way to take care of yourself just like Sandy Vickerman has.
George S. Welsh
