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Fremont County SChoolS DireCtory ELEMENTaRy SCHooLS
PRESCHooLS
Washington Elementary School
Fremont County Head Start
606 N. 9
th
St, Cañon City
1718 Brookside Ave, Cañon City
(719) 276-6090
(719) 275-8636
http://www.washingtonbears.org
http://www.uaacog.com/programs/
Canon Exploratory School 2855 N. 9th St, Cañon City (719) 276-6050 http://www.canoncityschools.org/ces
McKinley Elementary School 1240 McKinley St, Cañon City
fremontcountyheadstart.html
Kinder Haus 810 E. 3rd St, Florence (719) 784-4505 Find us on Facebook!
Mountain View Core Knowledge Preschool 890 Field Ave, Cañon City
(719) 276-6010
(719) 275-1980
http://www.mckinleywildcats.org
http://www.mvcks.org
Lincoln School of Science & Technology
Rocky Mountain Children’s Discovery Center
420 Myrtle Ave, Cañon City
710 S. 8th St, Cañon City
(719) 276-5830
(719) 275-3318
http://www.canoncityschools.org/lincoln
Find us on Facebook!
Harrison School 920 Field Ave, Cañon City (719) 276-5970 http://www.harrisonhawks.org
Mountain View Core Knowledge
The Giving Tree 219 N. Orchard Ave, Cañon City (719) 275-2925 Find us on Facebook!
SPIN Early Childhood Care and Education Center 1333 Elm Ave, Cañon City
890 Field Ave, Cañon City
(719) 275-0550
(719) 275-1980
http://www.starpointco.com/services-support/
http://www.mvcks.org
childrens-services/spin/
Penrose Elementary School
SPIN on the North Side
100 Illinois St, Penrose
517 Diamond Ave, Cañon City
(719) 372-6777 http://pes.re-2.org
Fremont Elementary School 500 W. 5th St, Florence (719) 784-6303 http://fes.re-2.org
Cotopaxi Elementary School 345 County Road 12, Cotopaxi
(719) 275-1950 http://www.starpointco.com/services-support/ childrens-services/spin/
Kinder Haus in Penrose 100 Illinois Ave, Penrose (719) 784-4505 Find us on Facebook!
New Child Montessori Preschool 2855 N. 9th St. Rm 26, Cañon City
(719) 942-4131
(719) 671-7367
http://www.cotopaxire3.org/
Find us on Facebook!
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Fremont County SChoolS DireCtory HiGH SCHOOLS Canon City High School
Cotopaxi Junior/Senior High School
1313 College Ave, Cañon City
345 County Road 12, Cotopaxi
(719) 276-5870
(719) 942-4131
http://www.cchsweb.org/
http://www.cotopaxire3.org/
Florence High School
G.O.A.L. Academy
2006 Colo. 67, Florence
402 Royal Gorge Blvd, Cañon City
(719) 784-6414
(719) 423-7164
http://fhs.re-2.org/
http://www.goalac.org/
MiddLE SCHOOLS Canon City Middle School
Harrison School
1215 Main St, Cañon City
920 Field Ave, Cañon City
(719) 276-5740
(719) 276-5970
http://www.canoncitymiddleschool.org/
http://www.harrisonhawks.org
Fremont Middle School
Mountain View Core Knowledge
215 North Maple, Florence
890 Field Ave, Cañon City
(719) 784-4856
(719) 275-1980
http://fms.re-2.org/
http://www.mvcks.org
Cotopaxi Junior/Senior High School
Canon Exploratory School
345 County Road 12, Cotopaxi
2855 N. 9th St, Cañon City
(719) 942-4131
(719) 276-6050
http://www.cotopaxire3.org/
http://www.canoncityschools.org/ces
BACK TO SCHOOL • AUGUST 31, 2016 • 3
TECHNOLOGY AND TEACHING
Future of Education
District uses robots for new literacy program
By Sara Knuth The Daily Record
M
ost days during the 2016-17 school year, elementary students in the Cañon City School District will see a robot roaming the hallways. With wheels attached to an iPad, the machine is the district’s newest teacher. “He just turns himself on,” said Gina Gallegos, the district’s new literacy coordinator. “We have to make sure the door is open and then he just toodles around.” “Sometimes,” Superintendent George Welsh said, “he’ll just wait in the hall and say, ‘Hey can you take me to this classroom?’” The robot is part of a literacy program the district is implementing this year. After receiving an Early Literacy Grant from the Colorado Department of Education, the district decided to adopt Lindamood-Bell, a literacy program based on brain research. When the robot is turned on, students and teachers can see the face of an instructor living outside of Cañon City. Based in San Luis Obispo, Calif., Lindamood-Bell works with other districts in the U.S. and internationally. “They can give you onsite support without actually having someone live in your community,” Welsh said. The district’s new program also will utilize five new human literacy coaches. In its early stages, they will focus on improving the reading comprehension of students kindergarten through
The Cañon City School District will use ‘robots’ to help with literacy instruction this year. fifth grade, he said, especially those who struggle with reading. “The robot is just an extra person and a very qualified person,” Gallegos said. By the beginning of the school year, Welsh said, the district will have trained 60 educators in the program. And throughout the school year, the bulk of training for teachers comes from the literacy coaches. “We just watch instruction, and we ask kids things every once in awhile,” Gallegos said. “We might model instruction for the teacher.” Welsh and Gallegos both have worked with Lindamood-Bell before. “We experienced success working with LindamoodBell in two separate places,”
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Welsh said. When Gallegos worked for Pueblo City Schools in the early 2000s, she said the district thrived under the program. Today, the situation at Pueblo City Schools is different — it might face state intervention this year if its test scores don’t improve. But in the early 2000s, Gallegos said, the district was flourishing. “We were actually recognized as one of the highestperforming districts in the entire state at the time,” she said. “Hard to believe, with the current situation in Pueblo, but a few years ago, we experienced a lot of success. What I’m excited about here in Cañon City is the replication of that success we had in Pueblo.”
Welsh, who was the superintendent of schools in Center, Colorado for 18 years, said the district had similar successes. “I worked with the folks at Lindamood-Bell and we took kids 90 percent poverty, 95 percent minority, half of them English Language Learners, and we took them from 20 percent proficiency to above state average,” he said, “so 75, 76 percent proficiency over the course of three years. “We saw tremendous growth in the reading ability of our kids, which of course bleeds into other subject areas, and that carried on into middle school.” Last year, the district didn’t have a designated time during the school day
Sara Knuth / Daily Record
for teachers to work on literacy, and the instruction was up to the teachers. Plus, Welsh said, the literacy resource Cañon City teachers have been using for the past decade hasn’t necessarily met state standards. “It really didn’t line up well to the standards that we must teach for literacy in the state of Colorado at this point,” Welsh said. “It was a bit of a hodge-podge approach.” This year, however, educators will receive training and have a go-to literacy coach in their schools to help them with instruction. Additionally, the district is implementing new reading materials, called Journeys, and “there is a guaranteed 90 minutes Please see ROBOTS on 6
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ROBOTS from page 4
per day that we will teach literacy, reading and writing,” Welsh said. “Every kid we identify with a significant reading deficiency will have the opportunity to participate in the Lindamood-Bell intervention groups,” he said. Gallegos added that the program is individualized — it will teach kids based on their reading level, she said. And Gallegos and Welsh said that makes a difference. “I know it’s the right work because I’ve seen it change kids’ lives,” Welsh said, “kids who hide in the classroom, or act out with their behavior because they’re trying to mask the fact that they can’t decode words or they can’t comprehend sentences. “Go from that to kids who are starting to get it, and they’re fully engaged in the class because they can do Sara Knuth / Daily Record everything that’s expected of Students participate in the Cañon City School District's summer program as a ‘robot’ sits in the background. them in class. That’s key.”
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6 • AUGUST 31, 2016 • BACK TO SCHOOL
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CIVIC OUTREACH
Assistant principal Brian Sprenger, left, and Principal John Pavlicek pose for a photo at Harrison School.
Sara Knuth / Daily Record
Change of Culture
Leaders implement programs to encourage leadership, community involvement By Sara Knuth The Daily Record
age test scores and a lack of connectedness with the community, left the school looking for ways hortly after John Pavlicek to change its culture. and Brian Sprenger took That’s why this year, Harrison over as the leaders of Harriis shifting its focus. Pavlicek and son K-8 School last year, they realized their plans for the school Sprenger, the assistant principal, are implementing programs to weren’t going to work. help instill a sense of leadership Most of their time had been and community involvement in spent focusing on instruction, and ultimately changing the way the kids. “We realized the first thing we they taught kids. But they said had to work on was changing the they had one problem: their students just weren’t ready to learn. climate and culture of the building so that we could prepare kids “Our first three weeks in this when they came through these building, once we got students doors for high expectations, to last year, we either had the cops give them the support they need or the Department of Human Services or other type of govern- and hopefully be ready to learn,” Pavlicek said. ment organizations in our buildOne program the school is ing every single day,” Pavlicek implementing this year, Adopting said. That, paired with below-aver-
S
Communities for Excellence, “These kids are going to take a focuses on developing leadership very active role in deciding how capacity in students. Additionally, they want to serve the communithe school is starting “Hawk ty,” Pavlicek said. “Instead of our Time,” a block of time during the schools going to businesses with school day when children meet our hands out, saying, ‘Hey what with an adult and a group of 10 can you do for Harrison School?’ peers to work on character devel- we want to go out and say, ‘What opment. can Harrison do for our commuDuring Hawk Time, Harrison nity?’” employees, with positions rangBy carrying this mindset, Paving from custodians to classroom licek said, the program will inditeachers, will meet with those rectly benefit kids who don’t typistudents to discuss a particular cally see themselves as leaders. characteristic, including honesty Other programs and organizaor trust. tions that promote leadership in As part of the ACE program, students, he said, target students the school will take kids on lead- who are already high-achievers. ership conferences and work But programs like ACE, he said, with community leaders to find focus on everyone. ways Harrison students can con“And hopefully when faced Please see CULTURE on 8 tribute to Cañon City. BACK TO SCHOOL • AUGUST 31, 2016 • 7
CULTURE from page 7
with a situation, or a context, in which they can make a bad decision that hurts the community, they actually have an investment and ownership in that they ultimately make the right decision,” he said.
Jim Hulihan, an educator with the ACE program, has traveled to Cañon City from his home in California several times to help the administrators launch the program. Pavlicek and Sprenger also have been working with Florence High School, which implemented the program three years ago.
They said they hope the program extends to adults in the community, even those who don’t have kids in the school system. For those who do have kids in the district, Pavlicek said he hopes the program will help them feel invested in the community, too.
“When I look at Cañon City as a whole, I see there’s not greater need than to inject hope into our youth and even into the adults within our community,” Pavlicek said. “There’s this sense of resignation that permeates through this community that I’ve never seen before, and it’s affecting our schools.”
Harrison School, located at 920 Field Ave. in Cañon City, is undergoing changes this year.
state test scores in early August, for example, the administrators saw even more room for change. “We started looking at our standardized testing score this week,” Pavlicek said, “and our middle school is in the teens in regards to math achieveAfter looking at last year’s ment. I’m talking about
teens in regards to the percentage of students who are meeting the state expectations in math. The low 20s in language arts. We’re better than that. Our kids are better than that.” The state averages, Sprenger added, are in the 30s and 40s — “and we’re in the teens.”
Carie Canterbury / Daily Record
Harrison K-8 School Principal John Pavlicek greets students on the first day of school last year. 8 • AUGUST 31, 2016 • BACK TO SCHOOL
“But a lot of it is our community has put their hands up and said, ‘Hey we’ve done this for 15 years. Of course, it’s going to be this way. Don’t get in my business, we won’t get in yours and we’ll be fine,’” Pavlicek said. “We somehow have to bridge that.” Pavlicek said he hopes
Sara Knuth / Daily Record
the administration “can improve our school, so we can improve our community.” “We want our community to be proud of the type of student we move on from Harrison School. Right now, I don’t think we, as a school, can honestly say that.”
Carie Canterbury / Daily Record
Harrison K-8 School Principal John Pavlicek greets students.
PROFILES
Striving for Excellence
Summers new principal at CCHS By Sara Knuth The Daily Record
Before most K-12 teachers take over a classroom, they spend hours learning in a different classroom. But the year before Bill Summers started student teaching at Cañon City High School, he was commanding an airbase in Kuwait. As he planned to retire from his 23-year Air Force career, he also was making plans to start a new one. Five years and one master’s degree later, Summers is ready to lead again, this time as principal. “I always wanted to be a teacher, especially toward the latter part of my Air Force career,” he said. Summers worked on his master’s degree in secondary education from the University of Phoenix while he was deployed. When he retired from that career, he was at the rank of colonel. Summers’ military career started immediately after he graduated from CCHS in 1985. He attended the Air Force Academy, and after he finished up his education there, he became a military transport pilot. The next 23 years of his life were spent traveling, and living in, different parts of the world, including Europe and the Middle East. Summers and his wife, Stephanie, also have three daughters, who spent most of their school years in Japan and Germany. Mariah, his oldest daughter, spent most of her time overseas, but his second daughter, Haley, graduated
Sara Knuth / Daily Record
Bill Summers, the new principal of Cañon City High School, poses for a photo at the entrance of the school.
“I always wanted to be a teacher, especially toward the latter part of my Air Force career.”
During his time as an English teacher, he implemented a vocational English proBill Summers gram targeted toward students who “don’t necessarily new principal of Cañon City High School plan to attend a four-year university right after high a school of excellence,” he from CCHS after attending school,” he said. said. the school for two years. “That’s not to say they’re Part of that will include Kodee, his youngest, will not going to college,” he making sure the school is start as a freshman there said, “because I truly believe secure. this year. that every student, every “I want to make sure we After Summers completed person, will and should his student teaching, he was approve the programs within someday achieve a higher the school to safeguard us hired as an English teacher level of education past a high against the realities of our at CCHS. Stephanie Sumschool diploma at some time world, current world, if you mers also works in the disin their life, but it may not be trict, as a paraprofessional at will,” he said. “There will be a traditional four-year colsome plan changes to help Lincoln Elementary. lege right out of school.” As he starts his new role us come up to speed on The class, like many other as principal, Summers has those.” vocational programs at the big plans. Summers also plans to school, helped to instill a highlight some of the real“I want to ensure that sense of relevancy in the world programs at the Cañon City High School is classroom. While the school has several academic proviewed by the community as school.
grams targeted toward students who plan to attend college, he said, it wasn’t necessarily geared toward those who don’t. “Relevance in the classroom is important,” Summers said. “In other words, if I want to teach students information, I have to make that information relevant to their immediate future and their lives in general.” He also hopes to encourage academic programs, such as the Advanced Placement program, extracurriculars and athletics. “I want to make sure our students are prepared for their lives, whatever they choose to do,” Summers said. “One thing I hope to do in my time as principal here is bring relevancy to the classroom.”
BACK TO SCHOOL • AUGUST 31, 2016 • 9
CAÑON CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
What’s Best for the district
District mulls applying for grant to address $12 million in building repairs By Sara Knuth The Daily Record
After visiting a $25 million home in Aspen about three years ago, Cañon City School District Superintendent George Welsh got to thinking: That house was probably worth more than all of the homes in his former school district combined. As the former superintendent of schools in Center and president of the Colorado Association of School Executives, he was on a bus tour through Colorado with former Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia to help promote the state’s new Reading to Ensure Academic Development Act. “I was next to the Lt. Gov.,” Welsh said, “and I asked, ‘How much do you think that house was worth that we were in last night?’ And he goes, ‘Let’s ask around the bus; what do you guys think?’ And we kind of came to the conclusion that (it was) $25 million. “So, I’m the superintendent of Center Schools, 700 students. Total property wealth in the entire district is $25 million.” Because of this, the taxing capacity in Aspen would be “exponentially more” than that of poorer school districts, such as Center, Welsh said. And for years, that’s how schools received maintenance funding. Situations like this are part of the reason a group
Sara Knuth / Daily Record
Washington Elementary needs more than $3 million worth of repairs. Officials said a BEST grant could help address those repairs.
George Welsh of Colorado parents and school districts challenged the way schools receive maintenance funding with a class action lawsuit, Giardino v. State Board, in the late 1990s. The case resulted in Daily Record File Photo a $190 million settlement to Please see FUNDING on 11 Cañon City Middle School is under consideration by the school board for closure.
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FUNDING from page 10 help maintain schools, and years later, a new program known as Building Excellent Schools Today. This year, the Cañon City School District is considering applying for a BEST grant, though there are a few obstacles it needs to overcome before it can apply. As the district looks at ways to address $12 million worth of building repairs, it’s considering, among several options, closing a school, asking the community for tax dollars and applying for a BEST grant. If the district decided not to apply for the grant, “the community tax bill would be 65 percent higher that it has to be without BEST grant support,” according to a presentation Welsh gave at a school board meeting Aug. 8. But before the BEST grant was an option for Colorado districts, schools depended entirely on local property wealth for maintenance funding. And that posed a problem for the Lake County School District, which serves students in Leadville. In an article for the Nebraska Law Review, Kathleen Gebhardt, the lead attorney in the Giardino v. State Board lawsuit, wrote that “the conditions in Leadville’s schools were deplorable.” Situated between Eagle and Summit Counties, Gebhardt wrote, Leadville’s assessed value was significantly lower than those surrounding counties. “Its capital construction needs far outnumbered the amount of resources available to it, even had it been able to bond to its fullest capacity,” she wrote, so problems, such as leaky roofs and boilers that couldn’t heat schools, couldn’t be addressed.
Daily Record File Photo
Washington Elementary is under consideration for closure. By closing the school, the district could become a better candidate for a BEST grant. But after the state settled the lawsuit, school districts could access the $190 million through capital construction grants.
and safety issues, and to even build brand new buildings, as long as the community can provide a financial match,” he wrote. That match, he said, is “It was quickly recogbased on a district’s “pernized this $190 million would not be nearly enough ceived ability to pay,” which is determined via property to solve the actual probwealth. lem,” Welsh wrote in an email. “However, the settle“The Cañon City School ment was an admission by District’s required match the state that it in fact has for any BEST project is 35 some responsibility in mak- percent,” Welsh wrote. ing sure local school disThis year, as the district tricts can afford to build looks at ways to address its and maintain adequate edu- facilities needs, the BEST cational facilities.” grant is under serious conIn 2007, the state introsideration, but it would duced the BEST program to mean the district could lose create a “more sweeping some control over the and long-term solution,” future of its facilities. Welsh wrote. Welsh said the nine-per“BEST allows school dis- son BEST Board is more tricts, based on facilities likely to award the grant if needs and local property the district uses all of its wealth, to apply for and available space. In order to secure small and large scale get there, the school board grants to address health is considering closing a
school and moving kids to a different one. At the top of that list is Washington Elementary School, which needs more than $3 million in repairs, but the district is also considering closures for McKinley Elementary School and Cañon City Middle, two schools with low population centers. It’s also considering removing sections of some schools. “The last thing BEST wants to do is fix facilities for buildings that are not being used,” Welsh said, because much of its funding comes from taxes. The BEST grant receives funding from four main sources: state land trust funds, Colorado lottery spillover funds, marijuana excise taxes and interest generated from those sources. “Without selling any rec-
reational marijuana in Fremont County, we can access the tax dollars from marijuana, but we have to have our facilities set up at the right size to have a chance,” Welsh said. If the district is awarded a BEST grant, Welsh said it would lower the community tax bill. Because the grant could cover a considerable portion of the district’s funding needs, Cañon City residents would pay less. But without the BEST grant, Welsh said, the district likely would have to ask the community for more funding. And without any funding at all, Welsh said, a school like Washington would be unsafe for kids within a few years, even though it’s safe for now. The Cañon City School Board is set to make a decision on the future of the facilities Nov. 1.
BACK TO SCHOOL • AUGUST 31, 2016 • 11
GOAL ACADEMY
Providing Unique Experiences Academy caters to students’ individual needs
program providing outdoor ecological explorations both locally and nationally. Trips Special to the Daily Record ety. gurate the first parent conplanned for the year include nection meeting of the year. The GOAL Academy Winter Park, Moab Utah, Kicking off the school GOAL Academy High Drop-in Site has been 10th mountain division in year, the Canon City GOAL School has monthly parent described as the hub of an Leadville, Organ Pipe Cactus Academy Drop-in Center will connection meetings that educational movement. A host a Back to School Carni- allow staff the opportunity to movement that collaborates National Monument, Mt. Rushmore, and the San Juan val on Sept. 3 from 1 p.m. to review with parents the with the many unique stake Islands. Additionally, GOAL 6 p.m. The celebration will progress of our students. holders of Fremont county. Academy will continue to include favorites like a dunk The GOAL Academy team GOAL Academy has provpartner with the Pueblo tank for the principal, a varien to be a cornerstone in the has worked tirelessly to Nature and Raptor Center ety of games for the family, improve the student’s suceducational community of offering unique coursework friendly competitions, along cess within our curriculum. Fremont county. Providing that guides student underwith sweet treats and students with one on one The 2016-2017 school year standing of the natural world snacks. All local high school mentoring gives rise to confi- will be another successful all around them. Canon City students and their families dence within our students. academic year and as we students will have the opporare encouraged to join in the Learning how to learn, advo- begin this journey we look tunity to apply for college fun. cate for their themselves, forward to partnering with courses at the Fremont camand looking to a future other community leaders. As pus of Pueblo Community On September 7th the in years past there will be a Canon City GOAL Academy beyond a diploma is the College. host of experiential educaDrop-in Center will also host resounding reason GOAL Student council in years Academy graduates become tion opportunities with our an ice cream social from past have provided tradition1pm to 5pm as a way to inau- productive members of soci- very own GOAL Ventures
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al celebrations such as the annual winter dance and the traditional spring prom with a variety of fund raising events. Additionally, the student council will continue fostering leadership through community collaboration by helping with the Pantry of Fremont food bank program. Florence and Penrose families will continue to benefit from our staff efforts in engaging our families from these communities. We as a school, are looking forward to the days ahead as we continue to strengthen our community by creating productive members of society. Feel free to stop in any time. Yours for a better future – GOAL Academy High School.
FREMONT SCHOOL DISTRICT
Creating Experiences for Students RE-2 proud to be a Destination District By Rhonda Roberts Special to the Daily Record
Fremont RE-2 School District in Florence and Penrose is a Destination District! We are so proud of the progress we have made in our district and excited about the outstanding education and innovative options we offer students and families in RE-2! On Aug. 15, we welcomed back our returning students, as well as those students new to the district. Fremont RE-2 will begin our first year working within the 4-day week model. We are beyond thrilled at the family, community, and organizational sup-
churches will be offering programs to our students on Fridays. Additionally, families will have access to before and after-school programs at Kinder Haus Florence and Kinder Haus Penrose and The Boys and Girls Club at Fremont Middle School. What a great opportunity for our students to learn and grow in the arts and in life experiences outside the Rhonda Roberts classroom! Florence High School Stuport for our students in this dents will have the amazing endeavor. Fremont RE-2 stuopportunity to earn an Assodents will have a slightly ciate of Arts Degree or an extended school day in the Associate of Science Degree, 4-day week model, to ensure with the increased college all academic content is deliv- level classes offered to our ered, but students will also high school students at Florhave access to many opportu- ence High School and at the nities to grow and develop in Pueblo Community College other areas, also. Several of Campus in Cañon City. Freour local artists, dance stumont RE-2 will provide transdios, organizations, and portation for our FHS stu-
dents to attend Pueblo Community College on Fridays to allow for additional access to college classes other than those taught at FHS! Students can leave Florence High School with a high school diploma, an associate degree, and additional guaranteed transfer credits to most two or four year colleges. What an amazing opportunity for our students and what a financial relief to families with some students leaving FHS with less than two years to complete their bachelor’s degree requirements. Fremont RE-2 is celebrating our fourth year of the district’s 1-1 i-Pad Initiative! All of our 3rd -12th grade students have their own i-Pad for daily use at school and at home and our K-2 students have access to technology, as appropriate, for their level.
Our classrooms ARE 21st Century-ready classrooms, with all elementary and most secondary classrooms having Promethean Boards, projectors, and Apple TVs. Our students continually amaze us at their understanding and use of technology in our classrooms. Teachers extend student learning through the use of programs and apps that help students creatively demonstrate their understanding of a concept. Fremont RE-2 also works hard to inform our community about technology use in our schools. Last year, the Fremont RE-2 Technology Department sponsored our first annual Tech Fair and had over 100 vendors from educational companies to utility companies, students, and staff present cutting edge Please see ROBERTS on 18
Back to School Special
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BACK TO SCHOOL • AUGUST 31, 2016 • 13
FLORENCE-PENROSE SCHOOL DISTRICT
District moves to 4-day week
By Sara Knuth The Daily Record
S
tudents at Fremont Middle School returned to class on a Monday. But most of them were thinking about the day they were going to have off that Friday. As the Florence-Penrose School District transitions to a four-day school week this year, teachers and students alike are adjusting to a new schedule. “We’ve added about 50 minutes (to the school day),” said FMS principal Andy Fieth. “We’re still testing some of our systems, like our schedule, that kind of stuff, to make sure we’re where we need to be.” When students shared their emotions in a “Circle Up” session in Chris Minard’s seventh-grade math class on the first day of school Aug. 15, a lot of them said they were tired, and others couldn’t decide. But most of them said they were happy. And that’s a theme Superintendent Rhonda Roberts said she found in the district’s teachers on the first day, outside of one busing problem. Additionally, she said the district saw an increase in enrollment this year. “We had a great start today,” she said. “The teachers are reporting they had great days.” Roberts said the district had a scheduling problem with a student’s bus route, but that it was solved after the bus driver picked up the student. Some students said they already know how they’re going to spend their day off, though not all of them think the four-day week is a good
Chris Minard teaches his seventh-grade math class at Fremont Middle School. idea. “I’m going to camp and fish and hang out with friends,” said seventh-grader Alyssa Lopez, 12. Brandon Boehm, 13, said he’ll probably play video games on his day off, but he’s not excited about the extra day. “I kind of believe we need more time, not less,” he said. “America is so far behind from China and all those (countries). I think we need more time.” Fieth said the shortened week will allow for more time in individual classes, and that he hopes test scores will improve as a result. “I think the purpose that we went to, for us, was depth of knowledge,” Fieth said.
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Sara Knuth / Daily Record
“Sometimes, in a traditional 50-plus minute classroom, you’re right where you want to be and then the class period ends. “So with the four-day week, we’re hoping we can increase scores because we are getting the depth of knowledge we need to.” Some of the main goals for the year, Fieth said, are to improve test scores, possibly with the help of the new schedule, and to make sure students feel comfortable at the school. “We’re excited to see what it can do,” he said. “If it can impact scores, that would be great.” Sara Knuth: 719-276-7644, knuths@canoncitydailyrecord.com
Sara Knuth / Daily Record
Fremont Middle School teacher Chris Minard talks to his seventh-grade math class.
AIM GLOBAL
Group provides education alternatives Special to the Daily Record
demic team to help foster their educational growth. Both schools with SumTuition-Free Statewide mit Education Group ser Public School vice students 6th-12th Grades 6-12 grade across the state of Take classes online Colorado. We are proud to Computers available and offer families another loaned to students choice for the success of Flexible Schedules: Work their students. around your schedule! AIM Global is a FREE Free College Classes multi-district online alternaSupport: When you need tive education option for 6th through 12th-grade stu- it! At AIM Global, as with all dents for whom traditional SEG schools, we recognize education systems haven’t worked, for any number of there are many non-educational barriers to student reasons. AIM students come with a variety of sup- learning, and we work to build personalized pathport needs; some educational, some social-emotion- ways for ever y student to al; which we work through ensure they receive wellrounded support through by building a myriad of wraparound support ser vic- ever y phase of their time es for the students, as well with us. Their curriculum is provided through a as assigning them an aca-
greatness, one student, one school, one community at a time. And our vision is “ignited by passion, we will be the world-wide leader of innovative, effective and efficient solutions to create a better world.” If families have any questions about AIM Global or Immersion Schools opportunities, please contact the Courtesy Photo following local staff memStaff members of AIM Global bers. Location in Cañon City coming soon! blended learning model, students achieving a level John Naab which utilizes online curric- of master y in skills that will john.naab@sumedu.net be necessar y for their suculum from multiple sources cess long after high school 719-242-4181 to ensure customizability Rachel Kaplan is done. We help them for ever y student, with rachel.kaplan@sumedu.net build the foundation on teachers who are available 719-250-4230 which they will build their both face-to-face and via Leslie Blackwood lesfuture. electronic means. Our mission is empower- lie.balckwood@sumedu.net AIM Global is focused on ing the world to achieve 719-248-1408
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BACK TO SCHOOL • AUGUST 31, 2016 • 15
BACK TO SCHOOL
With new initiatives, Cañon City School District gears up for the year By George Welsh Special to the Daily Record
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t the Cañon City School District our vision is Learning for life! We believe what a child experiences in school each day must be highly relevant to their future success. We strive to achieve this by attracting and retaining the most amazing people in education, and offering parents a variety of choices in education models. Whatever the educational delivery method, our people operate from the core belief that with our support EVERY child is capable learning, growing, and realizing their true potential. In an effort to fully realize this vision we are focusing on three major improvement initiatives this year. At the kindergarten through fifth grade level, we will be implementing a Colorado Early Literacy grant during the next three years. This allows us to purchase, train, and support teachers to effectively use updated reading resources. However, we know books alone do not teach our children. Thus, our greatest effort will focus on supporting teachers to grow in their use of a variety of reading instruction and intervention strategies. Thanks to our grant, a newly hired district literacy coordinator will guide five literacy coaches in supporting staff to use Journeys reading materials and newly acquired Lindamood-Bell whole group and small group intervention strategies. Why is this important work at the top of our to-do list? We realize ensuring each child can read at or above grade level as early possible allows them to fully access our curriculum, to
George Welsh
Our final area of focus this year is engaging the greater Cañon City Schools community in developing long term solutions to help repair and upgrade many of our aged facilities. An outstanding learning experience begins the moment a child walks through the doors of his or her school building. fully participate in learning activities and, most importantly, to leave school each day with the tools needed to continue to lean and grow in their personal areas of interest on their own time. Our future focus for grades 6-12 is the implementation of a career pathways model aimed at helping our students fully achieve new Colorado graduation standards. Cañon City High School principal Bill Summers is already putting into practice outstanding ideas
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to this a desire to upgrade school entry and surveillance security, and the current price tag comes to the neighborhood of $12 million. Colorado’s School Finance Act was not designed to provide districts with funding to tackle such expensive work. As a result, our board of education has charged the CCSD administration with conducting a community engagement and exploration process to determine which facilities we will continue to maintain and how we might get the greatest bang for the buck as we seek to remedy these issues. The interests we are using to guide these decisions include making sure we are able to implement an effective instructional model, that if we make a decision to abandon a current facility we will have a plan for the future of that property, that we are able to Carie Canterbury / Daily Record maintain all our current Canon City School Superintendent George Welsh rode his neighborhood elementary bicycle to Harrison K-8 School last year during the district's schools if at all possible, and first half day of school. that if we have to move students from one building to ence a personalized pathcreated by our Cañon 2020 another we will transition to ways learning model. committee during the past doing so in a careful and Our final area of focus this thoughtful manner. The several years. Doing so will year is engaging the greater board of education will be offer every student the opportunity to explore their Cañon City Schools commu- considering many options nity in developing long term throughout the year, and strengths and weaknesses solutions to help repair and and areas of personal interinvites all community memest. CCSD secondary educa- upgrade many of our aged bers to engage by attending tors will guide students to facilities. An outstanding its meetings, offering comexplore careers, while creat- learning experience begins ments and opinions, and the moment a child walks ing instructional pathways helping us to arrive at the through the doors of his or fully relevant to what each best possible solution going student dreams to become. her school building. The forward. unfortunate reality we face 2016-17 will be a planning We here in the Cañon City year on this front. Our grade is, as a result of Father Time Fremont County RE-1 and a decade of steep fund6-12 teachers will meet in School District look to these Professional Learning Com- ing cuts, we have fallen challenges placed before us behind on our ability to munities, working hard to as opportunities to become develop processes needed to maintain buildings at a world better. We thank you for class level. We have already trusting us with your chilmake it possible for the determined our schools are Cañon City High School dren and welcome you to a Class of 2021, and all follow- in need of significant strucanother great school year! tural, roofing, and water ing cohorts, to have the George S. Welsh Superintendent of Schools delivery system repairs. Add opportunity to fully experi-
FOOD AND LEARNING
Colon Orchards loves to educate Special to the Daily Record
O
ne of Britt Colon’s favorite parts of running Colon Orchards is seeing kids learn about the farm. “I just love it when kids come out to the farm and experience it,” Colon said. The farm, located at 3175 Grandview Ave. in Cañon City, offers field trips throughout from the end of September through October, and encourages teachers to make reser vations quickly. “It does book up fast, so I encourage them to do it earlier than later,” Colon said. When field trips first arrive at Colon Orchards, Colon takes children through the farm’s safety rules. “We do a little safety thing, and tr y to make it fun,” she said, adding that it’s important to be aware of the farm’s surroundings. After that, Colon takes kids into the apple orchard to learn about the farm, including the types of animals that make a home there. “We talk about how apple trees grow, and how the apples develop,” Colon said. Additionally, she said, “we talk about good bugs and bad bugs. Here at the orchard, we don’t like to use pesticides. So, we like to introduce the good bugs to eat the bad bugs.” Then Colon takes kids on walks throughout the farm. “We take a walk through the orchard, and I let them pick and apple,” she said. “And then, I let them loose in the corn maze and let them burn off some energy. That’s usually really fun.” “They come out just smiling so big,” Colon said, adding that she takes them back to the orchard, where they drink fresh apple cider. When they’re finished with the cider, Colon shows the students where she keeps the produce, and teaches them about the different fruits and vegetables the orchard sells.
Sara Knuth / Daily Record
Britt Colon looks at apples at her family's orchard.
To finish off the day, Colon takes the children through the pumpkin patch, where they pick out a pumpkin. “If they want to book a time, just give me a call here at the orchard,” Colon said. Colon Orchards can he reached at (719) 275-6359.
“We take a walk through the orchard, and I let them pick an apple. And then, I let them loose in the corn maze and let them burn off some energy. That’s usually really fun.” Britt Colon
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Teachers! Now Booking Class Tours BACK TO SCHOOL • AUGUST 31, 2016 • 17
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Preschool Today, Success Tomorrow!
Do you have a 3 or 4 year old child?
They may qualify to receive one of Canon City School’s Colorado Preschool Program Scholarships! Additional programs for children as young as 6 weeks may also be available at no cost to you.
CALL ECHO NOW AT 719-276-6174
to schedule a screening and apply for a FREE preschool experience before it’s too late! 18 • AUGUST 31, 2016 • BACK TO SCHOOL
PRESCHOOL
ECHO puts focus on early childhood
Special to the Daily Record
friend) Independent skills (dressing or Would you like a preschool scholusing a spoon) arship for your child? Are you interChildren enjoy the games and parested in Parents as Teachers Home ents are reassured that their child is Visits? What other early Childhood doing well in the areas checked. If a services are available for your child problem is detected, ECHO will and family? point you in the right direction to It all starts here. The ECHO & help get your child on the right Family Center Early Childhood track. ECHO assists parents in findCouncil can help you with all of ing services available to help their these and more! child grow and develop, which What is ECHO? includes several preschool scholarECHO stands for Early Childhood ship options. Health/Education Outreach. The Your child’s education begins at ECHO & Family Center Council has birth. developed and coordinated services Every step in a child’s growth is for children prenatal to kindergarten part of the educational process! age in Fremont County since 1978. Spend an hour and a half at ECHO The mission is “To promote and susand be assured your child’s learning tain a comprehensive, high quality is on schedule. Early childhood proearly childhood system to support grams help your child take full families and prepare children for advantage of these important learnsuccess in school and life.” ing years and be ready for KinderWhat is an ECHO Screening? garten success. At an ECHO screening, your child Check-ups are encouraged for all will play fun games that will check: children beginning at 4-6 months to Vision school age. Hearing Don’t delay, make an ECHO Talking, listening and speaking Screening appointment today! clearly How do I schedule an ECHO Problem solving skills (building Screening? with blocks) Call the ECHO office at 719-276Large muscle skills (crawling or 6174 running) You may also check out the webSmall muscle skills (crayon mark- site for more information and resources at www.echofamilycenings or drawings) ter.org. Social skills (playing or having a
ROBERTS from page 13 technology concepts being used daily in our classrooms. Real-life application to real-life experiences for all of students is our goal! No educational organization could be successful without the commitment and dedication of its staff. Fremont RE-2 has effective teachers, principals, specialists, and support
staff. Each and every department brings their best to our students every day. Our overall scores are increasing, our opportunities for students are increasing, and our commitment to a quality, caring education for all students is increasing. Fremont RE-2 is proud to be a Destination District!
STAY HEALTHY
Back to School Health & Wellness Tips From Your Friends at St. Thomas More Hospital Special to the Daily Record
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New program with Cañon City Middle
t. Thomas More Hospital is a proud community partner that wants to ensure that students have a safe and healthy school year so they can excel in the classroom. Enjoy these health and wellness tips as you get back into your daily school routine:
This year, we’re excited to begin a pilot program with students at Cañon City Middle School that will provide health and wellness education on topics such as nutrition, exercise, safety, selfesteem and body image, antibullying, tobacco education, social media education and mental wellness. Our health experts will interact with students in the classroom as part of this new community outreach program.
Hand Washing Keeping our hands clean is one of the best things we can do to stay healthy and avoid spreading germs. Talk to your kids about the importance of good hand hygiene. Who wants to be sick or pass their sickness on to family or friends? Nobody! Tell kids to count to 20 or sing “Happy Birthday” while they wash their hands to make it fun. Hang a poster up in classrooms and restrooms with a note to “Drown those Germs!” It’s most important to wash hands after using the bathroom, before eating, after gym class and after recess. Cover your Cough/ Sneeze
Free Health & Safety Day Daily Record
Devin Salameno looks at the outside of an informational inflatable brain at the 14th annual Child Health & Safety Day, which was held in the parking lot of St. Thomas More Hospital. my of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians, and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to have children immunized before school. According to the CDPHE, immunizations are an important part of our children’s health care, and Colorado law requires that children going to school be vaccinated to prevent vaccinepreventable diseases.
Teach kids how to appropriately cover their cough. When you sneeze/cough, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue and then throw it away, or sneeze/ cough into your elbow – not into your hands – and then wash your hands. This will keep germs in the trash or down the drain Stay on schedule with rather than on hands which your children’s immunizawill spread to others. tion records to help them stay healthy and prevent Immunizations the spread of diseases to St. Thomas More suptheir families, teachers, ports recommendation by classmates and community. the Centers for Disease Work with your PediatriControl, American Acade-
cian or Family Medicine physician to ensure your student is on schedule with their immunizations. Get a Flu Shot Fall marks the beginning of cold and flu season. Kids and adults can fight the flu by getting an annual flu shot at your doctor’s office, Fremont County Public Health, or most local pharmacies. Getting the flu vaccine means you’ll be 60
percent less likely to need to see your doctor for flu symptoms. Backpack Safety Having a secure backpack and following weight restrictions will prevent injuries that can occur with students carr ying backpacks that are too heavy or not worn correctly. Make sure that straps are on both shoulders, not just over one. Use a backpack
Join us at the 16th Annual Child Health & Safety Day event on Sept. 10 from 9 a.m. to noon at the St. Thomas More Hospital parking lot. The event is FREE and features a car seat check point and giveaway, a life-size Operation game, the Mega Brain, Flight For Life Colorado, and a variety of health and safety education for kids and families.
that has wide straps for support, and be sure your student is not carr ying more than 15 percent of his or her body weight. Bike Safety Riding your bike or skateboard to school is great exercise, but don’t forget to be safe! Follow sidewalks, be diligent when crossing the street, and wear a helmet! You’ll significantly reduce the chance of experiencing a serious head injur y should you be involved in an accident.
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