October 13, 2024
Focus on the Fabulous
Celebrating Our Amazing Team Members
We are excited to welcome Raul Quintana as our new Business Office Assistant! Raul will be stepping into the role currently held by JJ, who will be retiring in January after an incredible 27 years of dedicated service. JJ has been a cornerstone of our district administration office, guiding us through numerous changes and transitions while keeping things steady and organized.
Over the next few months, JJ will work closely with Raul to ensure a smooth transition, sharing her wealth of knowledge and experience. We are excited to see Raul confidently take on this new role and continue the legacy of excellence in our Business Office. Please stop by the admin office to give Raul a warm Viking welcome!
LJ Garcia continues to wear many hats in our district, and we couldn’t be more proud! As our K-12 Nest SEL Specialist, he provides targeted, high-level support for students. Additionally, LJ serves as the district’s Gifted and Talented (GT) Coordinator, where he oversees GT programming, facilitates student identification, and develops Advanced Learning Plans to ensure GT students are challenged with curricula tailored to their needs.
We’re excited to share that LJ received high praise this past week from Robin Granville, SLV BOCES GT Coordinator. Robin commended LJ for his innovative approach, commitment to goal-setting, and follow-through, which have had a tremendous impact on our GT program. She also highlighted his focus on community outreach, involving GT students in meaningful, community-based projects. LJ helps students explore their unique talents through these initiatives while strengthening connections between our school and the wider community.
It's always great to receive positive feedback from our community partners about our staff and students' exceptional work. Way to go, LJ—you make us #VikingProud!
District Ownership Plan at Work
Priority #1- Curriculum and Instruction: CCSD staff lead rigorous, engaging, collaborative learning experiences in every classroom that are aligned with CCSD Instructional Expectations
One of my favorite things to do is to get into classrooms, especially when I witness the incredible instruction and learning opportunities provided to our students. Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting a few classrooms where exciting things were happening!
Mrs. Martinez’s 3rd-grade class engaged students in a hands-on, Project-Based Learning activity—building and launching rockets! The energy in the room was electric, and the students’ excitement soared along with their rockets as they launched successfully into the air.
In 4th grade, Mrs. Pepper led a rigorous math lesson on using partial products to tackle multi-digit multiplication problems. Students were fully engaged, demonstrating critical thinking as they worked through challenges and solved problems. In just 15 minutes, I watched Mrs. Pepper seamlessly guide students through each phase of the Gradual Release model, providing the necessary support to independently work on the problems by the end of the lesson.
Priority #2—Post-Secondary and Workforce Readiness (PWR): CCSD seeks to develop hardworking learners who are contributors, problem solvers, effective communicators, future-ready, and empowered with the skills necessary to meet and handle the challenges they will face in today’s world.
The PWR team is hard at work developing district programming to give our students as many opportunities as possible to prepare for life after high school. The CTE team held a meeting led by Mrs. Maldonado. It was a productive meeting discussing the possibility of turning her courses into internship opportunities for our students, helping them gain real-world experience.
In exciting news, Mr. Lavier has applied for a grant that could bring coding classes to our high school next year, further expanding our students’ skill sets and future career options. Meanwhile, our seniors diligently work on their portfolios and gather letters of recommendation as they prepare for their next steps after graduation.
Priority #3- Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS): CCSD will maintain high expectations for student learning and behavior. Structures are in place to support academic and behavioral needs of all students.
One of the key focuses of MTSS is building strong Family, School, and Community Partnerships, and our Parents Involved in Center Schools (PICS) team plays a vital role in that effort. The PICS team meets twice a month and is led by Lucia Miranda, Dalia Molina, Brisa Macias, Anita Rodriguez, and Gabrielle Rodriguez. Their mission is to empower parents and families to actively support their children's academic and social-emotional growth while strengthening the connections between our district, families, schools, and the community through education and support.
At last week’s Thursday evening meeting, the PICS team reviewed the District Ownership Plan, discussed the cell phone policy, and reviewed the Merit Competition's details. Families were encouraged to participate in the upcoming Parent-Teacher Conferences and join the Homecoming festivities!
Priority #4- Recruitment and Retention: CCSD is committed to attracting the best and brightest to teach our students. Our goal is to recruit, train, and retain highly qualified teachers. Effective educators are the single most important school based factor determining student success.
The R&R team will be helping to host the Harvest Party and the Board of Education meet and greet during our PTC on Thursday. We will be sharing out about our DOP too!
Rewind
Fast Forward
Calendar Dates- Thursday we will be celebrating Blue and White day and this will also be the one year date of our Center Family losing Steve Martinez. We will all wear blue, just like we wore the blue ribbons a year ago, to honor Steve and the impact that he made on each of us!
Homecoming Week and Red Ribbon Week- October 21st- Friday, October 25ttth
Red Ribbon Week helps our students focus on their commitment to themselves, healthy choices, and a bright future!
Monday, October 21st- Neon Dress Up Day, Department Head Meeting, Powder Puff Football @ 6:30 pm
Tuesday, October 22nd- Jersey Day, All Partners Meeting-SLV Career Connected Partnership, DHAC, C&E Meeting, Ruff ‘N Tuff Volleyball @ 6:30 pm
Wednesday, October 23rd- Dress like Your Favorite Character Day, Rural Alliance Advocacy, Parade @ 1:30 PM, Students released at 2:00 pm, Parent Teacher Conferences- Secondary Home Visits- 4:00- 7:30 pm
Thursday, October 24th- Blue and White Day, Remembering Steve-O, ICAP, Construction Meeting, Parent Teacher Conferences- 4:00- 7:30 pm, Homecoming Pep Rally @ 3:30 pm, Harvest Party @ 4:00 pm, BOE Meet and Greet @ 4:00 pm- during Harvest Party, CHS X-Country Regional Meet
Friday, October 25th- CHS X-Country Regionals @ 9:00 am, CHS Football Homecoming game vs. Del Norte @ 1:00 pm, CHS V-ball vs. Las Animas @ 4:30 pm
Saturday, October 26th- Homecoming Dance @ 7:00 pm
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