Center of Focus

February 16, 2026

Focus on the Fabulous

Our Viking wrestlers worked hard at the regional competition, and our young team performed well, gaining valuable experience that will continue to strengthen our program.

Congratulations to Michael Archuleta, who placed 1st at Regionals this weekend and will be representing Center at State! Michael, we are proud of all your hard work this year and this outstanding accomplishment. We know you will represent Center well. Congratulations also to Devan Garcia, who placed 6th, and Derriq Thompson, who earned 5th place. These are great accomplishments for our wrestling team. Congrats, and Go Big Blue!

We also want to recognize our transportation team and our Viking family, especially Miss Strain’s students, who went the extra mile to let our bus drivers know how much we value their work safely transporting our students to and from school and the many events that keep our district moving.

Our new Transportation Director has jumped right in, sometimes even “under the bus”, to ensure every vehicle is safe and ready to roll for our kids. Thank you to Tony Garcia for continuing to support the department with his expertise and for helping ensure a smooth transition. We truly have a great team that always does what is best for our students.

We had a wonderful week celebrating our staff during our Mardi Gras Staff Appreciation Week. Staff enjoyed special treats each day, and the week culminated on Friday with some extra-special pampering. A huge shout-out to our Recruitment and Retention (R&R) team for their hard work in making the week such a success.

This team is a true example of district ownership in action. A special thank you to Wendy Murillo for coordinating Friday’s schedules and activities which is no small task. Her idea to have Adele teach a cooking class was a huge hit.

Thank you to Lindsay Stillwagon for hosting the always-popular Sip and Paint, and to Stephany, Jerica, and Juliann for sharing their talents through acudetox and haircuts so our staff could feel appreciated and cared for.

Thank you to everyone who helped bring providers on site and make the day special. Christy ordered and picked up the fried pies, Agnes organized the ice cream treats and helped deliver them alongside Maria and Ms. LeBlanc. Thanks also to the tech team for sharing their space for men’s haircuts, and to Chris for transforming the library into a festive Mardi Gras celebration. What an incredible team we have!

Our Honor Choir has been outstanding, performing at both the Board meeting and our recent basketball games. I am always so proud to hear them perform the National Anthem. It is not an easy song, and they do an exceptional job every time. Thank you to Mr. Swanson, our students, and the parents who have gone the extra mile to make these performances possible. Your dedication provides wonderful opportunities for our students and brings pride to our district.

Although our recent basketball games have not gone the way we hoped, our teams fought hard and demonstrated positive sportsmanship, even in challenging moments. Our JV boys earned a great win against Sierra Grande on Saturday night, and we also held our annual Parent Appreciation Night on Thursday. Throughout it all, our cheerleaders kept the energy high and our athletes encouraged. We are proud of all of our students for their effort, resilience, and commitment.

District Ownership Plan at Work

Priority #1 – Curriculum and Instruction

CCSD staff lead rigorous, engaging, collaborative learning experiences in every classroom that align with CCSD Instructional Expectations.  

Over the past two weeks, we’ve averaged 98% of staff with objectives and DFAs.  Two weeks ago, we had just one elementary teacher missing postings, and last week, only one middle/high school teacher. Everyone else had them in place. Our district expectation is 100% - let’s get there this week!  Thank you to all the teachers that are following through with expectations on a regular basis.

With 24 days until state testing begins, and with mid-year data looking fantastic, now is the time to maximize every moment. Let’s approach each day with a strong sense of urgency, ensuring our classrooms are fully engaged and focused, with no downtime.

This is the final push-let’s make every minute count for our students!

Priority #2 – Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness (PWR)

CCSD develops hardworking learners who are contributors, problem solvers, effective communicators, and future-ready with the skills needed to succeed.

Priority #3 – Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)

CCSD maintains high expectations for student learning and behavior, with structures in place to support the needs of all students.

Mr. Kuhns scheduled a productive security team meeting that included our crisis team and formal training on our radios. It was a great training and was well worth the time.

Priority #4 – Recruitment and Retention (R&R)

CCSD is committed to attracting, training, and retaining highly qualified teachers, knowing that effective educators are the single most important school-based factor in student success.

We celebrated a great staff appreciation week thanks to the hard work of our R&R team! 

Fast Forward-

Monday, Feb. 16^th- Presidents’ Day

Tuesday, Feb. 17^th – NGS Meeting, Board Work Session, Hawaiian Night- CHS Hoops vs. Hoehne

Wednesday, Feb. 18^th- CRSA Statewide Weekly Meeting, MLT, Opportunity Coalition, State Send Off for Wrestling, Admin. Team Meeting, District Ownership Team Meeting

Thursday, Feb. 19^th- Weekly Superintendent PLC, Weekly OAC Meeting, State Wrestling Tourney

Friday, Feb. 20^th-  State Wrestling Tourney

Saturday, Feb. 21^st- State Wrestling Tourney