Center of Focus

April 19, 2026

Focus on the Fabulous

We are thrilled to announce our Educator and Staff Support Positions of the Year for Center Schools! Congratulations to Norma Slade, who is our Educator of the Year, and Agnes Salazar, who is our Support Staff of the Year!

Norma serves as our elementary literacy interventionist, providing essential reading support through 1:1 and small group instruction. Norma’s classroom is a welcome space for students to receive the targeted, tiered support they need to build strong literacy skills.  Kids feel supported and encouraged in the way that she approaches instruction and works patiently to help them build their skills.  Norma shows that same dedication and patience with student families and her colleagues.  Supporting all entities by providing them with resources so that we can work together on developing literacy skills and ensuring student success.  She is reliable, flexible and approaches challenges with a positive attitude.  Norma is always willing to step in where needed. Her calm, solutions-focused approach and genuine kindness make her a valued team member and a true advocate for our students!

Agnes Salazar, our Support Staff of the Year, truly does it all. She serves as a front office administrative assistant, helping Haskin run smoothly and efficiently, while also supporting student learning through small group reading instruction. Whether she’s assisting in the office, working with students, or helping with daily duties, Agnes keeps everything moving forward. She has also taken on a key role in the district’s Recruitment and Retention team, supporting improvement efforts and helping build a positive staff culture by coordinating events like the Homecoming Tailgate and Board Meet and Greet. Agnes is always ready to step in and keep the Viking ship afloat.

Congratulations to both of these outstanding women. They help make Center School District a truly special place and we are fortunate to have them!

Our Center Vikings continue to shine through their many accomplishments! This past week, Stefany Fabiola Lopez-Moreno was recognized for her hard work, positive attitude, and outstanding academic achievements. Stefany was awarded the 2026 Tri-State Scholarship, an incredible honor that reflects her dedication and perseverance. We are grateful for the continued support of SLVREC, a true community partner that invests in our students by attending career fairs and providing meaningful scholarship opportunities. We are incredibly proud of Stefany and look forward to all the amazing things she will accomplish in the future!

To celebrate the end of the testing season, our high school students enjoyed a special performance showcasing the talents of our very own musicians. Manny Loya Soto, Neymar Perez Lopez, Angel Baca (Center alum), Dahir Ornelas, and Luis Cheno Figueroa put on an awesome musical performance, showcasing their vocals and guitar skills. 

Thanks to the group for sharing their talents and making the end of the week such a highlight!   They were impressive! 

Our district is excited to partner with our neighboring school districts in Saguache County, Mountain Valley, and Moffat to host a County Resource Fair.

This event will provide valuable information, resources, and support for our students, families, and community members. The fair will take place on Saturday, May 2nd, at the Mountain Valley School District football field. Transportation will be provided, with buses running to and from the event every half hour. We hope you will join us for a day of partnership, learning, and collaboration.

There are many great things happening across our county, and this is a great opportunity to come together in support of our community.

Speaking of partnerships, we are incredibly grateful for our collaboration with the Center Police Department. Our new Chief of Police and his team went the extra mile this past week by visiting classrooms and reading to our students. They spent time in Nikki Pepper’s class sharing one of their favorite books. 

They also connected with students during lunch, taking the time to build relationships and get to know them on a personal level. We appreciate their presence in our district and the support they show our students. It takes a village!

We’ve received positive news regarding funding in recent weeks. Our district was awarded the first round of Secure Rural Schools funding, totaling $151,000- funds we advocated for during our visit to Washington, D.C., and were grateful to see approved by Congress. We anticipate receiving an additional round of funding.

Also, several grants have been approved, including the 9th Grade Success Grant, Preventing School Violence Grant, NRA Grant, and the Vaping Prevention Continuation Grant. Our team remains committed to securing funding that supports essential positions and sustains the impactful work happening across our district.  Thanks to everyone pitching in to make that happen!

The District Ownership Team met on Wednesday to review the DOP goals. 

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.

As of 4/12/2026, the administration has conducted 244 observations.  The breakdown for schools are- Haskin- 122 observations, Skoglund- 58, and CHS- 64.  Seventy-five lesson plans have been reviewed.  We took a break on sweeps the last couple of weeks, as state testing was taking place.  To date, the averages for each section on the Instructional Expectations are: 

Evidence Based Instruction- 83.35%

Culture and Climate- 100%

Engagement- 66.7%

Scaffolding and Differentiation- 58.35%

Rigor and Relevance- 41.7%

Assessment- 66.7%

 Our goal is to have staff performing at the 70% level or higher in each of these categories.  We’ve seen a slight drop in several of the categories during the last quarter of observations. 

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.

ICAP and Junior PWR scope and sequences are in place, aligned to state expectations, and have defined outcomes.  Senior Exit Interviews are scheduled for May 19^th.  The course catalog is up-to-date with classes and descriptions.  Graduation guidelines are defined for the district and in place and include three pathways- health care, hospitality and culinary arts, and agriculture.  The Viking Profile Rubric is established and embedded in the Senior Exit Interview and the Capstone Project. 

We will continue to strive to see our graduation rates exceed state levels and dropout rates well below the state level. 

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

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

Our Parents Involved in Center Schools (PICS) hosted their annual Kermes celebration.  This is a great school, community event that is educational, fun, and entertaining.  Families are treated to special performances, great food, music, and a fun afternoon of cultural celebration.  Thanks to everyone who worked hard to put the annual event together for our community. 

Thanks to the efforts of our FSCP team, we had a total of 96 families complete the FSCP survey to assess the supports/resources our families would like to see in our district.  The team is currently making preparations for transition meetings that will take place for students changing grades/buildings.  Overall, the RTI process is working effectively and belief that next year’s calendar will support RTI meetings with additional time built into calendar. 

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.

Center Schools was represented at the Becoming a Teacher in the SLV event at Adams State University this past week.  This session provided information on pathways to teaching, financial opportunities, and guidance on the process.  Thanks to JoAnn Lopez and Lindsay Stillwagon for giving up their own time to represent our district and showcase Center Schools! 

Fast Forward-

Monday, April 20^th- Resource Fair Planning Meeting, Prom Safety Presentation, Kindergarten Round Up- 5:00 PM

Tuesday, April 21^st-  BPEG Grant Team Meeting, ASU Video Spotlight, Concurrent Enrollment, SMS Baseball vs. Sanford, CHS Girls Soccer in Del Norte vs. Alamosa

Wednesday, April 22^nd- Earth Day, CRSA Statewide Meeting, Opportunity Coalition, Resource Planning, CHS Baseball @ Dolores, SMS Baseball @ Monte

Thursday, April 23^rd-  IOG Meeting, Weekly Superintendent PLC, Weekly OAC Meeting, 3^rd Grade field trip, CHS Baseball @ Dove Creek, SMS Baseball @ Monte

Friday, April 24^th-  SMS Baseball @ La Veta, CHS High Altitude Challenge @ Alamosa, CHS Soccer @ Del Norte vs. Trinidad

Saturday, April 25^th- SMS Track @ Alamosa, CHS Prom- Grand March @ 7:00 pm

Saturday, May 2^nd- Saguache County Resource Fair