Focus on the Fabulous - December 7, 2021
Our school board attended the 81st Annual CASB Convention in Colorado Springs from December 2nd -4th. The convention theme was Resilient, Ready, and Relentless for Colorado Students. This was a great opportunity for our board to network with other board members across the state while broadening their knowledge bases in regards to board roles and responsibilities, current trends in education, and challenges, issues, and successes that are taking place in districts this year. Our team attended the general sessions with some amazing speakers that focused on several equity issues in education, including how we can make assessment more accurate, bias resistant, and intrinsically motivating.
We were able to take a group of student leaders to the convention and they participated in the student leadership strands. Hanna Hays was our student sponsor and Karina Maez, Cael Ruggles, Alicia {edrp-Lopez, Alexia Badachi, and Jenice Almeida were our student representatives. Our students were able to join students from across the state and had the chance to interact with kids from other districts, listen to different viewpoints, hear from school boards and district leaders, and gain valuable communication and advocacy skills using their voices. Misty Palacios, Kim Duran, Enrique Aguilar, and I all attended the Saturday morning student session. Our students did a fantastic job discussing issues related to social-emotional needs and shared what they felt would be beneficial in regards to resources and support for students. It was great to hear the students’ perspectives and it was definitely eye-opening. It's important for our students to have a voice at the table and we will take back what we learned to positively impact our district.
Rewind
Our Viking athletes had a busy weekend. Our wrestling team traveled to Moab, Utah and took part in the Red Rock Invitational tournament. They had a great showing and took 4th place overall in the tournament. Several wrestlers placed in the top five in their weight classes: Jordan Duran- 2nd, Lorenzo Trujillo- 4th, Aaron Valadez- 4th, Martin Palma- 3rd, Jesus Valadez- 1st, and Omar Hernandez- 5th. Thanks to Coaches Mondragon, Rael, Martinez for making this opportunity possible for our students.
Our basketball teams competed in the Sangre Shootout. The boys’ team played in the championship and placed 2nd. Our Viking girls took 4th place in the tournament. Congratulations to Alexis Varela and Alicia Rios who were selected to the SDC all-tourney basketball team. Congratulations to all our athletes for their successes this past weekend!
Forward Focus
Our middle school boys’ basketball team, coached by Mr. Mosher, is headed to Monte Vista this afternoon for the first round of the tournaments. Mr. Noriega’s team is traveling to Alamosa for their game. We will be hosting the Viking Athletic Association high school basketball tournament on Friday and Saturday of this week. Our wrestling team is headed to Limon.
Weekly meetings include the Alliance Advocacy meeting for rural superintendents, the District Health Advisory Committee, the Joint IOG, and a meeting with Colorado Education Initiative.
Next week we have our regular Board meeting scheduled for Tuesday, December 14th. The Superintendents’ Advisory Council and the District Accountability Committee also meet next Tuesday.
American Fidelity will be onsite next week, so please make sure you signed up. Ms. Banning is working hard on the Sharing Christmas project and boxes will be delivered on Friday, December 17th.