April 14, 2024
Focus on the Fabulous
We are already halfway through April! That’s pretty hard to believe. The weeks are flying by and action-packed! Last week started with a solar eclipse and ended with a helicopter landing on our practice field! A lot is going on at Center Schools! Thanks to CHS science teachers Ms. Archuleta and Mr. Roberts, kids, and staff had the chance to observe the solar eclipse. They had glasses and special viewing devices for everyone to use so that all could view this unique event!
We kicked off state testing this past week and administration and staff went above and beyond to get kids motivated to do their best on the test. Haskin Elementary had a pep assembly, and Ms. Bouet and Mrs. Lopez designed some positive incentives to recognize students’ hard work and effort throughout testing.
Ms. Rue, our Skoglund Middle School math teacher, decorated the halls and had fun treats for students to make sure the testing days started on the right foot.
Ms. Donaldson and Mrs. Neufeld acknowledge the efforts of their staff and the key to success! Thanks to everyone who stepped up to help make testing go smoothly, and even when there were bumps in the road, everybody worked efficiently together to address the challenges! Way to go Vikings! We all share ownership of the district. Thanks to Chris Hintz and Julio Paez, Ascencion Najera, and Teddy Garcia for handling tech issues as they presented themselves. Week one down! A few more to go.
Vikings in the News
This past week the Colorado Department of Education posted a story about one of the innovative ways our district used ESSER funding. Check out the article on our Staff Daycare program at https://bit.ly/43KXbs5.
Another pretty amazing accomplishment of our team is the 9th Grade Success program that has been established through the grant of the same name. Michael Martinez has led those efforts, and he’s done a fantastic job with the rest of the team, connecting with our students and providing various support to ensure their success. Their work was highlighted in a video played for the legislature at the State Capitol to encourage lawmakers' support to continue funding for this impactful work. Check out the video, Standing with Center, 9th Grade Success in the San Luis Valley @ https://cocreated.garycommunity.org/standing-with-center/
Rewind
The Board approved the 2024-25 calendar at Wednesday night's meeting. The SMS Yearbook team presented their work at the regular Board meeting. Elijah Swanson, representing the sophomore class, also presented to the BOE. A number of written reports were submitted as well.
Julio Paez, the district Technology Director, gave his annual report to the Board on the work that his department has been focusing on this year. The new televisions that were installed over Christmas break are full of information including updates on the Merit Competition for all buildings. The Seniors, sixth graders, and 3rd graders have all won at least one round of the competition in their respective buildings.
It was a beautiful day for baseball as the CHS team had a double header this weekend against Del Norte. Our T & F team also competed in Del Norte over the weekend.
The R & R team has been working hard on our recruiting efforts, and it's working. Just last week, we had a number of inquiries, and at least five applications came in for open positions! A special shout out to Lindsay Stillwagon, who has been putting together great ads to promote working in the district! Way to go Lindsay! I met with the CASB crew last week to discuss how things were going. I also asked for their expertise on our social media presence. They gave me some tips, so we are all pitching in to get the word out about our district. It’s all about the shared ownership! Way to go shareholders!
To support our Post-Secondary and Workforce Readiness (PWR) goals, Dr. Ruggles arranged for our 6th—and 8th-grade students to visit college campuses in Pueblo. The students got to tour the campuses and get a little taste of college life.
The week ended with a Prom Safety Meeting for students! Emergency services flew in to remind students about making good choices during these fun end-of-year celebrations, specifically Prom and After-Prom!
We go out of our way to ensure our students are safe; this message was sent via the friendly skies!
Fast Forward
Calendar Dates
Monday, April 8th- April 30th- State Testing Window
Monday, April 15th- Tax Day!! MLT, SAT Prep for Juniors
Tuesday, April 16th- Haskin 5th grade- CMAS Science, SAT for Juniors, Opportunity Coalition, PSAT Prep for 9th and 10th graders, FSCP Planning Meeting, Summer programming meeting
Wednesday, April 17th- Haskin 5th grade- CMAS Science, PSAT for 9th and 10th grades, Rural Alliance Advocacy, Superintendent PLC, Admin. Team Meeting, DOT Meeting
Thursday, April 18th- CMAS Science for Juniors, State Finance Bill support, SMS Knowledge Bowl Meet
Friday, April 19th- Track and Field @ Rye- Thunderbolt Invitational, CSFP Advisory Meeting
Saturday, April 20th- CHS Baseball @ Monte, CHS Prom, After Prom