Trotting for wellness
Saddle Ranch Elementary students enjoyed participating in the Denver Marathon on October 17 wearing t-shirts proclaiming themselves the Saddle Ranch Trotters.
The students are participants in the Kids Running America program, which focuses on promoting exercise and wellness. Students run a total of 26.2 miles by attending after school runs on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and were able to complete their final miles on the Denver Marathon course. They even got to cross the finish line!

Apple Awards Nomination process open
The Douglas County Educational Foundation (DCEF) in cooperation with the Douglas County Federation (DCF) and DCSD are pleased to announce that the nomination process for the 2009-2010 Apple Awards is now open! The fifth annual fundraising event will support the Foundation's newest initiative "Fill the Gap," a program that provides matching grant opportunities to all schools within Douglas County. The Apple Awards will be held on Saturday, March 6, 2010 at the Wells Fargo Theater in Denver. To nominate a deserving Douglas County teacher today please visit http://schools.dcsdk12.org/dcef. The nomination window closes Tuesday, November 24.

Save the dates: upcoming school plays
The following schools have performances this month.

• Sierra Middle School, Yearbook, November 12 & 13 at 7 p.m.
• Rocky Heights Middle School, The Case of Alex Hansen, November 12 & 13 at 7 p.m.
• Cresthill Middle School, A Christmas Carol, November 19, 20, 21 at 7 p.m.
• Castle Rock Middle, 2009 Broadway Review, November 12 & 13 at 7 p.m.
• Chaparral High School, Noises Off, November 19, 20, 21 at 7 p.m.
• Mountain Vista High School, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, November 12-14 and 19-20, at 7 p.m. and November 21 at 2 p.m.
• Rock Canyon High School, The Diary of Anne Frank, November 18, 20 and 21 at 7 p.m.
   

3rd Annual Colorado Avalanche Community Night
This year’s DCSD Colorado Avalanche Community Night, sponsored by the Douglas County Educational Foundation, will be held on Saturday, November 14. The Avs will host the Vancouver Canucks starting at 8 p.m. Tickets will be $22 for seating throughout the Pepsi Center, value range from $40 - $119, plus no ticket service fees! As a special incentive, the Avalanche and DCEF will be donating $4 of each ticket sold directly to each school to help "Fill the Gap"! To order tickets contact your local DCSD school or visit http://schools.dcsdk12.org/dcef and click on the Community Events link.

ESL family night a resource for families
The primary goals of the partnership are to introduce ESL families to the wealth of information found in our libraries, to provide a venue where ESL families can network with families in other schools, and to support ESL families with free adult ESL classes and Citizenship Classes.

ESL teachers from the regional schools will answer questions regarding student progress, and interpreters are provided upon request. We also include community service information for families regarding health care and the college application process.

For more information on the next ESL family night, contact Parke Covarrubias at 303.387.0193 or Molly Elkins, Outreach Coordinator, DC Libraries, 303.791.7323 or melkins@dclibraries.org.
 

Recycle/Reuse Resource Guide now online
The Douglas County Recycle/Reuse Resource Guide is available on the Douglas County website! The guide lists recycling/reuse options available to Douglas County residents. The guide can be accessed at: www.douglas.co.us/community/Recycle_Reuse_Guide.html.

DCSD has won a $140,000 grant from the Colorado Department of Education (CDE). The Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) grant program provides funds for technology to be used to enhance teaching and learning. The focus of the 2009-2010 grant competition was Building and Sustaining Technology Rich 21st Century Classrooms.

The grant monies will be used to create ten Level 1 Skill Acquisition  courses that show teachers how to use the software the district utilizes in the classroom, and four Level 2 Application courses which teach more advanced application of 21st century tools on curriculum. These professional development courses will encourage innovative teaching approaches for bringing more interactivity and engaging content to curriculum, and help to ensure that teachers, librarians and administrators are able to work with students as 21st Century collaborative learners.

“Technology is advancing in every area of the learning environment, and a technology rich classroom is imperative in a 21st century school,” says Annette Fante, Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services. “This grant will allow us to provide our educators with intensive professional development to integrate technology with effective instruction.”

Funds will pay for the development of the new skill modules and application courses, for implementation of the application courses in three geographic regions of Douglas County School District over three semesters, for 90 Kindles loaded with five titles to be used in professional development study groups and the Level 2 Application courses, and for evaluation of the training according to the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) National Education Technology Standards for Teachers, which define the fundamental concepts, knowledge, skills and attitudes for applying technology in educational settings.
 

The District had a rare three-day snow closure last week due to severe weather that resulted in as much as two feet of snow in parts of the county.

DCSD spans 870 square miles with a terrain of varied elevations and large rural areas. Crews go out at 3 a.m. to assess the roads and conditions, which the District believes is the best process to ensure the right decision on whether schools should be closed.

Last week’s storm remained in Douglas County longer than the other metro Denver areas. By Friday morning, major arterial roads and most side streets had not been cleared sufficiently and snow from the plows was blocking many of our bus stops.

School closures are not made lightly as we must balance the safety of children along with educational and community disruption. We appreciate the understanding of our community as the best interests and safety of our students is our highest priority.

More information on snow closure procedures can be found at Snow Day Procedural Information.

• The Board received a report on the FY2008-2009 Audit and Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.


• A presentation was made on first quarter budget to actual report for FY 2009-2010.


• The first reading of the application for the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) High School, Middle School and Academy Charter was presented to the Board.


• The Board approved the parameters resolution for the General Obligation Refunding Bonds.


• The Board approved the authorization of financing for North Star Academy West.

• In September of this year, the Student Assistance Office received a four year grant in the amount of $926,000. The primary focus of the grant is to solidify truancy prevention processes and expand at-risk and expelled services. Janet Laning Krug will be coordinating with Directors of Schools to set up informational meetings with feeders in November and December 2009 prior to the anticipated January 2010 kick-off.

• Ponderosa High School’s 2009 Yearbook won first in state in 5A for the second year in a row. The Colorado High School Press Association presented the award in Fort Collins on October 15.  Multiple students won state awards including: Kiley Rubin, Mandy Gilbert, Megan Karas, Brysen Keith, Mandy Widegren, Taylor Heshmati, Richel Peacock, Calley LaFon, and Meredith Kittelson.

• Three Pine Grove students; Andi Thompson, 2nd grade, Kelsie Doak, 3rd grade, and Natalie Stammel, 3rd grade, were recognized for their writing entries in the Tattered Cover Spooky Story Contest. The girls and their families were invited to a reception in their honor on Sunday, November 1 at the Tattered Cover. At the reception they picked up their prizes and received books with their stories for them to take home.

• Carlye Holladay and Laura Lundgren, both members of the Chaparral High School English department, participated in the Denver Writing Project this summer, thanks in part to a scholarship from the Susie Royer Syke Foundation.The mission of the Susie Royer Syke Literacy Fellowship is “to support dedicated teachers in their quest to meet the literacy needs of all students by expanding knowledge and building capacity to utilize the best research based practices.”