Superintendent's Corner
April 2018

A Message from Dr. Brad Meeks
Next week is National Volunteer Week, and we in the Steamboat Springs School District would like to take this opportunity to celebrate the power and impact of volunteers in our district. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. famously said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'" In Steamboat, we are fortunate to have many people who can respond to that question by talking about the contributions they are making to one (or more) of our schools and the education of our students.

Many school clubs, activities, and sports depend on the support and leadership of parent, grandparent, and community volunteers. Professionals in our community regularly volunteer their time to share their experiences with classes, to mentor individual students, and to help the district plan for the future. Examples of this include community members currently serving on the advisory committees that are working on long-term infrastructure solutions and the Steamboat Chamber's Leadership Steamboat class volunteer project—funding large-scale compost machines for the district.

We continually benefit from our community’s involvement in our schools, especially the volunteers serving on School Accountability Committees (SAC) and Parent Information Committees (PIC) and the District Accountability Committee (DAC). Across the district, SACs bring community members, parents, staff, and administrators together to examine school programming and achievement and to make recommendations regarding school safety, accountability, and budget. The DAC has the same focus, but for the entire district. The work of each PIC is specific to each school community. At the high school, the PIC hosts presentations on topics related to raising teenagers and fundraises for the “After Prom” event. At the middle school, the PIC provides refreshments for parent-teacher conferences and funds a teacher wish list. At the elementary schools, the PIC sponsors an ice cream social at the beginning of the year and Teacher Appreciation Week celebrations and recognitions in the spring. These examples just scratch the surface of the PICs’ contributions to their school communities during the year. 

“Thank you” to all our DAC, SAC, and PIC members for all that you do to build strong, vibrant school communities in Steamboat!

Having parent, grandparent, and community volunteers in our buildings and regularly interacting with students builds a sense of community and facilitates critical connections, which positively impact the well-being of our students. Such interactions also reinforce our whole-child approach to education, which is essential as we see an increase in the number of students who have experienced trauma in their lives. 

The whole-child approach is like a big puzzle with lots of pieces. An important piece is our efforts, as a district, to understand, recognize, and respond to the effects of trauma on our students and to provide physical, psychological, and emotional safety for them in school. Another important piece is our efforts to engage caring citizens to help our students who are in crisis or at risk of being in crisis by spotting the signs and providing “first aid” while we get them the help they need. 

In their numerous roles within the district, volunteers keep students engaged in their learning, nurture their interests, and connect them with the broader community. Today, we shine a light on you and thank you for everything you do for our school district! 
Let us know what you think of our district newsletter. Email us at steamboatschoolnews@ssk12.org
Scenes from Steamboat Springs Schools:
Thank you volunteers!
Soda Creek Elementary School’s Math Club is run by parent and grandparent volunteers.
Soda Creek & Strawberry Park Elementary Schools' PTICs organized a Steamboat Sneak 5K and Fun Run in October to benefit the Challenge Fund.
Congratulations!
The public-safety focused organization BackgroundChecks.org recently announced their 2018 rankings of the top school districts in Colorado and the Steamboat Springs School District placed second in the state. Read more 

Steamboat Springs School District was recently awarded $7,000 as part of the English Language Proficiency Act Excellence Award program . This program rewards districts with evidence-based English language proficiency programs that demonstrate the highest English language and academic growth for English learners and the highest academic achievement for English learners who have transitioned out of the English language proficiency or English language development programs. 

A group of Steamboat Springs Middle School students took first place in the MATHCOUNTS chapter competition and at the recent state competition, the team placed sixth, earning a trophy for the school display case as well as the distinction of being the only western slope MATHCOUNTS team to earn recognition at this level of competition. Read more
 
Joseph Laliberte has been named Assistant Principal/AD of Steamboat Springs Middle School for the 2018-2019 school year. Mr. Laliberte is currently the Assistant Principal at Panorama Middle School in Colorado Springs and was previously an 8th grade American History and Journalism teacher in addition to being a Gifted and Talented Specialist. 
News & Notes
Announcements
Read recent Steamboat Pilot & Today articles.

Strawberry Park Elementary School will use a portion of its $20,000 award from the Colorado Department of Education to purchase 24 sets of virtual reality goggles to help students broaden their horizons. Read more

There are over 100 athletes out for the Steamboat Springs High School track and field team this spring, nearly 10 times as many athletes as were on the team in 2014. Read more

Steamboat Springs High School sophomore, Kyle Taulman, traveled as an ambassador to the 2018 Paralympic Games in South Korea. Read more

Junior Achievement is looking for volunteers for Soda Creek Elementary School and Strawberry Park School Elementary this spring. Read more

Boys and Girls Clubs in Craig and Steamboat Springs currently serve half of all children in the valley ages 6 to 14 at some point throughout the year. Read more

Did you know that the Steamboat Chamber's current Leadership Steamboat class is working to fund large-scale compost machines for the Steamboat Springs School District? Read more

It is estimated that half of teens with depression are undiagnosed and up to two in three teens don't get the help they need. Health professionals hope to change that. New guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend screening children for depression every year starting at age 12. Read more

The Bud Werner Memorial Library will deliver copies of "Groovy Joe Dance Party Countdown," to each preschool in Steamboat Springs during Colorado Early Literacy Week. Read more
We're hiring! Click here to check out current SSSD job openings.

Schools are accepting Educator of the Year nominations through May 4. Parents, students, and staff are encouraged to submit nominations. Read more

A showcase of elementary and middle school student artwork will be on display at Townies: A creative Gathering Place by Ohana (1744 Lincoln Ave Suite 4) during the month of April.

Steamboat Springs School District kindergarten registration for the 2018-19 school year is open. Click here to enroll online and click on "Online Enrollment Registration — New Students Register Here" to register new preschool, kindergarten or first-grade students. Registration kiosks are also available at school offices and at the District Office, 325 Seventh Street, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday.
Calendar of Events
April 23 - 27: Steamboat Springs School District is on Spring Break

May 4 : Educator of the Year nomination deadline

May 7: Board of Education Meeting 4:30PM, 325 7th St

May 12: Steamboat Springs High School Prom

May 15: Strawberry Park Elementary School 5th Grade Band Concert, 6:30PM