Superintendent's Corner
October 2018
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A Message from Dr. Brad Meeks
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Winter is coming and, with it, the November 2018 election
Local and statewide initiatives impacting the Steamboat Springs School District (SSSD) will appear on the ballot this November. I encourage you to learn about these issues and, most importantly, to vote. Consider attending a
Steamboat Pilot & Today Forum
on October 9 or 10 at the Steamboat Grand. Routt County will mail ballots between October 15 and 19, a Voter Service and Polling Center will open in Steamboat on October 22, and the last day to apply for and/or receive a ballot in the mail is October 29. Election Day is November 6. For more information, please visit Routt County’s election
website
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Have your say in how we build for the future
The issues are clear: our community is growing, as is the number of students in our schools. The solutions are much more complicated, which is why your engagement in this process is so important.
SSSD is hosting three
Common Ground Community Forums to share information and capture community input on how SSSD should build for the future. Together, we will examine options for existing schools, as well as potential new schools, capturing your input on what matters most when it comes to educating the students in our community. Please note that the same information will be covered at all three meetings, which will be facilitated in partnership with the Muntean Leadership Group.
- Tuesday, November 13 • 6–7:30 p.m. • Steamboat Springs High School Commons
- Thursday, November 15 • 6–7:30 p.m. • Steamboat Springs High School Commons
- Saturday, December 1 • 9–10:30 a.m. • Soda Creek Elementary School
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Learn what the SSSD Advisory Committee is up to
The Steamboat Springs Advisory Committee has met more than half a dozen times since January, with each subcommittee meeting even more often to support the school district in its efforts to study its infrastructure, look at current uses and challenges, align the district’s future needs with a professional master-planning process, and prepare our community to invest in a plan that will benefit students in Steamboat far into the future.
The issues are clear: our community is growing, as is the number of students in our schools.
- Enrollment in SSSD has increased nearly 24% over the past 10 years
- Steamboat Springs High School is nearing 97% of its building capacity, while the middle school (even with the addition of four new classrooms) is at 98% of its capacity, and elementary school enrollment is at 113% of its capacity
- Today, we serve about 2,650 students, while 10 years ago, we served fewer than 2,000 students. Over the next 10 years, we expect our student population to grow to 3,000
- This issue of long-term growth was not addressed in the 2017 bond and mill levy override initiatives, which provided funding to fix our current facilities but not to expand them
The solutions are much more complicated, which is why we are so grateful to have the support of 32 community volunteers and access to previous work completed on this topic by the Community Committee for Education (CC4E). Since August 2018, the Advisory Committee has been reviewing and providing input on potential scenarios that would address overcrowding and set us up to adequately serve the influx of students we expect in the future. The guiding priority is to sustain overall educational program excellence in the long term.
The Advisory Committee will engage the community through forums, focus groups, and a survey in October and November 2018. It will incorporate input provided by the community into its recommendations to the SSSD Board of Education in January 2019.
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Scenes from
Strawberry Park Elementary School
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Students in Ms.Edwards' technology class practice coding skills with Dot robots.
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Ms. Kopatz's students are all smiles when it comes to their color war painting activity.
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Like us on Facebook
, and check out our posts for regular updates, news stories, and photos from our schools.
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Congratulations to
Steamboat Springs High School Principal Kevin Taulman
who was named the Colorado Student Media Association 2018 Administrator of the Year!
Read more
Two organizations in Steamboat recently celebrated major anniversary milestones. Congratulations to
Routt County United Way
on its 35th anniversary and to the
Rocky Mountain Youth Corps
(RMYC) on its 25th anniversary. Both organizations are wonderful partners to our schools and district. They have benefited many of our students and families over the years and recently recognized our district for how we have benefited them. SSSD was recognized by Routt County United Way for “top employee participation” during its last campaign and by the RMYC for our significant impact on its success over the past 25 years. We are honored by these recognitions and look forward to continuing our work together to serve the community into the future.
Another reason for celebration: SSSD will receive $875,000 over five years
to support mental and behavioral health resources through a
partnership between the UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center and the Craig-Scheckman Family Foundation
. This funding will help us address the increasing social–emotional health needs of SSSD students, families, and staff by ensuring that there are full-time, trained mental health professionals at each school and that mental health training is provided for staff.
Read more
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Read recent
Steamboat Pilot & Today
articles.
Steamboat Springs School District ranks third in the state, according to the preliminary release of the 2018 state assessment results by the Colorado Department of Education.
Read more
After spending eight months meeting on the "Phase II" plan for expanding capacity to meet a growing student population in SSSD, members of an advisory committee are beginning to narrow down a wide breadth of expansion scenarios.
Read more
As part of a civics assignment, third- and fourth-grade classes at North Routt Community Charter School wrote a letter to a Routt County Commissioner seeking improvements to area roads.
Read more
For the first time since 2002, the Steamboat Springs High School boys golf team brought home a plaque from the Class 4A State Tournament. The Sailors team claimed second overall at the Flying Horse Country Club in Colorado Springs.
Read more
In a football game between Craig and Steamboat Springs middle schools, a student with muscular dystrophy took the field and scored his very first touchdown. It was exciting for everyone in attendance.
Read more
Routt County area parent and youth serving organizations have collaborated to produce the second Family Connections Guide. This tool provides parents, from those expecting their first child to those with 18-year-olds, with information regarding area services and offerings.
Read more
School breakfast is particularly important for low income students in food insecure households.
SSSD elementary schools participate in the National School Breakfast Program. Students who qualify receive breakfast for free or reduced prices.
Read more
Volunteering not only gives kids a better sense of community connectedness but also reduces engagement in risky behavior. Reports show that volunteering contributes to higher levels of self-esteem, higher graduation rates and academic success and positive civic behavior.
Read more
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, children who are read to at home enjoy a substantial advantage in school and career success.
Read more
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SSHS Homecoming Week is October 8 - October 13. Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back former students and other members of the community to celebrate SSHS and kick off the school year. The week is filled with many fun activities.
Click here for a schedule of events
Steamboat Sneak: 5K and fun run for all. Saturday October 13th, race begins at 10am. Register online at
www.steamboatsneak.com. All proceeds benefit the Strawberry Park and Soda Creek elementary schools Challenge Fund, which funds teachers' 21st century grants each October. Don’t want to run? You can still be involved: Click
here to be a Sneak volunteer
Green Halloween: There are boxes around town and in the schools for lightly-used Halloween costumes. The Steamboat Springs High School National Honor Society is hosting an eco-friendly Green Halloween from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 21 at Bud Werner Memorial Library's Library Hall.
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October 8 - 13: SSHS Homecoming Week
October 11: GT Parent Outreach event at Soda Creek Elementary School, 6 - 8PM
October 12: Free admission to the SSHS Homecoming football game to celebrate renovations to Gardner Field
October 13: Steamboat Sneak at Strawberry Park Elementary School, 10AM
October 21: Green Halloween at Bud Werner Memorial Library's Library Hall, 10AM - 2PM
November 7: Parent Teacher Conferences
November 8: Parent Teacher Conferences & no school for students
November 9: No school for students
November 15: Parent Connection Summit, Colorado Mountain College, 8:15AM - 2:55PM, click
here to register
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Find out more about Steamboat Springs Parent Information Committees (PIC):
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