Superintendent's Corner
June 2019
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A Message from Dr. Brad Meeks
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Steamboat is filled with passionate people who care deeply about our community and take time to engage in discussions that shape its future. We want to extend our gratitude to everyone who participated in our work to build for the future through the Steamboat Springs School District (SSSD) Advisory Committee or who provided input through a survey, community forum, focus group, or SSSD staff meeting. In the 2018–2019 school year, we heard from nearly 1,000 people, and over the past five years we have heard from many, many more. Your input has been essential in moving our district toward solutions for our facilities and programs that will allow our children and our community to continue to benefit from high-quality education in Steamboat.
As you may know, the SSSD Board of Education has started to make decisions related to our future and a 2019 bond referendum. They selected Steamboat II as the future site of a K-8 school that, if approved by voters in November 2019, will open in 2021-2022. Over the coming weeks, the board will determine where the district will house its preschool students, identify priority projects for funding at each school, decide on the total amount of the bond package, and determine the total amount and funding priorities for a mill levy override initiative. Final decisions are expected at the June 17, 2019, board meeting. We will continue to provide updates throughout the summer at
buildingforthefuture.ssk12.org.
For more than a year, conversations about a new facility and expanded programming for students have been framed around building for the future. The fact is, we have had 15 consecutive years of in-district student enrollment growth and, on average, 2% growth every year for the last 40 years. Our schools are full, and the latest professional demography report shows enrollment continuing to increase over the long-term.
Over the past five years, every group that has studied SSSD facility challenges and solutions has come to the same conclusion: More students are coming. They have also presented similar visions:
We must be prepared to serve our students in facilities and spaces that enhance learning. This year, we made tremendous progress toward this vision, and we thank everyone who contributed to that work.
Have a wonderful summer!
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Steamboat Springs School District's 2019 Educator of the Year is
Libby Meyring, an educator and instructional coach at North Routt Community Charter School!
2018-2019 Educators of the Year for each SSSD school are:
Soda Creek Elementary
Carlene Heald
Strawberry Park Elementary
Amy Rae
Steamboat Springs Middle School
Lara Craig
Steamboat Springs High School
Dani Booth and Tai Nass
North Routt Community Charter School
Libby Meyring
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Jeanne Mackowski was honored by the Board of Education for her volunteer efforts within the District as the District's
Friend of Education 2018-19.
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Congratulations to the Class of 2019! Grads earned $179,000 in local scholarships and $756,000 in merit scholarships!
See pictures from graduation
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The
Steamboat Springs Middle School 8th grade choir received the top rating winning their division at the Music in the Parks competition in Denver. The 8th grade concert band reigned over all middle school and high school concert bands at the event winning the overall trophy!
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Steamboat Springs High School junior Maggi Congdon received a second-place medal at the Class 4A state 800-meter race and stood on the podium three times during the 2019 state track meet.
Read more
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Our thanks go out to our
retiring educators and staff. Thank you for your service to our community!
Lara Craig - 24 years
John Hamilton - 8.5 years
Carlene Heald - 21 years
Bruce Hensman - 17 years
Tracy Stoddard - 22 years
Becca Utu - 21 years
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, and check out our posts for regular updates, news stories, and photos from our schools.
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The
Steamboat Springs High School Orchestra performed its spring concert on May 28. The program included works by Handel, Piazzola and Meyer as well music from “Schindler’s List,” “Brave” and “La La Land.”
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Soda Creek Elementary School
held a Diversity Luncheon for 4th and 5th graders. Students were interviewed for their family background story and many brought different ethnic foods, pictures, or items to share at the event.
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10 Steamboat Springs Middle School 7th grade students and two science teachers participated in the inaugural
E.O.S. Birding trip in May. The group's route took them through North Park to Walden Reservoir, then to Curt Gowdy State Park in Wyoming where they camped in tents and cooked dinner. The trip added depth to a year-long study of biological classification and ecology. The focus of the trip was to help students realize the diversity of wildlife and birds and the techniques of observation, classification, photography, and journaling. The group observed and photographed over 100 different bird species.
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Read recent
Steamboat Pilot & Today
articles.
Over 1,000
Strawberry Park and Soda Creek elementary students got out on local trails where they listened to the sounds of the birds, picked up trash, learned trail etiquette and much more.
Read more
Two
Steamboat Springs High School freshmen created their “Get Your Goat” business as a final project for their Fundamentals of Business Computer Technology class. They presented their plan unveiling a logo, brochure, website, inventory and payroll, as well as Tonks, a real live baby goat.
Read more
The District
reached an agreement with its employees related to
compensation and benefits
for the 2019–2020 school year.
Read more
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June 4: Last Day for Students
June 5: School Board Special Meeting, City Hall at 5:30PM
June 17: Board of Education Meeting, 4:30PM
June 17 - June 24: Shop for FREE school supplies 9AM - 3PM at Soda Creek Elementary School in the media center
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Find out more about Steamboat Springs Parent Information Committees (PIC):
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