9-R NEWS BRIEFS – January 15, 2010

THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
The next Board Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 26, 2010, at 5:30.
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
The next edition of 9-R Communicator (9-R’s quarterly district newsletter) will be published in February. An open call for submissions is placed. If you have information and/or stories you’d like to see published in the newsletter, please consider submitting them. Deadline for submissions is Friday, January 29, 2009.

You can find a digital copy of the November 9-R Communicator on 9-R’s website (right-hand side of
the home page) — http://www.durangoschools.org.

If you have any questions, please contact Marty Kay Hutton in 9-R Communications at ext. 1400.
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KINDERGARTEN PREPAREDNESS MEETING
As part of Durango School District 9-R’s Strategic Plan, committees have been working to align math and language arts curriculum from preschool through grade twelve. An important foundation to this is what is expected of children when they enter kindergarten, regardless of whether they’ve attended a district preschool program. An opportunity to share this information and get input from the community will be on Monday, January 25th, at 4:00 p.m. in the 9-R Board Room, 201 East 12th Street. For further information, please call Libby Culver, Director of Early Childhood, Family & Community Engagement at 247-5411 ext. 1444.
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TRANSLATION SERVICES MEETING
The Human Resources Department is currently working on Strategic Plan #1, Specific Result #6 (Page 30 — “Provide translation services for multi-lingual students and families, when necessary.”) and invites all interested parties to join them for a meeting regarding translation services in 9-R. The meeting is set for Wednesday, January 27, 2010, in the Administration Board Room at 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Meeting attendance is mandatory for all District Translators. If you are interested in attending (or have any questions), please contact Kristine Lawson at x1438 (email: [email protected]).
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ANIMAS VALLEY ELEMENTARY
Huskies of the Week (for Service and Citizenship!!!)
· Third Grade – Siena DiGiacomo
· Fifth Grade – Preston Reed

Huskies of the Week (for Gratitude and Appreciation!!!)
· Kindergarten – Christine Howe, Ava Hobby, Giddy Hogg
· First Grade – Jereth Swearingen
· Third Grade – McKenzie Hoffmann
· Fifth Grade – Jen Barr

DURANGO HIGH SCHOOL
Durango vs. Montezuma-Cortez Varsity Girls & Boys Basketball will be January 28 in the Durango High School Gym. The varsity girls will play at 5:30 PM and the varsity boys will play at 7:00 PM. Doors will open at 4:30 pm.

All tickets will be pre-sold and NO TICKETS SOLD AT THE DOOR. Tickets are $5 and will be sold January 25-27 from 8:00 am-4:00 pm in the DHS Activities Office.

FORT LEWIS MESA ELEMENTARY
On Monday, January 25th at 6 pm, the Fort Lewis Mesa Elementary SAC will meet. Topic of discussion: Mid year report and updating the School Improvement Plan. For more information, please call Terry Blair-Burton at 588-3331 ext. 3805.

ESCALANTE MIDDLE SCHOOL
Students of the Month
Escalante Middle School is pleased to announce our December students of the month. The following students were recognized by their teachers for demonstrating outstanding respect and integrity in their school day.
6th graders: Collin Thorburn, Lucas Gallegos and Nick Jernigan
7th graders: Liam Hahn, Dayne Rowley, Tristan Galesic and Katie Wiegert
8th graders: Hugo Silva Corona, Elise Mask and Logan Garrett
Students were rewarded with gifts from community sponsors and lunch with the principal.  For more information please contact Amy Kendziorski at 247-9490.

Parent Education Night and Escalante Follies
On Wednesday, January 20th, we are hosting a parent education night to share information about our social emotional learning (SEL) program and Parent Connect, our online grading portal that will be available soon. The parent session will be held in the cafeteria from 6:00-6:30pm.  After this, the Student Council is sponsoring the “Escalante Follies”, a student talent show featuring 35 students.  Please join us for an evening of entertainment. Donations will be accepted to support the medical fund for 6th grader Noah Hotchkiss and his family.

School Accountability Meeting
On Thursday, January 21st, the Escalante School Accountability Committee will be meeting at 8:30 a.m. in the conference room. Topics of discussion will include a mid-year update, budget ideas, and an NWEA report. Interested parents and community members are invited to attend. Please contact Amy Kendziorski for more information, 247-9490.

MILLER MIDDLE SCHOOL
9-R Space Camp kids are having a steak or chicken fund-raising dinner, hosted by CJ’s Diner on Thursday, January 21st at 5:00 p.m. Those interested in supporting our efforts, or joining us for dinner, please contact Diana Speegle at Miller Middle School 247-1418, x2535.

OTHER NEWS

2010 Arbor Day National Poster Contest – Trees are Terrific…and Energy Wise!
Join over 63,000 fifth grade classrooms in learning about the importance of trees in our world!

Don’t miss out on this engaging and impactful opportunity to teach fifth grade students about the important role trees play in the production and conservation of energy! Download your free 2010 Arbor Day National Poster Contest materials at http://www.arborday.org/kids/postercontest/index.cfm_ and help foster the next generation of tree stewards. Colorado deadline is March 5, 2010.
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The International Dyslexia Association announces the 24th Annual SWIDA Conference, “Making Sense of Reading — Putting the Pieces Together” on Saturday, February 20, 2010, at the UNM Student Union Building in Albuquerque, New Mexico, from 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. For more information, visit www.southwestida.com.
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Adams State College Extended Studies has partnered with Virtual Education Software to provide continuing education for teachers on CD-ROM or online. These self-paced courses provide interactive instruction on strategies for teaching students with special behavioral and learning needs and are easy to use from your computer’s CD-ROM or online player. Courses are offered for Graduate Credit. For more information: http://www.virtualeduc.com/e-announcements/adams-state-college/asc.htm.
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The Literacy Empowerment Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, invites schools or other literacy projects to apply for FREE books for Read Across America Day. During the past year, LEF has distributed over 3,000,000 books to schools all across the country for Read Across America Day and other literacy projects.

Resources are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Orders must be received by February 12th, 2010. For more information: http://www.lefbooks.org
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The Pagosa Springs Chamber of Commerce invites local students (over 15 years with parental consent) to participate in the “Pagosa Penguin Plunge,” a fundraising opportunity for your favorite non-profit or community organization. Are you brave enough to plunge into some icy water (about 34 degrees)? You can raise money for your cheerleading team, chess club, or any other organization for your school. It’s a school showdown and best costumes win an award. You can plunge individually or with a group. Contact the Pagosa Springs Chamber at 970-264-2360 or [email protected] for more information.