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Strategic Planning Update

A form has been placed on the district’s Web site (on the home page) that outlines the dates and times for the action planning meetings, which begin in January.  If you haven’t signed up yet, you can fill out the form and choose two action planning teams that you would like to serve on.  If selected to serve, you will likely be put on one of those two teams. (Later this month, district officials will be forming the teams.)  For information, call Dyan Lee at 247-5411, ext. 1440. 

 

Volunteers Needed to Serve as Judges 

We are looking for approximately 45 community volunteers who have an interest in history to help judge student projects addressing the theme “”The Individual in History:  Actions and Legacies.”” The Regional competition will be held at Fort Lewis College on Thursday, March 5th.  The judges will need to meet that day from approximately 7:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.  We will provide breakfast and lunch.

The students will be creating projects in one of 5 categories:  Papers, Exhibits, Performances, Documentaries, or Web pages.  The judges will assess one category and send the top 3, 4, or 5 projects onto the state competition on May 2nd at the Auraria Campus in Denver.  For information contact, John Hise at Escalante Middle School, 247-9490 or Dale Garland at Durango High School, 259-1630.

 

Miller Middle School Seeks Assistant Basketball Coaches

Miller Middle School needs to hire two assistant basketball coaches.  They will be assisting with boys’ basketball.  If you are interested, contact Principal Bruce Hankins at (970) 247-1418 or fax him your resume at (970) 385-1191

 

Miller Enterprises Makes Unique Holiday Gift Baskets

If you haven’t found that perfect gift for your loved one, consider getting them a holiday gift basket from Miller Enterprises!  They have partnered with fellow entrepreneurs from the Durango area and have carefully made products to enhance the baskets.   They are known for exposing students to entrepreneurship by hands on experience. In fact, Miller Enterprises presently operates “”Bean Me Up Cafe,”” a coffee shop/snack bar at the school. Selling everything from Otis Spunkmeyer cookies to Desert Sun Coffee, the shop has done quite well with business from the 9-R school district. Based on the success of the store, they’ve decided to branch out and offer holiday gift baskets. Please drop by Miller Middle School this holiday season and pick up yours.  They are happy to help you with Santa’s list.

 

Fund Raiser for DHS Students Attending Inauguration

A group of young adults at the Durango High School not only get to visit the historical landmarks of Washington DC in January 2009, they also get to witness a historic event: The inauguration of President-Elect Obama.

We will be at the 34th Annual Christmas Bazaar at the fairgrounds this December 5, 6, and 7 with a fund-raising table.  We will be wrapping gifts for free/donations. Other fund-raiser events include holiday babysitting, house cleaning, helping put up/take down decorations, house sitting, and pet sitting over the holiday season.  All proceeds will go toward this trip. For more information call Anna @ 759-2182

 

Animas Valley Elementary HUSKIES of the Week for the theme of GRATITUDE are as follows:

Front Office – Nancy Bray

Kindergarten – Riley Cayaditto, Paul Watson

Second grade – J .W. Egger

Third grade –  Moises Zenizo

Fourth grade – Pandora Tucker, Lenore Harley

Fifth grade – Delanie Matney

 

Roadrunner of the Month

Fort Lewis Mesa Elementary students worked on the character of “Honor” this month. Seven students were nominated for Roadrunner of the Month for demonstrating this trait: Bella Mortallo, Avery Wickes, Analise Gates, Alix Gillen, Isabel Whitehead, Ethan Sullivan and Justis Rayburn.

 

Board of Education Meeting Changed

The start time for the board meeting on December 11 has been changed to 4:30 p.m.

 

Needham Beginning Orchestra to Hold Concert

Needham Beginning Orchestra students will perform their first concert of the year on Thursday, Dec. 18th at 12:30 p.m. in the music room.  Friends and family are invited to attend.  For more information, contact Ms. Tallarico at 247-4791. 

 

Fort Lewis Mesa Elementary Winter Program

On Friday, December 12 at 6 p.m., Fort Lewis Mesa Elementary will be having their Winter Program.  For more information, please call Terry Blair-Burton at 588-3331, ext. 3805.

 

Potluck Dinner

Durango School District 9-R Title VII Native American Program will be hosting a potluck dinner on December 15 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Durango High School cafeteria, 2390 Main Avenue.  Turkey, ham, fry bread, and drinks will be provided.  Please bring a side dish or desert.  RVSP by Friday, December 12 by contacting Bruce LeClaire, family/school coordinator, at 247-5411, ext. 1401.  You can also e-mail Bruce at [email protected].

 

Parent Workshop

Title VII is holding a Parent Workshop on December 17 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Needham Elementary School, 2225 West 3rd Avenue.  Child care and fry bread will be provided.  Call Bruce LeClaire at 247-5411, ext. 1401 for more information.

 

Parent Advisory Committee Meeting

There will be a Parent Advisory Committee meeting on December 18 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the conference room at the Durango School District 9-R Administration Building.  If you have any questions, contact Bruce LeClaire, family/school coordinator, at 247-5411, ext. 1401.  You can also e-mail Bruce at [email protected]

 

DHS Volleyball Team is Selling Cookie Dough

Need help with your holiday baking? Or perhaps a gift idea? The DHS Volleyball team has cookie dough for sale. The flavors include chocolate chip, sugar, peanut butter, oatmeal raisin, white chocolate macadamia, and double chocolate. Each pail is $10.50. Please contact Robin at 247-4791, ext 3608.

 

Salsa For Sale to Benefit Ballet Folklorico de Durango

Members of Ballet Folklorico de Durango and their mothers have bottled a bit of their energy into a lively and flavorful salsa.  The salsa is of medium flavor and uses the freshest local ingredients, courtesy of Nature’s Oasis, City Market, and CJ’s Diner.  Other supporters include the following: Schluter Floral, Al Harper, Jennifer Novack and Basin Printing. 

These colorfully decorated jars make wonderful gifts, and will be available for $6 this Saturday at the annual St. Columba Holiday Bazaar, or you can stop by our office to purchase a jar (Suite #2 of the Smiley Building). All proceeds will benefit Ballet Folklorico de Durango.  If you have any questions, contact Maria Gonzales, Spanish teacher at Durango High School,(970) 259-1630 ext. 2203

 

Expert to Talk About Media Literacy in Our Schools

Did you know: The average child spends more than 1000 hours watching TV each year. This is more than the total hours the average child spends in school each year!

Durango School District 9-R and San Juan Basin Health Department are partnering to bring a nationally recognized expert on Media Literacy to our community December 11-12th. An engaging and entertaining presenter, Peter DeBenedittis, Ph.D. speaks to more than 50,000 students and trains 10,000 teachers and health prevention activists each year. Media literacy is the ability to “”read”” television and mass media. Media literacy education teaches people to access, analyze, evaluate, and produce media. Children who understand the motivations and production techniques of media are less likely to adopt the destructive attitudes and behaviors that are depicted in the media. DeBenneditis will particularly focus on analyzing influences of alcohol and tobacco messages in the media during three presentations:

* A workshop for all middle school teachers on December 12th

*  A joint assembly presentation for all 6th-grade students from Escalante and Miller Middle School on December 11th

*  An evening public presentation Thursday, December 11th at 6 p.m. at Escalante Middle School’s cafeteria

Attendees of the public presentation on December 11th at 6 p.m. at Escalante Middle School will have the opportunity of winning a door prize of a $100 Gift Card. For more information about these events, call 247-5702, ext. 1605.

 

Winners Announced for DFEE’s Chocolate Extravaganza Contest

CONGRATULATIONS to DeNier Youth Services, Needham Elementary School and 9-R District Office on being the top 3 schools/buildings to win the DFEE Chocolate Extravaganza Contest.

Durango Foundation for Educational Excellence proudly delivered a hearty congratulations along with lots of chocolate, cheese, meat, crackers, and fruit last Friday, December 5th, to the 9-R District Office, Needham Elementary School, and Robert DeNier Youth Services for winning the DFEE Chocolate Extravaganza Contest.

For the past 5 years, Fuzzwigs Candy Factory has partnered with DFEE in not only “sweeting the pot” for giving, but also as a means to thank our 9-R employees for contributing to their local Education Foundation through the 9-R Payroll Deduction Plan. 

The contest started the first day of school this year and ran until December 1st.  

The top three 9-R schools/buildings with the highest percentage of staff participating in the payroll deduction plan were eligible for winning this lovely reception. 

On behalf of DFEE, our Board of Trustees, we thank you 9-R employees for supporting our students through your Educational Foundation. 

 

Park Elementary 4th-Grade Spell-A-Thon

Park’s 4th-grade classes will be having a Spell–A-Thon the week of December 15th.   This will be their major fundraiser for the Crow Canyon trip in April. Park’s 4th-grade students may need your help in getting pledges for the Spell-A-Thon.  For more information, contact Beth Brunso, 4th-grade teacher, at 247-3718, ext. 3540.

 

1st-Grade Music Program at Park School

Park’s 1st-grade students will be having a music program on Thursday, December 11th.  The performance will start at 6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria gym. For more information, call the school at 247-3718.

 

Reader’s Theatre at Park

Mrs. Aupperle’s 5th-grade class will be performing a Reader’s Theatre at Park on Tuesday, December 16th in the cafeteria. The performances will run between 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. and then 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

 

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