January is School Board Member Recognition Month
by Patty Unruh
The Gilpin County Board of Education met on Tuesday, January 16, at 7:00 p.m. A quorum of Craig Holmes, Sarah Swanson, and Kersten Armstrong began on time. Due to involvement in basketball games, Brook Ramsey arrived late and Steve Boulter was absent for the public segment of the meeting. Superintendent David MacKenzie and Elementary Principal Heather Huntoon were present. Secondary Principal Alexis Donaldson and Secretary to the Board Joni Schmidt were absent.
Artist Recognition
Four-year-old Olivia Albrecht was the December artist for her portrayal of a dancing snowman, which was crafted from pieces of paper and adorned with button eyes. “Great job!” art teacher Curt Halsted praised.
Jett Hannsen, third grader, was the artist for January. His painting was a study in wintry blue of a train with a penguin riding on top. White oil pastel achieved the effect of smoke and snow, and the train was shown at a three-quarter view. The painting was inspired by the song, “Down by the Station.”
The Gilpin Arts Showcase Gallery in Central City will have an opening on Saturday, January 20, from noon to 4:00 p.m. entitled “Extra Credit.” The show will feature the work of high school students who did independent artwork outside of class. The display will continue for one month.
School Board Member Recognition Month
January is School Board Member Recognition Month. The Board members are Craig Holmes, President, Steve Boulter, Vice President, Sarah Swanson, Secretary/Treasurer, Brook Ramsey, Member at Large, and Kersten Armstrong, Member at Large.
MacKenzie presented the members with gift certificates to Farradday’s Steakhouse at the Isle of Capri Casino, “Accredited with Distinction” polo shirts, and computer bags. He reminded everyone that the Board members are elected officials who volunteer their service.
Sounds a Little Fishy
Principal Huntoon introduced fifth grade science teacher Vanessa Grenader. Grenader and Montessori upper elementary teacher Suzanne Diekman have been leading students in a project called “Trout in the Classroom.” This is an environmental education program in which students raise trout from eggs to fry. The project is being conducted in conjunction with District initiatives and is interdisciplinary, with applications in all subject areas. Students have been engaged in a variety of aspects, such as creating a diagram of the nitrogen cycle, studying watersheds in small groups, and testing water quality.
Grenader, her students, parents, and the Board trooped down to the classroom, where the children showed off a tank with tiny trout and explained their work.
The trout eggs were obtained through a facility in Wyoming. Trout prefer cold temperatures and have a chiller system that keeps their water temperature in the low 50’s. The students took a field trip to the trout hatchery in Leadville, where they saw many varieties of trout, including rainbow and cutthroat. They especially enjoyed feeding the trout.
“They came up like piranhas!” one of the boys exclaimed.
The students record their studies in a notebook, including information about testing of the temperature, pH balance, nitrates, and so on. There are three or four “trout managers” each day on a rotation.
The fish must be fingerlings — about the size of an adult pointer finger — in order to be released, and the trout in the children’s tank are not quite there yet. Grenader was uncertain where the fish would be released. Some locations have the potential for exposing trout to the danger of whirling disease. The teacher advised that she is working with Colorado Parks and Recreation through their Trout Unlimited coordinator to find a safe location.
November/ December Minutes
The Board found it necessary to table approval of the minutes for November and December. The members present at the January meeting were not all present in December and so were unable to vote to approve December minutes. Additionally, Swanson is new on the board, and her first meeting was in December, so she was not present at the November meeting. They hoped to approve the minutes following Boulter’s appearance at the meeting, perhaps in time for the executive session.
Consent Items
The Board approved the check vouchers, financial statement for December 2017, quarterly financial report for the fourth quarter of 2017, and the human resources’ report. General fund revenue was $356,133 and expenses were $408,000.
New Business
The 2018 Winter Legislative Conference will convene at the Brown Palace on March 1 and 2. Secretary Joni Schmidt has registered Gilpin’s board members, reserved rooms, and sent or linked members to the agenda.
MacKenzie gave notice of automatic renewal of his employment contract.
Elementary Principal’s Report
Huntoon reported that parent-teacher conferences had 94 percent attendance.
Students tie-dyed bandanas for their first SOAR celebration to signify how they “soar” at Gilpin. All students also enjoyed the Colorado Symphony.
Fourteen families and 32 children received generous donations of food and gifts for the holidays. Huntoon thanked the Isle of Capri, St. James Church, Christ the King Community Church, the Gilpin County Treasurer’s Office, and Gilpin County Elementary for donating and elementary secretary Joni Schmidt for organizing the donations.
There was a 1:00 p.m. dismissal for winter break on Friday, December 15. Huntoon observed that it was a combination of learning and enjoyment for students and teachers. 46 students were absent from the elementary that Friday, but MacKenzie reported 90 percent attendance school-wide that day.
Presenter Mark Overmeyer worked with staff during January professional days on providing quality feedback to students and focusing on writing.
The spelling bee, originally scheduled for January 18, was rescheduled to February 1, due to not yet being prepared. Holmes said that the Elks and the Gilpin County Education Foundation are usually asked for donations for the bee, but he had not seen any requests come through yet and asked Huntoon to check on this.
Secondary Principal’s Report
MacKenzie summarized Donaldson’s report. Teachers attended professional learning on January 5 and shared their design thinking projects and analyzed student data. Many teachers have implemented project-based learning projects with great success.
Mr. Price, the exchange teacher from Australia, has returned home, and Gilpin teacher Sam Wardell has returned from his time “Down Under.” Wardell will share his experiences with staff and students during his first week back.
Sunny Vincent has become certified to facilitate the CDE’s gifted and talented online courses and will offer professional development opportunities for the Gilpin staff this spring.
The 2018 valedictorian is Josh Trujillo, who plans to attend the Colorado School of Mines. The salutatorian is Katelyn Armstrong, and she will go to Baylor in Texas.
Superintendent’s Report
MacKenzie noted that Huntoon has been successful in implementing positive behavior strategies and in focusing on writing. Mark Overmeyer has been well received and has provided the staff with practical skills and knowledge that the teachers can incorporate in their own way.
School safety was practiced through a lockout drill on January 8 and a fire drill on January 9.
CDE audited and accepted the 2016-2017 school year financial submission.
The elementary school earned the John Irwin Award for exemplary student achievement and also received the Governor’s Distinguished Improvement Award for exceptional student growth.
Kevin Armstrong of the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office has acquired funding through Homeland Security for a generator that the school can use. “Eventually, we’ll get our own generator,” MacKenzie said.
The crosswalk on Highway 119 is now in place and operating with signs and flashing lights.
The District has a new website that will enable it to be ADA compliant. Many languages are available for text conversion, and audio is offered for the sight impaired. There is still some cleanup that needs to be done, as not all features have transferred from the old site.
Executive Session
The Board adjourned its public session at 8:02 p.m. and went into executive session regarding negotiations and personnel.
Next Meeting
The next meeting will be on Tuesday, February 6, at 7:00 p.m.