CCIC Update

Dear CCIC students and families,

As you can see from the content in this newsletter, we’ve had a very busy start to 2024 here at the CCIC! Below you’ll get a chance to read an abundance of updates on many programs, including the selection of two of our teachers for major awards:

James Dosky, CCIC Infrastructure Engineering: Educator of the Year!

Paul Clinton, CCIC Aerospace Manufacturing and Product Design: Golden Heart Educator!

These awards are specific to these two talented teachers and yet our classrooms are filled with dedicated and talented educators, both teachers and support staff. We are proud of all of them and Paul and Jim specifically!

Since there is so much news below that we want you to see, I'm keeping my part brief. Enjoy and thank you for your continued support of CCIC!

Sincerely,

Steve Day

Attendance Matters – Every Student, Every Day

Regular daily school attendance is a critical factor in school success. Students who are frequently absent from school when they are not sick are at risk of falling behind in academic learning and development of social skills. Poor attendance in early grades can influence whether children read proficiently by the end of third grade. By sixth grade, chronic absence can be a predictor of whether a student is at risk for dropping out of school. We know there are times when a student has to miss school for illness or other reasons. However, we invite families to help us meet our goal of having every child in school every day.

Learn more about why attendance matters and the role it plays is student success: https://www.attendanceworks.org/chronic-absence/the-problem/10-facts-about-school-attendance/

The CCIC application for 2024-2025 closes on March 8th. Be sure to fill out the application if you are interested in taking the next level of classes in your pathway or if you want to try a new pathway!

Next year's course offerings are detailed in the CCIC Course Guide.

It’s time to celebrate reading during Cherry Creek Reads 2024, a districtwide celebration of reading, coming up March 11-15, 2024!

The theme for the week is “Read Together, Inspire Together” which is based on the book, Words of Wonder from Z to A, written by Zaila Avant-garde and illustrated by Keisha Morris. Avant-garde is a young adult author who presents an inspiring picture book filled with her favorite words, from Z to A. The book features motivational words like KINDNESS, HOPE, and RESILIENCE, alongside Zaila's own uplifting reflections.

Words of Wonder from Z to A prompts us to wonder and ask questions like, What’s one word that inspires me? Do the words I use inspire others? How are our words perceived?

Cherry Creek Schools students, parents, teachers, staff, friends and family members are encouraged to read for 68 minutes or more during the week of the event. That’s one minute of reading for every CCSD school. Some other activities students and families can do at home are visiting your local school or public library and find some amazing new books, have a device free evening where family members are reading together, or work together to identify a word that represents your family.

So grab a book and join us for Cherry Creek Reads 2024!

You have it in you to give. Literally. CCIC's HOSA Chapter is partnering with Children's Hospital Colorado for a blood drive on Thursday, March 14 (A Day) at CCIC. When you give blood to Children's Hospital Colorado, it goes straight to patients in their care. One donation can help save or enhance up to five children's lives! Sign Up Now and check Schoology for eligibility requirements and permission slips for students under 18 years of age.

Join CCIC on Wednesday, April 3, 2024 to hear Shayla Rivera discuss the intersection of Aerospace and Sustainability in future careers. Shayla Rivera is an Aerospace Engineer and former Rocket Scientist with NASA turned salesperson, corporate trainer, and now International Keynote Speaker, TEDx Speaker, TV & Radio host, Emcee/Host, Comedian, Actor, Writer, Producer, Seminar Facilitator & Panel Moderator. The event is free but does require registration.

Program:

• 5:00-6:00 Exhibit Hall

• 6:00-7:30 Keynote speaker, Q&A

Sign Up Now!

CCIC will not have classes on Wednesday, April 17 and Wednesday April 24 to accommodate testing at the home high schools.

• April 17 - No Classes
• April 18 - B Day
• April 24 - No Classes
• April 25 - B Day

We are excited to announce Jim Dosky, Infrastructure Engineering teacher, as CCIC's 2023-2024 Educator of the Year. Mr. Dosky teaches Construction I and Construction II in the and serves as a SkillsUSA chapter advisor. Parents and students nominated Mr. Dosky for his commitment to career-focused education and his impact on students' lives.

Here are a few quotes from his nominations:

"Mr. Dosky has been an incredible mentor to my son while at CCIC. He is kind and compassionate but also firm and with high expectations. He believes in educating the whole child and recognizes and sees the potential in all of his students."

"... He has made CCIC the light of my day and I always look forward to going."

"For me personally, he is someone that I can look to for guidance. He has always encouraged me in the paths and goals I have, and has helped me when I was in mentally challenging places."

Mr. Dosky will be honored at CCSD's Educator of the Year awards on April 18th. CCIC students have been busy designing and creating the Educator of the Year Awards! Stay tuned to see the final product.

CCIC and the Cherry Creek Schools Foundation is proud to offer The Nicholas LeClaire Memorial Scholarship. This CCIC-specific scholarship offers an $5000 award to seniors who plan to attend a college/university, community college, or accredited trade school to continue training in your career pathway. This is an excellent opportunity as this scholarship is only for seniors attending classes at the CCIC. Application instruction are posted in the CCIC Senior Schoology group. Student must be logged in to their CCSD account to access the application.

Deadline to Apply: Friday, March 15 (this application requires two recommendations, so plan ahead!)

APPLY NOW

Contact CCIC counselors Ms. Miller (lmiller38@cherrycreekschools.org) or Mrs. Boyce (aboyce@cherrycreekschools.org) if you have questions.

Students and staff at CCIC celebrated Black History Month by learning about Black contributors to each pathway. Thank you to our CCIC Equity Committee for creating this inspiring and educational scavenger hunt in the building.

Each year CCSD's Special Education Advisory Committee honors staff who go above and beyond for special education students with Golden Heart Awards.

Congratulations to CCIC Aerospace Manufacturing Pathway Lead Paul Clinton! Mr. Clinton was nominated for his incredible work launching CCIC’s Uniquely Abled Academy this past summer!

Chances are your CCIC student remembers touring the campus as an 8th grader! Giving tours to 4000 8th grade students from across the district is an impactful way to expose rising freshmen to future opportunities available in the Cherry Creek School District. Principal Day and CCIC Student Ambassadors have also visited several middle schools to "preview" tours at assemblies. Hearing directly from CCIC students about their pathway experiences has been a meaningful aspect of this outreach. Thank you to all students who have participated!

The New CTE Work-Based Learning Job Board is now available for students to see Internship & Apprenticeship opportunities for this summer and next fall.

Students must be logged in with CCSD credentials to view the Job Board.

LOG IN

Earlier this month, CCIC hosted the regional SkillsUSA competition for students in Automotive, Aviation Maintenance and Construction. Ten schools from across the region competed including:

• Cherry Creek Innovation Campus
• Overland High School
• Smoky Hill High School
• Vista Peak Prep
• FutureForward Washington Square
• Brighton High School,
• Riverdale Ridge
• Sheridan High School (ACC's program)
• Pickens Technical College (HS Program)
• FutureForward Bollman

Students who placed will compete at the SkillsUSA State competition in Pueblo April 9th – 11th. Thank you to all volunteers and industry partners who helped make the day a first-class regional competition!

Drumroll, please!

The Cherry Creek Innovation Campus is proud to announce the new Food Truck Bus being run by the Hospitality & Tourism pathway! The Tuchman Family's generous donation made it possible to renovate the donated CCSD bus to include ALL the bells and whistles! THANK YOU!!

This mobile marvel is a culinary masterpiece and will be an immersive learning experience for all CCIC students! Stay tuned for the big reveal as we wrap the bus and prepare for its dazzling debut!

Representatives of the National Security Agency visited CCIC on February 8th and 9th and provided the Cybersecurity classes a live, hands-on demonstration of their extremely rare and valuable Enigma machine. Students learned the history of the use of the machine by the Nazi government in WWII to encrypt communications to their field military units. They also learned in detail how the machine works and gained an appreciation for how difficult it would be to crack. The NSA representatives explained how the machine was broken by Alan Turing and others at Blechley Park in the UK, resulting in many, many lives saved and an earlier end to WWII.

2021 Overland High School and Cherry Creek Innovation Campus (CCIC) alum is gaining significant recognition for innovation at Reata Engineering & Machine Works. Adam Zaouague set out to improve whatever he was tasked to do. While in the Aerospace Manufacturing Pathway at CCIC, Zaouague met Grady Cope, Reata President and CEO, and was offered a scholarship and summer internship.

CCIC ProStart students Jordan West and Quinnton Webb represented CCIC last week in Colorado School Nutrition Association's "The One Plate Challenge."

In this cooking competition filmed at CCIC, student teams from across Colorado showcase their creativity, fast thinking, and AMAZING cooking skills! Students have 45 minutes to plan, prepare and plate meals using food specifically designed for school nutrition.

The episode will be available to watch in June. While you wait to see how Jordan & Quinnton did, check out last year's One Plate Challenge here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o1JssfQVF0

Considering the current workforce needs in the healthcare sector, the New York Times recently published the article "Hospitals are desperate for workers. They might find them in high schools." The piece highlights the potential for high school students to bridge the workforce gap in the healthcare industry through meaningful CTE programs and experiential learning opportunities. At the CCIC, we have 4 Health and Wellness pathways including Certified Nurse Aide, Occupation & Physical Therapy, Behavioral Health Technician, and Pharmacy Technician that have a unique opportunity for students to participate in a job shadow program at Centennial Hospital (part of HealthONE). The job shadow allows students to engage directly with hospital staff for 12-hours as they rotate through the Emergency Room, Post-Operative, Radiology, and Physical Therapy departments and learn about medical careers, patient care, medical technology, medical procedures, and more!

Good luck to the 27 CCIC students competing at Colorado DECA State Conference. Business students practiced their presentation skills earlier this month at CCIC's Open House. Visitors were encouraged to watch presentations and give feedback. This format offered families a first hand look at the Business Services pathway and opportunities for students.

A message from Colorado Community College System (CCCS) regarding the 1098-T form that concurrent enrollment students have received:

In January of each year, CCCS, on behalf of all colleges within the system, mails IRS Form 1098-T to students who had qualified tuition and other related educational expenses paid during the previous calendar year (January 1 – December 31, 2023). This form is informational only and should not be considered as tax opinion or advice. It serves to alert students that they may be eligible for federal income tax education credits such as the Lifetime Learning Credit and the Hope Credit as part of their Federal Income Tax Return. Receipt of Form 1098-T, as designed and regulated by the IRS, does not contain all the information needed to claim a tax credit and indicate eligibility for the tax credit. To determine the amount of qualified tuition and fees paid, and the amount of scholarships and grants received, a taxpayer should use their own financial records and seek advice from their tax consultant, as needed. NOTE: It is up to each taxpayer to determine eligibility for the credits and how to calculate them.

Please refer to the 1098-T FAQ provided by CCCS, which outlines everything there is to know about this form

CCIC offers Concurrent Enrollment credits through Arapahoe Community College (ACC), Community College of Denver (CCD) and Pueblo Community College (PCC). Dual enrollment is offered through Metro State University (MSU). Even if your student does not attend one of these institutions after high school, the credits earned could still transfer to another college or university. The links below provide directions on how to request official transcripts from our concurrent and dual enrollment partners.

Requesting Transcripts from ACC

Requesting Transcripts from CCD

Requesting Transcripts from PCC

Requesting Transcripts from MSU

Email: sday3@cherrycreekschools.org
Location: 8000 S. Chambers Road
Phone: 720.554.2600