SSSD April Newsletter

Eighth graders from Steamboat Springs Middle School participated in a ski day on Friday, April 7. The event was an opportunity to hit the slopes with classmates before high school and instill a sense of community. (Photo courtesy of Kayleigh Esswein)

Dear Steamboat Springs School District Community:

I have become fascinated with the Japanese art form of “kintsugi,” literally meaning “golden joinery.” For those of you not familiar with this concept, it is the practice of repairing broken pottery with a lacquer mixed with either gold, silver, or platinum. The idea or philosophy behind the practice is to treat any broken pieces as part of the history of the object instead of masking or disguising the breaks. This practice has me thinking about students and what our educators do on a daily basis. Students (and adults) make mistakes and errors every day. When we create a safe environment where students feel comfortable trying something difficult and are allowed to make a mistake without judgment, that is the exact space where learning occurs. The mistakes, or the “broken pieces,” become part of the history of the individual. Wouldn’t it be phenomenal if we celebrated mistakes more, emphasized imperfections, and appreciated the learning process? Just some food for thought.

Have a safe and enjoyable spring break!

Sincerely,

Dr. Celine Wicks, Superintendent

cwicks@ssk12.org

According to a recent survey conducted by the Steamboat Springs School District, 56.8% of respondents oppose moving forward with the continued exploration of a four-day school week for the Steamboat Springs School District.

The survey garnered 1,157 responses. The majority of respondents were community members (approximately 80%). Twenty percent of the respondents were Steamboat Springs School District employees. Of the respondents who work for the district, 72.48% were certified staff, and 27.52% were classified staff.

“Many of our neighboring school districts have successfully implemented and adapted to four-day school weeks,” said Dr. Wicks. “They all made the change for various reasons. Meeker switched for financial reasons, and Hayden’s decision was driven by their board of education. But for all the districts, the decision was right for their communities. The Steamboat Springs community has expressed that this isn’t the right decision for our schools and community, and it is not in the best interest of the community to move forward with the continued exploration of a four-day school week. I, and the Board of Education, will respect the wishes of the community at-large. ”

Aquiles Zamarripa Arias, a fourth grader at SGS, comes to Homework Club every Monday. He loves to finish his homework before he gets home. His favorite subject is reading, and he is working through a book called “Bloom” by Kenneth Oppel.

On Monday afternoons around 3:15, students and volunteers gather in the media center of Soda Creek Elementary for Homework Club. Homework Club is where students receive extra skills-based learning in math and reading if they need the practice, get help with their homework, or even participate in activities in the community. Homework Club at SCE is just one example of the after-school programming available at Steamboat Springs School District schools.

The Routt County Public and Environmental Health Departments are teaming up to offer the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's (CDPHE) WIIN Grant Program to test for lead in drinking water at eligible schools and child care facilities throughout the county. This is a proactive approach to reduce potential lead exposure in our youth population throughout the county and raise awareness around risks of lead exposure. This program is being implemented alongside a program directed by CDPHE called the Test and Fix Water for Kids program that was created in response to a new Colorado law. This law requires child care centers, family child care homes and schools serving grades preschool through fifth to test drinking water for lead by May 31, 2023.

Routt County Public Health is providing the following FAQ document regarding the recent lead testing conducted in schools. We hope this document will answer your questions regarding the results of the recent testing and what to do if you are concerned about the potential health effects of lead exposure.

The Steamboat Springs School District is conducting follow-up testing at all sites of concern and will provide the results and recommended mitigation protocols when they are available.

The Healthy School Meals for All program provides funding for Colorado public school districts to serve free, nutritious meals to all students beginning in the 2023-2024 school year. The attached letter contains important updates on SSSD's participation in the program.

Below are key messages from the letter:

• The Steamboat Springs School District plans to opt-in to the Healthy School Meals for All program for the 2023-2024 school year, and we will reevaluate our participation in the program next year.
• For the remainder of the 2022-2023 school year, there will be no changes to food service operations.
  

• At the conclusion of this school year, we will be cutting checks to families for any positive balance left on their lunch accounts.
  
  

For questions, reach out to Max Huppert, Nutritional Services Director (mhuppert@ssk12.org).
For more information on the Healthy School Meals for All program, view this community resource.

Skiing and Steamboat Springs go hand-in-hand. But did you know skiing has deep roots within the Steamboat Springs School District? In December of 1944, the Steamboat Springs school system became the first in the country to introduce skiing as an accredited part of the public school curriculum. Seventy-five percent of the students enrolled in ski classes.

Skiing is no longer a part of the curriculum in SSSD schools. That didn’t seem right to Lara Craig, a current Board of Education member who came back to Steamboat Springs to teach at Steamboat Springs Middle School in 1995.

Craig had an idea: to make sure every student, no matter the circumstance, could get on skis and experience what Steamboat and its history of skiing were all about.

Tim Miles, the director of information technology for the Steamboat Springs School District, was selected as the 2023 Colorado Consortium of School Network (CoSN) Volunteer of the Year.

The Colorado Association of Leaders in Educational Technology (CALET) Board selected Miles for the award that recognizes the achievements of one of CALET and CoSN’s members who has provided exemplary support to Colorado’s educational technology leaders over the past year.

This month, the Steamboat Springs School District announced two new additions to its leadership team. Kristen Atwood, a special education teacher at Sleeping Giant School, was hired as the new Director of Exceptional Student Services. Additionally, Dr. Tim Ridder was hired as the new Director of Teaching and Learning.

They are both slated to begin in July before the 2023-2024 school year starts.

Please join me in congratulating Ms. Atwood and Dr. Ridder!

The majority of the Steamboat Springs community is opposed to a four-day school week. The school district sent out a survey at the request of the local teacher’s union. There were 1,157 responses. Twenty percent of those were school district employees. Close to 57% (56.8%) of those who responded are against the Steamboat Springs School District moving forward with exploring a 4-day school week.

The neighboring districts of Hayden, Soroco, and Moffat County are all on a four-day school week.

Steamboat track's Olin Webster, Casey Wolf, Matthias Wolf and Michael Hagney celebrate a third-place finish in the 4x400 meter relay race during the Eagle Valley Invitational on Saturday, April 8, 2023. Margaux Shea/Courtesy Photo

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