SSSD August Newsletter

Steamboat Springs School District August Newsletter
A Message from Dr. Celine Wicks, Superintendent
Dear Steamboat Springs School District Community:
Welcome to the 2023/2024 academic year! The echoes of student voices bounced off our school building walls again, ringing in the new year. The beginning of each school year is filled with anticipation and excitement. Our entire staff has been working diligently to ensure a smooth welcome back this week. Staff attended five days of professional development sprinkled with team-building activities to be ready to kick off the school year. We are thrilled to have our students back and expect a fantastic year of learning and growing.
One of the most important aspects of school is safety. The Steamboat Springs School District, in coordination with the Colorado School Safety Resource Center (SSRC) and the Colorado Department of Public Safety, delivered a full threat assessment (TA) training on August 3rd and 4th to over 40 people who make up our multidisciplinary school threat assessment teams. We were fortunate to have representatives from all aspects of our multidisciplinary teams including, law enforcement (Steamboat Springs Police Department and Routt County Sheriffs) including our School Resource Officers, all school administrators, mental health providers, and school counselors from all our schools. We also had attendees from Steamboat Montessori and North Routt Community Charter School. The experts from SSRC provided us with training in best practice threat assessment protocols and the rationale behind TA’s that is grounded in 20 years of research by the U.S. Secret Service. The training allowed our multidisciplinary team to come together and critically evaluate and further establish our TA practices, procedures, and policies in the SSSD to ensure the highest level of school safety.
Additionally, all of our school administrators went through a refresher course on standard response protocols. SSSD utilizes the “i love you guys” foundation processes and procedures in each school to ensure everyone is on the same page. I highly recommend reviewing the iloveyouguys.org website for detailed information.
The Steamboat Springs School District Board of Education has three seats available for election on the November 7, 2023 ballot. Three directors will be elected for a term of four years each. Please contact SSSD Election Officer, Deb Ginesta, at (970) 871-3193 to make an appointment if you are interested in picking up a petition or have questions. Petitions require 50 eligible elector (voter) signatures. To be qualified, a candidate must have been a registered elector of the school district for at least 12 consecutive months before the election. The deadline for submitting the nomination petitions to the District Election Officer is Friday, September 1, 2023, at noon.
On behalf of the entire Steamboat Springs School District, welcome to the 2023/2024 school year. I look forward to connecting with each of you throughout the year at school events and in the community.
Sincerely,
Dr. Celine Wicks, Superintendent
District News
Summer Programming By the Numbers
Numbers have a unique way of telling stories, and the summer of 2023 in Steamboat Springs was no exception. From the innovative curriculum, vibrant excursions, and community partnerships, let's look at how 65 Emerging Bilingual students from three schools spent the summer learning and exploring.
1 Dynamic Summer Experience
From June 26 to August 3, the Steamboat Springs School District hosted a summer language acquisition program and Spanish language instruction in line with biliteracy programming that takes place during the school year, that brought together students from Soda Creek Elementary, Strawberry Park Elementary, and Sleeping Giant School.
11 current 5th graders
15 current 4th graders
12 current 3rd graders
13 current 2nd graders
14 current 1st graders
Transportation
Thirty-nine students rode the bus in at least one direction to or from school, and all students utilized transportation services for community excursions.
Languages as Diverse as the Learners
SSSD summer programming includes students speaking diverse languages, including Spanish, Czech, and Bulgarian.
9 Dedicated Staff Members
Behind every successful initiative are those who tirelessly work to make it happen. Nine dedicated staff members, including educators, administrators, and community volunteers, helped make the programming a success:
Cindy Ruzika (SSMS) 5th Grade
Christine Geautreux (SGS) and Ann Henderson (SCE) - 4th Grade
Sherry Meadows (SCE) - 3rd Grade students
Erin Swanson (SGS/bilingual) and Mary Yamamoto (SCE) - 2nd Grade
Katelyn Heath (SGS) - 1st Grade
Meghan Howard (SCE) bilingual social worker - SEL and biliteracy
Ann Coon - (SCE/bilingual) Administrator
Two community volunteers
9 Enriching Excursions
Learning extended beyond the classroom walls through a range of exciting excursions:
Three weeks of swimming lessons at OTHS with most of the cost donated by Honey Stinger
Music on the Green and Botanic Gardens
Strings concert venue tour
Bud Werner Library story walk, storytime, and scavenger hunt
Yoga sessions for social-emotional learning
Yampatika water life science exploration
Paddleboarding with Steamboat Adventures
Ice skating and bumper cars at Howelsen Hill Ice Rink
6 Weeks of Social-Emotional Learning and Health Services Curriculum with NW Colorado Health
Mindfulness
Emotions and Feelings
Empathy
Friendship
Problem Solving and Resilience
Hopes and Dreams
17 Community Partnerships
Our summer programming was a testament to the power of community collaboration. The summer program continues to be funded annually through a generous grant from the Craig-Scheckman Family Foundation. Seventeen additional community partners joined hands to create an enriching experience for the students.
Boys and Girls Club
City of Steamboat Springs
Yampatika
Strings and the Yampa River Botanic Gardens
Bud Werner Memorial Library
Old Town Hot Springs
Honey Stinger
Lift Up of Routt County
Integrated Community
Winonas
The Egg
Mazzolas
Paddleboard Adventures
Routt County Women United
Colorado Event Rentals
Northwest Colorado Health Dental Bus
Rocky Mountain Health Foundation
Grant Awards and Donations Round-Up
The Steamboat Springs School District has recently been awarded several grants to enhance educational opportunities and student services across the district. We are excited to share with you the details of a few of the grant awards that will be utilized this school year:
Preschool Tuition Assistance: Routt County United Way awarded $12,500 to support Steamboat Springs School District preschool families with financial need. Families attending district preschools can access the application in English and Spanish. North Routt Community Charter School received $11,000 to support preschool families.
Behavioral Health Staffing: The Yampa Valley Medical Center Foundation Community Health Benefit Fund awarded the school district a one-year grant of $40,000 for behavioral health positions. The Craig-Scheckman Family Foundation also granted $75,000 for behavioral health in the schools fpr this year.
District Office Safety Improvements: The Division of Homeland Security approved the school district’s request of $55,125 to make security upgrades to the District Office including secure entrances. This competitive grant received $27M in requests and only awarded $5.8M. The safety improvements are part of the renovations currently taking place at the district office.
Healthy School Meals for All
Steamboat Springs School District is participating in the Healthy School Meals for All program! Approved by Colorado voters, the new program enables districts to offer free meals to all students.
Important Reminders for Families
Just like in previous years, families should continue to provide their household income information by completing the free and reduced lunch forms. While meals will be provided for free to all SSSD students through Healthy School Meals for All, it's important for us to continue gathering this information in order to receive full access to available federal funding.
By providing this information, you will be supporting our district in accessing additional federal funds that will go directly to our schools to help cover the cost of meals, as well as after school programs and other nutritional programs for students. Plus, families who qualify may receive discounted school fees, class materials, bus passes, utilities support and more!
Family Information is Always Confidential
All household income information provided is strictly confidential and protected by law. Only one form is required for all children in the household. Immigration, migrant, citizenship or refugee status is not required when completing the form.
Questions?
If you have questions or would like support completing the free and reduced lunch forms, please reach out to our Director of Nutrition Services Max Huppert by email (mhuppert@ssk12.org) or phone (970-846-4936).
We Are Now Hiring Paraprofessionals!
Steamboat School District is looking for a few more paraprofessionals to support our schools.
What is a paraprofessional? Paraprofessionals are essential education team members, providing unique expertise and support in helping students with special needs achieve their learning goals. They help create a safe learning environment, offer personalized attention, build relationships with students, and foster task engagement.
"What I love about being a paraprofessional is seeing that little light bulb that they've got and just clicking every time you work with them. It's such an amazing thing to see. I love it and would never trade it for anything. I love my job."
- Katie Groenddyke,
Paraprofessional, Steamboat Springs Middle School
Pay & Benefits include:
Entry pay range: $21.61 - $23.82 per hour (based on experience)
Medical, dental and vision insurance with significant district contribution towards premiums **
Sick and Personal Days **
School calendar schedule
Voluntary retirement savings options(401K, 403B, 457B)
Professional Development reimbursement opportunities **
District Wellness Clinic**
PERA retirement program
**Based on eligibility
Questions? Contact Kiki Soule, HR Generalist Email: ksoule@ssk12.org Phone: 970-871-3168
Applications and position information at www.steamboatschools.net or click here.
In the News
Enthusiastic educator starts as head of school at North Routt Community Charter
Letter: Field trip to local restaurant was empowering for our students
Food brings people together. I recently observed this simple but profound adage when the bilingual chefs of Mazzola’s Italian Restaurant taught dozens of Steamboat Springs Summer School students the art of making homemade pizza. Sure, all kids love making and eating pizza. But these are no ordinary kids, and this was no routine field trip. (By: Cindy Ruzicka teacher in the Steamboat Springs School District)
Prep Sports
Steamboat boys tennis tops the region, places second in season opener
Sailors start hot: Boys golf takes first in Rifle
Just two tournaments into the season, Steamboat Springs boys golf has proven they can compete with any team in the Western Slope. (Photo by: Tom Skulski/Steamboat Pilot & Today)
Follow Steamboat Radio on Facebook and the Steamboat Pilot for more game photos, news, and updates!