Coach K, the retired legendary college basketball coach at Duke University, once said that “There are five fundamental qualities that make every team great: communication, trust, collective responsibility, caring and pride. I like to think of each as a separate finger on the fist. Any one individually is important. But all of them together are unbeatable.” His quote is a powerful metaphor for teamwork and unity. While each finger has its own strength and purpose, it’s only when they come together that they can form a strong, powerful hand. The idea emphasizes that success comes from everyone on the team, and that every team member plays a crucial role. At PCSD Re-2, we've seen all of our players come together in various ways that has led to a collaborative, fun, and successful first quarter of the school year. Parents have teamed up for Homecoming week, the Fall Festival, fundraisers, concessions, parent-teacher conferences, and more. Teachers have elevated the ordinary by going above and beyond in their creation of new traditions and opportunities for students (i.e.: haunted house, Senior Sunrise). Students have shined in their band concerts, on the athletic fields, in the Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, inside the classroom, and elsewhere. It took the work of all fingers of the fist to make it all come together. Thanks to each and every one of our stakeholders for being a part of our team.

As we move into November, we will continue our focus on fostering a positive school culture and strengthening our community connections. I encourage you to participate in upcoming events and activities that celebrate all of our students' achievements and bring us together as a district. The collective involvement makes a significant difference for those who matter first, our students! Thank you for your continued support, and let’s look forward to a productive month ahead!

With gratitude~ Dr. J.

We are excited to welcome Patrick Cooper to the PCSD Re-2 team as our new Safety & Security Coordinator! Patrick has spent over 10 years with the Park County Sheriff's Office and is ready to bring his experience to our schools to support our efforts with school safety, community building, and more. He starts next week with some off-campus training, so you will start to see him on campus full-time beginning Monday morning, November 11.

Thank you to everyone who took a few minutes to complete our district's Website Feedback Survey. Overall, the information led us to very specific needs that we want to address in order to increase the user-experience and information available on your end. The feedback highlights several challenges with the current website for a school district, with participants in the survey noting difficulties in finding specific information such as staff directories, event calendars, financial details, and school handbooks. Users reported that they feel the site is cluttered, often outdated, and hard to navigate, especially on mobile devices. Key suggestions include improving organization, enhancing visual appeal with pictures of events and student achievements, and providing clearer access to information about student involvement and board meetings. There’s a strong desire for more timely updates, streamlined navigation, and the ability to pay fees online, which would improve overall user experience.

In response to this feedback, the District has already started the conversations with our website provider, and are going through various workups of new formats for the website. We hope that when this work is unveiled, it will prove to be more useful for everyone.

In September and October, the students at ETE have been working hard with their counselor and teachers learning about respect and responsibility in our home, school, and community. Our students and staff are committed to continuing to show our community what great examples we are of both character traits. Congratulations to all our students honored for showing such great character for the months of September and October.

In addition to the long-awaited arrival of PCSD Re-2's new shiny bus this past month (isn't she pretty!), Transportation Director Ben Medina has been working on bringing in new technology to support the safety of our students who rely on our busses every day. Through the adoption of Samsara's technology, our team will be provided with real-time data for smarter, safer and more efficient transportation. One huge highlight of the technology is that our busses will have real-time live tracking and can be monitored from afar for maintenance, rider location, delays in route, and more.

SPMS and SPHS will be hosting a Veterans Day Assembly on November 11 at 10:00am. They would like to invite all Veterans and those currently serving in any branch of our Armed Forces to campus to be recognized for their sacrifice and dedication to our country. They also invite you to join them for lunch afterwards. Please RSVP by November 4 to Principal Kevin Sellers at kevin.sellers@parkcountyre2.org. We thank all the men and women who serve our great country.

In Colorado, a Unified Improvement Plan (UIP) is a strategic framework designed to enhance student learning and system effectiveness by aligning with state and federal accountability standards in public schools. It involves a continuous improvement cycle where schools and districts analyze performance data to develop and refine their plans. The UIP aims to ensure all students are prepared for post-secondary education or the workforce, with a focus on transparency and accountability. Upon the Colorado Department of Education's final review of our UIP, it will be posted for public viewing.

The school has identified four key student performance priorities using a diverse data set to include both formal and informal data. First, to increase academic growth in elementary English-Language Arts (grades 3-5), the focus will be on enhancing assessment practices, providing professional development in data analysis and application, and building consistency with intervention reading and writing supports. The second priority is to increase secondary student engagement (grades 6-12). Strategies to accomplish this will focus on on improving perceptions of school culture and climate among students, staff, and parents/guardians, and expanding student engagement opportunities. The third priority is to increase students’ and staff’s feelings of mental and physical safety and belonging in school, and the plan involves providing professional development for teachers on classroom and behavioral management and engagement strategies, as well as increasing student engagement opportunities to foster a sense of belonging. Finally, the fourth priority is to increase achievement on postsecondary and workforce readiness indicators (grades 10-11). The focus will be on building an understanding of the value of academic participation in postsecondary planning, offering professional development in data analysis and application, and increasing student engagement opportunities.

The athletic facility, which includes the football and baseball fields, is currently closed to the public. The facility has experienced multiple incidents of trespassing and damage. Access will be restricted to District use or approved reservations for outside events. Efforts are underway to improve community access to the facility, and updates will be communicated as a better process is established. In the meantime, anyone interested in reserving part of the complex for an event or activity should contact Jordan Sanchez at jordan.sanchez@parkcountyre2.org for reservation information.

PCSD Re-2’s District Accountability Committee (DAC) is made up of parents, teachers, District

staff, the Superintendent, and community members and serves in an advisory capacity to the

Park County School District Re-2 Board of Education. In Colorado, it is a statutory requirement

for every school district to have a DAC. The committee meets monthly throughout the year and

makes recommendations to the Board of Education regarding specific topics at-large. Topics

may include but are not limited to the spending of District money, improvement plans, and

community engagement efforts. The committees members also make recommendations for

areas and issues for study. The committee strives to work together to better our District’s community, and is always looking for parents, business owners, school staff, and other community members to join its efforts.

At the last DAC meeting held October 9, 2024, the committee established its focus areas for the 2024-2025 school year. This included a focus on budget input, development and input for the Unified Improvement Plan, strategic plan input, and fostering community and staff culture and outreach. Additionally, there will be an emphasis on building-level expectations and ensuring K-12 vertical alignment of practices.

We are always looking to add more stakeholders to DAC. DAC is still looking to fill a vacancy requirement with one person involved in business in the community within our district boundaries. We are also looking for at least one more parent member. If you are interested in learning more about DAC, please visit www.parkcountyre2.org and the DAC- District Accountability Committee page. You can also contact Dr. Harrison at jistine.harrison@parkcountyre2.org. A virtual option for committee members who are hesitant because of distance can be made available.

The PTO is a group formed by parents, teachers, and staff at Edith Teter Elementary to promote collaboration and support for the school community. The PTO works to enhance the educational experience for students through fundraising, organizing events, and providing resources. It creates a sense of community among parents, teachers, and students, encouraging involvement in school activities. Activities utilized to accomplish the goals of the PTO may include fundraising, events, and volunteering. The benefits of our PTO include enhanced resources, community building, and parent involvement. ETE's PTO serves as a vital link between the school and the community, enhancing the educational experience for all of our students. Please visit their Facebook page or reach out to Dr. Harrison for more questions on how to join!

SPAA is a non-profit organization that supports all extracurricular activities at South Park Middle and High School (not just sports). They fundraise year round in order to pay for the things that are not covered by the budget. Things they pay for include, but aren't necessarily limited to: new uniforms, record boards, gymnasium floor covering, signs, money to help with travel, new equipment, scholarships, and so much more than there is room to list. Please visit SPAA's Facebook page or reach out to South Park Middle/High School's principal Kevin Sellars at kevin.sellers@parkcountyre2.org for more information on getting involved with SPAA.

Burro Band Boosters is a group of community members committed to supporting all South Park Burro Bands. A successful band program isn't possible without support, and the Boosters are always looking for volunteers to join or help. Becoming a sponsor is another great way to get involved. If interested in learning more about how you can support the Burro Bands, please email them at spburroband@gmail.com.

South Park High School New Cooking & Agriculture Class Fundraiser

READ PAST ISSUES OF:

Superintendent Bulletin

• Sept 21, 2024

Board Buzz

• Oct 17, 2024

LOCAL EVENTS

Information on Local Park County Events

SCHOOL WEBSITES

Edith Teter Preschool

Edith Teter Elementary

South Park Middle/High School

Guffey Community Charter School

Lake George Charter School

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Employment in PCSD Re-2

PCSD Re-2 District Calendar 2024-2025

Food Services (menus)

Park County School District Re-2 Facebook Page