Larger Class Sizes Cause Problems- from January 2010, DHS El Diablo Student Newspaprer

Larger Class Sizes Cause Problems
By Emma Zink (DHS Student)

As many students have realized, class sizes have grown this year primarily because many teachers were laid off last year. Some students wonder if this is affecting their ability to learn.

Last year, 11 teachers were laid off. Students are noticing classes are different, and for some it is making a bigger difference than others.

Math teacher Dan Zalbowits said, “It is difficult to get around to everyone and help them.” His classes have been full all year.

The teachers are having a harder time getting classes started quickly and quietly. It takes much longer for 30 students to be ready to learn than the previous 18 student. This is especially difficult in science classes when students need to perform labs.

“it is affecting the ability to do labs and activities…for example, if you have three student instead of two student (in a group) somebody always, kind of, gets left out,” said chemistry teacher Jennifer Dvorak.

There is limited space to do labs, especially with flames and dangerous chemicals around; many people are crowded into a small space.

“In core classes I think it is harder to get individual help. Overall, I don’t like the feeling of having so many people in my classes,” said Sophomore Erin Edbloom. Many other students feel the same: uncomfortable in the classes.

Though some student are having trouble answering question in from of so many people, getting individual help or jest feeling like too many people are watching them, there are some student who like it better. The feel more comfortable sharing their ideas with many people around them. The way people feel tends to change with every class depending on the need of teacher help or student brainstorming.

Former Animas High student and Freshman Chloe Mouret said, “I learn better [in large classes]. There are a bunch of different ideas to get my mind going better. Animas High has about 12-15 students per class.

Photo with the caption: Every desk is full in Matthew Hoaglin’s Freshman math class. Larger class sizes make it difficult for students to get the one-on-one attention they may need. Teachers also have to deal with more interruptions and greater trouble focusing all the students.

AHS Weekly Update- Week of Jan. 25th, 2010

Thanks to everyone for their patience and flexibility in dealing with last week’s challenging weather conditions. Please take a second to review the following updates below:

Important Second Semester Dates
AHS Info Nights and Enrollment
NWEA Testing
Snowdown 2010

Important Second Semester Dates

Please make sure you have these important dates and experiences on your calendar:

NWEA Testing II Jan 27-29
Exhibition I March 3
CSAP March 22-26
CSAP Make up March 29- 31
SLCs April 8
Exhibition II May 6
tPOLs May 24-25

AHS Info Nights and Enrollment

We will host our second AHS Info night on Tuesday, Jan. 26th from 6-7:30 PM at school. Enrollments are quickly increasing so if you know of any interested 8th grade families, PLEASE ENCOURAGE THEM TO ATTEND AN INFO EVENT AND ENROLL SOON! Space is limited for next year’s 9th grade class. We also are accepting enrollment forms for a limited number of 10th grade spots. Additional information and enrollment forms are available on our homepage: http://www.animashighschool.com/

NWEA Testing

Our second round of NWEA testing will take place this Wednesday Jan 27th through Friday January 29th. Please make sure your student is at school these days!

Snowdown 2010

From our Snowdown Coordinator, Julie Harrison:

Thanks to everyone that was able to dig themselves out and bring their kids over to work on the float yesterday [Saturday]! We are making great progress, just a few odds and ends to tie up. A few things I would like to request:

If your student is going to be part of the float on Friday, please send 2-3 bags of candy with them to school to pass out to the crowd if you can. We will be bringing the float to school on Friday afternoon. Students are welcome to go downtown with the float so if your student would like to do that, make sure they bring their “beachwear” with them to school so they can change there. The Parade will start at 6:00pm with one big-boom firework on Friday, January 29th, 2010. Please make sure your student is downtown with AHS in the float staging area by 5:30 PM!

Also, if you have any beach appropriate type props (umbrellas, beach balls, coolers, swim masks, etc.) please bring them down to the school by Friday.You can retrieve your students at the end of the parade unless other arrangements have been made and you have made Michael aware of them. We won't release students without knowing where they are going or with who they are leaving with. Please allow time for your child to help disassemble the float before they leave Friday night. Remember, parents and siblings are welcome to join us in the fun if you so desire! Please contact juliebird5@yahoo.com if you have questions or concerns. Thanks again for all your support!

Snow Closure

ALL AFTERNOON AFTERSCHOOL ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN CANCELED

FOR Thursday, Jan. 21, 2010

Animas High School will be CLOSED on

Friday, Jan. 22, 2010 due to inclement weather. School will resume Monday, January 25 at our normal 8:15 AM start time. Have a safe weekend!

Durango Herald News, Colorado angles for $377 million for public schools

Durango Herald News, Colorado angles for $377 million for public schools

Colorado angles for $377 million for public schoolsby Joe HanelHerald Denver Bureau
Article Last Updated; Wednesday, January 20, 2010 12:00AM

DENVER - Colorado leaders said schoolchildren are already winners even if the state doesn't win the federal Race to the Top grant.
But they would love to have the $377 million for education reform they asked for Tuesday when they sent their grant application to Washington.

“Colorado has been racing to the top for years now, with reform after reform after reform," said Gov. Bill Ritter.

President Barack Obama's administration created the grants to spur new ideas for reforming schools. The goal is to increase student achievement and be able to track improvements through data and testing.

The deadline to apply was Tuesday, and Colorado is up against more than 30 states that want a piece of the $4 billion in grants, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Obama announced Tuesday that he is asking Congress for another $1.3 billion for Race to the Top next year.
The money would pay for specific reforms, and it could not be used to restore the $260 million in cuts to schools Ritter has proposed to help close the state budget gap.

Colorado's application hits the four areas the Obama administration wants to see:

Making teachers and principals better.
Giving better tests to students.
Improving data to track how well individual students perform.
Helping struggling schools.

In recent years, Colorado has passed laws to track individual students' test scores. Previously, test results weren't useful to individual students because they showed only the combined scores for students in the same grade at a school.

The Legislature also has started curriculum reforms to make sure students are prepared to enter college. The reforms also will eliminate the Colorado Student Assessment Program test and replace it with a new exam.

Ritter was happy about the cooperation that went into Colorado's application. Students, parents, businesspeople, teachers and their unions all had a part in the application.

The head of a major teacher's union backed Ritter on Tuesday when he signed an executive order to create a Council on Educator Effectiveness - the final piece of the Race to the Top application.
However, Beverly Ingle, president of the Colorado Education Association, likes the council because it will help set standards to let teachers know exactly what's expected of them and exactly what they can do to help individual students.

Not everyone in the state likes the Race to the Top idea. When the state Senate debated a final piece of the Race to the Top grant last week, conservative Republicans objected to taking federal money.

“We have a $10 trillion deficit in this country," said Sen. Ted Harvey, R-Highlands Ranch. “We are asking future generations to pay for this bill if we get federal tax dollars."

jhanel@durangoherald.com

AHS Weekly Update- Week of Jan 11th

Happy Monday! We are off to a tremendously busy start to Semester 2. Please note the following events this week:

CHARTER SCHOOL TOWNE HALL MEETING- MONDAY EVENING

SNOWDOWN- LIFE’S A BEACH AHS PARADE FLOAT

ANIMAS HIGH SCHOOL ENROLLMENT OPENS AND KICK-OFF EVENT THIS THURSDAY


CHARTER SCHOOL TOWNE HALL MEETING- MONDAY EVENING

Charter School Towne Hall Meeting 6:00 p.m. the evening of January 11, 2010 at the Durango Community REC Center .

Presenter will be Jim Griffin, President of the Colorado League of Charter Schools.

Jim Griffin is the President of the Colorado League of Charter Schools, a non-profit, membership organization dedicated to supporting the 160 charter schools in the state. Jim has served in the capacity of League President since the organization's inception in 1994. Since then, the League has grown from a one-person technical support/advocacy group to a twelve-person, comprehensive membership organization. Jim's time with the League has included significant efforts around state legislative policy, new school development, facilities financing, and legal advocacy for charter schools. He is also an attorney. In conjunction with the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, Jim has also been involved in federal policy development, and has provided support to new state charter school organizations across the country.

This meeting will review:
How and Why Charter Schools began
Funding for Charter Schools
The Authorization Process
Facilities and transportation issues
... and more

The forum will be opened up to questions from attendees.

SNOWDOWN- LIFE’S A BEACH AHS PARADE FLOAT

Good afternoon! We had our brainstorming session this past Sat. for the AHS Snowdown float and the kids came up with a fun and somewhat challenging design! Phase 2 will be gathering materials to accomplish their vision. Below is a list of needed materials. Please let Julie Harrison know as soon as possible if you or someone you know can help so we can purchase what is left. Our first work session will be this upcoming Friday after school at 3:30 so if you or your students want to help, we would love to see you! We have two weekends to bring the students' ideas to life so any and all help would be greatly appreciated! I am the contact person so please email me any time with questions and/or donations!Please Contact Julie at: juliebird5@yahoo.com
Needed materials:SurfboardsCardboardGeneratorWoodNewspaperChicken WireChinese LanternsTall heating lampsPaint (and brushes) - ocean blue, green, brown, white, brown, neon colorsButcher paper - same as paint colorsCandyBeaded NecklacesLei'sKazoosBamboo Shoots

ANIMAS HIGH SCHOOL ENROLLMENT OPENS AND KICK-OFF EVENT THIS THURSDAY

Next year's 9th graders can start enrolling this week! Please tell your friends with 8th graders about AHS so they can make an informed choice about high school.

EVERYONE is invited to our Enrollment Kickoff Movie: "2 Million Minutes" Thursday, January 14.
Two million minutes is the amount of time in any four-year span. The movie is a documentary which addresses educational reform and the success of US charter schools. It will be playing at AHS at 6:00 p.m. and is free and open to the community. We hope to see you there!

Taking Advantage of Choice

Tips on tackling open enrollment
by Andra Coberly

All the hubbub around charters, focus schools and open enrollment can be summed up in one word: choice. It’s all the rage in education these days, and it becomes all the more important this time of year as open enrollment deadlines near. Gone are the days of simply picking between free or paid. Finding a school is now very nuanced: parents do research and even public schools rely on word of mouth. With schools offering everything from non-traditional classroom culture, programs like advanced placement and low student-teacher ratios, choice has caused an ever-growing shift in how parents consider their kids’ education.Here are a few tips on tackling the system:

Tip No. 1: Know your kid

Choice comes down to finding the right school for each particular student. First, you really need to know your child’s wants and needs. A smart but bored student can find a school that will challenge and focus his or her attention; a student who needs extra support can also find a school that offers small class sizes and one-on-one help. From Montessori to Core Knowledge to International Baccalaureate, parents can choose between various curricula at both public and private. Some schools also offer focus programming, which allows students to concentrate their studies on technology, science and math, arts, language and more.
Athletics and extracurriculars should also be looked at, especially if your kid excels at drama, music, art or a particular sport. A small charter with no football team may not be the best choice if your son is 6 feet 5 inches, 260 pounds.

Tip No. 2: Know your resources

Every school year, thousands of local parents opt to leave their neighborhood schools and look for something different or more specialized: a charter, a different neighborhood or focus school, an out-of-district school or a private school.
The most important part of choice is being educated about the schools that are out there. Many schools host tours or enrollment sessions this time of year. Check out the district websites—bvsd.org and stvrain.k12.co.us—to find descriptions of local schools. For information on charter schools, visit csi.state.co.us, the website for the Colorado Charter Institute, and coloradoleague.org, the Colorado League of Charter Schools’ website.

Also, check out Charter Schools: The Ultimate Handbook for Parents, a book by Colorado parent Karin Piper. Piper set out to examine practically everything a parent needs to know about charters. Her guide considers the myths and misconceptions and goes beyond the basics to give readers a solid, well-rounded view of putting their children into charters.

For parents interested in private schools, the Colorado Department of Education has an online resource: cde.state.co.us, and check out privateschoolreview.com, a great site for exploring local private schools.

Tip No. 3: Know the process

If you know what you want, the open enrollment process for public schools is pretty simple. Find a school, go to the district website and apply.But be warned: many schools have a very limited number of openings, if any at all. When applications exceed attendance numbers, a lottery system will come into play. The lottery does not show preference to any student. Though, some focus or charter schools will show preference in enrollment based on family income, siblings of current or former students, geographic area and children of staff and faculty.
For Boulder Valley School District’s 2010–11 school year, open enrollment applications will be accepted through Jan. 15. Students will be notified in early February, and parents must respond with an acceptance no later than 4pm on Feb. 12. A second round of offers will be made in March. Apply at bvsd.org.
Applications for open enrollment for St. Vrain Valley School District schools are due by Jan. 15. Letters will be sent to kids or parents in early February, and confirmation must be made by March 1. Apply at stvrain.k12.co.us.
Private schools vary on their rules and needs for admission, and many allow students to apply throughout the year. A good rule of thumb—if you are looking to enroll for fall of 2010—is to touch base with the school or apply before the winter break. An interview between an administrator and the parent and child is often required. Check their websites to find the specific dates.

Tip No. 4: Support your neighborhood school

Just because you have the opportunity to send your kid elsewhere does not mean you have to leave your neighborhood school. In fact, your child may fit perfectly in the school down the street. If you choose to stay with your neighborhood school, there is no need to open enroll.

Charter School Event Coming to Durango- Monday January 11th

The Event Announcement Below is an exciting opportunity for parents, students and community members interested in learning more about Charter Schools. Our friends with Mountain Middle School are sponsoring an evening Info and Q & A Session related to Charter Schools in Colorado.


Please join us for a Charter School Towne Hall Meeting 6:00 p.m. the evening of January 11, 2010 at the Durango Community REC Center.

Presenters will be Randy DeHoff, recent Executive Director of the Colorado Charter School Institute (the agency Mountain Middle School is working to get authorized through), and Jim Griffin, President of the Colorado League of Charter Schools.

Randy DeHoff was appointed Executive Director for Colorado’s Charter School Institute and assumed that role on February 16, 2005. A member of the Colorado State Board of Education, Mr. DeHoff has himself founded a charter school. He also has served on numerous accountability and decision-making committees in his local school district. He is a member of the National Association of State Boards of Education, the Education Leaders Council, and the American Association of Physics Teachers.

Jim Griffin is the President of the Colorado League of Charter Schools, a non-profit, membership organization dedicated to supporting the 160 charter schools in the state. Jim has served in the capacity of League President since the organization's inception in 1994. Since then, the League has grown from a one-person technical support/advocacy group to a twelve-person, comprehensive membership organization. Jim's time with the League has included significant efforts around state legislative policy, new school development, facilities financing, and legal advocacy for charter schools. He is also an attorney. In conjunction with the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, Jim has also been involved in federal policy development, and has provided support to new state charter school organizations across the country.

This meeting will review:
How and Why Charter Schools began
Funding for Charter Schools
The Authorization Process
Facilities and transportation issues
... and more

The forum will be opened up to questions from attendees.

Also, MMS will be hosting a Next Steps meeting for parents, volunteers and the general community on December 9th at 6:00 p.m. in the Durango Public Library, Program Room 1. We will review the November 17, 2009 Denver Application Review Meeting, and mandatory next steps for a 2011 - 2012 academic year charter approval. Children welcome. Feel free to bring snacks, etc.

Please advise if you would like to be removed from the email announcement list.

Regards,
The Mountain Middle School Steering Committee

HOLIDAY HEAD OF SCHOOL UPDATE

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