AHS Weekly Update- Week of April 25th, 2011

Please take a moment to review the following updates:

All-School FINAL EXHIBITION
TEACHER RECIEVES AWARD
Robotics Team to Present at Discovery Museum
Scheduling Change
AHS Family needs help hosting…

All-School FINAL EXHIBITION
AHS will hold our final exhibition of the 10-11 school year next Thursday, May 5 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at Anima High School. We look forward to seeing you at this very important event.

TEACHER RECIEVES AWARD
Jared Polis Foundation Recognizes Johnathan Fisher as Outstanding Public School Teacher

Durango, Colorado – April 19th, 2011 – Animas High School, a free, public charter school, is pleased to announce that Humanities teacher Johnathan Fisher has been recognized by the Jared Polis Foundation as an outstanding classroom teacher in Colorado.

The award honors only fifteen K-12 public school teachers statewide. Honorees receive a $1,000 award each as well as a $1,000 teacher-directed grant to implement at their school.
Mr. Fisher was nominated by the parent of a ninth grader at Animas High. The nomination essay discusses Mr. Fisher’s qualities as a teacher who models learning for his students. Below is an excerpt:

To Mr. Fisher, “personalization” is not simply knowing the students well, but allowing them a forum for finding their authentic voices and demonstrating their evidence-based opinions. He encourages students to learn how to advocate for themselves and others, and to appreciate varying perspectives. Often he questions students to look for the underlying assumptions of statements they make.

In congratulating Mr. Fisher on his award, Head of School Michael Ackerman noted John’s commitment to the school’s mission and vision. “John is continuously refining both his teaching and his projects. He consistently expects the most from each student, knowing each of them so well. In terms of Animas’ in-house professional development, his suggestions and resulting discussions also help refine the school’s work with students.”

John and his wife, Lori, came to Durango two years ago, seeking a life in which they could both teach in a mountain town with a project-based, technologically integrated school. Both immediately made an impact on students, families and fellow teachers at Animas High School.

Robotics Team to Present at Discovery Museum
On March 5, the Animas High School Robotics Team traveled to the First Tech Challenge Championships in Denver and was awarded the first-place trophy! Impressed? So is the Durango Discovery Museum. So much so that they've invited the entire team to present and demonstrate their winning robot in their Mensch Spark Shop.

Come meet some of Durango's very talented students and see up close and personal their radical and ambitious robot design. The event is scheduled on Thursday, April 28, from 3:30-4:30pm. All ages are invited, and it's FREE.

Scheduling Change
Due to overwhelming student feedback related to May’s busy schedule, AHS has decided to postpone the Class of 2013’s college road trips. As we ready ourselves for final exhibition and tPOLs, the faculty want to be receptive to the student’s request to postpone their trips. We look forward to traveling with the Juniors next fall. The school will use the time previously scheduled for college trips to facilitate SEX ED with our tenth graders. Questions about the scheduling change should be forwarded to the HOS via email.


AHS Family needs help hosting…
We are looking for a family to host the daughter of a family friend. Julie, a 15 year old student from France, is visiting Durango from July 10th to July 26th. She enjoys the outdoors, and speaks moderate English. If you are interested in sharing your home for 5-7 days of her stay, please contact AHS Parent, Lisa Gutt @ 247-5534.

AHS Weekly Update- Week of April 18th, 2011

The momentum and energy behind Animas High School continues to build as we enter the home stretch. The Ospreys are doing AMAZING work and gearing up for our MAY 5th, ALL SCHOOL EXHIBITION! I am confident that I speak for the entire staff when I express how proud we are of our students. It’s a blessing to work with these young adults who never stop surprising and inspiring all of us!

Please take a moment to review the following updates:

Robotics Demonstration
Enrollment Events Continue
HOS Parent Survey Report

Robotics Demonstration
The 2010-11 AHS Pandemonium Robotix Team will be exhibiting their award winning robot, sharing stories of their experiences and displaying technical designs at the Durango Discovery Museum on Thursday, April 28th from 3:30 to 4:30. Come learn about Nano the Brobot’s capabilities and witness a demonstration of the technical computer programming and skillful student navigating that helped Animas take home the First Place Alliance award at the CO FTC Championships last month.

Enrollment Events Continue
Animas High School continues to accept students for the 2011-12 school year. On Tuesday, April 19th, AHS will hold an Info Night at campus from 5 to 6:30 PM. Prospective student Shadow Experiences continue every Friday from 8 AM to 12:30 PM. Contact 970-247-2474 for more info and reservations!

HOS Parent Survey Report
On Thursday, April 14th at this month’s PAC meeting, Head of School Michael Ackerman presented the results of this year’s parent survey. In addition to a recap of the data, the report included a narrative addressing common feedback and action steps related to areas of growth and continued improvement at AHS. PAC will be distributing the report via an email blast and a copy of the report can be found on the school’s website and is also available at the school’s Main Office. Thanks to all for your participation in this year’s survey and your continued attendance at our Parent Advisory Committee meetings!

After budget deal, lawmakers revisit K-12 cuts looking to restore some funding

After budget deal, lawmakers revisit K-12 cuts looking to restore some funding
By Tim Hoover

The Denver Post
Posted: 04/19/2011 01:00:00 AM MDTUpdated: 04/19/2011 06:40:24 AM MDT

The ink isn't dry yet on a state budget deal that would cut K-12 education by $250 million, but now there's talk of a new agreement that would shrink the cut to just $160 million.

The new deal is being led by House Democrats and Rep. Tom Massey, R-Poncha Springs, the head of the House Education Committee.

"For two weeks, we have been meeting with Rep. Massey to work on a plan to offset the cuts to K-12," said House Minority Leader Sal Pace, D-Pueblo.

Massey said the plan is to restore about $90 million of the proposed cuts, something he said would allow districts across the state — especially in rural areas — to absorb funding decreases far more easily.

The state budget deal originally agreed upon by the Democratic-led Senate, the GOP-controlled House and Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, called for a $250 million cut to K-12 education. That was still less than the original $332 million cut to K-12 that Hickenlooper had proposed, but an improved budget forecast in March reduced the size of the state's $1 billion shortfall by half. Lawmakers then haggled over how much education spending to restore versus restoring tax breaks for businesses.

Now, there may be a way to restore more K-12 funding, say Pace and Massey. The deal would take $22.5 million from the State Education Fund, a savings fund set up for K-12 funding. Hickenlooper wanted the fund to have no less than $100 million in it, and taking $22.5 million out of it won't violate that condition.

Tax breaks vs. K-12

The remaining $67.5 million would come from what lawmakers think will be an improved revenue forecast in June. Early indications show revenues are still improving and will be higher by then.

House Republicans have repeatedly said the state should restore all the more than $100 million in tax breaks that a Democratic-controlled legislature eliminated or suspended last year, but so far, Hickenlooper and Democratic lawmakers have agreed only to the restoration of two. One, worth about $3.7 million, is for agricultural products, while the second, worth up to $24 million, is for downloaded or installed software.

But Massey said that any additional revenue expected should go first to education, not to restoring more tax breaks.

"If public education isn't out priority, our priorities are skewed," he said. "We don't have small business and we don't have economic development without public education."

Republicans hold a 33-32 majority in the House, so if needed, Massey and 32 Democrats could join together to muster the necessary 33 votes to pass the deal.

Massey said that may not be necessary. He said he has told House Republican leaders everything that's happened in the negotiations.

"They're fully aware of what I'm doing," Massey said. "They're letting me run with this. My leadership has been nothing but supportive of this. They've never tried to say, 'No, you can't do this.' "

Some wary of the plan

House Speaker Frank McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch, said there was "broad agreement" among Republicans that the cuts to K-12 education should be reduced as much as possible.

"Certainly, Tom's having those discussions, and none of it's happening outside of anyone else knowing about it," McNulty said. "Tom's never tried to go out and cowboy at all."

Would House Republicans support Massey's plan?

McNulty said only that House Republicans "recognize the importance of investing in education."

Massey's committee Monday passed out the annual school finance bill that now contains the $250 million cut, but the plan is to amend the bill on the House floor next week to shave down the cut, he said. The bill then could be sent to the Senate, where it's likely majority Democrats will embrace it.

What's unclear is how Hickenlooper will react to such a new wrinkle in the budget.

"The governor is discouraging any last-minute proposals that could unravel bipartisan agreement on the state budget," said Hickenlooper's spokesman, Eric Brown. "He's also expressed his concern to Rep. Massey that we not try and backfill education funding this year based solely on hopes of future revenue. That only makes the problem worse next year."

Tim Hoover: 303-954-1626 or thoover@denverpost.com



Read more: After budget deal, lawmakers revisit K-12 cuts looking to restore some funding - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/legislature/ci_17877608#ixzz1JzX47clC

National Alliance for Public Charter Schools Applauds Introduction of All-STAR Act in the U.S. Senate and House

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 13, 2011

CONTACT:
Sarah Johnson
202.521.2826

National Alliance for Public Charter Schools Applauds Introduction of All-STAR Act in the U.S. Senate and House

Durbin, Kirk, Polis Bill Will Expand High-Quality Charter Schools

Washington, DC - In response to the introduction of the All Students Achieving through Reform (All-STAR) Act in the U.S. Senate and House yesterday, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools released the following statement from its president and CEO, Peter C. Groff:

Students across the nation stand to benefit greatly from the All-STAR Act. Not only does the bill authorize much needed funding for the replication and expansion of the nation's highest performing charter schools, but it paves the way for future policies that will also increase the levels of accountability and autonomy for all parties.

We applaud U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) who joined Representative Jared Polis (D-CO) yesterday in introducing this bill. Each of these leaders has demonstrated continued commitment to supporting the replication and expansion of high-quality charter schools.

The All-STAR Act authorizes new competitive grants within the Department of Education's Charter Schools Program to replicate and expand the most successful public charter schools across the country. The multi-year grants can be used to add additional grades in an existing charter school or to create a new school based on an existing, successful charter model.
The grants can be awarded to local education agencies, state education agencies, authorized public chartering agencies and nonprofit organizations which then award sub-grants to individual charter schools.

Priority is given to the top-performing charters schools in each state that: have significantly closed achievement gaps; rank in at least the top 25th percentile in the state in achievement; meet benchmarks on an exam selected by the Secretary of Education; serve a high-need student population; have made Adequate Yearly Progress the last two consecutive years; and exceed the state graduation rate.

About the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools: The National
Alliance for Public Charter Schools (Alliance) is the national nonprofit organization committed to advancing the charter school movement. The Alliance works to increase the number of high-performing charter schools available to all families, particularly low-income and minority families who currently do not have access to quality public schools. The Alliance provides assistance to state charter school associations and resource centers, develops and advocates for improved public policies, and serves as the united voice for this large and diverse movement. More than 1.6 million students attend nearly 5,000 charter schools in 40 states and the District of Columbia.

AHS Weekly Update- Week of April 11th, 2011

Thank you for taking a moment to review the following updates:

School Dance
Safe Driving Class
PAC Meeting
Spring Sports Sale
Enrollment Continues

School Dance
This Friday, April 15th from 7 to 9pm, the students of Animas High School and Grace Prep will be sponsoring a dance at the Main Mall in downtown Durango. Tickets are for sale from student reps at both schools and are $10.00 per person. Each AHS and GP student is allowed to invite one, high school-aged guest and must register that visitor when purchasing tickets. Students should arrive at the rear entrance and once you leave the event, there is no re-admittance. The students have done a fantastic job planning this dance and we are all looking forward to a very fun Friday night!

Parents, we are looking for a few volunteers who are willing to help out with this upcoming school dance. Please respond to student Ian Bowers at ianbowerscentralpark@gmail.com to lend a hand.

Safe Driving Class
Students are encouraged to participate in a SAFE DRIVING CLASS being held on campus afterschool, this Wednesday April 13th from 3:30 to 5 PM. The class will cover CO traffic laws, costs of driving citations, distracted driving issues, crash dynamics, true stories of teenage driving calamities, tips for safe driving and much more. Presenters include Diane Downing, Child Passenger Safety Instructor, Trooper Doug Wiersma from the CO State Patrol and Greg Childress from Durango Fire and Rescue Authority. The class is free to attend and students can sign up in the lodge.

PAC Meeting
The next parent advisory committee meeting will be this Thursday, April 14 at 6:00 p.m. at AHS.

Spring Sports Sale
Our 1st annual Spring Sports Sale will take place this Saturday, April 16 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Boys and Girls Club in Durango. Donations continue to roll in so clean out those and donate your lightly used gear to Animas High School! Or, sell your own gear on the day of the sale and give 20% to AHS. For more information, contact pac@animashighschool.com or call Susan at 903-3434.

Enrollment Continues
Animas High School continues to accept online enrollment and student registrations for next year’s 9th and 10th grade classes. Animas High School will hold an info night presentation on April 19th from 5:30 to 7:00 PM. Students interested in learning more about AHS are encouraged to attend an info night and participate in our Student Shadow program, taking place on Fridays throughout the remainder of the school year. Please contact the main office at 970-247-2474 to sign up or to receive more information.

District, charter schools to collaborate

By Emery Cowan Herald Staff Writer
Article Last Updated: Tuesday, April 05, 2011 11:24pm

Board members from Durango’s two charter schools and Durango School District 9-R came away from a meeting Tuesday night with a plan to form work groups to hash out exactly how they can collaborate in the future.

The board members of Animas High School, Mountain Middle School and Durango School District 9-R gathered for the three-hour meeting. In the end, they agreed to each send delegates to work groups that will address community outreach, communication protocol and conflict resolution between the boards, enrollment and registration issues among the schools and collaboration on grants.

The meeting was the first between the boards, and many called it a historic moment. As opposed to Durango’s two former charter schools, both Animas High School and Mountain Middle School, which will begin next fall, are chartered by the Colorado Charter School Institute. Because the institute acts like an independent school district, collaboration among the schools is not necessary or required.

However, every member at the meeting, which included 9-R Superintendent Keith Owen and Animas Head of School Michael Ackerman, expressed a desire to establish long-term collaboration between the boards and their schools.

Board members said they saw working together as a way to improve students’ learning experience, create high-quality schools that attract residents to the area and use resources more efficiently in an era of tight budgets.

Many also mentioned the opportunity to become a model for district-charter collaboration.

“Durango is an incredibly progressive place, and we have a chance to set a precedent to open new ground on what collaboration among entities in the public-education system looks like,” Ackerman said.

After discussions about registration weren’t making progress, the boards instead agreed to turn their focus to the broader issues of school relations and guiding principles.

All agreed to recognize each other as valid educational offerings for students and to maintain a zero-tolerance policy on criticism of the other schools.

Specific conflicts with student population counts, registration deadlines, lines of communication and problem-solving policies were left for the work groups.

Board members said they were satisfied with the meeting’s progress.

“I don’t think we’ve run 50 miles, but we’ve started,” said 9-R board member Floyd Patterson.

Many said they gained a greater understanding of each other’s perspective.

“I came in here assuming everyone had Durango’s children at the top of their lists,” said Animas High School board member Denise Dickinson. “Now I know that’s true. It’s been confirmed to me.”

ecowan@durangoherald.com

AHS Weekly Update- Week of April 4th, 2011

PLEASE TURN RIGHT!
Upcoming Meetings
Enrollment Continues
Artistic Ospreys
Flower Power
Safe Driving Class
Sports Swap

PLEASE TURN RIGHT!
At AHS, we engage in frequent dialogue with our students related to personal ethics and positive decision making. When tackling difficult and often abstract conversations about the choices people make, we simplify our definition of what an ethic is. Simply put, ethics are what we do when no one is looking. The decisions we make when we are not being overseen or directly supervised is the truest measure of who we are as people.

It is with this analogy in mind that I remind our community that we have committed to both CDOT and the City of Durango that between 7AM-5PM we will not take left hand turns out of our front lot. If you must go left, please pick up your student behind the school in our alley and exit out to 33rd St. This will allow you to go left legally.

Know that AHS is under close observation related to our traffic patterns, specifically the campus pick-up and drop off flow. Additionally, we are currently in negotiations to have these agencies renew our permits for our current location for one more year. To ensure AHS receives continued permission to operate at 3206 Main, WE MUST ALL FOLLOW THE RULES we’ve agreed to.

So the next time you’re in a hurry and contemplating that left hand turn, ask yourself if the shortcut is worth placing the school’s current location in jeopardy? Although Darth Vader may not be guarding the exit, it’s the decision we make when no one is looking that counts! Thanks for your continued commitment, support and sacrifice on behalf of AHS!

Upcoming Meetings

AHS, MMS, 9-R Joint Board Meeting
Not to be missed! The boards of AHS, Mountain Middle School and Durango School District 9-R will meet for the first time at a joint board meeting Tuesday night. On the agenda; Development of Overall Statement for Educating Durango Students, Communication Protocols for inter agency collaboration and a discussion surrounding shared grant funding. Please join us from 5 to 8 PM at the 9-R administration building for this historic educational event. The public is invited to observe the proceedings and we hope to see a great community turn out.



PAC Meeting
The next parent advisory committee meeting will be on Thursday, April 14 at 6:00 p.m. at AHS.

Enrollment Continues
Animas High School continues to accept online enrollment and student registrations for next year’s 9th and 10th grade classes. Animas High School will hold an info night presentation on April 19th from 6 to 7:30 PM. Students interested in learning more about AHS are encouraged to attend an info night and participate in our Student Shadow program, taking place on Fridays throughout the remainder of the school year. Please contact the main office at 970-247-2474 to sign up or to receive more information.

Artistic Ospreys
AHS students are incredibly creative and artistic and the school is excited to announce a community exhibition of their work. AHS resident artist and Digital Arts teacher Roxanne McKnight has coordinated two venues in downtown Durango. Our 9th grade students are exhibiting their work at Raider Ridge café and Roxy’s Art SIG students’ work is on display in the Crossroads building. We encourage all to stop in and check our students’ masterpieces!


Flower Power
We’re in the final week of our 2011 Flower Power fundraiser and time is quickly running out! AHS needs your support to help reach our goal of raising $10,000 through this year’s Flower Power campaign. Remember, ordering is easy! Log on to our homepage at www.animashighschool.com and follow the Flower Power link to order your plants. Fifty percent of all sales go directly to AHS and flowers are delivered directly to the customer and are 100 percent guaranteed! Thanks for all the help as AHS continues to bloom!

Safe Driving Class
Students are encouraged to participate in a SAFE DRIVING CLASS being held on campus afterschool, Wednesday April 13th from 3:30 to 5 PM. The class will cover CO traffic laws, costs of driving citations, distracted driving issues, crash dynamics, true stories of teenage driving calamities, tips for safe driving and much more. Presenters include Diane Downing, Child Passenger Safety Instructor, Trooper Doug Wiersma from the CO State Patrol and Greg Childress from Durango Fire and Rescue Authority. The class is free to attend and students can sign up in the lodge.


Spring Sports Sale
Our 1st annual Spring Sports Sale will take place on Saturday, April 16 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Boys and Girls Club. Clean out your closets now and donate lightly used gear to Animas High School at 3206 North Main Avenue. Or sell your own gear on the day of the sale and give 20% to AHS. For more information, contact pac@animashighschool.com or call Susan at 903-3434.