Exciting news from Colorado ISD! The School Board held their final meeting of the year on December 11. Keep reading to find out what happened.
During the recent board meeting, the Director of Food Service, Becky Sandford, was all praise for her team's excellent work. She happily reported that the CISD food service team had served over 20,000 more meals than last year. Maria Evans, the Cafeteria Manager, was also present at the meeting, and the team is excited to attend multiple upcoming trainings this year and next. The food service team at CES is fully staffed, which is great news. They are particularly looking forward to offering seasonal meals for Spring and Winter.
Dr. Polk, the Superintendent, and Emily Strain, President of the CISD Board, praised Mrs. Sanford and her food service team for skillfully integrating Walker Quality Services into their operations this year. Their hard work and dedication have resulted in excellent outcomes.
The latest report on the state of the CHS campus was presented by Principal Steve Komppa. He touched on various topics such as CHS attendance, good citizenship, and PBIS. Seniors currently have the highest attendance rate and the CCMR is almost complete, while TSI has been completed. Eight seniors have received multiple college offers via the Greenlight program, and freshmen and sophomores are close to finishing their Xello program. Mr. Komppa continued, OSHA training for CTE students is almost finished, and Wallace Accelerated has graduated 12 students this year. Mr. Komppa expressed his gratitude towards Mrs. Ashley Wulfjen and Mrs. Tia Follis for their hard work and praised the CHS Band for their successful CHS Band Concert and participation in the Light The Night Parade. Additionally, Mr. Komppa reminded the board that the Ag Department is about to hit full swing and that The Wolves and Lady Wolves will be in two basketball tournaments during the Christmas break.
Athletic Director Coach Monty Leaf presented a summary of the fall semester to the school board with great enthusiasm. He instilled Wolf Spirit in the room by highlighting the fantastic progress of the football program's sub-varsities and the bi-district championship win of the volleyball team under the guidance of first-year Head Coach Lara. Coach Leaf also mentioned that Nicholas Ornelas was recognized as a 1st Team Academic All-State, and three other players received Honorable Mention in Academic All-State. The Cross Country program is also making tremendous strides under the guidance of Coach Ollison.
Coach Leaf also announced that Wolf Nation will compete in the 2A Division 1 next year, adding that the schedule will be different, presenting a good and fresh start. He also emphasized the importance of the Before and After Program, which consists of what kids do on their own before and after practice. He added that 80% of male and 70% of female athletes are showing dedication to the program, which is a testament to the program's success. Coach Leaf concluded by stating that one does not give up one's time for something that does not matter.
Mrs. Lorianne Toombs, the principal of CES/CMS, gave a glowing report on the Accelerated Reading program, highlighting the significant progress students have made. The students recently completed the STAAR interim test and will be taking the NWEA in January. Mrs. Toombs also shared that CES has a year-to-date attendance rate of 92%, while CMS is at 95%. However, there has been an uptick in the number of students affected by RSV and flu viruses, which have been rampant lately. The school is taking necessary measures to keep the building clean and safe for everyone.
CES/CMS places a strong emphasis on social-emotional learning through the use of Leader in Me and PBIS programs. This focus has yielded promising results, as the number of disciplinary referrals has significantly decreased from 126 last year to only 32 this year. According to Mrs. Toombs, the presence of Coach Quinn and Ruiz in the 7th and 8th grades has helped to build relationships and reduce disciplinary actions. Additionally, the recent UIL Academic Event had a fantastic turnout. After the holiday break, the school plans to introduce eSports and Piano Lab after school programs.
Superintendent Dr. Polk added, "The fact that we've got kids that are reading 7880 books since the beginning of the school year shows our investment in the book vending machines is creating the interest. Students have committed to reading on average 16 minutes at home every day; we all know that 16 minutes at home can look a lot different than 16 minutes at school; those numbers show our students' commitment."
Mrs. Toombs was pleased to report that the Thanksgiving Family Meal was a tremendous success, even though 189 more families showed up than had RSVP'd. She mentioned that there was an abundance of food and that it was the most delicious Thanksgiving meal ever.
During the board meeting, Bradley Graham, our Director of Technology, gave an update on the District's technology infrastructure. He mentioned that the lease of Vexus fiber lines has significantly improved internet speeds and provided access to previously problematic outbuildings like the football field and bus barn. He also talked about the upgrade of 20 access points across the district and the replacement of all 50 core switches. Mr. Graham told the board members that the boardroom and classrooms have been fitted with 75-inch televisions, and all classroom teachers have an interactive tablet that syncs with the TV. Currently, we have five interactive boards, and every student in the district has a Chromebook at a 1:1 ratio. Mr. Graham also discussed future plans, including a grant to replace the main router with a layer three switch as per Region 14 suggestions. The Technology Department is working on core teacher interactive boards and updates to the parent-teacher information system that will soon sync with Google Classroom.
"The upgrade to the parent-teacher information system allows teachers to give students gold stars in class and parents to know that immediately, and it has the possibility to eliminate student signature take-home folders," said Mr. Graham.
Mr. Graham made an announcement during his PowerPoint presentation that starting January 22, CMS/CHS students will have access to eSports. The program will be open for grades 6 through 12, and two teams will be formed - one at CMS and the other at CHS. This eSports program will run from January 22 to May 5.
By collectively agreeing to implement the eSports program, students will have unprecedented opportunities to showcase their skills and excel in the digital age.
During the board meeting, Ms. Rebecca Russell, who is the Director of CTE, P-Tech, and P-20, presented her department's achievements and future plans. In September, Region 14 and WFC of Abilene organized the WOW (World of Work) Expo, which was attended by CISD CTE students. The Expo featured a motivational speaker, along with representatives from various companies and colleges who shared valuable information about career opportunities. Mrs. Russell mentioned that the event was an excellent chance for students to explore a variety of career paths. As the District continues to expand P-Tech and P-20 pathways, more opportunities will become available for CISD students. The District aims to expose students to as many opportunities as possible, enabling them to select the best career path for themselves.
TAFE organized the Touch a Truck - Career Information Event, where students could interact with service vehicles such as police cars, firetrucks, skid steers, tractors, and more. This program aimed to give students a hands-on experience and help them explore potential career choices.
Our CTE students were invited by Region 14 to participate in a project fair, where they could showcase and sell their CTE projects to friends and family of Region 14. Students from CTE, TAFE, FCCLA, and Floral Design attended the fair. Ms. Russell also mentioned the Core Essentials Curriculum, which provides counseling lessons and emphasizes the importance of mental health. The CTE Advisory Board also organized an Apprenticeship Program with Colligate EduNation.
Dr. Polk added to Ms. Russell's presentation by saying, "One thing I want to highlight is the Core Essentials Program and the amazing work being done by Mrs. Womack, our CES/CMS counselor. This program is in sync with our Charter Education CCMR, so it is just amazing to see that work unveiled. The Career Craft CCMR is one of the goals that by June 2024, our kids will achieve 75% in CCMR. That is a huge feat, and we now have a way to track that. When we intentionally create that monitoring concept and provide the resources required to ensure our goal, we are hopeful and optimistic that we will meet those goals. Thank you, board, for your hard work and dedication; this is the vehicle that will truly set us apart."
Denise Farmer, the Assistant Superintendent, reported that CISD has been approved for $2.8 million in grants. She acknowledged the support of NIET, CEN, Region 14, Strong Foundations Plan, and HQIM partnerships, which have been a great support system. She emphasized that these partnerships are essential to the District.
Ms. Farmer did not mention campus rating scores, as the results are still awaited. However, she emphasized that the focus should be on teaching kids and getting the best out of them. It's not about a B or a C, but what the District is getting out of the students is the most important thing.
The Teacher Leadership and Mentor Program Allotment programs have allowed CISD to have four new mentors who help 12 new teachers. These programs have positively impacted the outlook of the new teachers and hopefully this will help retain our new teachers in the future.
Ms. Farmer reported to the board that the CISD Christmas for All program will provide Christmas to 97 students and 48 families by meeting the 10,000 dollar donation goal from our CISD staff family.
The Director of Operations, Robert Oliver, praised our Custodial Team for their exceptional work in making the District look amazing for the UIL event held by CISD in December. Oliver mentioned the continuous disinfecting of the premises during the rampant virus outbreak. He also reported on the school parking lot painting and the upgrades to the lighting at our batting cage area. Oliver mentioned upgrading the stage lighting at the CHS Auditorium and expressed his desire to work on it in the future. Our operations team is currently working on the parking lot lighting, but they are facing challenges in finding contractors who are well-versed in the lighting system.
The board approved both the District and Campus Improvement Plans for 2023-2024.
Motion made by Trustee Ty Wood and seconded by Vice President Lilianna Ornelas to appoint Ishmel Silva, Mike Ratliff, and John Martinez to represent CISD on the Mitchell County Appraisal District Board of Directors.
The board convened from executive session to evaluate Superintendent Dr. Larry Polk Jr. After approving the evaluation, they postponed the contract review for a future meeting.
Board President Emily Strain concluded the meeting by saying, "Thank you, Dr. Polk, Staff of CISD, for all you do for our students at CISD."