A message from Superintendent Chris King - Columbine Update
After meeting last week with the staff of Columbine Elementary School, I am happy to say that I believe our discussion went very well. As I wrote in the Camera on December 21, I “must find a way to infuse accountability into the system. While my methods may have been too rushed for some, patience has not served us well, and I think a little impatience and urgency is in order right about now.” 

In the end, I am held accountable for student achievement, and I still believe that our community wants a superintendent who holds staff accountable for the same. Each of our students deserves nothing less. Based upon what I heard at our meeting last week and the community input I have received since December, I have decided not to go forward with asking the Columbine staff to reapply for their jobs.

I want to thank the Columbine staff for their agreement to implement the recommendations in the recent report from the Colorado Department of Education. The staff has also accepted new Principal Cindy Kaier’s appointment, applauded her in person, and is showing a sincere desire to work with her in the future. They also understand that district administration will be moving forward with plans to revision the Columbine program this spring. Staff members further indicated that they want to be a part of this process while understanding that this new direction is yet undetermined and that many divergent community voices will be participating.

I am confident that the Columbine staff and full community are now ready to take on the shared challenge of visioning a new Columbine academic program rooted in high expectations of learning for each student through Cindy Kaier’s leadership. I look forward to seeing their work develop in the coming months.

See the district website for details about the visioning process and open enrollment options that were sent to all Columbine parents and staff on Tuesday. This information was also sent to everyone in the Columbine neighborhood who has indicated an interest in this visioning process. That contact list was compiled in the fall when all households in the area were contacted and asked if they wanted to be involved in, or receive updates about, the changes at Columbine. 

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Phase 2 of the Bond Program Kicks Off
This month, Bond staff began early steps for the kick off of Phase 2 of the Bond Program. Phase 2 is starting earlier than expected to try to take advantage of the favorable construction market. The projects in Phase 2 have been divided into two sub-phases as follows:

Phase 2a

• Birch Elementary
• Emerald Elementary
• Kohl Elementary
• Eisenhower Elementary
• Heatherwood Elementary
• University Hill Elementary
• Whittier International
• Louisville Elementary
• Superior Elementary
• Community Montessori
• Monarch K-8
• Jamestown Elementary
• Gold Hill Elementary
• Nederland Elementary
• Douglass Elementary playground
• Ryan Elementary playground

Phase 2b

• Bear Creek Elementary
• Creekside Elementary
• Mesa Elementary
• Sanchez Elementary
• Pioneer Bilingual Elementary
• Nederland Middle/Senior

This week and next pre-qualified architects and contractors are touring some Phase 2a buildings to learn more about the work planned for these buildings. Final selection of architects and contractors will be made in February. Design Advisory Teams will begin to meet with architects in April. Construction for these projects is scheduled to be complete by the start of the 2011-12 school year.

Staff are preparing to issue the second set of bonds in February. Proceeds from this sale will support expenditures in the remainder of Phase 1 and Phase 2.

Seeking participants for Columbine Design Advisory Team
The design phase of the Columbine rebuild project will officially kick-off in February with the first meeting of the design advisory team (DAT) and the project architect.

The Bond team is currently accepting applications from people interested in participating on the Columbine DAT. We are looking for broad representation of the Columbine community and want to include school staff, current and prospective parents and neighbors.

The DAT will meet two to three times a month from February through the end of the school year. A meeting schedule will be established at the first meeting. Additional meetings beyond the end of the year may be required. More information about the DAT’s responsibilities can be found in the Design Advisory Team guidelines on the Bond Program website.

Anyone interested in applying should submit a letter of interest explaining their relationship to the school and why they want to participate on the DAT. Letters of interest should be submitted to Susan Cousins in the Bond Program or mailed to 6500 E. Arapahoe Road, Boulder, CO, 80303 by January 30. Selected participants will be notified the first week in February.

Many students and staff start 2009 in new facilities
Students and staff across the district returned from winter break to resume classes in new and remodeled facilities. This week the Boulder High varsity girls’ basketball team christened the new gym with a victory over Lincoln High School. Counselors at Boulder High are enjoying newly remodeled offices.

Foothill Elementary students now are enjoying a brand new library as well as literacy rooms and new classrooms. Construction work at the school will be ongoing through the summer. Future work includes renovation of the main office and Kindergarten classrooms.

At Fairview High School, students now are using the new classroom wing. The school’s entrance also has a brand new look.

The project at Manhattan Middle School is wrapping up and students there are using new science classrooms, new music rooms, a remodeled auditorium and cafeteria, a new dance studio, and remodeled locker rooms. The school’s administrative staff also are enjoying new offices and the front of the school has a whole new look.

Over winter break, Casey students and staff moved into their new temporary home at Platt. “The move went very well,” said Bond Support Coordinator Melinda Gomez who was responsible for coordinating the move.

“Our success is really due to a large collaborative effort from IT, Transportation, Food Service and District Maintenance as well as a great attitude and teamwork on the part of the schools,” Gomez went on to say.

Board reviews revised Design Advisory Team Guidelines
Boulder Valley has chosen to use a Design Advisory Team (DAT) process in designing the projects of the Bond Program to ensure decision-making is community based and that projects meet the needs of individual schools. In general, the process has worked well to involve school communities in the projects. However, our experience in Phase 1 also has shown us there is room for improvement.

To improve the process for future phases, the Bond Program collected feedback from various sources including project managers, DAT members, and architects. This feedback was collected through surveys and interviews and has been used to revise the Design Advisory Team Guidelines. We received a lot of constructive feedback and would like to thank everyone who took the time to respond. We appreciate their contribution to helping us improve our process.

To help ensure future DAT processes reflect the expectations described in the revised guidelines, the Bond project management team will conduct a project orientation meeting with the project architects to explain our expectations for how the process will function. In addition, architects and project managers will review the guidelines with DAT members in the first meeting.

It is our hope these revisions to the guidelines will improve the DAT process to make it a successful and fulfilling experience for the district and the community members involved.

The revised guidelines can be found on the Bond Program website. Be sure to keep up with what’s happening in the Bond Program.

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Impact On Education Thanks BVSD Employees
Impact on Education is honored to be one of the four non-profit organizations that BVSD employees can support through the BVSD annual Employee Giving Campaign.  This year, BVSD employees contributed over $16,000 to Impact on Education, which enables critical programs that create opportunities for “at risk” students; increase student interest and achievement in science, technology and math; and motivate and reward teacher excellence.

Specifically, through its Opportunity Fund, Impact on Education helps thousands of under-privileged students to access fee-based field trips, academic opportunities and extracurricular activities that would otherwise not be available to them.  In addition, the Crayons to Calculators partnership provided 4,800 high needs students with school supplies last August.

In November, Impact on Education’s Classroom Mini-Grants program funded 104 hands-on teacher projects and, in April, the organization will honor five excellent educators at its annual Impact Awards.

In addition to the recently completed 25th Anniversary multi-media animation "contest," other programs Impact on Education is funding this year include:

• Take My Teacher Home - kindergarten teachers are recording lessons on iPod Shuffles for students struggling with reading to continue their learning at home;
• A pilot at Monarch and Centaurus High Schools to explore different Algebra I learning approaches;
• Fiske Planetarium/29th Street - partnership provides fees and transportation for fourth and eighth graders to experience the StarLab portable planetarium in school, or visit CU's Fiske Planetarium.
• OWL (Open World Learning) - after-school and summer program that provides computer skills and leadership development for students at Creekside Elementary;
• GAMES (Girls At the Museum Exploring Science) -  partnership with CU allowing fourth and fifth grade girls a hands-on opportunity to work with CU women scientists;
• Tutors to help English language learners at Boulder and Centaurus High Schools increase achievement in more challenging courses; and
• The Amgen partnership - a hands-on life sciences curriculum that will be rolled out for all seventh graders next year.
  

Impact on Education relies entirely upon donations from organizations and individuals who share our commitment to increasing student learning, expanding equity, and rewarding creativity and innovation. Thank you to BVSD employees for your support!

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BVSD Lifelong Learning Classes for Recertification and Salary Increment Credit - Winter 2009
Register here or call 303-499-1125 x222. 

Beginning Spanish for Educators
The focus of Beginning Spanish for Educators Level 1 is the acquisition of basic language structures and vocabulary. Students' ability to communicate the intended message orally will be emphasized over grammatical accuracy. The course will employ kinesthetic learning strategies that reflect first language acquisition which makes retention automatic and allows students to connect their Spanish directly to the spatial/social world instead of to the English translation. A $10 fee for handouts is payable to the instructor at the first class.
January 27, 2009 - April 7, 2009 · Location: Lafayette Senior Center
Tuesdays, 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. · 10 sessions · Cost $195, Materials Fee $10
*No class on March 24th due to Spring Break. A $10 fee for handouts is payable to the instructor at the first class.

Intermediate Spanish for Educators
This Level 2 class will offer practical vocabulary and conversational skills utilizing a variety of non-threatening, creative methods. It is perfect for any student with some previous background in Spanish who is ready for some supported practice in listening, speaking, reading and writing. A $10 fee for handouts is payable to the instructor at the first class.
January 27, 2009 - April 7, 2009 · Location: Lafayette Senior Center
Tuesdays, 7:45 p.m. - 9:15 p.m. · 10 sessions · Cost $195, Materials Fee $10
*No class on March 24th due to Spring Break. A $10 fee for handouts is payable to the instructor at the first class.

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Delta Dental to issue ID Cards
Beginning in February, BVSD employees enrolled in the district’s dental plan will no longer need to provide social security numbers when visiting the dentist. BVSD has arranged to begin using Delta Dental of Colorado’s alternate ID system. Delta Dental will be mailing out new ID cards in early February. Each member will receive two ID cards in the mail with a unique ID number to use when accessing dental services with your dental provider. This unique ID number will be used for all covered members of your family. Your dentist can use this ID number to verify eligibility and submit your claims.

Remember to start using this new ID number when calling Customer Relations or when logging onto their website.

If you have any questions about using your unique ID number, please contact Delta’s Customer Relations department Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at (303) 741-9300 or (800) 610-0201.

Wash Your Hands!
The Oregon Department of Health Services (ODHS) says that there is one simple thing that can keep you healthier and safe from germs, and it is easily performed. The secret is: Wash your hands! Here are some important facts from the ODHS experts:

• Hand washing is the single most important thing you can do to keep from getting sick and to avoid spreading illness to others.
• Adequate hand washing requires soap and clean, running water. Warm water is preferable. Lather up and scrub for 20 seconds.
• Why use soap? It mixes with skin oil and loosens grease and dirt that may hold germs. If soap is not available, use an alcohol-based gel as a substitute.
• Plain soap is a better choice than antibacterial soaps.
• Wash your hands often. The average person touches eyes, nose, and mouth at least 200 times a day.
• The most important times to wash hands are before preparing or eating food, after going to the bathroom or diapering a baby, before and after caring for someone who is sick or bleeding, after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing, and after handling an animal, animal waste, or garbage.
• According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nationally, inadequate hand washing may cause up to 40 percent of diarrheal illness and 20,000 hospital-acquired deaths, and costs millions in sick leave each year.

Information taken from Business Legal Reports, 2007

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BV22 - New Programming
Boulder Community Media's latest episode of "Education Matters" is a version of "Much Ado About Casey" which is an improvisational musical stage play about the history of Casey Middle School. The play is very entertaining and is both written and performed by students and staff.

The January episode of "Art Perspectives" features the "Visions of Giving" art show. Over 400 BVSD students participated in the exhibition that benefited area non-profit organizations.

BCM was alerted to both these stories by tips from BVSD students and staff members. Let us know about school programs, plays, concerts and outstanding achievements by emailing Channel 22.
Watch both programs on Comcast channel 22 or streamed online.

January 1, 2009 change in mileage reimbursement rate
Effective January 1, 2009, the reimbursement rate paid by the district for business use of personal vehicles will decrease to 55 cents per mile. This is the current reimbursement rate set by the Internal Revenue Service. Any miles driven prior to January 1, 2009 are still eligible for the previous rate of 58.5 cents per mile — all mileage reimbursement forms need to be turned into accounting by June 30, 2009.

Acceptable Use Agreement (AUA)
If you have not yet accepted your Acceptable Use Agreement (AUA) for continued access to district technology, you will soon begin to receive automatic prompts each time you log on to the BVSD system. These prompts will display the AUA and ask you accept or decline the agreement. As soon as you accept, these automatic reminders will end. For more information or to accept the AUA now, please click here.

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Green Resolutions?
Hoping to get the year off to a greener start? Please send your departmental green resolutions to Ghita Carroll. Ghita and Joe Sleeper will be providing the Board of Education with an update on sustainability at the Jan. 27 board meeting. Stay tuned for this report on findings/progress from last fall and exciting new developments coming this spring.

Planning Green Events
If you're planning a wedding, shower, reunion or other party and are wishing you could make it green, this class can help. You will learn tons of tips on making your event gentle on the Earth, and get contact information for local vendors who are eco-conscious. After class, you can go forth and use your new knowledge to plan your great party!
Saturday, March 7, 2009
10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (1 session)
Cost $39, Instructor: Kate Nelson
Location: Boulder - New Vista High School
Register online, or call 303-499-1125 x222

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Board Approvals

• A resolution was approved which establishes a place for the posting of agendas as one means of giving full and timely notice of its meetings. Agendas will be posted 24 hours in advance outside the board room at the Education Center, 6500 East Arapahoe Road, Boulder, Colorado 80303.
• Shelagh Turner, sixth grade reading/language arts teacher at Louisville Middle School, was authorized by the board to sell CSAP practice materials to the district.
• A donation of $12,402.54 from the Broomfield Band Parents Association to Broomfield High School was approved by the board.
• The following recommendations to Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee governance were approved by the board:
  Kevin Holst, Debbie Benitez, Nicholas Brennan, Jennifer Krieger, John Troeltzsch, Dee Perry, Katherine Spines, William O’Donnell and Tron Welch.
• The board also approved the CBOC recommendation to change the Student Accountability Advisory Committee (SAAC) representative term to correspond with the school year.
• Approval for the payment of a new AC unit installed in the computer labs at Centaurus High School was ratified by the board.
• The Board approved the adoption of Board Resolution No. 09-02 to update the previously adopted Board Resolution No. 08-07 regarding "Modification of Purchasing Dollar Thresholds For 2006 Bond Program Projects." This resolution provides for increased purchasing efficiencies for Bond projects, via increased purchasing and contracting delegations.
• Recommended changes to district Policy DJ and DN, and the deletion of Policies DJGA and FEF were approved by the board. The associated regulations, DJ-R, DN-R and FEF-R will also be deleted.
• Changes to Board Policy DB; Annual Operating Budget, Fund Balance Requirements; and the interpretation of applying one-time status to a use of funds were all approved by the board.
• The board gave its approval on final acceptance of the Bond Program project for athletic field improvements at Broomfield High School, Centaurus High School, Fairview High School and Monarch High School.
• An intergovernmental agreement between the district and the Centennial Board of Cooperative Education Services (CBOCES) was ratified by the board. This agreement allows the district to connect directly to CBOCES and, combined with our existing direct connection to Colorado University and NCAR/UCAR, allows the district to obtain internet service at the lowest available price.
• Final approval was given to the 2009 BVSD Legislative Platform. This platform is intended to guide the interactions between the Boulder Valley School District and the Colorado General Assembly during the 2009 session.

Four contracts and one grant were awarded:

• Colorado Designscapes was awarded the contract for installation of playground and irrigation improvements at Ryan Elementary School.
• Richdell Construction was awarded the contract for installation of playground and irrigation improvements at Douglass Elementary School.
• The architectural and engineering contract for improvements at Columbine Elementary School for the Bond Program was awarded to Bennett Wagner & Grody Architects PC.
• The board approved the contract for online learning with KC Distance Learning Inc., dba Aventa Learning. The district intends to launch an online learning pilot program beginning January 20, 2009 to test delivery of online instruction within select Boulder Valley high schools through the internet. The purpose of the pilot is to learn about effective approaches to online learning, as well as provide credit recovery options and alternative learning options for students in the pilot. Approximately 60 students will participate in this pilot.
• The IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) grant which provides federal funding to the states for distribution to local public school districts to provide equal educational opportunities for children with disabilities was approved by the board.
  

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Hats Off! Superintendent's Honor Roll!
Congratulations to this week's Superintendent's Honor Roll recipients:
Three outstanding teachers from the Boulder Valley School District were honored at the January 13 board meeting.

Ali Boyle, a Fairview High School Educational Sign Language Interpreter, received the “Educational Interpreter of the Year” award from the Colorado Register of the Deaf in November. BVSD colleague Cynthia Stevens writes that Ali was, “nominated by peers and colleagues for her excellence in serving students in BVSD for over 20 years, as well as her leadership as the CDE Educational Interpreter Standards Coordinator."

Melvid Ferry was awarded the 2008 Bilingual Teacher Award from the Colorado Association for Bilingual Education (CABE) this past October. Melvid began her BVSD career in 1991 when she began teaching at the Escuela Bilingűe Washington, a dual immersion school in Boulder. She now teaches at University Hill Elementary where her ability and commitment inspire her fellow teachers.

Denise Fuji McCleary received an “Outstanding Mathematics Teacher” award from the Colorado Council of Teachers of Mathematics in September. Denise has been teaching at Fairview High School for 16 years and is famous in the Boulder area for her inspiring “Math Songs.”

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