Club Bulletin - This Week's Announcements
Announcements from the Rotary Club of Evergreen meeting of April 19, 2024
(To view the recording of this meeting copy the Passcode below, click the link and paste the Passcode)
Passcode: EmzV3xt+
President Announcements
- Inspiration… The Temptations
I've got sunshine, on this cloudy day
When it's cold outside, I've got the month of May…and June, July, August
Now you may ask why I feel this way….it’s all the kind things that you do each day - EPIC, yes EPIC….Day of Service May 18th!!!
Peace Pole Planting, Road Warriors – Mark your calendars and let’s be EPIC
- Rowdy Rotarians
Mark your calendars, the next RR event will be held May 9th
- Area 8 Social
April 24th, El Rancho – we may have some last minute tickets for sale
- RI & District 5450 happenings:
Rotary Day at the Rockies,
ORDER TICKETS NOW! Rockies vs. the World Champion Texas Rangers! Please remember this game is a fundraiser for End Polio Now polio eradication - $5.00 of each discounted ticket goes to polio eradication. Click here for the flyer.
Introduction of Guests—Todd
- Scott Smith
- Wes Paxton
- Dave Locklin (sp?) , has submitted membership application
- Harold (exchange student)
- Jeri Benner (sp?), has submitted membership application
Sgt of Arms – Happy Bucks, Richard
- Kay – celebrating the births of two granddaughters in the past 2 months
- Kimra – announcing that on May 4th Curt will be hosting his annual beer tasting event. This year it will have a Star Wars theme and costume contest. Reach out to Kimra or Curt with questions
- Deb - dollar for each of her kids to provide grandkids
- Richard - $5 for their puppy who was neutered and is still nuts
“Bolder” Weekly Award
- Erica Sprenkel for all her work and organization on the Mountain Home, Garden and Lifestyle show
General Announcements
- Deb Sandler
- She is hosting a presentation about grass recycling. Evergreen Fire Rescue, 6-8pm, May 15
- EDS Recycling behind KS is for sale. She wants to buy it and would like to take our interest in recycling and submit a grant proposal to support the purchase
- Jeff Stone – needs some help picking up plastic at the Green Mountain Natural Grocers store, once per week, over the next 3 weeks (until he gets back from vacation)
- Mindy Hanson – Rotary Evergreen meetings are officially moving to Evergreen Center for the Arts starting June 28th
Speaker: Wes Paxton, Jeffco Schools Mtn Area Superintendent
Many years as a principal as well as a teacher. 3rd time speaking with us. Thanks for the invitation. 32nd year in education. Part of Conifer Rotary.
Role of superintendent
- Pre-school through High School. 2 outdoor lab school. Including the 3 highest performing high schools in the county.
- He works with principals. Liaison between the district and the schools. Also works with schools to support their effectiveness.
- Weekly leadership walks in each school. Principal selection and evaluation.
- Monitors school performance
- Oversees budgets
- Supports professional growth goals
Mountain trends
- Our schools outperform the district and state
- How do we maintain?
- Competitive clubs, activities, athletic programs
- Outstanding community partnership and parent involvement
- School renovations/additions
- Regional schools and enrollment – declining enrollment across the state. Evergreen and Conifer High Schools are almost the same size right now. Seeing an uptick in pre-school
High School Reimagined - how do we provide a world class education that prepares all Jeffco students for bright and successful futures?
- What experiences in school prepared you for today? (Discussion around the table) For most, it was probably extracurricular activities – these were things where you were actively doing things
- How is your own child’s experience different from your own?
- The future we’re preparing our students for will be very different than today’s world. We still the need core academic skills, but students need life readiness skills too. How to navigate the world around us. Students need soft/durable skills as they go out into the world… critical thinking, leadership, collaboration
- America Succeeds – our schools have adopted 10 skills from this curriculum like mindfulness, character, creativity, critical thinking, communication, etc.
- Students in school now are generation Alpha
- We’re looking at combining geometry with construction – apply and build. How do we combine other course work so students get an application of skills while learning.
Middle School Magic
- Magical time of discovering who you are and what you can do in the social world blooming around you
- Our middle school students are struggling.
- We’re looking at how to listen to our students so middle school really connects with them
- More elective offerings so they can explore things that interest them. This sets them up to participate more in high school
- Focus on students – we exist to help students succeed and act with intensity.
Elementary focus
- Systemwide curricular resources focused on foundational skills, PK-5. Reading, math, writing.
- Professional development
- Elective offerings
- Identify kids who are struggling and provide support – academically and with mental health
QA
- What will happen with Bergen Meadows after it closes?
- They will ask the community for ideas in the fall.
- What gives you hope?
- We have a very committed community and parents.
- What advice do you have for us as parents/grandparents, how can we help?
- Our kids need mentors and need to connect with us. They would love to have 1:1 conversations. As they do capstone projects; help kids understand your career. If a teacher needs someone to talk about a certain topic, make sure they know you’re available.
- For kids who don’t want to go to college, what are the options?
- We are helping kids connect with trades and certification programs; particularly Warren Tech and doing programming in our high schools.
- What are the lingering impacts of Covid?
- Our students in HS were in middle school during Covid – they had some gaps in learning and we’re focused on providing grade level-appropriate learning and ensuring we have differentiation in the classroom. Positive aspect of the pandemic was that technology became part of learning; it’s part of all education now.
- Number of young men going to college is dropping, they’re not engaged in education. What are we doing?
- We know that what we’re traditionally doing is not engaged like girls are. Boys want to understand how learning will be applied, so we’re changing the learning model to address this. Colleges are doing this too.
- How do you help kids engage person-to-person vs. electronically?
- We’re aware of how kids are consumers of information they get from technology. As adults, we need to be good role models; don’t post negative things. In Conifer High School, no personal devices are allowed in the classroom to encourage kids to talk with each other. Schools are starting to look at this more and more.
- How is the district using AI or integrating it into the classroom?
- Kids need to learn to be critical thinkers so we have tools to check that a student’s content is their own. Helping kids figure out how to use it as a starting place, but to not let it take them down the wrong path; it shouldn’t do the work.
- High School students are being required to complete an exit survey this year… what are you looking for?
- What are you doing next year? What scholarships did you receive? What did you enjoy about High School – this helps us figure out what engages kids in school, why they show up. Perception data – we need to know how classes and teachers are perceived.
REMINDERS FROM CHUCK
- Thank you for your help in cleaning up and getting out quickly for G’Parents Day
- April 19th -National Hanging Out Day….and National Garlic Day….I question whether the folks who started hanging out knew that it was garlic day.
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