First Week of School Coming to a Close
Welcome 2020-21!
We began remote learning this past Monday, August 24. We experienced a few technical glitches, but they worked themselves out quickly and overall, things went well. That day, we had 14,000 active classrooms in Google; 48,000 posts by educators the weekend prior and Monday; and, despite Zoom issues, we still had 1,200 users hosting over 3,000 meetings. We have heard from our schools they have successfully conducted student orientations, staff planning and professional development, and many meetings with students and parents. Thank you to our community for your patience and engagement!
|
|
About the Technical Issues on Monday
As mentioned above, Monday morning was not without a couple technical hiccups. Here is what happened.
- Zoom experienced outages nationally Monday morning (but resolved them quickly).
- In addition, due to our desire to allow families as much time as possible to choose their learning environment preference, many schools were adjusting class rosters late last week and even Monday morning. This caused log jams in Schoology, which receives data from the rostering system. Some families were unable to log in Monday morning.
- As a result of these two issues, in their excitement to welcome students back, some schools implemented workarounds that unfortunately did not use the same security settings as our official learning management systems. We had a very small number of these virtual meetings interrupted by "bad actors."
We sincerely regret the challenges some Jeffco families faced on our first day of school. While sometimes technical issues are not in our control, we have reinforced protocols, guidance, and best practices for conducting online classes and meetings using only our official district learning management systems and accounts, and discouraged the use of workarounds. It is indeed a year like no other, and we appreciate everyone's patience as we worked through it all.
|
|
Quarantine Process
What happens if there is a confirmed case at school? We have collaborated with Jefferson County Public Health to develop this quarantine process that describes protocols for a variety of situations involving COVID-19 and schools.
|
|
District Collaborative Monitoring Committee: COVID-19, School, and Learning
As Jeffco Public Schools begins the 2020-21 school year under the spectrum of COVID-19 in which learning conditions appear very differently, the District and interim superintendent will create a collaborative committee to monitor conditions in our community and schools. This committee will be tasked with making data-informed consensus recommendations to the interim superintendent for consideration of adjustment to the District's educational delivery plans or working conditions. The committee will include members of our invested partner associations, our community (parents and citizens), and district administrators. If you are interested, please read more on the application and complete by September 3, 2020.
|
|
School Meals/Food & Nutrition Services Updates
Grab-and-go meals: For Aug. 31 - Sept. 4, see below in gray.
Online ordering system: Coming soon from Food & Nutrition Services - a pre-ordering system through SchoolCafe that allows families to order and pay for meals in advance. Stay tuned for more!
No longer giving coin change: For 2020-21, when purchasing meals, students will no longer receive coin change in person; it will be applied to the student’s SchoolCafé account. Paper change will be given.
|
|
New Interim Leadership Announced |
|
Interim Chief of Schools, Secondary
Dan Cohan
Dan has served in numerous roles over the past 30 years in education, including 20 years in Jeffco as a community superintendent, achievement director, high school principal, and assistant principal. He started his career as a math teacher in California but returned to Colorado to continue teaching and coaching before eventually moving into administration. Dan has served in and supported a variety of schools across four school districts in Colorado and California. As community superintendent and achievement director in Jeffco over the last 10 years, he has overseen anywhere from 10 to 37 K-12 schools while most recently working directly with secondary schools. Dan is deeply committed to ensuring all students graduate with choices for their future.
|
|
Interim Chief Financial Officer
Nicole Stewart
Nicole has 15 years' experience in budget, finance, and accounting. Most recently, she served as the director of budget and treasury for Jeffco Public Schools. In her time at Jeffco, Nicole has also served as budget analyst and budget manager. She has played an active and lead role in the research, development, and implementation of both Student-Based Budgeting and Budgeting for Outcomes. As an active member of the Government Finance Officers Association, she has spent the last three years actively participating and presenting for the Alliance for Excellence in School Budgeting. Nicole received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in business management, and received her Masters of Business Administration from Regis University.
|
|
Jeffco Educators are Honored with Recognitions |
|
Alameda Science Teacher Named 2020 Earth Science Teacher of the Year
Matt Thomas, science teacher at Alameda International Jr./Sr. High School is a recipient of the Earth Science Teacher of the Year Award given by The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists (RMAG) and the RMAG Foundation.
The RMAG recognizes Matt "for utilizing the excellent geology available in Colorado to get his students outside and learn about geology through experience was well as classroom studies augmented with web-based/digital experiences."
|
|
Arvada West Social Studies Teacher Named Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction
The National Society of High School Scholars has named Arvada West Social Studies Teacher Joann Komitor a Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction.
Educators of Distinction are outstanding role models and exemplary practitioners who have made a lasting difference in a student's life by encouraging them to strive for excellence, not just in their academic pursuits, but in all their endeavors.
|
|
Congratulations! #jeffcoproud |
|
Columbine Quilts Sent to the Clinton Library |
|
Jeffco Public Schools has presented two quilts to the William J. Clinton Presidential and Memorial Library in Little Rock, Arkansas. The quilts were made and sent to the Columbine community after the 1999 event. They represent the many outpourings of support and solidarity from communities around the world.
Former Jefferson County Board of Education President (2015-19) and current Vice President and former Columbine High School Principal (1989-96) Ron Mitchell and former Columbine High School Principal Frank DeAngelis donated the quilts to provide this presidential library with genuine artifacts that reflect the efforts President and Mrs. Clinton made to convey the nation’s concern, love, and commitment to our community in its darkest hours. The quilts are also a symbol of our resiliency as a community, and as a nation, when we come together to support each other in times of tragedy.
|
|
Videos from Jack, Our Multimedia Journalist |
|
Starting Off With the Right Beat
Staff at one Jeffco school got the year started with an energetic drumming lesson.
|
|
Showing Off New Digs
Take a look inside Arvada High School, looking fresh, new, and exciting!
|
|
September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
Learn, Connect, Take Care, and Share
|
|
Next month, mental health advocates, prevention organizations, survivors, allies, and community members unite to promote suicide prevention awareness. Jeffco Public Schools is joining this effort by bringing suicide prevention awareness to all community members throughout September. Our hope is to provide an outline of important information that will guide us as we Learn, Connect, Take Care, and Share important suicide prevention efforts that can save lives. Watch for more in the September editions of the Community Update. Click pic for more. |
|
|
NEED HELP?
Colorado Crisis Services:1-844-493-8255
The Trevor Project:1-866-488-7386
Safe2Tell:1-877-542-7233
Click here for more crisis lifeline numbers
|
|
DONATE to Jeffco Schools Foundation - help Jeffco families impacted by COVID-19.
|
|
Aug 31 - Sept 4
Food Service Locations
Grab-and-Go Meals
Anyone 18 and younger
Food Pickup:
Mon - Fri 10:30a - 12:30p
|
|
Alameda Jr/Sr
Arvada HS
Bear Creek HS
Columbine HS
Creighton MS
Pomona HS
Wayne Carle MS
West Jeff Elementary
|
|
Breakfast: Elementary $2.25, Secondary $2.50
Lunch: Elementary $3.50, Secondary $3.75
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
