Superintendent Corner

By Glenn Smith

December 10, 2004

It is hard to believe but the holidays are right around the corner. The 2004-2005 School Year has gone very smoothly thus far. We are very pleased with the students’ efforts and performances and expect great things for the remainder of the year.

We had a famous author named Debbie Dadey visit our school on November 15. She discussed the process of writing a book and the many important components necessary in getting it published. She also explained the role of illustrators. The students enjoyed this presentation and we feel it will encourage them to become better writers.

The District is participating in a data-collection software called Turnleaf. This software was purchased through a grant received by the Southeastern BOCES. Turnleaf allows the staff to evaluate student performance on Terra Nova and the CSAP tests. Instructional decisions can be made by the data in this program. We are confident that this tool will increase academic achievement.

The accountability committee is currently working on updating the Board Policy Manual. Recent legislation has changed existing policies and has implemented several new mandates that every district has to have in their manuals. The process of adopting new policies takes a lot of time and commitment from this committee.

A technology committee has been formed to oversee the technology in the District. Representatives from each building meet periodically to discuss issues and solutions to technology concerns. This committee has been instrumental in improving the technology at Kiowa County School Dist. RE-1.

A new server has been purchased for the student network. This server will allow the district to have more control of what is accessed and downloaded from the internet. We have had an ongoing problem of viruses and malfunctions on our computers that the new server will resolve. The committee has also recommended software that protects our server and computers from viruses. We are all excited about the progress we are making to improve technology in the district.

The Senior Citizen lunch that was held on November 18th was a big success. Approximately 60 guests were in attendance for the feast and entertainment. A good time was had by all. I would encourage all Senior Citizens to attend this lunch in the future if you have not done so. It is a great opportunity to have a great feast and have contact with our students.

Three school board members and myself will attend the Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB) Convention held at the Broadmoor on December 3-4. This is an excellent opportunity to hear guest speakers and participate in workshops to improve our school district. It is also an excellent opportunity to visit with board members and superintendents from other districts to learn what issues they are dealing with. We return every year with a feeling that we have a great school with not as many problems as we thought after comparing stories with other districts.

If you have any questions or suggestions please let me know by calling 719-438-2218, or via e-mail at glenn.smith@eads.k12.co.us. Thank you all for your continued support.