PSD Congratulates Schools and Staff for their Accomplishments!

Purchasing Department Receives Procurement Award 2nd Year in a Row

PSD's Purchasing and Materials Department was recently awarded the 15th annual Achievement of Excellence in Procurement award for 2010. This is the second year PSD has received this award for excellence in procurement. The PSD purchasing department is one of only two governmental agencies in Colorado and one of only 16 school districts in the United States to receive the award.

RMHS Teacher Honored with American History Teacher of Year Award 

A Rocky Mountain High School teacher was recently selected as Colorado’s Preserve America History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

Kurt Knierim, RMHS history teacher, was recently presented an award for outstanding American history teaching in Colorado after being nominated for the award by a student. As one of the state finalists, he will be considered for the national award.

"I teach because I love to see students get excited about learning,” Knierim said. “If I can push students to do things academically that they would not have done otherwise, I have done my job. I am very humbled by this award, particularly because it was a student who made the nomination."

Knierim’s award includes a certificate of recognition, check for $1,000 and a collection of American history classroom resources. He also has the opportunity to participate in a Gilder Lehrman Institute summer seminar.

The Preserve America History Teacher of the Year Award recognizes outstanding American history teachers from elementary school through high school, and the crucial importance of American history education. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, a private organization based in New York, conducts the Preserve America History Teacher of the Year award program as part of its larger effort to promote the study and love of American history.

Boltz Middle School’s Fitness Focus Mentioned in Newsweek’s Back to School Guidebook

Newsweek’s Back to School Guidebook gave Boltz Middle School a mention for working to incorporate three ten-minute exercise breaks into the school day.

Boltz Middle School, in Fort Collins, CO, wanted to appeal to students at every fitness level when it signed on to Fuel Up to Play 60. So teachers enlisted students to help design a program that every kid would respond to. The result: fun “fitness kits” that teachers can borrow to give students exercise breaks.

“Motivating students to get up and move is an even greater challenge when kids reach middle school,” the article said. “For one thing, teen-level sports get more competitive and expensive, and participation rates drop.

“Students loved the idea,” said Jamie Quirõs, a Spanish teacher at Boltz. “They brainstormed a list of 10 items they could see themselves playing with and figured out how much they could spend on the items, based on the budget we had.”

The fitness kits include volleyballs, footballs and basketballs, as well as unconventional fitness “gear” such as kites, juggling sets Frisbees and Hula-hoops.

The article noted that the kits are popular with both teachers and students, quoting Lisa McVicker, Boltz assistant principal.

“I’ve noticed a radical increase in the number of groups outside and being active,”
McVicker said. “It’s got everyone thinking, ‘How can I incorporate little periods of activity into the day?’ Passive learning doesn’t work well, especially at the middle-school level. Teenagers need to be active. The more they use their bodies, the better their brains work.”

Polaris Expeditionary Learning School Highlighted in Educational Leadership Journal

Congratulations to Polaris Expeditionary Learning School, which was recently highlighted in the September issue of Educational Leadership Journal, which is published by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

The article recognized Polaris for developing a class that investigated the effect and ethics of reintroducing wolves into Yellowstone National Park, and connected students to experts in the field.

According to the article, Polaris teacher Cree Bol helped students understand the complex issues of wolf reintroduction by connecting them with experts in the field. During the class students interviewed a ranch operator who owns property in the mountains bordering Yellowstone, and spoke with representatives from the Turner Endangered Species Fund. The class also encountered live wolves through the organization Wolf Sanctuary.

RMHS Teacher Recognized by Boettcher Foundation

Rocky Mountain High School teacher Paul DeMaret was recently recognized at the 2010 Boettcher Foundation Teacher Recognition Awards Program.

DeMaret was nominated for the honor by 2010 Boettcher Scholar and RMHS graduate Devon Tivona as a teacher who made a significant contribution to his education. DeMaret received a plaque and a $1,000 grant which may be used towards a special project or program at Rocky.

The Teacher Recognition Awards Program provides an opportunity for Boettcher Scholars to thank teachers who have dedicated themselves to providing the youth of Colorado with an outstanding education.

Elite PSD teachers to attend Microsoft Innovative Education Forum

Three PSD teachers were one of 15 teams nation-wide selected to attend the 2010 Microsoft U.S. Innovative Education Forum in Washington, D.C. the end of July.

Ben Johnson, PSD instructional technology, and Becky Knips, Lesher IB World Middle School computer teacher, submitted a project from the new PSD middle school Web 2.0 computer curriculum for 6th graders. They won an all expense paid trip to DC to present their project and collaborate with teams from across the nation. Dawn Lauterbach, Blevins Middle School computer teacher, who is also involved in the project, also attended the conference.

“We are thrilled that our team of teacher leaders was selected to be a part of this innovative event and appreciate the support and generosity Microsoft is providing by hosting this interactive forum,” says Kathy Hanson, PSD career and technical education coordinator.

In late July, these teachers worked with other elite teams from throughout the United States to learn, grow, and hone their own classroom instructional activities based on the experiences other teammates have found to be best practices. This collaborative forum provided a hands-on experience for teachers that will ultimately enhance the classroom and learning experience for PSD students and provide staff members with the connections to other district networks and resources.

At the forum, the PSD team presented the project that won them this opportunity. Visiting teams learned how 6th grade students use 21st Century skills to create public service announcements using technology, art, creative thinking, communication and teamwork skills to teach other students about Internet safety via student produced videos. This project allows students the hands on use of Windows Movie Maker, a flip camera and microphone and meets three of the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) Standards.

For more information, contact Hanson at 970-490-3652.

Salzman hired as interim principal for Irish Elementary

Poudre School District is pleased to announce that Lynette Salzman will be the interim principal for Irish Elementary School for the 2010-11 school year.

Guillermo Medina, previous Irish principal, accepted a position as principal at Columbine Elementary School in the Boulder Valley School District. Dr. Jerry Wilson, superintendent, and Dr. Kevin Hahn, assistant superintendent of elementary schools, recommended Ms. Salzman as the interim principal because of her education background, past principal experience, and prior history with Irish Elementary.

She was the principal at Irish for nine years and served Poudre School District as a teacher for 22 years. In 2006-07, she worked part-time as the gifted and talented teacher at Werner and Timnath Elementary and has worked part-time as an instructional coach and gifted and talented teacher at Timnath from 2006-10.

Ms. Salzman’s qualifications also include principal licensure, and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Colorado State University. She has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education with a minor in biology from the University of Northern Colorado.

“We are excited that Ms. Salzman will be recommended as the interim principal for Irish Elementary and know that her extensive years of education experience will be an asset to the parents, students, and staff members of Irish,” says Dr. Hahn.