Teachers across Colorado are winding down a school year that revved up their stress levels in ways most hadn’t experienced before. Many veteran educators in the state refer to the 2020-21 school year as the most challenging one they’ve encountered, but one that’s also forced them to learn new ways to command their classrooms and […]
Canon City School District
Posted inColoradans, COVID, Education, News
Is remote learning here to stay? Many, but not all, Colorado schools will offer online classes this fall.
When Madi Smith starts her sophomore year at Cañon City High School in the fall, her school days will resemble many of those during her freshman year, with classes beginning with the power button of a Chromebook rather than the ding of a bell. Madi, 15, clocked many of her school hours during the pandemic-riddled […]
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Universal free lunch will help Colorado districts keep feeding kids. But could it also rob some schools of state funding?
When Paula Buser heard that the U.S. Department of Agriculture would fund universal free lunch for schools throughout the country next year, she hit a crossroads of emotions, falling somewhere between contented and concerned. Food insecurity has plagued families in Fremont County during the pandemic, said Buser, who directs support services for Cañon City School […]
Posted inColoradans, COVID, Education, Health, News, Politics and Government
Should every Colorado kid get a mental health exam after enduring coronavirus? It won’t be easy.
When Mark Sass has a parent-teacher conference these days, the discussion often isn’t immediately focused on grades. It’s focused on wellbeing. “We need to lead with that mental health concern before we jump into the academics,” said Sass, a part-time social studies teacher at Legacy High School in Broomfield who also runs the Colorado branch […]
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Colorado’s vaccine schedule won’t salvage a school year upended by coronavirus
The coronavirus vaccine that began arriving in Colorado this month will have zero direct effect on this year’s school year, according to current state plans for its rollout. The first doses of the coveted vaccine are going to nurses and doctors who have been on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. Nursing home residents […]
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Colorado teachers are working twice — sometimes three times — as hard when their students learn both in person and online
Rhiannon Wenning’s school days have grown longer with the pandemic, and in her 20 years of teaching, she’s never worked as hard. Her usual 50-hour work weeks have notched up to between 60 and 70 hours. Recently, the Jefferson Junior/Senior High School social studies teacher clocked an 80-hour week, committing at least 16 hours to […]
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Coronavirus has masked Colorado students’ emotions. Teachers are trying new ways to connect.
During a typical school year — one that isn’t upended by a pandemic — Katieann Carochi greets her students with a handshake as they enter the classroom each morning. It’s more than a way for the fifth-grade teacher to say hello. “That for me is a big gauge as to how they’re doing that day,” […]
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Colorado teachers want a voice as schools plan for fall classes during coronavirus crisis
It’s the million-dollar question — or likely one worth much more than that — for districts across Colorado and the country: How should school play out this fall at a time the coronavirus may very well still pose a major threat to communities? Some of Colorado’s 178 school districts have nailed down preliminary back-to-school plans, […]
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As Colorado schools start plotting fall classes they have more questions than answers
The coronavirus is forcing Colorado school districts to get creative as they reimagine what classes could look like this fall. Among the options: hybrid classes with some students in schools and others learning from home; staggered and shortened school schedules; pushing desks 6 feet apart, spreading classes across multiple rooms and having teachers rotate between […]
Posted inColoradans, COVID, Education, News
“College can wait”: With families struggling, Colorado students are working to help make ends meet
GLENWOOD SPRINGS — Like many high school students, Jessica Tario’s weeks are consumed by much more than classes and homework. The Glenwood Springs High School senior spends about the same amount of time working as a cashier at Walmart as she does on her final courses before graduating. Wearing a black mask and disposable gloves, […]