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The Sand Creek Zone
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The Sand Creek Zone is located at the southern end of District 49. Our zone includes Evans Elementary, Horizon Middle, Remington Elementary, Sand Creek High School, Springs Ranch Elementary and Stetson Elementary. The Sand Creek Zone is made up of 5 Title 1 schools, receiving federal funding to support academic achievement and growth. We also offer a Dual Language Immersion opportunity at Stetson elementary, beginning with Kindergarten and 1st grade, that is only available in District 49. Many of our schools truly embody the Community School model, utilizing our community partners, resources and volunteers to bring a well-rounded education to our students and families. Josten's Renaissance is a cornerstone of the Sand Creek Zone; we believe that building relationships is critical to high-achieving schools and that students and staff must feel connected to their work in order to succeed. We are dedicated to student success, service to our community, dedication to our people and constant innovation and growth.
Recognize a Sand Creek Employee that is "In the Zone". This is a special recognition that acknowledges a Sand Creek Please nominate one staff member that is "In the Zone".
This is a special recognition that acknowledges a Sand Creek Zone employee who has done an outstanding job, made an extraordinary effort, went above and beyond their role, or presented an overly caring or welcoming attitude. This nomination is meant to acknowledge exemplary behavior or an example of going the extra mile, truly embodying our values of Culture, Instruction and Success.Each nominee will be recognized; either with a letter from the Superintendent or the coveted "In the Zone" award. Those selected as "In the Zone" through this nomination will receive zone wide recognition for their exceptional efforts. Nominations do not guarantee an award winning spot for this month. All nominations will be put through a screening process each month. Be specific and elaborate on your nomination!NOTE: We will use your nomination wording in their letter, newsletter blurb, and facebook post. We will also share your name as the nominator.Nominate your Sand Creek Zone employee here.
The Sand Creek Zone holds instruction in high regard. We believe all teachers should provide great instruction, every day. Our instructional framework came from a collaboration of all zone instructional coaches as well as feedback from our administration team. This framework is visible in each classroom in the Sand Creek Zone and guides our observations and evaluations of what good instruction looks like.
Instructional Framework: The Sand Creek Zone is committed to building collective efficacy by intentionally fostering a student-centered culture with clear instructional expectations focused on student success.
Culture: positive relationships, clear routines, explicit expectations with accountability, engagement, and recognition
Instruction: Data-driven decisions, viable curriculum, intentional, collaborative planning, explicit core instruction and intervention, language-rich environment
Success: Student growth and achievement is vital, clarity of learning intention and success criteria, effective use of instructional time, timely feedback, growth mindset, and peer collaboration
We offer many certifications and certificates that students can earn prior to graduating high school with a focus on Business, Manufacturing, Computer Science, Engineering, Graphic Design, Personal Training, and Health & Exercise Science pathways for students to explore. We are excited to be adding Criminal Justice starting in the Winter of 2024. We offer a wide variety of college courses at Sand Creek High School, supporting the most CE students in the district with many of them earning 1-2 years of free college courses prior to graduation. We also have brought on AVID at the high school level to move our students from the middle to higher-achieving courses, mindsets and growth.
The Sand Creek Zone leads the way in Community and Family Engagement. We have 5 Family Engagement Liaisons for our Title 1 schools; these liaisons provide resources, plan events and connect with our families to add value to the work of our schools. We host the only food and clothing pantry, the Community Resource Center, at Horizon Middle School, which is open to all families in D49. We provide many opportunities for Adult and Family Education with our Parent Academies, resource fairs, and Sand Creek Zone partner meetings. We know the value of partnering with our families and community and strive to enhance and maintain those partnerships. For more information on the D49 Community Resource center, check out CO01900838.schoolwires.net/crc.
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The Sand Creek Zone pioneered Parent Academies over the last 8 years. Check out some resources and recordings from past events below.
Parent Academy: Stress Management given by Children's Hospital on May 10th, 2023.
Parent Academy: Fentanyl given by D49 Nurse Lena Orcutt on March 13, 2023. Additional resources and the full video from the presentation can be found at: www.naturalhigh.org/fentanyl
Parent Academy: Fentanyl and Other Drugs presented by D49 Nurse Lena Orcutt and SCHS SRO Dean Baird on November 2, 2023.
Opioid Epidemic and the Fentanyl Crisis
Resources:
- Mental Health Resources Guide
- Naloxone Fact Sheet
- El Paso County Health Mental Health and Recovery Support Resources
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Parent Academy: Screen Time, Social Media and Gaming: Helpful or Harmful? presented by Dr. Tom Caughlin from Children's Hospital on March 16, 2022.
Here is the powerpoint of the presentation used by Tom Caughlan from Children's Hospital.
Parent Academy: Starting the Conversation: How to Talk to Your Kids about Vaping, JUULS and Other Electronic Nicotine Devices presented by the El Paso County Health Department on February 15, 2022.
Parent Academy: SCHS Mental Health Night on January 11, 2022 with multiple presenters.
The Impact of COVID-19 on the Mental Health of Youth and Families Presentation
Parent Academy: Balancing Working from Home and Parenting with Dr. Jessica Hawks from Children's Hospital on February 8, 2021.
Check out the recorded webinar here:
Use this link to access the presentation.
If you watched this recording, please take a moment to give us some feedback on our survey: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=hjeNrz3x1UO3UtiTuUYuh9XpkeKI5-dEvwvaYuqmfspURVRWU00zRjJLNFZBSkxIMTVHVEdPQkc0WSQlQCN0PWcu
Parent Academy: Resiliency presented by Dr. Mark Mayfield and David Galvan on November 19, 2020. Check out the recorded webinar here: https://vimeo.com/481783856
If you watched the recording or attended the live event, please take our survey and give us feedback on how we did:
https://forms.gle/dnXjq9v1dzgZBwXMA
Resources:
Book: Living with Intensity by Susan DanielsBook: The Gift of FailureSearch: Emotional Resources: Generational MindfulVideos: Mayfield Counseling Center YouTube Channel/PodcastCourses: Youth Mental Health First Aid Dates (TBA but will send when available)Research: Psychology Today
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Pillar: Student Success
Student success is the first pillar of the Sand Creek Zone plan. The goals for student success are addressed through four strategic initiatives and are measured through a large number assessments that can be made on an annual basis. Click for the goals, initiatives and measures for student success.
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Pillar: People
Our people are integral to our pursuit of excellence through our vision of commitment, personalized paths, having a growth mindset, inclusivity, heart and pride in who we are and what we do. This pillar is focused on effective communication, engagement and building a world-class team in Sand Creek zone.
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Pillar: Service
As a pillar of the Sand Creek Zone plan, service is a commitment to our community. It's a commitment to students, parents and taxpayers that we are getting the most out of the investment made in our schools, people and programs and that we are operating efficiently.
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Pillar: Innovation & Growth
Born as a formal innovation zone with the Colorado Department of Education, Sand Creek Zone is committed to innovation, driving continuous improvement in all we do. We understand innovation will drive learning in individual students and growth in enrollment.
Sand Creek Zone Updates
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Amber Whetstine, learning services executive director, and Sean Dorsey, Sand Creek Zone innovation leader, will present June 2 a full-day workshop for leaders that will focus on providing on-going, specific feedback to all teachers on a weekly basis to improve teaching and learning. All principals, assistant principals and instructional coaches in the zone will learn how to schedule and conduct meaningful teacher observations and feedback sessions throughout the school year.Comments (0)