eDCSD, an online learning option
C P C - Friday, December 01, 2017
Students work virtually with a scientist from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.
By Susan Helton; photos courtesy of eDCSD
Because students learn in different ways and can need different environments to thrive academically, the Douglas County School District (DCSD) offers options to help families find the educational program best fitting their child. One option is eDCSD, a kindergarten through 12th grade online education program. Douglas County students are eligible to apply, even if they currently attend a brick-and-mortar DCSD school. eDCSD accepts new enrollments each quarter during the school year for both full and part-time students.
Last school year, Castle Pines resident Michelle Perovich enrolled her son Joe in eDCSD for fifth grade, transferring from a traditional school. "eDCSD got him signed up and got our material to us much quicker than I would have expected. Pretty much, once they received the paperwork from the brick-and-mortar school, they had him enrolled and had the login the very next day," said Perovich.
eDCSD students work on lessons predominantly online, at their own pace, with assignments due each week. "Every lesson was taught in a variety of learning styles: visual, auditory, hands-on ... so you could learn in your way," Perovich said. On her computer, Perovich could see Joe's assignments, and she also received additional information to help in her role as Joe's learning coach. Joe's classes for fifth grade included language arts, math, social studies, science, technology and physical education. Through eDCSD, Joe discovered a love of science and history.
Students learn how to do the laundry at Four Mile Historic Park.
One day a week, students attend a blended learning session in Castle Rock where they work together on hands-on group projects focusing on a different theme each quarter. Students unable to attend blended learning can meet in the virtual classroom to do the same activities. One theme that Joe studied last year was hunger. Joe interviewed The Connection's managing editor Lynne Marsala Basche about hunger in Douglas County, conducted a food drive in his neighborhood and visited a local food bank. He also made food bags for the hungry that held enough food for two full meals, with money for a third.
Students at eDCSD have monthly field trip opportunities and also work on two passion projects, which are in-depth, self-directed investigations. Joe's projects were the civil war and the history of baseball. "The best part of eDCSD was the field trips," Joe stated. Field trips he attended included visits to Anderson Farms, the Denver Dumb Friends League, the Colorado History Museum and Vitamin Cottage. The elementary students are welcome on the secondary field trips if they are interested.
"It was a good year. I think it started off a little bit scary. Like, oh my gosh, how are we going to be able to do this? And then by the end of the year, it was a very good, positive experience," said Perovich. "For Joe, what was good was being able to just do school in a comfortable way that he could feel confident about. The teachers were phenomenal. They just could not have been nicer; they could not have been more encouraging."
To learn more about eDCSD, visit www.dcsdk12.org/school/edcsd.
American Academy students respond to a child's final wish
Shreya Behera, Juliana Neufeld and Allison McDonald utilize art supplies to make cards for Jacob Thompson, a young boy who is fighting a rare form of cancer.
By Liz Rector; photos courtesy of Eric Ptolemy and the Thompson family
Maine residents Roger Thompson and Michelle Thompson Simard are the proud parents of nine-year-old Jacob Thompson, who was diagnosed several years ago with stage four neuroblastoma. This rare cancerous disease causes tumors which have spread throughout Thompson's body. On October 11, Jacob was admitted to the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital in Portland, ME.
Despite chemotherapy and radiation, Jacob's parents and doctors doubt that the boy will make it to Christmas.
A member of American Academy's administration first heard of Jacob's story through a 9News special feature and was so moved that she asked the Deans of Students to engage the students in reaching out to Thompson.
Knowing that he may not see his favorite holiday, friends, family, and complete strangers, including the students at American Academy, set out to bring an early Christmas to Jacob Thompson.
Michelle Thompson Simard posted this photo on Facebook of her son Jacob, who is all smiles as he poses with one of the many Christmas cards he has received.
Fifth grade Castle Pines American Academy students gathered to create Christmas cards and write well wishes for Jacob, whose motto is: "live like a penguin." His mother Michelle told Good Housekeeping that the motto is a reminder to, "be friendly, stand by each other, go the extra mile, jump into life, and be cool."
Since his story made the news, Jacob has received an outpouring of love and support, including AA's thoughtfully crafted cards which were recently mailed to him.
Sadly, Jacob passed away about a week after the students' cards reached him. His friends and family have expressed their sincere gratitude to everyone who made the effort to bring him an early Christmas and lift his spirits during his time in the hospital.
Rock Canyon marching band goes to state
The Rock Canyon High School marching band smiles with their semi-finalist award after an exciting season.
By Sarah Bermingham, RCHS intern writer; photo courtesy of Suzanne Wilson
The Rock Canyon High School (RCHS) marching band ended its season with an impressive finish at the state marching band competition. Riley Busch, RCHS marching band drum major and Castle Pines Connection intern writer, said "The Colorado Bandmaster Association (CBA) State marching band competition is always the focused goal we have for our season. Not only did we obtain that goal, but we reached new heights as a program as well!"
For the second time in school history, the RCHS band progressed on to the semi-finals portion of the competition. The top 20 bands in the state compete in the quarter-finals and the top 12 from that competition move on to semi-finals. The top six bands compete in the final competition. RCHS took 11th place in quarter-finals with a school record breaking score, then advanced to semi-finals where they finished in 12th place, receiving the second-highest score in school history.
It took an immense amount of hard work from everyone in the RCHS marching band to do so well. The team rehearsed for more than 300 hours over the course of their four-month season.
Dylan Beattie, sophomore flutist, explained how early mornings were an obstacle stating, "At semi-finals, we performed at 8:30 in the morning. For us to get there on time, the band had to be at RCHS at 4:30 in the morning."
In addition to working through cold weather challenges and long practice hours, the marching band also has a new band director, Zachary Fruits, who is the band teacher at RCHS. Rachael Huxley, RCHS band member, said, "One thing that was difficult this season was having a new director. However, we all adjusted very quickly, and Mr. Fruits did a great job his first year. For a director to bring a band to semi-finals their first year at a new school is really impressive, and we all really appreciate Mr. Fruits' hard work."
This season was not just all hard work, however. The RCHS marching band had a lot of fun together this season. The group planned fun team activities, including water balloon fights, bowling, trips to IHOP and other restaurants and movie nights. It was also very rewarding for the group to do so well at the state competition. Huxley stated, "My favorite thing about marching band this year was making it to semi-finals. We worked so hard to get there so it was super exciting that it paid off."
RCHS National Merit commended scholars
By Lisa Nicklanovich; photo courtesy of RCHS
Rock Canyon High School (RCHS) had 15 National Merit Commended Scholars. These students were in the top 3.3 percent of the 1.5 million high school students who took the PSAT. Pictured from left to right: Haley Mayr (CP), Yunho Jung, Luke Zhang, Kevin Huang, Shreya Nallapati, Peter Deckerman, Caroline Myers (CP), Thomas Campbell, Mila Smith, Justin Bian, Leah Doogan (CP), Kieran Bendle, Abigail Antinoro (CP), Derek Bauer. Not pictured: Hayden Brauch (CP).
RHMS yearbook students participate in Journalism Day
Rocky Heights Middle School yearbook staff participated in Journalism Day at Colorado State University in October.
Submitted by Kira Zizzo, RHMS student; photo courtesy of Julien Bouquet
On October 19, young journalists from the Rocky Heights Middle School (RHMS) yearbook class attended Journalism Day at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. The field trip gave students the opportunity to explore the many facets of journalism, paving the way for their futures, as well as RHMS's future, on the path to journalistic prosperity.
The main focus of Journalism Day was to help students learn how to enhance and refine their faction of journalism to its full potential. On display were past yearbooks from varying sources for viewing, and students could attend a variety of ceremonies, classes and lectures. Some of these sessions explored how students could individualize yearbooks as a school by making the yearbook more prominent. Students also learned new organizational tips and skills to use while producing a yearbook, including layout, captions, stories, pictures and underlying themes. Throughout the day, journalists voiced ideas and demonstrated their knowledge of different forms of media pertaining to journalism, such as yearbooks, films, newspapers and more.
Castle Pines residents Josie Manning and Madison Friar, along with Elizabeth Duffie, Bethany Detwiler, Matthew Fink, Lindsay Smart and Cate Venable attended the event from the RHMS yearbook staff. When asked about her time at Journalism Day, RHMS Nighthawk update editor Josie Manning said, "I loved how we got to experience this as a class, and we got to enjoy each other's company while also learning new things about how to make our yearbook the best it could be." Madison Friar added, "Journalism Day helped me as a yearbook student because I got to experience different points of views on topics and how serious journalism is. It gave me a different perspective about journalism, and how much people really care about it." The lessons learned at Journalism Day will definitely influence this year's yearbook.
At the awards ceremony, last year's RHMS yearbook earned the All-Colorado Award, which is given to the best yearbooks in the state. Congratulations to the contributors of last year's yearbook! Not only did yearbook students learn various components of journalism, but Journalism Day also ignited their inspiration to improve this year's yearbook. The event was a positive, constructive day for these aspiring journalists as they learned to use their creative voices and make them stronger.
Buffalo Ridge gives thanks
Buffalo Ridge Elementary fifth-graders and parents enjoyed a fabulous Thanksgiving feast at the school on Wednesday, November 15. Served up by Principal John Veit and Assistant Principal Jen Murdock, there was plenty of turkey, gravy, and fixings to be enjoyed by all.
Coming soon: Talented Teens of Castle Pines
By Liz Rector
Castle Pines is a sprawling community largely made up of families, and within this 80108 ZIP code, The Castle Pines Connection has met and featured many talented young individuals. starting in the January 2018 issue, The Connection will be featuring a spotlight each month on a "talented teen" from our area.
You may be wondering what the criteria is for a "talented teen." For the newspaper's intents and purposes, a talented teen is an individual between the ages of 13 and 18 who is thriving in a particular area, whether it is academic, athletic or extracurricular. It may also be someone who is giving back to the community in some way, whether that means going above and beyond in school or volunteering to help others in need.
If you know a talented teen and would like to nominate them to be in the spotlight, send the information to lrector@castlepinesconnection.com.
Please keep in mind that the student nominated and the student's parents both have to consent to the individual being featured in the newspaper. Photographs are welcome, and participants are encouraged to provide as much information as possible about the teen's achievements. If selected, the student will be interviewed for quotes to include in the article and their photo may be taken as well.
Due to the fact that there are so many talented teens in Castle Pines, do not grow discouraged if your teen is not featured right away. Keep an eye on the paper and encourage your teens to get out there and do fantastic things!
Thanks to TTE students more children will enjoy Coyote Ridge Park
By Lynne Marsala Basche
Timber Trail Elementary (TTE) third-grade students participated in a Project Based Learning (PBL) unit called "Putting the Pieces Together." PBL teaches students to acquire knowledge and skills by investigating and creating solutions to real-world challenges. As part of the lesson, students became playground engineers tasked with modifying a playspace to meet the needs of children with autism.
Students learned about the disorder, conducted research, and in October, they presented their recommendations to modify Coyote Ridge Park to the Castle Pines North Metropolitan District (CPNMD) and the Castle Pines Parks Authority.
Based on the recommendations, three local organizations are contributing or donating $10,000 to install new playground equipment at Coyote Ridge Park. The Castle Pines Parks Authority is purchasing three KidForce Spinners and one Volta Accessible Spinner. The CPNMD is removing the old equipment, as well as installing the new pieces. The TTE Parent Teacher organization is helping with the purchase of the new playground equipment.
"We were impressed with the amount of research these third-graders put into identifying playground equipment that would appeal to children with autism," said Jim Nikkel, district manager for CPNMD. "We're confident that the equipment we chose from the students' selections will appeal to the diverse needs of our Castle Pines youth."
The new equipment is expected next month, and once installed, kids of all ages and abilities will be able to enjoy Coyote Ridge Park even more.
Read more about the project in the November issue of The Connection.
The Mystery History tradition continues at DCSM
By Lynne Marsala Basche; photo courtesy of DCS Montessori School
A beloved DCS Montessori (DCSM) tradition, Mystery History is in its16th year and was held in late October. Each student in grades four through six researched a figure who made a lasting impression or an important contribution around the world ancient civilization to 1400 CE and presented a report dressed as their character. In attendance were Cleopatra, Julius Cesar, Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Archimedes and Socrates to name a few. Organizer Ryoko Futasani transformed her classroom into the Serengeti in Africa with wall-size murals, Masai artifacts, Boma fence and zebra patterns. "This is a lot of work. I start planning one year ahead," said Futasani. "Last year was Dia de los Mueltos in Mexico. Two years ago was the Ming Dynasty. Because the faces that I see when the students enter the room are priceless, I have to keep doing [it]."
The power of questioning to increase critical thinking, common sense and creativity
I love the written word. One of my favorite writers, Mark Batterson, in his book "A Trip Around the Sun" discussed the observation that children ask roughly 125 questions per day and adults ask about six questions per day. The result being that somewhere between childhood and adulthood, we lose 119 questions per day. This (along with the Warren Berger book "A More Beautiful Question") really sparked my passion, or what my husband calls my "obsession" with asking questions.
Research repeatedly shows the better questions one asks, whether a child or an adult, the better critical thinker one becomes. In addition to increased critical thinking, an individual can improve his or her own common sense and creativity. Often times, solving a problem by finding the answer is far less insightful than asking the right questions and the process by which the answer is reached.
How does one become a master questionnaire? The answer is by learning to ask questions using several different techniques: 1) Ask the six "W"s – who, what, when, where, why and how; 2) utilize mind tools such as the 5 Whys – asking "why" to the answer of a question repeatedly five times to narrow down an underlying causal factor in the problem; 3) exercise Socratic questioning, whereby you seek to get the other person to answer their own questions by making them think and by drawing the answer out of them; 4) Use alternative questioning techniques such as rhetorical questions, open- and closed-ended questions, probing questions (asking for an example) and leading questions; and 5) Mastering metacognition – knowing how and when to use which strategies for problem solving or learning (thinking about thinking).
By perfecting the art of the question, one can unlock deeper understanding.
Additional resources about questioning techniques:
The 6-Ws (Also known as the 5-Ws + How) – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Ws
The 5-Whys – www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_5W.htm
The Socratic Questions – www.changingminds.org/techniques/questioning/socratic_questions.htm
Alternative Questioning Techniques – www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_88.htm
Thinking About Your Thinking (Metacognition) – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metacognition
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