September 2, 2004

While we do have the responsibility to educate children who are brought to our doors, and to be accountable for our efforts through CSAP and other assessments, at Coyote Creek we believe in working with the whole child. We believe that their brains are not necessarily the most important part of them. So when I read the following piece, I thought of all the lessons I and you and, hopefully, the children we share, have and will learn at home, at school, and throughout life-----

Readers are encouraged to submit items for this column. Often we at school do not know the accomplishments of students outside school. Please include your phone number so we can reach you if we need more information.
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Q. I've heard from students and parents from other schools that they participate in something called Outdoor Education. What is that, and why doesn't Coyote Creek participate?
A. Outdoor Education is a program in which sixth grade students stay for several days at an outdoor camp. Coyote Creek did participate in Outdoor Ed for a couple of years after the school first opened. More than six years ago, the staff made a decision to not participate any longer. Here are some reasons that decision was made, and why we have chosen not to resume participation.
While the experience is usually a lot of fun, it does demand a lot of time to plan and organize and raise the large amount of money necessary for the activity. But, more importantly, it no longer matches the science curriculum that we are supposed to be teaching, as closely as it once did. So in these days of CSAP and increasing amounts of curriculum teachers are responsible for teaching, it didn’t make sense to take so much time away from these necessities for a mostly fun activity.
Another reason we have not resumed participation is that there is an increasing amount of liability for students’ safety that rests on the shoulders of every school staff member who is present during the Outdoor Ed experience. While these people would do their very best to make sure that all students are as safe as possible, in an outdoor setting there are so many potential hazards. Also, for those students who need special medications or have any physical handicaps, the risks for them increases the longer they are away from home in such a setting.

Added to this tremendous personal responsibility is the fact that staff members who accompany students to Outdoor Ed do so on a mostly volunteer basis. Their contract pays them for their work during regular school hours, but the time they work before 7:30 a.m. and after 4:00 p.m. is not paid. So in this type of situation, which includes responsibility for students’ safety 24 hours a day -- even while they’re sleeping at night -- 15 hours of each day is volunteer time, with no pay. Requiring teachers to volunteer 15 hours a day, be away from their own families for several days, and be totally responsible for every student 24 hours a day is not an effective use of our human resources. This also does not include the time mentioned above for planning, organizing, and fundraising, which would also be done on a volunteer basis. Parents would be most welcome to help with these activities, but the bottom line is that staff members would be ultimately responsible.

This is one of those situations that involves a very good activity that would be enjoyable for most students but that also involves some factors that make it unfeasible for us to carry out. I am aware that some schools continue to participate in Outdoor Ed, but there are others that have decided to stop their participation for the reasons described above.
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Sept. 2nd
6A&C Dinosaur Ridge
Sept. 15th
1B&C Roxborough State Park
Oct. 27th
K A & B2 Anderson Farms
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Coyote Creek Elementary
LUNCH POLICY

• When a student’s account has only two lunches’ worth of money remaining, the kitchen manager (or designee) will send home a reminder slip that day.
• If a deposit is not made before the next time a student purchases a lunch, the above process will be repeated.
• If a student desires to purchase a lunch when the account is empty, the student will be able to charge that lunch. However, at this point the school kitchen manager (or designee) will call the parent—leaving a voicemail, if necessary—as a reminder that the student no longer has money in his/her lunch account and has just used the only charged lunch allowed.
• If no money is deposited, and the student desires to purchase a lunch, s/he may access a special account that has been set up which can cover up to two additional lunches. Parents will be contacted as above. Withdrawals from this special account must be repaid before the student’s lunch account will be considered active again. School administrators will be monitoring all activity in this special account.
• If the student’s account is still not activated with a deposit, the student will not be allowed to have a full lunch, but will be allowed to choose from the foodbar. This activity will also be monitored to ensure that parents will activate their child’s account as soon as possible. A school administrator will call parents if three calls from Coyote Creek Nutrition Services have not been successful.
• If assistance with payment for lunches is needed beyond these two additional lunches, the parent may apply for extended funding for up to one month. If, during this time period, parents feel that more assistance will be necessary, they may apply for “free or reduced lunch” status. Application forms are available from the school kitchen, or from the school district at 303-387-0306.

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Parents’ right to access sex offender lists
By law, schools must notify parents about their right to access law enforcement agency information concerning registered sex offenders. Parents may not be able to determine the actual type or seriousness of the crimes that offenders have been charged with because of how the lists are compiled.
For a copy of the list, visit the Douglas County Sheriff’s Records Office (4000 Justice Way in Castle Rock; 303-660-7545). You will be asked to fill out two forms and provide a photo identification. You must be a county resident or provide a basis for needing to know this information. The office will provide you a copy for $1.

TEACHER QUALIFICATION INFORMATION
The federal No Child Left Behind law allows parents to obtain certain information about the professional qualifications of their child’s teacher(s). Specifically, as a parent or guardian, you have the right to request the following information:
• whether the Colorado Department of Education has licensed or endorsed your child’s teacher for the grades and subjects taught;
• whether the Colorado Department of Education has decided that your student’s teacher can teach in a classroom without being licensed or qualified under state regulations because of special circumstances;
• the teacher’s college major; whether the teacher has any advanced degrees and if so, the subjects of the degrees; and,
• whether a teachers’ aide or similar paraeducator provides services to your child and, if they do, their qualifications.
If you would like to receive any of this information, contact the Human Resources Department at 303-387-0047. You will receive a request form to complete and return to the district. You should receive the information within 30 days.

PARENTING HELP
Raising healthy, productive children is hard! Parents need encouragement and help in raising children—and schools can’t do it all. Empathetic, well-trained volunteers at the Family Support Line make the task easier by providing free, confidential information, ideas and referrals. Whatever your child’s age or issue, the Family Support Line offers compassionate listening, practical answers and information on all aspects of family life and child development, as well as referrals to community resources. In the Denver Metro area, call 303-695-7996, toll free 1-877-695-7996 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily or visit www.FamiliesFirstColorado.org. The Family Support Line is a service of Families First, a private, non-profit agency devoted to strengthening families and protecting children.

GOT INSURANCE?
Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) is a low-cost health and dental insurance program for uninsured children. Eligibility is based on family income. CHP+ is now accepting applications. For more information or to receive an application, call Ellen Porche at 303-387-0510, extension 2.