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Board of Education Recap February 13th, 2019
News from Sheridan School District No. 2

Contact: Mark Stevens

[email protected]

303-495-8699 (mobile) • 720-328-5488 (office)

News Release

Feb. 13, 2019

Fort Logan Northgate School in the Spotlight

 

Fort Logan Northgate School recognized its Middle School Leadership Class, noted the

contributions of two key staff members, and highlighted signs of progress in schoolwide reading

and mathematics achievement at the Sheridan Board of Education meeting Tuesday, Feb. 12.

 

Assistant principal Beth Joswick praised the school’s ongoing partnership with the Institute for

Environmental Solutions, which has yielded a sustained landscaping project on the northeast

corner of S. Irving St. and W. Quincy Ave. The students in the Leadership Class have planted

trees and shrubs, worked on flood water mitigation, and studied erosion control techniques.

 

Principal Nelson VanVranken recognized the commitment and dedication of fourth-grade

teacher Michael Taglienti and health/attendance clerk Natashia Cordero. VanVranken noted

that both are bilingual speakers and both “really work to connect with our families.”

VanVranken said Cordero “is always very patient and welcoming” with visiting parents and

community members.

 

Superintendent Pat Sandos lauded third-year teacher Taglienti for his hard work and

dedication. “You are an excellent teacher,” said Superintendent Sandos. “Your relationships

with kids are incredible.” Taglienti is leaving Fort Logan Northgate after this school year with

plans to head to medical school.

 

Looking at academics, assistant principal Joswick presented data indicating strong growth in

reading and mathematics scores since the beginning of the school year. The data indicates

many more students are moving closer to grade-level work.

 

Fort Logan Northgate School moved to a new, rigorous reading program and has worked for

years in partnership with the University of Colorado Denver to improve mathematics

instruction. “In my nine years in Sheridan, this is the most exciting math data I’ve seen,” said

Joswick.

 

VanVranken said the focus schoolwide is on boosting student expression, both conversation

and writing, in all content areas. The school is seeking to increase student-led learning, raise the

bar on the level of rigor being taught, and set an expectation that students “own” the cognitive

load.

Students should produce 80 percent of the conversation in a thriving classroom, said

VanVranken, and too often it’s the teachers who are doing 80 percent of the talking. “The one

doing the talking is the one doing the learning,” said VanVranken.

 

Superintendent Sandos said the school’s “hard work” is starting to “bear fruit” and

congratulated the school on the steady progress.

Instructional Support Assistants

Blanche Kapushion, Director of Student Achievement, said that 14 out of 15 Instructional

Support Assistants (ISAs) have been hired and 12 of those have already been trained and placed

in schools to work alongside classroom teachers in kindergarten through third grade.

 

The addition of ISAs was made possible through the successful approval of the district’s mill

levy ballot proposal last November. “These are fourteen top-notch, high-quality people doing

this work,” she said.

 

Kapushion said a candidate for the 15th ISA is being interviewed this week. All incoming ISAs

received two weeks of professional development before starting classroom work.

 

Kapushion thanked district staff for the “seamless” hiring process. “It was a total team effort

and we are off and running,” she said.

Financial Audit

Chief Financial Officer Kristen Colonell told the board that the financial audit is complete and

submitted to all the appropriate state agencies. Colonell thanked the business office staff for

their work during the two-week process. The audit resulted in an “unqualified opinion,” which

means that the district’s financial records are being presented in an appropriate and fair

manner.

Consent Agenda

All consent agenda items were approved.

About Sheridan School District 2

Located southwest of Denver, Sheridan School District 2 seeks high-level post-secondary

options for all students through continuous improvement of quality instruction. More:

www.ssd2.org