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OCN > 2305 > D38 Parent and Community Advisory Committee, April 11 – Bear Creek Elementary, Portrait of a Graduate and Educator, wellness policy discussed

D38 Parent and Community Advisory Committee, April 11 – Bear Creek Elementary, Portrait of a Graduate and Educator, wellness policy discussed

By Harriet Halbig

The Lewis-Palmer D38 Parent and Community Advisory Committee (formerly District Accountability Advisory Committee) discussed a number of subjects at its final meeting of the school year on April 11.

Bear Creek Elementary presentation

Bear Creek Elementary (BCES) Principal Peggy Parsley, who will retire at the end of the school year, offered a presentation about her school with the aid of several staff members.

The population of Bear Creek is 875 students, one of the largest elementary schools in the state. The school was opened in 2001 as Creekside Middle School and later became Bear Creek when the student population of Grace Best Elementary was transferred to the site. Seventh- and eighth-graders were then transferred to Lewis-Palmer Middle School.

The school serves grades K through 6 and is a Title 1 school along with Palmer Lake Elementary. This reflects the number of students who are eligible for free/reduced lunches or are otherwise considered at risk.

The vision for BCES includes building character, educating students, and a dedication to shared leadership, Parsley said. Students and staff are encouraged to envision what they would like a sixth-grader to be like when they leave BCES to advance to middle school.

BCES offers culturally diverse and responsive instruction, depth and complexity in the curriculum, and a literary emphasis, she said.

The diversity aspect is reflected in the selection in the library, Parsley said. Use of the responsive classroom model encourages connections between students, families, and teachers.

Emphasis is placed on reading and writing at all grade levels.

Regarding extracurricular activities, BCES offers before- and after-school activities including a STEAM night (science, technology, engineering, and math), science fair, art show, chess club, K Kids (in cooperation with Monument Hill Kiwanis), and robotics.

A new program this year is All Bear Creek Reads.

At the end of the presentation, Parsley introduced her successor, Donnel Potter.

Portrait of a Graduate and Portrait of an Educator update

Secondary Program Coordinator Jess McAllister reported on progress in developing the District 38 Portrait of a Graduate and Portrait of an Educator.

This program, begun early last year, describes the cognitive and personal attributes desired to ensure success beyond high school graduation on the basis of input from students, staff, community, and parents.

To read a detailed description of the program, please refer to the Board of Education article at https://ocn.me/v23n4.htm#d38.

Wellness Committee report and wellness policy update

The district wellness team is required by the National School Lunch Program to review its policy and practices every three years.

There are several changes to the policy this year, including the addition of nutrition education to the curriculum, updating nutrition standards, offering physical education and other activity at all grade levels, and promoting overall wellness.

Grades K through 6 are participating in the National School Lunch Program. The policy requires that the district will comply with state and federal statutes regarding meals, competitive food services, Smart Snacks in Schools, and nutrition education. All students will have a lunch period of no less than 20 minutes.

The committee assessed current policy JLJ regarding physical education and activity. Adaptive physical education was not included, because it is part of the formal curriculum.

The updated policy will be presented to the Board of Education for approval in June.

Budget update

Chief Business Officer Brett Ridgway offered an update on the proposed 2023-24 district budget.

He said that the district processes about $80 million per year. There are 936 employees including 408 teachers, 371 support staff, 19 school administrators, 15 professional and technical employees, and 14 district administrators.

The district’s funds are in 19 bank accounts at seven institutions. The district is restricted by state law as to where it invests its funds.

The process by which the budget is determined is to establish a philosophy to connect projected changes in School Finance Act revenue to changes in General Fund expenditures.

Ridgway solicited opinions from the staff through the Staff Collaboration Committee (SCC), especially regarding compensation.

Ridgway said that he seeks to avoid fearful budgeting, because too conservative an approach can be harmful. The goal is for the budget to be “98% to 100.5% accurate,” he said.

The drivers of the budget include School Finance Act income, which is anticipated to increase by 8% to $9,800 per full-time equivalent; estimated student count for the coming year; restoring funding for capital maintenance to pre-pandemic levels; and taking advantage of increased interest income on district investments, Ridgway said.

The amount of revenue from the School Finance Act will not be finalized until May.

Ridgway reported that, following input from the SCC, the budget will reflect increased revenue due to efficiencies, offering Health Savings Accounts in addition to other health benefits, offering an anniversary bonus every five years, and enhancing rewards for years of experience at the time of hiring.

For additional detailed information about the budget, see https://ocn.me/v23n4.htm#d38 or go to the district website, lewispalmer.org, Family Resources, District Accountability Advisory Committee, and the meeting date, April 11, to view the PowerPoint.

Board of Education update

Board liaison Tiffiney Upchurch reported that the board will offer Engage and Elevate events again this year to encourage community members to speak with the board about their concerns.

This year the events are taking place in coffee shops throughout the district. The final event will be on May 16 at 1 p.m. at Bennie’s, located in the YMCA building on Jackson Creek Parkway.

Upchurch also reported that this year’s legislative session will end soon. She encouraged individuals to access to Colorado Association of School Boards website to track the progress of bills through the Legislature. Please go to casb.org./2023legislative-bills.

Upchurch also introduced Kris Norris, newly appointed member of the Board of Education from District 1.

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The D38 Parent and Community Advisory Committee meets six times per year. Locations vary. This was the final meeting of the 2022-23 school year.

Harriet Halbig may be reached at harriethalbig@ocn.me.

Other Lewis-Palmer D38 Parent and Community Advisory Committee articles