001some meetings to try and work through some negotiations the rec district on the pool facilities and how we might partner with them. So definitely um going to work with them on that to make sure that we are representing Kenyon City School Districts and the student body and the um government here that we've been entrusted with. So all important work. Happy to be a part of it. >> Well, I was involved with in lots of those things. So, I'll just focus on the new ones. Although, I really did enjoy this morning. And I thought um I thought Robin, you did a good job speaking for the board. And I thought Adam, I'm always proud of you, but you did really well today speaking from your heart, the district. And Jamie, you did a great job catching
002us up on schedule from HR. But you but it was indicative of the job you did this summer. Oh my goodness. So, thank you to your whole department. I mean, wow. and to fill the last position right before it went on. That was pretty darn exciting, right? Okay. Um, so I guess the these are things I can add. I stopped >> these are things. >> Wow. >> I'm gonna have to lower my voice if I sound like that. Sorry. Just kidding. Um, I stopped at the food services final food um barbecue that they had over at Duck Park and that was really fun to see the families come and get their free barbecue with their kids and um they did a great job and I got a tour Frank took me on a tour of
003the truck. It gets pretty warm when you're grilling burgers inside that truck. So that's a that's a hard job but and it was fun to watch Anna out there in her element and her people. So that was really fun to go there. I stopped there on my way to something else we were doing. Something else we all did. I was I just Oh, it was on that Friday. I don't remember. >> Was that a new teacher thing? >> Oh, it was new teacher. >> Oh, yes, it was. Cuz I had to pick up my van. >> Yes, cuz that was my number two thing. I had to pick up my van because I drove new teachers for their scavenger hunt around town. And it's one of my very favorite things to get to do because
004these teachers, it's funny that the strategies these and I was in a van this time. Normally I don't have anybody that's like from canyon in my van, but I had I had two or three people in my my van from Canyon and I had a lot of chiefs in my can in my car. So it was kind of interesting. Normally I need to they all asking me to help with the clues, but I did not have to help with one clue. they just kind of took charge. It was just kind of interesting to see them decide how to tackle all this. But um and my team got second by half a point. I want to say Jamie said that my wife screwed me over. So >> yeah, thanks. But I loved it and I loved
005seeing some of the Here's what I really loved seeing teachers that came here because of your discovery city >> program that came for that visit. We even brought a spouse when they came this last time and we knew that was a great teacher to get and to see her actually walk into our staff as a new teacher knowing what she what the life change that she made to come here because she loved what she saw. That was really >> nice, >> impactful. Um, and I left something out. >> Oh, no, I didn't. So, that's that. That's all I have. Sorry. I don't think I have anything new. Um, I I think my theme this year so far has been uh kind of with partnerships. Um, so I'll I'll stick with that. um with all of
006the the building that's been going on, it it is really cool to see the partnerships that we have with uh um with everyone that's helping get that done. Um and to that, when we took the tour of the buildings and got to see firsthand where we're at, um you know, it it struck me that that was what, August 8th, and we weren't done. I mean, they were ready, but they weren't ready. So, uh, and they're saying, "Yeah, we're going to work over the weekend and we're going to work Sunday and we've been working on Saturdays and Sundays and they're still dedicated to getting that done." And talked to Bill Summers this morning and he basically said the Commons isn't ready yet, but it will be and they start students Thursday. So, you know, it's going
007to be a year of ongoing. We've said that before and and Adam has mentioned it. This is going to be quite the year. Uh but it's nice to have those kind of partners working on it to, you know, take it right down to the very end. Um you know, and Scott Morton with what he's doing with that wasn't even around for the kickoff because he's out, you know, making sure that we're getting those lists taken care of. And it's just a awesome to see. We're going to have so many um new buildings and experiences as a result of it. And it was was awesome to see that as we were we were walking through there. Um really really cool. So good things to look forward to. Um, I do feel for teachers that are unpacking
008right now and and probably staying late today to to get rooms ready and tomorrow and so on. Um, but they have a way of stepping up and we always appreciate them for that. >> Thank you, Brent and everyone else. Um, I think the only thing I have to add is one of my favorite things is getting to swear in the new staff. That's always a really joyful, quick, but very joyful moment for me. So, it's the only thing I really have to add. I do want to say kind of piggybacking on what you said, Brett. I And help me out with this, Adam and Scott. I don't think there are any buildings left that are untouched. How how do you mean? >> Well, like remodeled or something. It's like an addition or a remodel. >>
009Yeah, it's pretty remarkable. Um I've been thinking about numbers a lot. And in the quarter of a century that I've been here, um all of them with the one exception of the chart school, it just functions a little differently. And I don't know if they've been able to make improvements. I do think they've done some safety improvements, but the the buildings that are most directly under the purview of the Canyon City Schools Board of Education have not only all been wellmaintained, but they've been better. I mean, it's just it it's remarkable. And I've seen some local media coverage on upcoming bonds that are going to be taking place even in our neck of the woods in El Paso County and just seeing the state of some of their conditions. Again, just mentioning product schools. So,
010>> pretty fantastic. All right, we don't have awards and kudos this evening. No information items, but we do have a presentation. I have been practicing Deanna Patt. >> And if I was Italian, there would be that >> pal. That's it. >> Thank you for joining us, Dan. >> Thank you for having me. So, I'm here to address the board um and our directors today on the state of AI in Canyon City Schools for our 2526 school year. Um I'm excited to do so. I hit the right button. >> I don't know if your mic's working if we're out. >> Is that working? >> You have to make sure it's green. There's a little button up. >> Okay. >> Is that better? >> Okay. So, um, again, sorry. My name is Diana Pelone. I'm our educational
011technology coordinator, and I am here to, um, enlighten everybody about the state of AI for Canyon City Schools for our 2526 school year. We're just going to start with, um, saying that we keep constantly in mind our core beliefs here in our school district, and AI really fits into core beliefs three and four. So, just a reminder that here we we want to dawn our tomorrow glasses. We really strive to prepare our students for their future, not our present, and not even our future. Um, our students when they get to be the ages that some of us are, they're going to be living in a world that's vastly different and that we can't even imagine. So, our job here is to help prepare them for that. We have created this started last year through an
012AI task force. Um a Canyon City Schools AI belief and guidance that is broken into four different sections including um education and empowerment for our students, staff and community, safety for students, staff, and teaching our community how they can be safe in their own interactions with AI. Providing equity and accessibility through AI. And that includes not just the ability to access AI, but also the ability to understand and learn. And we want to make sure that everyone in our district, all of our students have access, that they're getting to use AI and learn about AI through all grade levels, through all levels, preK through 12th grade. And then also to maintain ethical oversight. Um, we need to make sure that we're keeping things safe here. And in part of that is also making sure that
013we're educating our staff and our students and our community how they can remain safe. Um each of these categories in our guidance and belief statement is broken into three cate or three sections. One that is specifically around staff, one specifically around students and one specifically around the community. And this will be rolling out to all of our staff this school year as guidance on how to use AI. This is also something that will remain very fluid for our school district as AI is continually and constantly changing and growing. So, where we're starting this school year, we are continuing to partner um with the Colorado Education Initiative and several other school districts in the state of Colorado with the Elevate AI grant that allows us to um train teachers and we're going to bring students in
014this year on AI literacy, um the use of AI, and starting to develop a pipeline into the workforce around AI. and we're very excited for that and and thankful to CI for sharing that opportunity with us for the last two years. Um, and we're in year two of a 2 and a half year uh commitment with that grant. As part of that grant, we have been given access to an AI platform that was designed initially for teachers and now has a studentf facing component that was actually developed and built here in Colorado out of Denver and that is Magic School. They provided that for our district for two years free through the grant that we are part of. And so we're in year two of implementation of that um and continuing to work on training
015teachers how best to use that and how they can be involving their students in the use of AI in the classroom. Um halfway through last year or a little over halfway through last year we also onboarded Brisk Teaching which is another AI platform that assists teachers in doing things such as differentiating instruction. Um it's simple and easy to use. it works seamlessly with um our Chrome and Google interface that we use here at the district being a district um I'm sorry Google district and so um that's again something that we'll continue to train teachers on we are um continuing that for the school year and adding a new component in which we will be using course teaching to help us with some of our district writing assessment work that our teachers are doing and where
016we're headed As I stated, we're continuing to work with Elevate AI. Um, we have the continuation, I believe we have about six fellows this year. Um, four of those are continuing from last year. So, this will be their second year as a fellowship. Through that, they will have the opportunity to earn an ISTY certification in the area of AI. ISTY is the international standards for techn for technology education. Um, and so they have a lot of great courses and it's something that will definitely benefit our staff and our district as a whole getting those. And then as I stated before, we're really focused this year on student engagement. Um, at our secondary level, we're doing that a lot through our internship program at the high school where we are working with our community partners um
017and building other internships that might even be uh virtual internships for students so that they have the opportunity to work with some of those AI systems and programs out there. Um we will be again staying future focused working on um pilots throughout this year where we're going to ask staff to help us determine as our grant funding from Elevate AI runs out how we are going to continue or which which program we're going to continue to use so that we can make sure that we're maintaining AI within our school district. Um, so we will be doing a threemonth pilot with different programs and the cohort that we'll have for that will include um teachers and other instructional staff members from all levels, high school, middle school, intermediate, and primary. And then one of the biggest
018projects that we have this year ongoing is that we're going to continue to focus on training and professional development. This is part of that equity piece. We want to make sure that we are equally training all of our teachers and staff so that they feel comfortable with the use of technology so that all of our students are equitably being able to have access to that and use of it in their classrooms um so that we're not creating any kind of pockets or voids with that. And then also one of my specific um challenges to myself this year was to really be doing some training for our community. I want to bring our parents in and help them understand a little bit more about AI, some AI literacy, and really work on with them on what
019the school district is doing um with technology and the use of AI so that we can hopefully help um just enlighten them a little bit and um assu fears that they might have around AI. It's definitely a scary topic. And then lastly, I just want to say thank you so much to our district, to our board for remembering um core belief number three and staying future focused. When AI came out, um a lot of districts said, "Whoa, this is scary stuff and let's just not touch it. Let's let's block it. Let's not do anything with it." Um and our board and our district did not do that. and it has allowed us to um be at the forefront of what AI can do for education, for our community. So, I appreciate that. Thank you so
020very much. >> Thank you. Thank you for the kudos, but thank you for all the hard work you're doing. >> Can I just say something real quick? >> Certainly. Deanna, I just wanted to say >> I just know I know from firsthand and I know from from several colleagues talking to me that this is a scary thing and you meet us where we are. I'm not in the classroom anymore, but you met me where I was. You meet people where they are and move them forward, which is good teaching, but that's where that can be scary for teachers to integrate this, especially some of us who are a little older. >> Absolutely. Absolutely. I understand that. Thank you so much for saying that. >> We're great from doing that. So, >> thank you. Thank you.
021>> Thank you, Dean. >> All right. We have request requests to address the board of education. Miss Solano, do we have anyone this evening? >> No. >> Thank you. Mr. Hartman, superintendent report. >> Thank you. Some time ago, I asked Kristen to make a note for this evening's superintendent report so that I might publicly acknowledge a charitable member of our community. Um, I'm seeking a different and maybe a better way to to say thank you because we're we're experiencing a lot of unsolicited generosity toward the school district that is really meaningful. Um, I'll speak to the one that about today and what kind of got here in just a moment, but I'll tell you that last week I just needed to stand and I I just needed to walk although I've been sitting for a
022long time. And I walked over to the Fremont room and I was looked in there and there were all these backpacks for school and then I looked at them and they had little postits on them that'll say McKinley, second grade girl or Lincoln, third grade boy and so on. I pick them up. There's a little bit of heft to this. like there's a lot of stuff in this bag and I was going to look in the bag. These weren't just pencils and paper to get ready for the school year. But this organization, it's called Fremont First, by the way. And I had to look up to even find out who they were. Talk about unsolicited. I didn't know who the organization was. It included little overthe-ear headphones and like nice little aluminum water bottles for
023the kids, too. when we had our new teachers and I was next door at CCMS they I don't know what you guys called it exactly they called it yard sale I don't know what >> the shower and you said that the we people that also Kelly had helped I mean there was so much material that had been donated high quality stuff this wasn't like me cleaning out my classroom old stuff this is like people have really invested and given to the to our pe to our people and they took advantage of that there two examples. The one from today, um, Mike Kfasa, the CEO with Common Spirit, St. Thomas Moore, had brought an an experience to our community called COPE, CO O P, cost of poverty experience. And I took I extended the invitation to
024many leaders to come and have this experiential learning opportunity around some of the feelings um of what it might feel like to be to be strong financially. It really resonated with some of our leaders and two of them wanted to replicate for their staff and that happened today. But it happened in part because the hospital picked up the tab of two $2500 school district to make that possible. I'm going to keep going. Um Sunwest Credit Union, what I didn't say this morning, and I probably should have that estimated cost that Anna put together to feed hundreds of people was up over where it was last year. All it took was an email and I said, "Are you still game if we push our luck to 1,800 bucks?" Absolutely. We want to do that. And I
025recognize that sometimes partnerships are also predicated upon a relationship. I get that. But I just feel like the intentionality is genuine in what I'm seeing in these folks wanting to invest in the work of the school district. And there's more. Shepherd of the Hills reached out to us some time ago to help meet the needs around sanitary hygiene, the needs of our kids, and they keep coming back. And the nurses are able to say things like, "You know what? We still need socks, right? We still need to wear." The school district is meeting the needs of the community in lots of ways that people don't think about, but we're doing it in part because there's others that are supporting us, too. So, I just want to say that. I want to thank the hospital but
026also all those other folks to help us get off to a great start for 2526 and I'm still open to others thoughts on how I could better articulate that remember fulfilling the mission and vision of the work but then marketing and promoting these things and I just feel like you know our strategic plan our level of engagement stuff it's panning out and kind of like I was talking about this morning that affects our people and our people affect our kids and so on and so forth through resources. So, thank you. Um, and then I just wanted to share just two things. Um, in their in their a great feeling about today, a really great feeling about today. We're starting another year. We're starting another school year. We're I walked home from commencement or walk home,
027walked to the office after commencement from the high school field. It feels like that was just I mean it like we just put 24 25 to bed and folks around here didn't get a big break and felt like we were on some sort of hibernate. This summer is a big deal for admin for 12 month employees and especially the case for this year what's going on in the school district but and now we're starting 2526 but I feel like today we kicked it off in a really great way. Um, I I liked I liked the two-hour configuration over there. I think Harrison as a host site is really wonderful and I'm just really liking that space for that. I think it's a good opportunity for for that school to um that room fits us nicely.
028Thanks to the work of operations and readying that for that. Thank you to it for actually preparing our audio visual in a way to where it was just really sharp today. It was professional feeling. Um and the folks were having that space ready. But then that the barbecue today, board directors, thank you for serving the people. There's something really important and valuable about seeing leaders actually engage like that to serve others. There's something about that with the food and such. There are some things that we should just really hold on to and continue to do. I think today got us off to a really nice start. And the thing that I said is related, but the second of the two is I want to tell you um in this superintendent report just how warm it
029feels to be in an environment where now just with tremendous fluency. I can see a report around something like a curriculum initiative where we're talking the language of the core beliefs or I see a board that's making decisions based on these same core beliefs. Our strat plan is being evoked tip of tongue like that. We promise to not put more on people, but we promise to actually make these things talk and communicate. I just don't think I've ever seen that happening at a higher level. I went to all of our schools this afternoon. Actually, I managed to dip in everywhere. and the level of year 2 implementation taking place with the staff that's being led by the leaders, not because I told them to, but because they're doing that, I'm filled with pride. Like, it's
030not lost on me that some of this concept or my ideas at least in part, but it's just so amazing to see that kind of coming into fruition like that and see the good way that we're attending to the important work. It's really special. So my report today is really around gratitude to our community and the warmth of this school year and just also a lot of appreciation. I mean there's probably fewer than 20 people in the room right now but these 20 people are going to go really far in 2526 because that's our moral imperative and that's what we're going to do. So there's my report. Thank you opportunity. >> Thank you Mr. All right. Now the exciting policy. All right. File IHBA-R abbreviated school day schedule for students with disabilities presented to the
031board for second reading and final vote. May I have a motion, please? >> I move we approve file IHBA-R abbreviated school day schedules for students with disabilities. >> I'll second. >> I have a motion and a second. Is there further discussion? >> I do have one point on that. Um I'd like to point out that um this is slightly different from our first reading. If you will look at the next page on seven where it says parent consent and procedural rights. Um, I talked to Tim Ren after the last meeting and even though if you read that all three things that are listed there that the parents have right to do, number one there was listed as number three and we switched it. And we switched it because I just had this feeling that we
032always want parents to start with us. I mean kind of that lower level thing, start with the teacher and then move on. But the same thing with this that we want him to talk with director of special services first. So we thought we should put that first. I brought that up to Tim. Tim made that change and I just wanted everyone to know that that's a little different from the first reading and was on there. >> I'm getting that okay with that. >> Yeah, I like that. I like I like that one. >> Very nicely done and Tim. Thank you. Any further discussion? Okay. >> All right. Roll call, please. >> Mr. Albbright. >> I. >> Mr. Alexander. >> Hi. >> Miss Mary. I. >> Mr. Riley. >> Hi. >> Mrs. Reer. >> Hi. >>
033Thank you. >> Next one is file JH student absences and excuses presented to the board for second reading and final vote. And I didn't mention this earlier. Um with the first one it's a update to current policy with super from superintendent Adam Hartman to clarify timelines for excusing absences align excused absence definitions with current practices. I have a motion please. >> A motion to approve file JH of student absences and excuses for second reading and final vote. >> Second. >> I have a motion and a second. Further discussion >> hearing none. Roll call please. >> Mr. Alre >> I. >> Mr. Alexander >> I. Miss Mary I, Mr. Miller, >> I >> Mrs. Reese, >> I motion passes on that one as well. File JHB, Trinity, presented to the board for second reading and final
034vote. Update the current policy from Superintendent Adam Hartman to clarify procedures when a student is unreachable for three consecutive days and to outline steps for addressing habitual truency. I have a motion, please. >> I move that we approve file JHB try. >> Second. Have a motion and a second. Further discussion hearing. None. Roll call, please. >> Mr. Albbright. >> I. >> Mr. Alexander. >> I. >> Miss Mary. >> I. Mr. Miley. >> I. >> Mrs. Reer. >> I. Motion passes. Next one is file ADF. Wellness policy presented to the board for first reading and first vote. Update the current policy from wellness coordinator Brian Bani Warden as part of the triannual review. I have a motion, please. I move we approve file ADF, wellness policy. >> Second. >> I have a motion and a second.
035Further discussion. >> Hearing none. Roll call, please. >> Mr. Alreight. >> I. >> Mr. Alexander. >> I miss Mary. >> I. Mr. Ly. >> Hi. >> Mrs. Reese. >> I. Motion passes. Lastly, on policy work, we have file BBB, agenda, presented to the board for first reading and first vote. Update the current policy to align with current practices. May I have a motion, please? >> I move we approve file BEDB agenda. >> Second. >> Have a motion and a second. Further discussion? Hearing none. Roll call, please. >> Mr. Alreight. >> I. >> Mr. Alexander. I >> Miss I Mr. Riley. >> Hi, >> Mrs. Reer. >> Hi. >> I was too slow when you said further discussion, but I just wanted to I was thinking tonight how much I'd like this format. So, thank you,
036Matt, for bringing it to our attention. >> Good. >> Yes. >> Nice. Thank you, Matt and we have no old business. We have one action item this evening under new business. Let's see. Amended district calendar for 2025-26 school year. It's recommended that the board approve the amended Canyon City Schools calendar for 202526 academic year. I believe the only change was moving the graduation date. May I have a motion? >> A motion to approve the amended district calendar moving the high school graduation to May 13th. >> Second. >> I have a motion and a second. Further discussion hearing none. Roll call, please. >> Mr. Alreight, >> I. >> Mr. Alexander, >> I >> motion passes. We have no miscellaneous business and no further business before the board. We're adjourned. Thank you everyone. Different energies.