Excellent Teachers - a focus on Nancy Lindbloom, Battle Mountain High

CSAP Testing Begins

Building Projects

Celebrating Success - All-State Music & Speech/Debate

Evening of Stars, Teacher Recognition

Excellent Teachers Make the Difference!

        Before nestling into the beautiful landscape of Maloit Park tucked just past Minturn where she has resided for 17 years now, Nancy Lindbloom lived in Kansas, Ohio and Colorado. Clearly geographically diverse, attending high school in Ignacio, Colorado, was the most memorable experience for the Midwest native. “It was a true eye-opener to live in a community with such rich diversity,” states Nancy. “The tri-ethnic area, comprised of Anglo, Indian and Hispanic Americans, allowed me to appreciate the distinct differences in cultures.” It’s no surprise, then, that Nancy adapts so well to the melting pot that Eagle County Schools truly is.

        At Adams State College in Alamosa, Nancy double majored in Physical Education and Business Education. Evident in her energetic and spirited personality, Nancy was an avid participant in cheerleading throughout high school and college. Her involvement in Phi Beta Lambda, the college division of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), sparked a true curiosity into the business world and thus inspired her to explore various avenues of teaching on the subject. Nancy held both local officer positions and the Colorado State Secretary position in her PBL tenure. Involvement in this organization allowed Nancy to travel to competitions and conferences all over the United States, and encouraged her to take part in community service and fundraising events. Nancy also received the ‘CO Future Business Teacher Award,’ which was more than a clear indication that this Adams State College Grad was destined to change lives in the classroom.

        After graduating from college, Nancy married her college sweetheart in Bayfield, CO, and moved to Vail, CO. Eager to embark on her teaching career and new adventures, Nancy Lindbloom entered the doors of Battle Mountain High School 22 years ago and (thankfully) has yet to leave. The variety of hats she has worn includes a Student Teacher for one year, a Substitute Teacher for one year, a Registrar in the Guidance Office for 5 years, and a Teacher for 15 years. Nancy believes her experience as a Registrar was extremely beneficial because it built a solid foundation for her success as a Teacher. “Being only 22 years old and fresh out of college, this position gave me the opportunity to mature, and the chance to discover more about myself and the whole picture of Battle Mountain High School,” states Nancy. “I gained a true understanding of how the educational system operates, most notably from an administrative perspective. It is amazing how much one decision can strongly impact an individual student, a specific department, or the entire school.”

        As a Teacher, the respectable laundry list of courses Nancy has been involved with includes Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), Business Law, Entrepreneurship, Computer Applications, Web Design, Introduction to Business, AP Economics and Yearbook. Battle Mountain Senior Megan O’Rourke, who is the Future Business Leaders of America Chapter Secretary and State Officer, as well as the National Honor Society President and a Speech and Debate Captain, has had the opportunity to work with Nancy Lindbloom both in class and through FBLA at BMHS. “Mrs. Lindbloom’s compassionate, attentive, and nurturing approach to teaching and advising the largest student organization at BMHS is unmatched,” states Megan. “She truly cares for her students and does her best to meet the unique needs of every person she encounters. Mrs. Lindbloom has taught me not only how to strive for success in school and in my future, but also how to be a better person by leading by example. I have been incredibly fortunate to be able to work with Mrs. Lindbloom over the past four years and I know I will never forget the impact she has had on my life.”

        Battle Mountain High School Principal Brian Hester couldn’t be happier with Nancy’s positive impact on students. “Students are drawn to Mrs. Lindbloom because she cares about each individual’s learning and growth,” states Brian. “She provides young adults with the opportunity to grow and gain confidence in the classroom and through leadership roles in FBLA. Mrs. Lindbloom trusts kids and has faith in what they can do and become.”

        The unique combination of her diverse geographic background, having outstanding, supportive teachers in high school, and the desire to getting to know each individual student in her classes, gives Nancy the inspiration to teach at the secondary level on the East end of the valley. In her free time, Nancy enjoys reading, gardening, playing Mom and helping her husband out in his photography studio. Planning to retire with Eagle County Schools way down the road, Nancy is sure to make a lasting impression on Battle Mountain High School for years to come.

2007 CSAP testing begins in February

        CSAP stands for Colorado Student Assessment Program and is designed to measure student achievement in relation to the Colorado Model Standards. Standards are the expectations of what students should know at particular points in their education. CSAP results give parents a snap shot of a child’s achievement in reading, writing, math and science in grades 3 through 10.

        The CSAP test is developed by a testing contractor (CTB McGraw Hill) and the Colorado Department of Education in collaboration with teams of teachers, curriculum specialists and community members from across the state.

        The assessments are made up of a mix of multiple choice and open-ended questions, making it a very challenging exam. It is important to remember, however, that the test is based on Colorado Model Standards, as is the Eagle County Schools’ curriculum.

        CSAP testing begins with 3rd graders on February 13 and 23. All other grade levels and subject areas will be tested between March 12 and April 13. Please contact your school for your child’s testing schedule.

Building Great Schools - East to West

Thank you Eagle County voters! Bond sales were successful.

        The $128 million of bonds approved by voters in November were sold on January 4th by George K. Baum & Co. in Denver. The twenty-year bonds carried yields ranging from 3.51 to 4.06 percent, which were some of the lowest rates for a school bond financing in the last forty years. Additionally, a premium on the bonds was generated because the market conditions on the day of the sale were very favorable. This all translates to a much lower cost to taxpayers over the 20-year repayment period.

        The bonds were purchased by a wide variety of investors and the high level of demand for the bonds was supported by the district’s credit rating upgrade from “A” to “A+” by Standard & Poor’s. This upgrade was the result of the district’s strong financial management, well diversified tax base and growing population.

Architects have been selected.

        Denver-based architect firm, Klipp, has been selected to design the new elementary school and Red Canyon High School. Klipp designed the district’s newest elementary schools, Brush Creek Elementary School and Red Hill Elementary School, which serves as our standard in elementary school design.

        H&L Architecture has been selected to design the new Battle Mountain High School and the remodel of Eagle Valley High School. H&L is based in Denver and Colorado Springs and specializes in state-of-the-art high school designs.

Construction Manager hired.

        Ray Scott has been hired to manage the construction process for Eagle County Schools. Mr. Scott brings a wealth of experience to the position and has managed projects for Marriott International and, most recently, Vail Resorts Development Company. He will be managing the General Contractor bidding and selection process, and will also oversee the day-to-day construction of the projects.

Design Advisory Groups (DAG) being formed.

        Each major construction project will involve the input of a Design Advisory Group to be made up of teachers, administrators, parents, students and community members. This process provides community members with the opportunity to discuss their needs directly with the architect.

        The DAGs for the new elementary school and Red Canyon High School have been formed and begin their meetings in early February. The DAG for the Eagle Valley High School project will begin in late February and the Battle Mountain High School group will begin meeting in early March.

Energy efficiency projects have begun.

        Ennovate Corporation will begin to implement $5 million in energy overhauls in district schools from December 2006 through October 2007. After a detailed analysis of each building, recommendations were made that range from replacing boilers to installing better climate-control systems. The measures are expected to save nearly $700,000 in 2007-08 and increase savings in each subsequent year.

Land purchased in Eagle.

        In January 2007, a 45-acre parcel of land was purchased east of Eagle to accommodate a future school campus. As the population of our valley continues to shift to the west, it is anticipated that a third large school site will be necessary to meet the continued growth.

Project Budgets Reviewed.

        With bond sales completed, the monitoring of all project budgets begins. Additional revenue of $9 million was generated from the premium bond sales at no extra cost to taxpayers. As a result, the school district is in a position to accomplish all of the projects outlined for voters and have funding available to augment the budgets of existing projects or consider other priority facility projects as approved by the Board of Education.

        The only decision that has been made to-date on the use of these funds is that approximately $2 million will be used to build a facility for Red Canyon High School East. The current Red Canyon East end campus is located where construction will begin on the new elementary school this spring. When the Red Canyon project was deleted from the original list of projects to be funded by the $128 million bond, the Board of Education understood that they would need to fund the new facility out of reserves. With the dollars generated from the premium bond sales, reserve funds will not need to be tapped.

        Discussions on the use of the remaining surplus funds will not take place until much later in the construction process when the district has a firm understanding of final costs for all projects, including the new elementary and high school, renovation of Eagle Valley High, as well as the originally defined technology and facilities repair projects. The budgets of each project to ensure that the projects are delivered on time and within budget.

For more information on building projects, visit www.eagleschools.net.

Celebrating Success

Battle Mountain Speech Team State Awards

The Battle Mountain Speech Team competed at the State Speech Festival on January 26 & 27 against 275 other students from 21 schools. Congratulations to the State Finalists and Semi-Finalists!

State Finalists

• Katie Denton, Kim Gillie - 2nd Place - Duet Humor

• Sean Pack, Rebecca Richardson - 3rd Place - Duet Drama

• Megan O’Rourke, Sophie Sunderland - 2nd Place - Public Forum Debate
• Fiona Jeppson - 2nd Place - Poetry Interpretation

• Sean Pack - 2nd Place - Solo Acting

State Semi-Finalists

• Emma Szindler - 7th Place - Creative Storytelling

• Janice Savonen, Karlie Schere - 12th Place - Duet Humor

• Shea Wilson - 8th Place - Value Debate

• Natasha Olle, Connor Penhale - 8th Place - Public Forum Debate

• Charles Gladitsch, Scott Harp - 9th Place - Public Forum Debate

• Karlie Schere - 13th Place - Poetry Interpretation

• Talli Hitt - 8th Place - Poetry Interpretation

• Ian Dunlevie - 8th Place - Solo Acting (Vail Christian High)

• Rebecca Richardson - 7th Place - Solo Acting

• Harrison Huntoon - 12th Place - Original Oratory

• Shea Wilson - 9th Place - Original Oratory

Eagle Valley High All-State Musicians

        Congratulations to the following EVHS Choir Members: Summer Forsyth, Emily Brudwick, Michelle Parmenter, Rudy Olin, Sarin Weeks, Kim Willey and Ashley Rohweder. They will be participating in the Western Slope Choral Festival at Western State College in Gunnison March 4th - 6th. They were selected to participate based on a recorded audition.

        Congratulations to Kurt Sepmeier, a two-time All-State Musician. He auditioned for both the All-State Jazz Band and All-State Concert Band. Kurt was first tenor saxophone in the Small School All-State Jazz Band and he will also be participating in the All-State Concert Band March 29-31st.

Mark your calendars for Evening of Stars!

        The 14th annual Evening of Stars Teacher Recognition event will be held on Friday, April 20th, at the Vilar Center for the Arts at 6:00 p.m. with a dinner and dance to follow at the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek at 7:15 p.m. Please nominate your favorite teachers for the Outstanding Educator Award and/or your favorite volunteer for the Friends of Education Award by Friday, March 2nd. Nomination forms and instructions can be found at www.eagleschools.net.

        In 2007, there will be up to 20 Outstanding Educator Award recipients, one recipient from each school and two each from Battle Mountain High and Eagle Valley High. Additionally, there will be district-wide Friend of Education Award for an individual from outside of the school district who contributes over and above. We will also honor an outstanding first-year teacher, Rookie of the Year.

        We encourage parents and community members to attend this fun-filled event to honor the outstanding teachers who make such a difference in the lives of children each day. Please sign up to attend at your school or by fill out the Reservation/Donation Form on www.eagleschools.net. Event prices are as follows:

$35 Community members

$15 Teachers

$20 Spouses of teachers

Evening of Stars is made possible by the Public Education Foundation of Eagle County.

Spring Theater Productions

Footloose - Battle Mountain High, BMHS Auditorium

Thursday, April 19; Dinner from 5:30 - 7:00pm; Curtain at 7:30pm; Tickets are $25 for Adults, $15 for Students and Seniors, and $10 for Children under the age of 11.

Friday, April 20; Curtain at 7:30pm; Silent Auction prior to the Curtain and during Intermission; Ticket prices are the same as mentioned above.

Saturday, April 21; Curtain at 7:30pm; Special pre-show event TBA; Ticket prices are the same as mentioned above.

Sunday, April 22; Curtain at 2:00pm; Tickets are $15 for Adults, $8 for Students and Seniors, and $5 for Children under the age of 11.

Wizard of Oz - Eagle Valley High, EVHS Auditorium

Thursday, March 22, at 7:00pm; Tickets are $10 for Adults, $6 for Students and Seniors, and $3 for Children ages 5 and under.

Friday, March 23, at 7:00pm; Ticket prices are the same as mentioned above.

Saturday, March 24, at 1:00pm (Matinee Performance) and 7:00pm; Ticket prices are the same as mentioned above. There will also be a Character Breakfast at 8:30am and 10:00am at the Gypsum Town Hall. Tickets are $7 for Adults and $5 for Children ages 10 and under.

Kindergarten Roundup Dates

Your child must be 5 years old on or before October 1, 2007, to enroll in kindergarten for the fall of 2007. Please call individual schools for an appointment.

Avon Elementary

February 28th & March 1st

Brush Creek Elementary

March 28th & 29th

Eagle County Charter Academy

February 8th

Eagle Valley Elementary

March 27th & 29th

Edwards Elementary

English: February 14th & 15th

Spanish: February 20th & 21st

Gypsum Elementary

April 18th & 19th

Meadow Mountain Elementary

March 13th & 14th

Red Hill Elementary

April 4th & 5th

Red Sandstone Elementary

March 28th & 29th