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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
A focus on Brian Hester, Colorado HS Principal of the Year
Construction, Buildings and Grounds Update
The 15th Annual Evening of Stars -- A Huge Success
Celebrating Academic and Athletic Success
Teachers Achieving Gains
Karen Wood, RHES Third Grade Teacher

Eagle County Schools' Principal Receives Top Honor

Eagle County Schools is pleased to announce that Brian Hester, Principal of Battle Mountain High, is the 2008 Colorado High School Principal of the Year. Hester's selection was announced on March 6 by the Colorado Association of School Executives (CASE).

Hester is credited with helping to successfully implement the Teacher Advancement Program at his school, along with the efforts of Assistant Principal Phillip Qualman and Master Teachers Lauren Wilson and Sandy Borel. As a result, the school has seen significant increases in student performance on the CSAP (Colorado Student Assessment Program) in reading and writing, as well as the ACT exam. The school has moved from a rating of 'average' to 'high' on the school's state report card.

Under Hester's leadership, Battle Mountain High has seen expanded participation (including minority students), coupled with increasing scores, in Advanced Placement classes. Additionally, student participation in dual credit courses through Colorado Mountain College has increased by 60 percent in three years. At the same time, the school has served growing numbers of students with limited English-speaking skills.

"As a Principal, you're not always as involved in instruction as you want to be; there's just too much going on," Hester said. "As a different kind of learning when you're dealing with student behavior and situations outside the classroom. It all fits together, and it's all important."

Hester has been instrumental in creating a personalized school experience for students, re-organizing the school day to provide extra help for struggling students. Attendance has increased dramatically and more students are signing up for advanced placement and dual enrollment courses, which allow students to receive college credit for their work in high school.

In his nomination letter, Mike Gass, Executive Director of Secondary Education, summed up Hester's many strengths: "Brian is a leader in every sense of the word. He draws from a large knowledge-base of personal and professional experiences that enables him to understand people, moving them to high standards of performance."

Hester has been a School Administrator for 16 years, serving as Principal for nine years. Prior to joining Eagle County Schools, he was an Administrator in the Durango School District. Hester earned degrees from the University of California, Irvine and Western State College.

Hester was selected by his peers in the Colorado Association of Secondary School Principals (CASSP), a department of CASE and affiliated of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. The Principal of the Year program is sponsored by MetLife and NASSP.

"He has so many different strengths as a leader -- he comes to work with the kind of passion that's just unbelievable," said Counselor Jan Abbott. "It's very contagious, and nobody works harder than he does." Jan says he is able to do the tough, sometimes uncomfortable things a Principal has to do -- manage dozens of employees, deal with troubled students and solve conflicts with parents and families -- all the while staying focused on academics and student achievement.

Karen Tarbell, President of CASSP, said, "Clearly Brian Hester exemplifies what it means to be an outstanding High School Principal. CASSP is proud to recognize a leader who excels on so many levels. Brian's impact on students, parents and staff is powerfully positive."

CASE will present Hester with his award at a school event later this year. He and other CASE award winners also will be recognized at the annual CASE convention this summer in Breckenridge.

Hester said his award is reflective of a wonderful staff. "There are many leaders at Battle Mountain High School and the school is better because of that," he said.

As Colorado High School Principal of the Year, Hester is eligible for National High School Principal of the Year recognition, which will be announced later this year. He will be honored, along with other state winners, in Washington, D.C. at that time.

"Brian Hester has improved the school climate for students, staff and parents," said Phillip Qualman, Battle Mountain High Assistant Principal. "He involves everyone in the process and shares ownership with all."

We are so fortunate to have outstanding Administrators like Brian Hester in Eagle County Schools.

Building Great Schools, East to West: Construction, Buildings & Grounds Update

Eagle County Schools would again like to take the opportunity to thank Eagle County community members who were in full support of the $128 million bond that was passed in the fall for improvements in our schools, which will ensure 'Great Schools, East to West.' In light of this success, we believe it is important to keep you informed of the progress of various projects and initiatives. The following is a construction, buildings and grounds update:

June Creek Elementary
Construction is proceeding on the project with the following items of interest that are on-going: structural steel erection, CMU, brick veneer, interior and exterior framing, exterior sheathing, HVAC and plumbing rough in, snow and ice removal, fire sprinkler install, interior sheet rock, electrical rough and roofing (pending weather). The anticipated completion date is August 2008.

Red Canyon High
Students and staff moved in over spring break and are enjoying the new facility immensely. The building received its Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCO) on March 24. Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) will be received this summer, upon completion of landscape and exterior painting.

New Battle Mountain High
Overall design is proceeding on the project with the following items of interest that are on-going: excavation work for foundations, concrete placement for foundations and footings in areas B, C, D and E, backfill placement and foundation drain installation. In addition, the overall building permit remains in progress and The Howard Ditch Piping agreement should be signed shortly. The anticipated completion date is Fall 2009.

Eagle Valley High
Overall design is proceeding on the project with the following items of interest: value engineering and cost monitoring design are both on-going. The Auxiliary Gym abatement took place over spring break. The bulk of this project is scheduled to begin in the Summer of 2008, with an anticipated completion date of Fall 2009.

Medical Center Remodel for New District Office
Construction documents have been completed and submitted to the CO DOPS for permitting. Work will begin as soon as the permit has been approved.

Current Battle Mountain High
A committee has been formed to develop a plan that outlines the proposed use of the current Battle Mountain High School. The first meeting for this group was Thursday, February 28. A scope will eventually be developed, and architects and contractors can be hired.

Miller Ranch Road Improvements
The overall design is complete. Construction will begin the first week of May. RFP for a contractor is underway. B&B Excavation has been selected with the contract negotiation finalized and sent out for signature. The anticipated completion date is August 2008.

The 15th Annual Evening of Stars

This year's 15th Annual Evening of Stars was a huge success! Evening of Stars is very unique in that it gives us the opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments and successes of our Outstanding Educators. A special thanks to all who attended and to the Public Education Foundation for putting on yet another spectacular event for Eagle County Schools' Educators!

2008 Outstanding Educator Honorees

Avon Elementary - Soledad Davila
Battle Mountain High - Tim Caudill & Mella Wheatley
Berry Creek Middle - Mitch Foss
Brush Creek Elementary - Jen Pearsall
Eagle County Charter Academy - Alicia Pribramsky
Eagle Valley Elementary - Debbie Vernell
Eagle Valley High - Amy Niswanger & Pat Sheehy
Eagle Valley Middle - Nancy Gamble
Edwards Elementary - Kathy Buck-Roy
Gypsum Creek Middle - Paul Steiner
Gypsum Elementary - Betsi Lubbers
Meadow Mountain Elementary - Jaime Passchier
Minturn Middle - Stephanie Gallegos
Red Canyon High - Christina Gosselin
Red Hill Elementary - Robert Ellsworth
Red Sandstone Elementary - Deborah Bolon-Feeney

Rookie of the Year - Lauren Botsford (EES) and Daisy Matthews (BMHS)
Friend of Education - Dana Maurer, Edwards Elementary
Retiring Stars - Del Birk, Linda Birk, Deborah Bolon-Feeney, Carol Gallegos,
Jane Madore, Kathy Moch, Sherry Nelson, Becky Peterson, Mel Preusser,
Wendy Satsky and Richard Valdez

Evening of Stars was made possible by our generous sponsors: East West Partners, Slifer, Smith & Frampton Real Estate, FCI Constructors, Beaver Creek Resort Company, Vail Resorts, Inc., First Bank, Gallegos Corporation, American National Bank, H+L Architecture, Adolfson & Peterson Construction, The Youth Foundation, George K. Baum & Co., Alpine Bank, R.A. Nelson, Colorado Business Bank, U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo Bank, The Vilar Center for the Arts, Vail Daily and NRC Broadcasting, Inc.

Celebrating High School Academic and Athletic Success

Eagle Valley High Academic Team Champions
It is with great pleasure to announce that FOUR of our winter sport teams are State Academic Team Champions as named by the Colorado High School Athletic Association. We are very proud of the following teams that performed in both the classroom and in their athletic events.

Boys Alpine Skiing Team - GPA - 3.5
Girls Alpine Skiing Team - GPA - 3.82
Boys Nordic Skiing Team - GPA - 3.94
Wrestling Team - GPA - 3.4

Battle Mountain High ProStart Team
Student Chefs: Peark Burkham, Bart Clark, Julia Schorr, Rudy Sosa and alternate Taylor Hansen won State Championship for the seventh time in nine years. Each student earned a scholarship for $12,000.

ProStart Teacher Sharon Wible and Chef Coaches Paul Ferzacca, Tom Walker, David Sanchez, and Todd Rymer were instrumental in helping the students succeed.

Eagle Valley High Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)
The following Eagle Valley High students were State Qualifiers at the FBLA competition last month. Congratulations to all of the EVHS Participants!

Shanna Zoch - Business Math (2nd place)
Tessa Allen - Introduction to Business (4th place)
Molly Walker - Introduction to Business (5th place)
Kelsey Elwood - Impromptu Speaking (2nd place)
Beckah Stough - Impromptu Speaking (1st place)

Battle Mountain High Girls Alpine Ski Team
Alpine Ski Team won both GS and Slalom Events at State Ski Meet in February.

Jenny Banner - won both individual girls titles
Jamie Lee Roberts - won the Skimeister Award

Eagle Valley High Boys Basketball
Scott House - 1st Team All-League
Cesar Castillo - Honorable Mention All-League

Eagle Valley High Girls Basketball
Jeanette Baker - 1st Team All-League
Jackie Eberhard - Honorable Mention All-League

Battle Mountain High Ice Hockey Team

All State First Team
Jonny Stevens - Defense

All Conference First Team
Jonny Stevens - Defense
Barrett Chow - Forward
Ryan Maddux - Forward

Jonny Stevens was named First Team All-Colorado by the Rocky Mountain News.

All State Honorable Mention
Barrett Chow - Forward
Ryan Maddux - Forward
Connor Tedstrom - Defense
Kalen Burnett - Goaltender

All Conference Honorable Mention
Connor Tedstrom - Defense
Gustav Philipson - Forward
Kalen Burnett - Goaltender

Eagle Valley High Wrestling
Chad Strakbein - 2nd Team All-League
Joey Bajza - 2nd Team All-League
Trent Book - 2nd Team All-League

Chad Strakbein and Trent Book qualified for the state wrestling tournament.

Mark your calendars for the upcoming graduation ceremonies

Battle Mountain High - Saturday, May 31, 2008 - 12:30 p.m. at the Ford Amphitheater in Vail.

Eagle Valley High - Saturday, May 31, 2008 - 9 a.m. at the Hot Stuff stadium in Gypsum.

Red Canyon High - Friday, May 30, 2008 - 10 a.m. at the 4 Eagle Ranch in Wolcott.

Eagle County Schools' Teachers Achieving Gains

In order to fully appreciate the gains that ECS teachers are making with their students based on Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) assessments, you can compare the value-added scores of the students of ECS teachers, to the Reference Gain on the reporting. The Reference Gain is an expectation for academic growth, determined from the NWEA norming sample. It is the scale score difference in scores for students at the 50th percentile in that sample in adjacent grades.

Value-added analysis statistical methodology analyzes individual student achievement data to measure academic gain or 'value-added' by a teacher or school for a specific population of students. The chart (see the colorful pdf at the top) shows the percentage of teachers achieving each level of value-added (1-5) for both groups. All teachers are classified into five categories, as having their average student scores: 1) more than two standard error (SE) units below the Reference Gain, 2) between one and two standard error units below, 3) within one standard error unit above or below the Reference Gain, 4) between one and two standard error units above the Reference Gain, or 5) more than two standard error units above in terms of their student's gains. Teachers with gain estimates above the
Reference Gains (i.e., in groups 4 or 5) are considered to have made more than one year's growth with their students.

You can conclude after looking at this chart that Eagle County Schools' teachers were highly successful. Note that the majority (63%) of ECS teachers earned a "4" or a "5" with 95% of ECS teachers producing an average year's growth or more in their students.

A "True Profession" for an Excellent Teacher

When a cell containing 10 chromosomes divides by mitosis, each new daughter cell will contain: a. 5 chromosomes, b. 10 chromosomes, c. 15 chromosomes, or d. 20 chromosomes?

Eagle County Schools' (ECS) teachers will be administering the NWEA test this month, which contains questions similar to the one above. Karen Wood, 2008 Evening of Stars Outstanding Educator nominee, is not worried about her class results, though. In 2007, over 80% of Karen's third grade students achieved their NWEA growth targets. These are the test results you find with excellent teachers who truly work above and beyond to ensure every student is being educated for success.

With many tests to administer, Karen keeps a clear head and ensures her students are getting the best education possible. "Karen knows how to energize children through her teaching and really encourages them," said Shannon Sokup, Red Hill Elementary ELA teacher. "She will adjust her methodology of teaching to different learning styles depending on the student."

One of the few who can say they were born in the majestic Rocky Mountains, Karen grew up attending classes in ECS. A graduate of Eagle Valley High School in 1968, Karen went to Mesa State to discover her career path. "I didn't want to be a teacher," states Karen. "My mother was a teacher, my aunt was a teacher; they would talk all the time about teaching." She spent two years at Mesa State until she realized what she was meant to do; teach. "In college I tried everything else. This (teaching) was my true profession." She transferred to the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) in Greeley. UNC was definitely the right fit for Karen in that it was a smaller college (similar to her graduating class of 34 at EVHS), it was not far from home and it was #1 in the state for teaching. She graduated with a degree in Elementary Education. Karen has spent 22 years teaching kindergarten, third grade and substituting for ECS. "I feel like I have spent my life teaching to people and I couldn't be happier," stated Karen.

Anthony Barela, Red Hill Elementary (RHES) Principal, could not be more thrilled that Karen works at his school. "Her colleagues love her, the community members love her and her students love her because she is firm, fair and consistent in her teachings," states Barela. "She is an amazing lady and finds the best in every single student. She is always smiling and helping others. We call her the Master Gardener because whether she is given carrots or watermelons to plant, she finds a unique way to get them to grow and develop into great students."

Karen's students are currently working on a unit about Asia, where kids can pick their own country and research the culture, traditions, food and lifestyle of that country. At the end of the school year, RHES students will get a chance to showcase their findings through an Asia day, displaying shadow-box models of the unique country, giving presentations and allowing spectators to try the food from Asia.

Answer to question above: b. 10 chromosomes

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