There's something about horses at Christmas. It's in the dark eyes I think, the stillness, the mix of warm breath and magic on a crisp winter morning. I'm fortunate that wherever I've lived, there have always been horses nearby in fields or stables. Being able to stand with them for a moment, rub their necks and manes or feed them carrots and apples, stirs something in my soul that I can't explain. It's like entering a church or sacred place, there's a spiritual hush that comes and takes you out of your own reality and puts you into the wild and earthy presence of something otherworldly. Gorgeous creatures.
I remember being snowed in one Christmas. I lived in a cottage in the forest, about two hours drive away from family and friends and unable to travel, I spent a couple of days alone with my dog. On Christmas morning, we walked out through the Scots pine (ouch!) and fir, heavy with snow and reached a clearing at the top of the hill where my neighbours three horses were waiting. A mare, her yearling and a cheeky friend. The animals touched noses and we all stood reading one another's thoughts, lashes frosty in the wakening light. The horses' steaming breath on my hands, their snorting nostrils calming to slow inhalations, hooves prodding the frozen ground beneath, everything was sonorous with snow. Later, thumbing through an anthology, I came across this poem by English poet Henry Shukman. It was his attempt to write about his new born son. His poems have appeared in The Guardian, The Times and The London Review Of Books and his first poetry collection, In Dr. No's Garden, was published by Cape in 2003. As a fiction writer he has published two novels, Sandstorm in 2006 and The Lost City which was a Guardian Book Of The Year. I've paired it with the traditional folk carol Let Us The Infant Greet by Loreena McKennit, hope you enjoy it 🙂 Happy Christmas! – Feliz Navidad! – Frohe Weihnacten! – Buon Natale! – Sona Nollag! – Kala Hristouyienna! – Joyeax Noel!
Christmas morning, and you were at church.
But instead took the baby up to the horses.
Out in the field he started crying.
But the horses saved us.
As they walked the sodden field.
Underwater eyes, watched us watch them.
As silence bowed back to earth.
Today is all about the natural world around us, from caterpillars to columnar tree shapes, bird-bills to blizzards and snapping turtles to tornadoes; Nature's got it all going on, it's wondrous, it is us and it's a recurring theme in poetry. 'First follow nature' Alexander Pope remarked in his Essay on Criticism; 'Am I not partly leaves and vegetable mould myself?' asks Henry Thoreau in his part-personal book Walden about simple living.
Poets and writers are akin to spies when it comes to observing Nature, and have always drawn on her beauty, landscapes and seasons, through metaphor – to better understand ourselves and our behaviour, or to convey deep metaphysical messages and stark ecological ones, or simply to celebrate life's 3 and a half billion years of existence!
To help us, Gary Snyder gets ecological with his observations by Frazier Creek Falls, a meditation really on the natural world, similar to the Japanese Haiku tradition, which reduces the world to a kernel of acute observation. And as I read this, I found it to be one of those poems that demand absolute stillness, in keeping with the geology and pyramidal pines of the scene he's describing. He creates a stunning picture of what he sees from the falls and explores the idea that we are linked to everything around us, man and nature are one 'we are it, it sings through us' he says. We are interconnected. And if we took the time to really consider this concept, then we could reach a more ecologically sound understanding of what it means to grow and develop as a species. If we stopped trying to control nature and began instead to work with her, life would be far less complicated. A Zen Buddhist, who lives in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, skins his own bullfrogs and spends nights reading the constellations, Gary Snyder is a poet entrenched in the nature!
Jane Hirshfield's Zen Buddhist training taught her two things: silence and the desire to call forward a complete attention. – Inhabiting her own experience I guess. Recalling Mary Oliver's attention to detail and Gary Snyder's meditations, Hirshfield finds a deeper understanding of herself in her interactions with nature. Her poem, Three Foxes By the Edge Of A Field At Twilight, reflects on how much in nature is hidden from us and what in turn we keep hidden from each other. The foxes are visible until she tries to approach, then the woods suddenly take them back. She continues walking with an acquaintance from whom she holds back some of herself. Perhaps the foxes represent the thoughts she can't verbalise, the ones that return to the heart, revealing something to herself and to us: that in our desire to be closer to nature we come to realise that we are closer to ourselves than we know. That old Lao Tzu proverb comes to mind 'he who knows, does not speak. He who speaks does not know.' The poem is from her Selected Poetry volume Each Happiness Ringed By Lions.
'Are you bowed down in heart?' Asks James Weldon Johnson in his poem Deep In The Quiet Wood, 'Do you but hear the clashing discords and the din of life? Then come away, come to the peaceful wood, here bathe your soul in silence.' Those lines are beautiful aren't they? And they jumped out at me, reminding me of places I often go to escape, the traffic, bustling streets and … disruptive neighbours. My favourite place to recharge, is at the grounds of Ashford Castle in the village of Cong, Co. Mayo. It's a wonderful amenity with tranquil woods of varieties of broad-leaf, evergreen and native trees, it's on the shores of Lough Corrib with it's meditative crystal clear waters and there's a school of falconry there also so if you're lucky enough to arrive during a hawk-walk, you'll be captivated by these amazing creatures soaring and diving, their bells jingling through the trees. American poet Wendell Berry also espouses the view that we can find solace in nature, that the spirit of the natural world can restore the human spirit. 'When despair grows in me', he says 'I come into the peace of wild things' , there is somewhere we can go to relieve the anxieties of our lives, but you know sometimes even reading this poem I find myself transported and automatically relaxed. From the 1968 collection Openings, we'll read The Peace Of Wild Things.
There's a lot to be gained through communing with the natural world, and I suppose we shouldn't have to try we are a part of it, we are stardust after all. This world is the house we live in, packed full of creatures and plants and natural wonders and our over-exploitation of it is unfortunate, every habitat we destroy today results in the loss of a species tomorrow – we all know this – primates, tropical orchids, numerous species of birds and fish are all at risk. But more worryingly, because they thrive on human activity, things like cockroaches and rats are the only species unaffected! So think on China & America! All we can do is look after our own patch, make a home for nature isn't that the tag-line?
Also on today's show, I read Lingering Happiness by Mary Oliver, Putting In The Seed by Robert Frost and Summer Farm by Scottish poet Norman MacCaig. Music from Ludovico Einaudi, Nils Frahm, Message To Bears, Yaruma and much more!


THE EU's Statistical Office, Eurostat, said that the employment rate in Slovakia was 57.7 percent in 2005, which was the fifth lowest level within the whole union.
Poland showed the lowest employment rate at 52.8 percent, while Malta (53.9 percent), Hungary (56.9 percent), and Italy (57.6 percent) also reported employment rates below 60 percent. The EU average was 63.8 percent with 195.5 million people employed.
Eurostat calculates the employment rate as the percentage of the population between 15 and 64 years of age that is working. It considers an employed person as someone performing any job for reward at least one hour a week.


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It's hard to believe we are in the month of April already. The third quarter of school flew by, and we now have eight weeks to completion of the 2018-2019 school year. Teachers and staff have been busy gearing up for the spring season and the many activities and events coming up until the end of school on May 23rd.
Juniors Leo Glenn and Ethan Volkman along with sophomore McKensie Innes will be attending the state FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) competition April 22-24. These students take on challenges such as marketing, business ethics, public speaking, interviews and speeches. Good luck to these students. The Envirothon team will also be heading to a state competition later in April. Our team members learn real-world hands-on science while showing their expertise in environmental science. Middle school students will be traveling to the Ute Cultural Center in Ignacio to visit the museum and learn about the culture and history of the Ute Indians. Students will bring that knowledge back to our school to share with others as we honor the Ute history right here in Saguache. The pre-school will be riding the Royal Gorge train later in the month. What an exciting and fun adventure for our youngest MVS students! Counselor Lisa Powers will take two college tour trips with juniors and seniors. They will tour Adams State University, Trinidad Junior College, and Western State University to find out what courses and opportunities a college degree may offer. We will have our monthly FREE community dinner on April 18th and Lisa Powers will provide an informative training on how to help someone who may be considering suicide. Please join us for a wonderful meal and then an extremely vital presentation. Finally, PROM 2019 will be held on Saturday, April 27th right here in Saguache. Junior class members from Moffat and MVS will be working together to create a fun and festive atmosphere to celebrate this exciting culminating dance for our high school students.
April 8-18: Required State CMAS, PSAT, and SAT testing grades 3-11.
Tuesday, 04/16: Board of Education meeting @ 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, 04/18: PreK rides Royal Gorge train AND FREE community dinner @5:00 p.m.
Our school year is quickly flying by. We have 13 weeks to go and all teachers and staff are squeezing in as many learning opportunities as possible to empower our students to do their best and be successful!
Parent/Teacher conferences wrapped up last week, and it was a great opportunity for parents and families to gather information regarding their child's work at MVS. It is vital for parents/guardians to be involved in all aspects of a child's education. Once students reach high school, parents often feel it is not necessary to attend conferences. In reality, this is one of the most important times to keep in touch with teachers and be aware of a child's progress, grades, and behaviors. With all of the technology distractions in our society today it is easy for a child to become immersed in social media and other technology areas that can be detrimental to a students social and emotional well being. Parents need to know what their child is doing on their phone, what websites and social media groups they are participating in, who their Facebook friends are, and what chat sites they visit. Parents need to oversee their child's phone as the parents are generally the one paying for the service. Research is now finding that the more students are on their devices the less they are building important social skills. At MVS we work to teach digital literacy and safety and try to limit student phone use. All students in grades K-8 are not allowed to use their phones during school hours. Phones are to be locked in a locker or not brought to school at all. High school students are to use their phones only at lunch and between classes. We encourage parents to call the main office when you need to reach your child. We will make sure they get the message and if you need to need to check your child out of school, please remember, too, that parents must come to the office and sign your child out.
The next few weeks before spring break hold some great upcoming activities. Our juniors and seniors will have the opportunity to travel to Boulder to visit Colorado University and will have a fun time to relax and spend some time at the downtown aquarium. College trips are sponsored and supported by our extraordinary counselor Mrs. Lisa Powers. She works diligently every day to support our students in social-emotional development and college and career options. The regional science fair is coming up on Friday, March 1st at ASU. Mountain Valley is sending 13 representatives along with science fair coordinator Jody Abeyta. Good luck students! The first week of March will be a "Great Kindness Challenge Week." Everyone at MVS will be encouraged to express kindness in a variety of ways. There will be some presentations and each day will have a "kindness" theme. Stay tuned for more details! If you would like more information about activities at MVS, follow us on Twitter #MVSkids, @MVSkids, visit our facebook page www.facebook.com/MountianValleySchoolSaguacheCO. or our website www.mountainvalleyschool.org. Superintendent Travis Garoutte keeps us updated with events and activities.
Thursday, 02/21: FREE Community dinner and Prevention Bingo!
March 4th-March 7th: Great Kindness Week Challenge @ MVS!
We've had a couple of busy weeks this January. All students grades 1-11 have completed winter assessments, and we are already in our fourth week of the second semester. On January 23rd, high school students in grades 9-11 attended a very important workshop presented by the Anti-Defamation League. I am proud that our school is receiving training and workshops to become a "No Place for Hate" school. The staff was trained in November and the high school training included discussions about personal bias, understanding and learning about individual differences, and creating plans on how each individual can make things better for themselves and our school community. A coalition of students, staff, and parents will continue to educate our student body and community. MVS is committed to having a hate-free campus where everyone can be themselves and grow and learn to be productive, contributing citizens. We work to honor our differences and teach that all of us are a vital part of the school community. We need to support and care for each other. Our staff and grades 6-12 students have a 'shout out" board where everyone is encouraged to honor and write a simple note to each other to build positive support. It is a great way to give a little "love" to each other.
Our annual science fair was on January 31st. Grades 4-8 participated and there were many amazing projects. Science fair builds scientific process skills, writing and speaking skills, and guides students to learn how to manage time and complete a project. All participating students should be very proud of their efforts. Thirteen students will be heading to the regional fair on March 3rd. Again, congratulations to Rivers Hill, Blake Strauss, Anna Freek, Tye Salaz, Elicia Abeyta, Julian Fernandez, Gabe Tipsword, Ian Volkman, Alexandria Tronquet, Damien Ross, Ashlynn Willhite, Rachael Murphy, and Keladrae Brooks. Thanks to the teachers, parents, staff, and families that helped students produce these wonderful projects.
Finally, I would like to invite all community members to attend the high school basketball games on Thursday, February 14th beginning at 6:00 p.m. These will be the official "last" varsity basketball games in the current gym. Next year's games will be played in the new school facility. Come on out for one last look, take some pictures of the current MVS gym, and cheer on the Moffat-Crestone-Mountain Valley basketball teams.
Tuesday and Wednesday, 02/12-02/13: Parent Teacher Conferences 4-7 p.m.
Thursday, 02/14: HS Basketball (HERE) vs. Sangre DeCristo 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, 02/14 and Monday 02/18 NO SCHOOL.
At the beginning of January, our staff honored each other with our traveling staff awards. This month's recipients include Crystal Knight who received the I Love Kids award. Crystal is a paraprofessional within the district and works with kids of all ages. She works to guide them in skill development, organization, and to improve understanding and deeper meaning of material. Crystal is always positive and encourages students and staff to share kindness. The Above and Beyond award was passed to another paraprofessional, Paula Christine. Paula comes to us from Wyoming and brings a vast and varied background to the district. She works with our 1st-3rd grades and fifth grade classes helping students with reading and math skills and goes beyond the normal scope of curriculum to address the needs of each learner. She creates lessons and brings in a variety of activities to engage each child. The Continous Creativity award was shared with Samantha Teti fourth grade teacher. Sam always has a variety of activities for science and social studies which includes science fair projects, experiments, research, collaboration projects, and even a class debate. Finally, the Awesome Attitude award was given to Heidi Gallegos, one of our preschool teachers. Heidi always has a positive and giving attitude which she freely shares with our youngest students. The preschool class is always a great place to be. Heidi, Peggy Williams, and director Lacy Reed give love and care to each child and work to develop their physical, social and emotional health so they are ready to learn! Congratulations to all the staff honorees for a job well done! I appreciate all that each of you do as you put your heart and soul into MVS kids!
This past week also marked our Student of the 2nd Quarter assembly. Teachers and staff honor a student who has shown growth academically, presented a positive attitude, given care to their classmates or peers, and has shown pride in themselves. It is often a difficult choice for teachers, and we have many students who continually do an excellent job in all areas. Congratulations students! Be proud of the work you have done and continue to grow! The students of the quarter are: Kindergarten: Ryder McConnaughhay, 1st grade:Faith Coleman, 2nd grade: Greysin Scanga, 3rd grade: Kiley McConnaughhay, 4th grade: Elicia Abeyta, 5th grade: Ian volkman, 6th grade: Jasmine Larimore, 7th grade: Nova McConnaughhay, 8th grade: Rachael Murphy, 9th grade: Joey Hollenbeck, 10th grade: Felicity Gibbs, 11th grade: Lexi Dechesne, and 12th grade: Megan Larimore. Again, these students are working diligently to be their best!
Finally, we have some exciting events coming up at MVS. This Friday, January 25th, is an all school and community talent show. Talent acts begin at 5:00 p.m. in the gym. Contact Amber Johnson for details. On Thursday, January 25th, we will have our annual Science Fair for grades 4-8. Project viewing is from 9:00-11:30 a.m. and awards will be given at 1:00 p.m. Mountain Valley will host a home basketball game HERE Friday, February 1st, beginning at 1:00 p.m. with the girls game. Come on out and cheer on our teams!
Friday, 01/25: Student Council Talent Show @ 5:00 p.m.
Friday, 02/01: HS basketball played at MVS 1:00 p.m.
Happy 2019 and welcome to the last half of our school year. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and shared quality time with family and friends. The new year at MVS will be a time for us to continue looking forward and building upon our culture of relationships and care for all of our students. Our first semester is almost complete, meaning we only have 18 more weeks till the end of the 2018-2019 school year. I am excited for this last half of the year and know that our Mountain Valley family is dedicated to doing the best job to guide our students to be successful. Our job as educators has gone beyond the scope of reading, writing, and arithmetic. We know that each of us is a vital part of the team and that each has a huge responsibility to keep our students safe, healthy, and engaged in learning. I know that our transportation department is highly trained and that each person who drives a bus or vehicle always has the safety of children as the top priority. Our cafeteria personnel provide healthy meals that must follow stringent rules and regulations from the department of education and provide for the diverse dietary needs of our student population. The custodial and maintenance staff is ever vigilant to make sure the school is a clean, safe and comfortable place for students and adults to learn. All of our office personnel must abide by state rules and regulations, and procedures and policies are in place to make the day to day operations flow smoothly. Finally, all of our teaching staff, paraprofessionals and volunteers have the best intentions to do whatever it takes to teach and help students learn and grow as individuals who care for themselves and others. The teaching staff provides classrooms that garner mutual respect and environments for productive collaboration among students and staff. I truly appreciate ALL employees and members of the Mountain Valley family. Each of us is a necessary and integral part of our school community.
As we enter January, our students are taking the NWEA winter testing battery. NWEA stands for Northwest Evaluation Association. These assessments are used in over 7,400 districts and school across the county. This research-based, computerized assessment program helps educators answer crucial questions about student learning. Information about every student's learning allows teachers the opportunity to adjust curriculum and provide lessons to help students grow. Testing data and assessment are key components to help drive instruction. If we know a student's learning level, the instruction can be tailored to fit that child's need.
At Mountain Valley, we are dedicated to providing the best overall education for our children, and we use many strategies and methods to increase student learning and help our children have success. Please stay informed and if you have questions, please contact your child's teacher about these tests.
Friday, 01/11: HS Basketball (HOME in Moffat) vs. Lake City @ 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday, 01/15: Board of Education Meeting @ 6:00 p.m.
This week marks the end of the first quarter at MVS. Parent-teacher conferences will be held next week, October 23 and 24th, from 4:00-7:00 p.m. each evening. Conferences are a time for parents to discuss your child's academic progress. Teachers will share grades, NWEA scores, DIBELS reading scores, class work, portfolios, and classroom goals. In addition, all parents who attend conferences will have the opportunity to WIN an Amazon Fire Tablet, which can be used as an educational tool at school and home. The Science Club and National Parks club will have fundraising dinners each evening. Stop by to enjoy a great meal and support these great student clubs!
On October 2, the staff at MVS honored each other with our traveling staff awards. All staff members take a moment to reflect and choose teachers or staff who truly make a difference for kids. This month's winners include Molly Strain who received the Awesome Attitude award for always staying positive with kids and encouraging them to try new things. Our excellent fourth-grade teacher, Sam Teti, has received the Continuous Creativity award for all the great science, reading and social studies projects the class is doing each day. Mrs. Melissa Boyles in the first grade was the recipient of the I Love Kids Award. Mrs. Boyles had been a paraprofessional in our district before finishing her degree and receiving her teaching license. She provides many differentiated lessons and student-centered activities for the kids. Finally, Mrs. Beth Schroeder received the Above and Beyond award. Beth is our high school volleyball coach and fifth-grade teacher. She also serves on numerous committees including the accountability committee and she serves as our district assessment coordinator.
Our senior class participated in a team building ropes course and ASU last Thursday. The class had to work together and support one another to complete it through the course. Thanks to Mrs. Jody Abeyta for sponsoring and taking the students to Alamosa. Mrs. Abeyta's research class has been conducting an ongoing project to study the different types of macroinvertebrates and wildlife in the area during different seasons throughout the year. Students are learning research and data collection techniques. Many of our seniors are participating in internships and work programs. We have students helping out with the upcoming election and students earning some extra cash as they work for local businesses. The aquaponics class and teacher Yvonne Morfitt has complete a wonderful addition to our Geodesic Dome. We are excited to use this as a teaching lab for all of our students. Many of our high school students are taking an advanced placement Environmental Science or AP History. Students in these classes follow a rigorous curriculum. These classes offer students a chance to gain advanced knowledge that will prepare them for college.
In the middle school. Mrs. Geneva Mixon will be taking four students to a workshop sponsored by the Rio Grande Headwaters Restoration Project. The students and Mrs. Mixon will be participating in three days of training on collecting water samples and learning the chemistry of Saguache Creek. This will be an ongoing project throughout the year as they monitor the river. This is the best way to experience real-life science.
Finally, October is Bullying Prevention Month. At Mountain Valley School we are educating children to identify what bullying really is and how to handle situations in which they may be bullied. We teach children that bullying is an imbalance of power and that bullying is a repeated negative action. We also are dedicated to the social-emotional health of children. Our school counselor, Lisa Powers, and school nurse, Amy Norris, provide classes to all students on issues of bullying, suicide prevention, health and wellness, drug prevention and mental health issues. All staff at MVS work to build close relationships with all children and truly care about guiding them through difficult situations in their lives. We want every child to have a connection with a caring, positive adult.
Friday, 10/19: High school volleyball (home) vs. Antonito 11:00 a.m.
Tuesday and Wednesday, 10/23, 10/24: Parent/Teacher Conferences 4:00-7:00 p.m.
Another great homecoming week filled with activities and events has now been completed. Students and staff worked hard to build and complete homecoming floats for our traditional parade. The seniors welcomed our freshman to high school with some fun activities culminating in the whitewashing of the "S" and an eventful all-school pep rally. The bonfire and introductions of the sports teams was a huge success on Friday night, and on Saturday our volleyball girls made the day exciting by taking their varsity match to the fifth game and nearly pulling off the win. The football team remains undefeated as they played an awesome game against the Sargent Farmers on a beautiful fall day. MVS crowned seniors David Hammel and Samantha Clark as the homecoming king and queen and all students had fun participating in dress up/spirit activities. Many thanks to all parents, community members, students and staff for your efforts to make homecoming week enjoyable and a great learning experience!
We are entering our 7th week of school already and lots of things are happening at MVS. Students just finished fall NWEA (North West Education Association) testing to obtain a baseline of skills and scores. Teachers will use this data to adjust their instruction so that all students needs can be met. Parents will get a chance to review the data at parent/teacher conferences on October 23-24. Our new closed campus policy for high school is working wonderfully. Students are adjusting to not being allowed to roam off campus during lunch, and they know that our priority in closing campus was to keep them safe and healthy. As a reminder to parents students will only be checked out of school to a parent or emergency contact. Please be sure to update contact information with Patty Williams our school secretary. Elementary and middle school students have a no cell phone use during the day policy in place. This eliminates lost or stolen phones and distractions during educational time. Please be cautious when allowing your child to take a phone to school. Mrs. Morfitt and the aquaponics class will be installing brand new aquaponics equipment in the Geodesic Dome. The students are learning real world skills, and we should have a fully functional aquaponics lab soon! The waste from the fish is going to be used to supply natural fertilizer for the plants in the dome, and we will be able to grow a variety of vegetables. Our 8-12 grade students will get an opportunity to learn about entrepreneurship and create their own business at a 3 day camp sponsored in conjunction with Saguache HEART October 4-6. MVS is dedicated to providing a variety of experiences for our students and learning how to create a business will be many of the ways we are preparing students for careers after high school.
Many more activities and tons of vital learning occur each day at MVS. We care about each child in our school and always want the best for them. One of my favorite quotes is by long time educator Rita Pierson. She states, "Every child deserves a champion: an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists they become the best they can possibly be." Let's all be champions for our children!
Saturday, 10/06: HS Volleyball played at Moffat 11:00 a.m.
We are heading into our 5th week of school and students are making wonderful progress. I have observed many ongoing science projects, research papers, geography projects, reading groups, team building activities, resilience training, and most importantly supported, happy children. We are striving each day to make connections with our kids. We know that students who have a supportive and positive adult in their lives will be more resilient and able to be successful. We are working to help students gain needed social emotional skills which will allow them to become productive adults and citizens. Each staff member at MVS is purposeful and positive in their interactions with our students. It takes redirection in a positive and caring way to hold students accountable for their actions and to help them hone their ability to work through problems and overcome adversity. All children are encouraged to be their best and choose to work hard and be positive. Students at MVS are often challenged to go beyond their comfort zone and step up to do things that may be hard for them. Parents and community can help us in this task by encouraging the children of our community to do more than minimum. Encourage all our kids to stick with tasks each day and remind them that their education will allow them to open many new doors. They are not just learning the 3 R's but life skills of professionalism, courtesy, resilience, empathy, and an attitude of giving.
At our monthly staff meeting members passed on our prestigious traveling awards. Receiving the Awesome Attitude award is Yvonne Morfitt. Yvonne wears many hats at our school. She directs many grant opportunities and is a vital part of the administrative team for health and wellness at MVS. Mrs. Morfitt is providing a advanced placement environmental science class this year challenging students to push themselves to be high achievers. The nutrition and wellness class has had many great cooking challenges such as the the Mac n Cheese challenge. I was fortunate to be on the tasting panel and both dishes were amazing! Mrs. Morfitt will also be certified to provide CPR classes for students and staff. New kindergarten teacher, Megan McAteer, was the recipient of the I Love Kids Award. Mrs. Mac, as the kids fondly call her, works hard to provide support and structure for our young 5 and 6-year-olds. They need boundaries and direction in loving and firm ways. Megan is a firm believer in actions have natural consequences and kindergarten children are learning those skills. They also know they are loved and appreciated for exactly who they are and that each of them is special in their own way. Finally Anthony Salaz, our new maintenance and facilities director, received two awards this month. Anthony garnered the Above and Beyond award and an award for Continuous Creativity. Mr. Salaz's position is continually evolving and new challenges to keep our current facility in running order come up throughout the day. He is a kind and positive influence for all our children. Anthony will soon be learning and becoming an expert with all the new systems that will be in place in our new school. I am very proud and blessed to work with such amazing people at MVS!
Homecoming week begins September 24-29. Tradition starts with dress up days: Monday 9/24– Pajama Day. Tuesday 9/25– Twin Day. Wednesday 9/26– Super Hero Day. Thursday 9/27– Red/Black Day.
Please come out and support our students and MVS! If you have questions or need information, please call 719-655-2578.
Week of 9/24-9/28: Homecoming Spirit Week!
Friday, 9/28: SCHOOL IN SESSION. Early Dismiss 2:00 p.m. Homecoming Events.
More details and information about the parade and games will be coming soon!
Welcome to all our new families and students at MVS. We have 33 new children in our school, and we are so glad you have chosen Mountain Valley as your home! We strive to provide 21st century learning skills and promote positive relationships and positive interaction with our students. We hold students accountable with dignity and professionalism. Students create social contracts in their classes which promotes accountability for their actions and behaviors. They hold each other accountable and all students have ownership in the success of their class. Teachers are building relationships daily and take the time to understand the needs of each individual. We are so fortunate to have a wonderful staff who all want many great things for our kids and their futures! Thank you MVS teachers, support staff, bus drivers and department chairs. I am thankful for the dedication and care you give to our students!
Home volleyball and football games started off with big wins this past weekend. Our volleyball girls took only three games to secure their first home win and the football team won big over Primero. This was the premiere of playing on our temporary field graciously donated for use by Corey and Aubrey Hill. What a beautiful setting right under the "S" and it was so great to see all the wonderful supportive fans! Next home football game is September 14th and homecoming on the 29h. Thanks to our new athletic director Larry Hunt for all the great work he has done to coordinate with teams and get our field ready to go. For a complete schedule of games check out www.mountainvalleyschool.org and click on the athletics tab.
I want to extend a great big THANK YOU to all who donated school supplies. Thanks to Michael and Juliet Briley and the Abiding in Him Fellowship. All the supplies will be put to great use, and we are thankful to have such wonderful neighbors and friends supporting the families and children of Mountain Valley School.
Finally, a HUGE thank you to Dean who provides the space to print our articles and upcoming events. We appreciate your support to get information to our community and thank you for continuing a vital part of Saguache history through the Saguache Crescent.
Welcome to another exciting and eventful school year! Our 2018-2019 school year is upon us, and we at Mountain Valley are truly thrilled about getting started on another adventurous year. Teachers and staff have been working diligently planning, preparing, collaborating and setting the stage for a successful upcoming year.
This will be the last year in our current school building as many of you have probably seen the work being done on our new facility. The old cafeteria, shop, and bus barn are now gone making way for the new 21st facility to house the future generations of students and families of Saguache County. This will be a history making year as students will be able to observe the process as this new updated and amazing facility is brought to life.
A special thank you goes to the summer custodial staff at MVS. Thanks to Lucille Gomez, Tina Archuleta, Anthony Salaz, and student summer helper Sal Vigil. This school and grounds are clean and ready for business.
We also have several new staff members to welcome to MVS. First, Megan McAteer will be the new kindergarten teacher. Megan has moved here from New Jersey with her husband. She is excited to get started in her new class and embark on this journey with kindergarteners. Megan has early childhood experience and is ready to make he kindergarten class her own. Samantha Teti is our new fourth grade teacher, and she is working towards her alternative licensure. Samantha lives outside Alamosa and has a degree in wildlife biology. She worked in Pennsylvania for time at a wildlife conservation center. Samantha is used to working with kids and adults and providing great hands-on science experiences. She also has two family members who are teachers. We are welcoming Pearl Alexander back to MVS as the new high school English teacher. Pearl was our school counselor five years ago and is pursuing an endorsement in secondary English. We are excited for her return and know she has great things to offer our students. We have three new paraprofessional joining us this year. Crystal Knight, Brooklyn Brewer and Jessica Phillips will be working with our special education director Amber Johnson. All of our special education partners are dedicated to meeting the unique needs of every child and these paraprofessionals will provide great support to our young learners. Larry Hunt is the new athletic director for Mountain Valley. Larry has many years as a high school coach and athletic director and was athletic director for Adams State College. He brings an enthusiastic and positive mind set to our athletic program and has great ideas to support our student athletes. And finally we have some new, yet not really new, teachers on board this year. Melissa Boyles has been a paraprofessional for over 10 years in our district and this past May she completed her teacher education program to receive her college degree and has endorsements in elementary and special education. Congratulations, Melissa! Mrs. Boyles will be our first grade teacher and she brings a wealth of knowledge and ideas to her classroom. Finally, Mr. Shawn Vigil, also a paraprofessional for two years, is entering the alternative licensure program to receive in mathematics endorsement. Shawn is a graduate of Mountain Valley and has a degree in biochemistry. He has a wealth of experiences being a past graduate, and he is extremely knowledgeable. He will be teaching high school math this year. I am very excited for these new and returning staff members to join our team. Welcome to your new adventures at MVS!
So many good things will be happening for the students and families of Mountain Valley. EVERYONE is welcome to join us this Thursday, August 16th, for our registration and open house. Students and families can stop by the school from 8:00-4:00 p.m. to complete registration, get class schedules, have a hamburger or hot dog, and visit with friends and teachers.
Please visit www.mountianvalleyschool.org for a school calendar, supply lists and updates or call 655-2578 for more information.
Monday, August 20th : First full day of classes. Buses will run.
Remember: School begins promptly at 7:50 a.m. FREE breakfast and lunch for all students!
Mountain Valley is proud to honor Mrs. Patty Williams as our Educational Support Personnel of the Year. Patty is the heart of our school office and I am so thankful and appreciative of her dedication and support of the families of MVS. Congratulations!
We also honored other staff at our monthly staff meeting. The I Love Kids award went to preschool teacher Peggy Williams. The Awesome Attitude award was passed to Eileen Wilfong who teaches kindergarten and K-5 music. Renee Hazard received the Above and Beyond award for her excellence in our business department, and finally middle school math and science teacher Mimi Dolan was honored with our Continuous Creativity award.
Art teacher Kristen Hansen and music teacher Eileen Wilfong presented a wonderful spring concert and art show. The students showcased their artistic and musical talents. Thanks to everyone who participated including Beth Schroeder, 5th-grade teacher, for working with grades 3,4, and 5 to prepare for the concert and Scott Wilfong for sound system set-up.
Another graduation is upon us. Hard to believe the class of 2018 is ready to receive diplomas and enter the world of higher education or the workforce. Graduation is this Saturday, May 19th, at 10:00 a.m. Please join us in celebrating our senior class!
This has been a hectic but very eventful school year. Students made great progress and we are looking forward to our 2018-2019 school year. It will be an amazing time as we see our new school building being formed and built. Please join us Wednesday, May 23rd at 2:00 p.m on the school football field for our groundbreaking ceremony. We will have a blessing presented by the Southern Ute tribe and other celebration activities!
For more more information check us out www.mountainvalleyschool.org or call 655-2578.
We are counting down the days to the end of another exciting and eventful school year. Teachers continue to work each and every day to keep students engaged and learning right up the last day. It's important for each day to be productive and full of learning. The preschool and elementary classes have been busy preparing for upcoming field trips and the end of the year spring concert. Our middle school halls are filled with replicas of the human body as they are applying skills learned about cells and body systems to create visual teaching models for others. The high school classes just celebrated another fun PROM night and are finishing units to complete credits for graduation. Many middle and high school classes are finishing ICAP (Individual and Career Academic Plans) by working on an introduction to financial literacy workshop through TeachBanzai. On the mornings of May 1st and 2nd, the 9-12th math classes will have a guest speaker from Aventa Credit Union that will discuss budgeting, credit, loans, etc. Beginning May 3rd through the rest of the year, the juniors in SAT prep and seniors in Precalculus will be working through the College in Colorado Money101 curriculum. The senior class is almost to the big day with just 3 weeks to go! They are busy sending out invitations, planning graduation day, writing speeches, and planning family celebrations.
May is a notoriously busy month at MVS! Here are the upcoming events and activities for this final month of school. Please call or stop by the school for more information.
Wednesday, April 25th: FREE Community Diner and Prevention Speaker 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, May 1st: Career Fair and a Free Dinner! Gift card drawing for attendees!
Thursday, May 3rd: Grades 3,4,5, Field trip to the Royal Gorge and High school Academic Awards banquet 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, May 10th: Middle school students to Saguache forest service for garden planting; final Knowledge Bowl team competition and the annual Spring Concert and Art Show 6:00 p.m.
Thursday and Friday, May 10th and 11th: Seniors to celebrate end of year in Glenwood Springs.
Tuesday, May 15th: 3rd grade to Russell Lakes wildlife refuge; Winter/Spring sports banquet in Moffat @6:00 p.m.
Friday, May 18th: School in Session and senior practice for Graduation; Elementary Fun activity day.
I first want to congratulate our Educator of the Year, Mr. Andrew Virdin. Mr. Virdin teaches high school English and brings in his love for literature, the arts and music to his classes daily. Andrew teaches with passion and brings a fast paced style to his lessons. Students are always engaged in thoughtful and respectful conversation and debate and they feel empowered to express their ideas and are prompted to support their opinions. Mr. V, as students fondly call him, brings his own unique brand of knowledge and encourages students to seek out greater things in their lives.
Also, we congratulate our newest staff award winners at MVS. Each month our staff takes time to honor and recognize each other's efforts and successes. This month's recognized winners are: Yvonne Morfitt for the Above and Beyond award. Mrs. Morfitt is our high school science teacher, but is involved in many committees, grants, and provides immeasurable support for our students and families. The Continuous Creativity award went to Molly Strain: middle and high school social studies teacher. This is Molly's first year of teaching and she has found her calling. She will continue to be a vital part of MVS. The I Love Kids award went to interventionist and elementary PE teacher Hunter Good. Mr. Good brings a true love of learning to our school. Finally the Awesome Attitude was passed to Mr. Jody Abeyta. Mrs. Abeyta always has great things happening in her classroom.
"Empower and prepare every student for lifelong learning." That's part of our mission statement at MVS. As we await the groundbreaking for the new school building, I firmly believe we are preparing for a new concepts and new ways of learning and teaching in Saguache. In the fall of 2019 we will enter into the new PK-12 facility. What an exciting time that will be for the community and our young families! The kindergarten class that year will graduate in the year 2032. Hard to fathom that number and that far into the distance! I'm sure the community who were an integral part of this current building felt the same way. I know that our community voted for this new building because it is needed for the sustainability of future generations. If I only take away one thing in this life is that we have to be ever changing and accept that along the way everything happens for a reason and that everything happens the way it should. We may be frustrated or disappointed by an event, but it's all part of the greater plan for each of us. How we choose to move forward and live the rest of our days is what is important. I will continue to look toward the future and the betterment of our school and community. I look forward to "empowering and preparing" this younger generation to face their future endeavours with confidence and the ability to know that circumstances will always change. It's your focus, steadfastness, and attitude in the midst of those circumstances that will bring a life of happiness and fulfillment. Enjoy your week, everyone!
Tuesday, April 17th: Board of Education meeting: Superintendent's Office 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 21st: 9 News Health Fair at MVS gym, 7:30-11:30 a.m.
Saturday, April 21st: High school PROM hosted by Moffat 7:00-10:00 p.m.
Happy Spring season everyone! This past week students got an opportunity to rest and relax as we ushered in Spring. Three quarters of the school year have been completed and everyone at MVS is looking towards making this last quarter of school a huge success!
This is an exciting and busy time of year for MVS. Our PreK class had a wonderful St. Patrick's Day as they "captured" a leprechaun in their classroom! Each week the class ventures to our town Library to hear wonderful books and engage in terrific activities provided by Penny Alexander. This week the K-2 classes will be traveling to the Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience. The students have been reading about dinosaurs and studying how they lived millions of years ago. Grades 3-5 have been building academic and social emotional skills. Students learn how to work through problems and take responsibility for their actions. Students are held accountable but also have opportunities to learn communication and positive ways to handle frustrations. Mrs. Lisa Powers our counselor and Mrs. Amy Norris, school nurse, will continue to provide lessons on these important health and wellness skills. This intermediate team is gearing up for an overnight field trip to Denver the first week in May. Should be an exciting eventful time! The 8th grade class enjoyed an awesome field trip to Zapata Falls arranged by math and science teacher Mimi Dolan. The students got first hand experience with San Luis Valley geology. Coming up in May the entire middle school will be helping out the BLM by planting trees and providing a clean up service day. High school classes are busy trying to finish curriculum and meet state objectives. The Envirothon team and Knowledge Bowl teams have events scheduled in the next two weeks and the junior class is helping Moffat school get ready for PROM on the 21st of April. It's hard to believe that another graduation will soon be upon us. The senior class has eight weeks to go and each is getting ready for their lives beyond the school doors.
I would again like to invite anyone who would be willing to volunteer as a mentor or would be willing to serve as a PTO (parent/teacher organization) member to contact our school. Our goal is to bring our community and school together in a partnership that will best serve our young people. Working for the betterment of the community is a goal for all of us. The more kids know that adults are truly invested in them the more those children will want to do great things and be productive in this community. We need everyone to give guidance, support, and encouragement to help our children succeed. Please call 655-2578 for more information.
Monday, April 2nd: Rio Grande Hospital presentation for high school 3:00 p.m.
This week marks the end of the third quarter of school. Spring break is March 19-22 and then we have nine short weeks until the end of the 2017-2018 school year!
The staff honored four more members with the traveling staff awards given at the beginning of this month. This month's honorees are: Awesome Attitude: Fred Maez, I Love Kids Award: Wanetta Tipsword, Continuous Creativity Award: Kristen Hansen, and the Above and Beyond Award goes to school nurse Amy Norris. All staff members work diligently each day to provide our students with a safe and stable learning environment.
It has been hectic but extremely productive these last seven months at MVS. Each day I visit classrooms and encounter great learning experiences. I am always amazed to see the and growth and transformations that take place throughout the school year. We have kindergarten students now reading and writing and third grade students learning multiplication. Fifth grade students are becoming proficient keyboarders and 8th graders are engaged in pre-algebra. High school teachers are incorporating interdisciplinary lessons across all content areas and engaging students in thoughtful, respectful, and expressive conversations. We pride ourselves at MVS for allowing and encouraging movement in the classroom. Research has shown that everyone learns better when allowed to take breaks, move and incorporate brain breaks into the day.
The new school main building design is nearing completion. All staff had the opportunity to provide input into the design of classrooms and shared spaces. The new school classrooms will have up-to-date technology and the ability to change and grow as needed. The school will have great security, healthy air flow, flexible learning spaces, and the ability to adapt to our ever changing 21st century children's needs.
Finally I would like to invite anyone who would be willing to volunteer as a mentor or would be willing to serve as a PTO (parent/teacher organization) member to contact our school. Our goal is to bring our community and school together in a partnership that will best serve our young people. Working for the betterment of the community is a goal for all of us. The more kids know that adults are truly invested in them the more those children will want to do great things and be productive in this community. We need everyone to give guidance, support, and encouragement to help our children succeed. Volunteering can simply mean laminating papers, listening to children read or calling families for upcoming events. Please call 655-2578 for more information. Have a great Spring Break!
Thursday, March 15th: FREE Community Dinner and STEM Night!
Friday, March 16th: High school Sadie Hawkins dance.
We have had lots of activities the past few weeks. High school basketball wrapped up its season and high school wrestler, Isaiah Wellman, received a 5th place at the state tournament. Middle school wrestling is well under way and high school track practice begins this week. Science fair winners in grade 4-8 will be completing at the SLV Regional Science Fair this coming weekend, March 2nd. Amy Norris, Lisa Powers and Kristen Hansen provided another great free community dinner and prevention bingo night. Great food and many prizes were given away. Parent/Teacher conferences provided families with the opportunity to review winter test data and discuss progress of their children. The winners of the Amazon Fire Tablets were, elementary; Hadley Livings, middle school: Logan Boyles, and high school; Erica Ortega. Congratulations to these families. Six high school students attended diversity workshops at Center Schools last Friday. They learned how to have a voice for themselves and spent time writing letters to themselves in the future. The workshops were presented by a group called "Cool Speak" who specialize in providing support for students to aim high and strive for excellence. The Knowledge Bowl and Envirothon teams participated the past fews weeks. Our students are having opportunities to experience hands-on field science and academic competitions with other schools around the valley. The middle school team will be participating in a "Brain Olympics." They will test their brain power by competing in fun academic events.
As we enter our last twelve weeks of school, I am always amazed and proud of the work we do every day at MVS. The teachers and staff provide opportunities for our students to be innovative, creative and solve problems. Each person knows the important work we do and strives for excellence. All of us at MVS wear many hats and we have to be flexible and willing to adapt to changes. Receiving the BEST grant to build a new facility and the passing of the bond issue was a huge change, and finalizing the plans and completing interior designs has been exciting. Everyone is anticipating the ground breaking ceremony to begin the construction phase. Being here the last thirty two years, I've seen my fair share of building changes, teacher changes, administration changes and of course student changes. The one factor that always remains constant is the need for change. Education in the 21st century must always strive for improvement and change to continue moving forward. We have exciting plans for our community school, and I look forward to the next 18 months of changes.
"Education is not the filling of pail but the lighting of a fire." William Butler Yeats.
That quote is one that sticks with me everyday as I do my job as Mountain Valley School principal. As an educator for 32 years I have seen more changes in the last five years than ever before. Our 21st century classrooms need to be bustling, productive spaces where students are thinking, creating and developing skills for an unseen future. Today's student can access billions of bits of information in an instant. Want to know the size of Australia? Google it. Want to now how to solve a quadratic equation? Youtube it. These millennial kids (born in the year 2000 or after) are so different from you and I. They are bombarded with technology, social media, instantaneous gratification and ease of access to knowledge. It is vital that schools change their ways of providing information to kids. No longer is the teacher a simple fountain of knowledge that provides notes and lectures and expects students to mimic and copy and provide the same information back. Our teachers must be facilitators of thinking, creating, and challenging students to grow and give back to community and humanity. Application and utilization of knowledge is the key. Mountain Valley is dedicated to finding solutions and being the purveyors of change to guide our children and community into the 21st century. These changes are not always easy but without change nothing moves forward. Our graduates must be academic and career ready. They must be able to "show" progress and growth not just with passing grades but with a product such as a portfolio or a career ready certificate. MVS is rising to the challenge by changing the way traditional classes are offered and including technology and career readiness skills. It is exciting to me to see our school of the future as a place where teams of students and adults work together to solve problems and design new or better options. I look forward to "lighting fires" within our school so that our students continue to change the world for the better.
Last week, Saguache HEART (Health Equity Action Resident Team) brought in speaker and student advocate Craig Schroeder to facilitate a Youth Focus group centered on understanding the needs of our small rural community. These 7th-12th grade students had an opportunity to share concerns and their future visions of our community. They shared hopes and insights as to the need for better health facilities, transportation, and more business opportunities. Students then spoke to many community members and business owners during a HEART sponsored lunch. The plan of action is to have these students become engaged in this community, resolve problems, and strive to make their home community a great place for everyone.
MVS celebrated and honored our second quarter "Students of the Quarter" at an assembly on Thursday, January 25th. Students were honored not only for academic performance but for continual growth, improvement, and positive mindsets to become better each day. Those honored were: Kindergarten: Curtis Martin, 1st and 2nd grade: Cashel Johnson, 3rd grade: Ivyjean VanEgmond, and Tye Salaz, 4th grade: Heaven Harford, 5th grade: Ashlynn Willhite and Damien Ross, 6th grade: Megan Murphy, 7th grade: Keladrae Brooks, 8th grade: Joey Hollenbeck, 9th grade: McKensie Innes, 10th grade: Saari Deherrera, 11th grade: Thomas Fairchild, and 12th grade: Selene Hart. Congratulations to these fine young ladies and gentlemen of MVS! We are so proud of the you!
Finally, at Mountain Valley School our mission is "To empower and prepare every student for lifelong academic success and personal growth." I believe that statement applies not only to students but to all the adults at MVS and all who enter our doors. We encourage everyone to become an expert in their field, study and learn new things, take risks, strive for excellence, and build productive and positive relationships. I believe personal growth for our students and families is about knowing self, striving to enhance of all aspects of the person, and the development of positive life skills and a realistic, healthy self-esteem. We work diligently to improve and enhance these skills for children and adults alike. I appreciate all that parents, families, and supportive adults do to cultivate this personal growth in our school community. Every positive encounter we have with children and adults is a vital way to provide support and make a difference. Have a great week!
Friday, February 2nd: High school basketball in @ Moffat 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 3rd: High school basketball @ MVS 1:00 p.m.
Happy New Year to everyone! I hope this past winter holiday was filled with laughter and joy with family and friends. Everyone here at Mountain Valley is excited for this second part of our school year and the new 2018 year. Can't believe the year 2020 is just around the corner!
We recently had a staff meeting and honored four members of our Mountain Valley family with our prestigious traveling staff awards. Each month someone at Mountain Valley is honored by a colleague and presented with one of four awards. The "Above and Beyond" award was given to Mr. Shawn Vigil for all the great work he does as a paraprofessional. The "I Love Kids" award was presented to Mr. Hunter Good, who works with the elementary as an interventionist, classroom teacher, and is our elementary PE teacher. Our "Awesome Attitude" award was passed to our wonderful school secretary Patty Williams, who mans to front lines of the district. And finally, the "Creativity" trophy was awarded to Mrs. Lisa Powers our K-12 school counselor who does an amazing job! All of our family at Mountain Valley are dedicated to doing the best job for students. We know that each of us is a vital part of the team and that each has a huge responsibility to keep our students safe, happy, healthy, and engaged in learning. I appreciate ALL employees and members of the Mountain Valley family. Each of us is a necessary and integral part of our school community.
As we enter these last weeks of January our students are taking the NWEA winter testing battery. NWEA stands for Northwest Evaluation Association. These assessments are used in over 7,400 districts and school across the county. This research-based, computerized assessment program helps educators answer crucial questions about student learning. Information about every student's learning allows teachers the opportunity to adjust curriculum and provide lessons to help students grow. Testing data and assessment are key components to help drive instruction. If we know a student's learning level, instruction can be tailored to fit that child's need. At Mountain Valley we are dedicated to providing the best overall education for our children, and we use many strategies and methods to increase student learning and help our children have success. Have a great week!
Wednesday, January 24: Youth Vision Focus Presentation ( In coordination with Saguache HEART) 9:00 a.m.
Wednesday, January 24: Design Advisory Group 5:00 p.m.
Our first four months of school has flown by. The end of 2017 was capped off with our annual Winter Holiday music and art celebration. Mrs. Kristen Hansen, K-12 art teacher displayed many of our student's various and beautiful artistic endeavors and Mrs. Eileen Wilfong led the Pre-K-5th grade students in wonderful renditions of favorite Disney songs. Students showed off their expert recorder and guitar skills, and the staff had a bit of fun singing as well. Our high school drama class did an outstanding job with their play and many laughs were had by all. Thank you to all involved!
The holiday Christmas break is here and the kids and staff are ready to celebrate with family and friends. As I write this I hope all of us remember why this season is so important and special and the real reason for celebration. Please take time to enjoy your families and be thankful for all the great things we have in our lives! The school family here at MVS wishes everyone a safe and joyous holiday break! We look forward to the year 2018 and the continued excitement our new school will bring.
Thursday, December 21st: Early Dismissal: 2:00 p.m.
December 22nd, 2017-January 8th, 2018, : Holiday Break.
Tuesday, January 9th: Students return to school.
Saturday, January 13th: High school basketball at Manzanola, High school wrestling at Westcliff.
Another December is upon us and the holiday break is fast approaching. December will be a busy and eventful time for all at Mountain Valley. Here are a few of our upcoming events and happenings.
High school basketball and wrestling got underway last weekend and teams have tournaments and games coming up. Middle school boys basketball will play in their final tournament this weekend December 8th and middle school girls basketball practice begins on December 11th. MVS will host a fall sports banquet on Thursday, December 7th, at 5:30 p.m. The main dish (ham and scalloped potatoes) will be provided by our wonderful cafeteria staff and all are invited to bring a side dish or dessert to share!
All students have been busy working towards greater student achievement and advancing their knowledge and skills. Grades 3, 4, and 5 and middle school students will be visiting the Orient Land Trust and Hot Springs this week to learn about geothermal energy and sustainability techniques. The knowledge bowl team will compete at another exciting meet this week. Science fair is right around the corner as well and classes have been busy preparing and refining projects. The 6th grade math class is busy creating holiday projects to sell at various times and places in the community. Each student had to come up with a business plan and initial monies to create a product. They will then market and sell to learn about sales and profit margins.
All high school students attended the Adams State University career fair a few weeks ago. This was a great trip and many students got a chance to visit with potential schools and programs to enhance their career readiness after high school. The high school classes will attend a presentation of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in conjunction with their English classes. Students will practice theater etiquette and have the opportunity to dive into the world of Shakespeare and theater.
We recently had our first community meeting about the design and creation of our new school! This was a very successful event with about 60 people in attendance listening to the architects and offering ideas and opinions about our new safe and innovative facility. More meetings will be coming up!
December 14th marks the date for our annual Winter Holiday Celebration. Mrs. Eileen Wilfong has been busy preparing K-5 students to share the "Disney" themed celebration. The high school drama class will present "13 Ways to Mess Up Your College Interview" and then our PreK class will start our musical celebration. Cookies, coffee and punch will round out the evening with a visit from a jolly fellow from the North Pole. Please join us for this fun and festive evening!
Thursday, December 7th: Knowledge Bowl in Alamosa and Fall Sports Banquet at MVS 5:30 p.m. Potluck: Bring a dish to share!
Thursday, December 14th: Winter Concert Celebration! 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 21st: Early dismissal: 2:00 p.m. Holiday Break.
We are entering the 12th week of school and everyone is continuing to work diligently and aiming for the best for all of our students and families at MVS. Lots of activities and happenings have occurred this past two months of school. This last week we celebrated Red Ribbon week. Health professional Amy Norris and counselor Lisa Powers brought in speakers and provided activities to teach students and staff preventative and healthy choices about alcohol and drugs. Students had the opportunity to enter poster and coloring contests and made pledges to be drug and alcohol free. Mountain Valley School believes in the well being of the whole child and that all are treated equally and fairly. I look at a child; not color, size, shape, race, or gender. Every child deserves the best education and everyone deserves a safe place to learn and thrive. We also hold everyone accountable for their choices and serve to educate and teach about understanding and respect. Is it always wonderful and without problems? No. But at Mountain Valley we teach to solve problems, not just complain and do nothing. "Action creates change. Not discussing action." by George Curous, is a quote I refer to often. Change doesn't happen overnight. It takes time, diligence and effort to create something better and repair what seems broken. I take pride in knowing that the staff of MVS are all here to serve the best interests of our students and community. We are working hard to make things better every day!
Last week we celebrated our Students of the Quarter at an all school assembly. Students were recognized with a certificate and $10 Wal-Mart gift card.
Honorees are: Kindergarten-Hadley Livings, 1st/2nd grade- Madilynn McGee, 3rd grade- Anna Freek and Wyatt Beohm, 4th grade- Ian Volkman, 5th grade- Cara Poland and Cyrus VanEgmond, 6th grade- Honey Sandoval, 7th grade- Hali Lawson, 8th grade- Mercedes Sandoval, 9th grade- Laura Morfitt, 10th grade- Alyssa Hammel, 11th grade- Summer Quintana, 12th grade- Marian Glenn-Shipley. Congratulations to these fine young men and women and keep up the awesome work!
Staff also had a celebration to honor each other this past week. The Above and Beyond Award went to Amber Johnson for her tireless effort to help with our intervention process. The Creativity honor was passed to Eileen Wilfong for her great efforts to continue our wonderful music program! Kristen Hansen has been honored for the Awesome Attitude she has for each and everyday. Finally, our I Love Kids Award was forwarded to Preschool director Lacy Reed for her efforts to provide a safe and nurturing classroom environment that provides our youngest children with a great start to their education.
Finally, a drawing was held for three Amazon Fire Tablets for parents and guardians attending parent/teacher conferences. Congratulations to these students and their families: Elementary: Anna Freek, Mercedes Sandoval, and Suzannah Saeugling.
November 16th: Prevention Bingo and Free Community Dinner! Lots of prizes to be given away. Watch for fliers out soon!
November 20-23rd Thanksgiving Break. No School!
It is amazing that students have finished one quarter of the 2017-2018 school year. Time passes quickly so we need to take advantage of every moment and make all experiences great learning experiences.
As we approach the upcoming bond election in November, my hope is that all voters will get the facts about our failing and aging buildings and the safety and health risks that prevail. I think often of the wonderful things our faculty and students do here at Mountain Valley. We have motivated, capable students who need and deserve the best education has to offer. That includes a facility that provides safety, proper lighting, comfortable temperatures, healthy airflow, clean modern spaces, 21st century learning spaces, and classrooms where learning and creating are priorities. I have visited all the new schools in the San Luis Valley over the past few years. Each time I return to MVS hoping that soon our students will have such great learning spaces where families and the community can come together and grow together. The current buildings at MVS have outlived their lifespan and many problems persist and will continue to get worse. As a teacher for over thirty years and now principal for the past two years, I have seen problems in the building continue to unfold. As I worked on my principal licensure this past year, safety and protection for everyone is a top priority in my classes. Our building needs to be modernized to provide that protection for your kids and the community who use these facilities. It is difficult to see those problems unless you are in the classrooms everyday. I am proud of the faculty and staff as they continue to strive for the best even though current buildings make optimal learning sometimes difficult. We have an awesome gift from the state of Colorado that will not come around again. Just as we tell our students to learn as much as they can, I hope all voters will do the same and be informed as you cast your ballot this November. Get answers at www.bestformvs.com or www.mountainvalleyschool.org or make an appointment to visit with Superintendent Travis Garoutte and get your questions answered.
The Mountain Valley School parent/teacher conferences are set for Tuesday and Wednesday, October 24th and 25th. Please plan on visiting with your child's teacher(s) from 4:00- 7:00 p.m. each night or schedule an appointment. Teachers are excited to share data assessments, grade reports, portfolios, and information about your child. In addition, all parents who attend conferences will have the opportunity to WIN an Amazon Fire Tablet, which can be used as an educational tool at school and home. Also, the Science Club will be having a fundraising dinner on Tuesday, October 24th, and Mr. Virdin's Capstone class has a dinner planned for Wednesday, October 25th.
Our 2017 homecoming week was a huge success! The traditional parade down main street was a great start to the day and high school sports teams did an amazing job! High school football had a great win leading into the annual bonfire and homecoming dance. Thanks to all who participated and celebrated our students at MVS!
We are now in our 8th week of school and classes are moving along at great speed! Mountain Valley's preschool program continues to remain top notch in providing early childhood preparation and whole child development for the transition to kindergarten. Grades K-2 have small group and individualized instruction to help advance students to the next level. In addition K-2 students have art, PE, music and social studies/science everyday. They recently took a field trip to North Crestone trail and enjoyed a spectacular day of hiking, exploring nature and learning about our beautiful area and great outdoors. The students journaled about the experience and shared their exciting stories of seeing caves and the spectacular fall colors. Grades 3-5 are departmentalized again this year allowing teachers to analyze growth from year to year in a more productive manner and make needed changes to improve instruction. Our 3-5 grades will be spending a great day at the Homestead Ranch coming up next week. Students will learn about the history of the area and experience what life was like for the pioneers of 150 years ago. Middle school students have a full schedule and are finishing up football and volleyball seasons. They are understanding their learning modalities and teachers are incorporating a growth mindset of effort and perseverance into all lessons.. Our high school students amaze me everyday! We have students taking advanced online college courses and each student's unique needs are being met through credit recovery opportunities or differentiated instruction. Student projects from our Capstone hour are truly incredible. Selene Hart is reaching out to cancer patients by setting up visits to hospitals and donating items. Caleb Slater is forming a creativity club where anyone can join and share their love of music, art, dance, in a safe space without being judged. Fallon Curry will be planning a career night so middle school and high school students can visit with professionals and plan their career paths. Sarri DeHerrera is building a new school website and incorporating visual aesthetics and design elements. Alyssa Hammel is planning a free mini basketball camp for younger students to have fun, learn new skills, and build team spirit. These are just of few of the fantastic passion projects and creative ways our students are in incorporating 21st century learning into their school experience. I am proud of the work we do at MVS! Student success and meeting the needs of the whole child are our top priorities!
Parade 9:00 a.m. / HS Volleyball 12:00 noon / HS Football 1:30 p.m. / Bonfire 7:15 p.m.
Every new school brings promise and new beginnings. This year is no exception. I am excited for this upcoming school year and the possibility of a new safe school. We have wonderful, hard working, dedicated staff members who know that they can make a difference in children's lives. I have a new goal this year to form a Parent/Teacher Organization with the hope of creating community/family/school partnerships and a joint effort to make education better! I envision MVS as a true community school that works for the benefit is all.
Mountain Valley students have new technology and new classes to begin this 2017 school year. We were fortunate to purchase affordable but up to date Chromebooks for each class. Students are now more than ever able to be world connected and are reaching outside the the school walls and outside their comfort zones. The middle and high schools have a "Capstone" hour in which they are exploring a passion project and creating something new for themselves. They must collaborate and think critically about the projects and community they want to create and reach. We have students striving to form a soccer team, have sports camps, build websites and offer their services to the community. They are exploring their love of art and passions for helping others. I have been extremely impressed by their organization and ability to think outside the box. The students are learning to take steps outside their comfort zones and learning to be proactive with their efforts. Some are seeking mentors and community members who will help guide their passions and teach them new skills.
The MVS middle school spent two days at Camp Jackson outside Pueblo. Students climbed high wire ropes courses, learned communication skills, and formed a new understanding and appreciation for each other. They are creating a review which will be presented at the October board meeting. Our counselor, Lisa Powers, took six seniors to a college fair at ASU this past week. They also toured Trinidad State Junior College. Students came back with great ideas and a new drive to explore the possibilities of college and community colleges. MVS is hoping to forge new connections with Trinidad State in hopes of allowing our students opportunities to learn a trade and earn certificates to be career ready.
Mountain Valley is the proud recipient of the school health professionals grant which will afford us the ability to have a full time nurse for the next three years. We welcome Mrs. Amy Norris who will be joining our staff and helping to implement health, wellness, and prevention strategies for our students and families. Amy will work alongside Mrs. Holly Kauffman who has already established health opportunities for our children.
If you would like to help our school by being a mentor, assisting with tutoring or being a classroom aid, please contact me at 655-2578. We welcome your input and appreciate your efforts to make our community stronger!
Friday, September 29th: School Day and Homecoming! Parade at 9:00 a.m.
As we enter the fourth week of school, I am amazed to see how much progress and learning is happening at MVS. We have such a wonderful school community and everyone is being empowered to learn and grow. This generation of children is entering a new era in education; an era of 21st century learning skills. We promote the four C's of 21st century skills: Collaboration. Communication, Critical Thinking and Creativity. Teachers are creating learning environments which allow for students to interact and create new things while sharing and teaching others. They work in small groups or teams and classroom environments allow for movement and non-traditional thinking spaces. We have standing desks, walls of whiteboard, and table spaces to share and communicate. No longer do we have students sitting isolated and just copying or repeating information in rows and desks. Students are invited and encouraged to think about new ways to solve problems and making mistakes is all part of learning. We are inspiring our students to take risks, overcome barriers, and not give up simply because something is hard. It's been said, "We only fail when we stop trying." We are committed to helping students achieve and making things better for our students, families and community. Our entire school is striving to perpetuate a growth mindset that encourages exploration and a never give up attitude. It truly takes a village and all of us are part of this village of learners.
This last week our staff continued with our tradition of honoring their colleagues. This month's honorees are Mimi Dolan for the "I love kids" award. Mimi is our middle school math and science teacher and is committed to empowering kids to make good choices and take responsibility for themselves. Our "Creativity" award went to Hunter Good, our elementary interventionist and PE teacher. Hunter is organizing the schedule for our Americorp volunteers as providing literacy and math support in elementary classes. Our "Awesome Attitude" was awarded to Melissa Boyles our extraordinary paraprofessional. Melissa has been serving and providing support for MVS kids for the past 14 years. She is working on finishing her teaching degree and is managing our special services department. Finally, Yvonne Morfitt was honored with the "Above and Beyond" award. Yvonne works tirelessly writing and applying for grants that support our students and families. Congratulations to all of our outstanding staff members of MVS.
Finally, I want to extend a great big THANK YOU to all who donated school supplies. Thanks to Michael and Juliett Briley, Frank Curtis, the Abiding in Him Fellowship, and Aventa Credit Union. All the supplies will be put to great use, and we are thankful to have such wonderful neighbors and friends supporting the families and children of Mountain Valley School.
Wednesday, September 20th: Picture Day!
Back to School Night! Thursday, August 31st.
Everyone is invited to join us a MVS for back to school night. Join us for food, fun, and information. Teachers and students are eager to show off their classrooms and share all the great things they do at MVS!
Our first week is complete, and I am truly amazed at how quickly it flew by. Our students are getting settled in and already working diligently to achieve and learn new things! Our mission at MVS is "Empower and Prepare Every Student for Lifelong Academic Success and Personal Growth." We take our mission seriously and want to include everyone. This include families, staff, and our community. Our school is the heart of the community, and we need to embrace and nurture the families therein. We all have a part in the education of our children. I don't personally have kids, but I take seriously my job of helping to "raise" our community's children. Not just because I'm a teacher and now principal, but because it matters! Mountain Valley is dedicated to empowering students and staff to learn and grow in every way. We know that 21st century learning is upon us and that kids learn differently today. They have knowledge and the world at their fingertips, and our faculty is no longer just providing facts and figures. We are guiding children to create and think critically about their futures and about this world around them. Education is about everyone, and at MVS we want everyone to be a learner. Our faculty and staff are always encouraged to take classes or workshops and learn as much as they possibly can about their jobs and careers. The faculty is engaged in individualized professional development. They are learning new things and better ways to teach and applying them everyday to their classrooms. I am proud of our school and the entire community of Saguache! We do wonderful things for each other and for our kids!
Thursday, August 31st: Back To School Night! 5:30 p.m -Dinner will be provided!
Tuesday, September 5th: AAI after school programming begins.


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Web-based tool charts disease, risk factors around the world
I would like to share an article from the Washington Post, on the utilisation of Data collected via web-based tools, to track disease and risk factors over the world (Public Health).
Do you see a trend here?
Interactive graphics showing how causes of death and disability, and risk factors for disease, differ between countries and change over time were unveiled Tuesday.
The information is from the massive Global Burden of Disease project produced by 488 researchers and 303 institutions in 50 countries. It provides health profiles of 187 countries and allows the user to compare a nation to its geographic, economic or cultural neighbors.
The screens are interactive. Users can key in 291 diseases and 67 risk factors and see how prevalence has changed since 1990.
The graphs and lists are likely to function as a report card for policymakers, a hypothesis-generator for epidemiologists and an alternative to solitaire for global health wonks. The data are used in a study appearing in the Lancet this week that compares Britain's health with that of 15 other European countries over 20 years.
Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates provided $8.2 million for the 2010 update of the project, which began in 1993. Speaking Tuesday at an event in Seattle where the Web tools were unveiled, he said that "it's the areas where we go in and do a good job of measurement that we make the most progress."
The foundation that Gates and his wife, Melinda, run has spent $26 billion since 1997, most of it on improving health in developing countries.
The Global Burden of Disease project is led by Christopher J.L. Murray, a physician and economist at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. The institute was created in 2007 with a $105 million grant from the Gates Foundation.
Murray and another researcher, Alan Lopez, produced the first Burden of Disease report in 1993. It introduced the concept of the "disability-adjusted life year" (DALY), defined as the sum of years lost to premature death and years lived with disability.
Various disabilities — such as blindness, loss of a leg, chronic headaches, depression — were given the equivalents of fractions of a year of life lost. The idea was to go beyond mortality and capture how non-fatal illnesses also diminish life. Gates said he had an epiphany when he read the report and saw various health conditions described in terms of DALYs.
"I was completely stunned by the burden of disease in poor countries," he said. "To see that diarrhea was killing literally millions of children, and that some of those causes of diarrhea, like rotavirus, were preventable. . . . It was seeing that data, that early visualization that's nowhere near what we've got today, that got the Gates Foundation on the track of focusing on global health."
Researchers will add to the data at least annually.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Prithviraj to appear in another epic, Ayyappan- Cinema express
Prithviraj to appear in another epic, Ayyappan
Shankar Ramakrishnan, who wrote the actor's Urumi, will be helming the project
Prithviraj has announced that he will be working on an epic based on the life of Lord Ayyappa, titled Ayyappan. The first look poster came with the tagline, 'Raw. Real. Rebel.'
Shankar Ramakrishnan, who wrote Prithviraj's Urumi, will be helming the project, which is expected to go on floors next year. August Cinemas, the production company which Prithviraj was once part of, is backing it.
The actor is currently busy with his directorial debut, Lucifer. He will next be seen in Kalabhavan Shajon's directorial debut, Brother's Day, and Lal Jr's Driving Licence. Apart from these, he also has Kaaliyan and Aadujeevitham lined up. His next theatrical release is Jenuse Mohammed's sci-fi thriller 9, which is scheduled to hit screens on February 7.
Prithviraj Aadujeevitham Shankar Ramakrishnan Lucifer Kaaliyan Driving Licence Ayyappan Brother's Day