RANGELY I The Rangely School District started 2015 with several program additions and changes, including the addition of a breakfast program, a behavioral support system and an online curriculum housing system.
On Jan. 12, Parkview Elementary School began offering a small breakfast to students in grades kindergarten through fifth. Students may choose from options of milk, juice, oatmeal and fruit for 50 cents per item. All items are sold on a cash-only basis, and students are not able to use their lunch account to charge items.
The new program began following several school board discussions last winter regarding a breakfast program after staff raised concerns that some students were coming to school hungry in the mornings, making it difficult for them to engage in learning.
Superintendent Matt Scoggins said the district needs to “make sure kids are fed so we don’t have hungry kids in classrooms.”
Breakfast is available approximately 20 minutes before school starts and the program has already received donations from local businesses for support.
Another change the district is moving toward to positively impact the student learning environment is a more involved Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS) system that will include engaging videos and interaction with students.
Scoggins said it is important for the students to have a model of appropriate behavior, even for the simple things such as how to properly address a teacher.
The district has recently entered into an agreement with E Net Learning, an organization based in Colorado and designed for Colorado schools, which will house the district’s curriculum and lesson plans online.
This new forum will allow teachers to search for lesson plans created by other in-district teachers that are already tied to local standards and local curriculum. This type of system is expected to be exceptionally helpful for teachers new to the district, enabling them to access lessons already tied to the standards they are expected to teach.
Since taking on the role of superintendent last fall, Scoggins has been working toward an increase in school spirit. With efforts such as a new district logo complete with the traditional Rangely Panther, newly painted Panther paws outside of the schools, increased community involvement at Homecoming and a high school cheerleading squad, Scoggins believes the district is on its way toward being a district and community full of Panther pride.
Scoggins is also preparing for the next school year with plans to have district staff attend at least three teaching fairs this spring, including ones as close as Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction and as far as Kansas.
Scoggins said he is expecting several retirements at the end of the year and felt it important to be prepared.
