By Chelsea McNerney-Martinez
MONTE VISTA—  Teachers are adjusting to “a more rigorous math curriculum,” Monte Vista principals stated during the Monte Vista School District Board of Education meeting Thursday, Sept. 13.
President Dr. Matt Nehring asked the principals what they thought of the new math curriculum and how the teachers were responding to it. MVHS Principal Scott Wiedeman stated the teachers believe it is a more rigorous curriculum than they’ve had in the past but are overall pleased with it.
Wiedeman also asked an attending student, a junior at the high school, what she thought of the curriculum. The student stated it was considerably different than how she has learned math over the past 10 years but she believes she can adjust to the new methods.
Middle School Principal Thomas Tichy reported the curriculum provided a “wide variety of ways to enhance and enrich skills” through different modalities, to which Bill Metz Elementary Principal Gabe Futrell added the teachers at Bill Metz Elementary were almost overwhelmed with deciding the best methods to teach a lesson, but stated it is the first year the Big Ideas curriculum has been available on the elementary level and they look forward to working through it.
Marsh Principal Stacey Plane echoed there were options even at the preschool and kindergarten levels.
Students Daniel Miller and Andres Villa, assisted by SkillsUSA sponsor and industrial arts instructor Aaron Woodke, thanked the school board for their support of the program and assistance in sending Miller to the national competition this past June.
The students presented a slideshow with photos of Miller’s competition, where he was up against 84 other students in the electrical construction wiring category. Woodke explained the competition involved eight intense hours for three day against competitors from schools all over the country, including ones whose culture and emphasis is more heavily on industrial arts. s
The chapter is currently preparing for a membership drive following homecoming and will be selling beef jerky as a fundraiser, hoping to raise enough to attend a student leadership conference in Colorado Springs this November. The students are also looking for a community service project which could ideally help another community organization or individuals and also utilize and build their unique skills like electrical wiring and carpentry.
Villa concluded the presentation with an additional thanks to the board and the organization’s supporters, “As a chapter, we’re very appreciative of the support you’ve given us… we take a lot of pride in these projects… SkillsUSA is not just a leadership opportunity, it’s also an opportunity to become a better person.”
Byron Syring Delta Center and Monte Vista Online Academy (OLA) Director Kevin Wright welcomed John Pace as the new math instructor. Wright read a lengthy job description of the position, emphasizing the difficulty in balancing the many facets of the job, especially building relationships with the on-campus and online students and their family members, but stated he was certain Pace was up for the task and was already meeting those expectations. Wright added, to carry on the pirate ship metaphor, Pace was “our newest Pirate SEAL.”
Annie Pace was also welcomed by Tichy. She is the newest seventh grade math instructor at MVMS. Tichy believes she is doing an exceptional job already and making great strides with the students. The Paces expressed their appreciation and excitement at both working in the district and in having their young child attending Marsh School, who was present but less eager to speak in front of the meeting.
The board also gave approval for an LED lighting improvement project, financed at a 3.2 percent interest rate through Government Capital. The project, which will cost $280,000 overall, will save the district about $80,000 a year in energy costs, the improvements will be done with no impact to student time and will also help the district earn $32,000 in rebates from Xcel Energy. The district pays about $110,000 in energy costs per year.