The Challenge Fund

• The Challenge – Raise funds through parent and local business support, to help subsidize financial shortfalls WHILE enabling development of new 21st Century Skills

History of Excellence

Steamboat Elementary Schools are well above state testing averages in “% at Proficient or above” in reading, writing and math.

3rd grade reading 10% above state average

4th grade writing 11% above state average

5th grade math 19% above state average

In 2010, the School District was rated by the CO Department of Education as “Accredited with Distinction”

We have great administrators and teachers who are committed to excellence

But we have a new Challenge

Why not set the same standards for our students?

Steamboat is a competitive townWe train our young athletes to be the best in the world

Our Challenge – Staying ahead of the shift

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rttp8DRQbVY&feature=player_embedded – Apple Viewers click here

Our Challenge – Staying ahead of the shift

• Incorporating 21st Century Skills• Critical thinking • Creativity and Innovation• Problem solving and Conflict Resolution• Effective use of information, media, and technology

• Oral and Written Communication• Leadership and Collaboration • Organizational skills• Global Awareness

Our Challenge – Staying ahead of the shift

Adding New Literacies to Core Knowledge

Environmental Literacy Cyber/ Technology/ Media LiteraciesHealth LiteracyGlobal/ Multicultural LiteracySocial/ Emotional LiteraciesFinancial Literacy

20th Century Classroom vs. the 21st Century Classroom

60’s style classroom (same today) 21st Century Classroom

Worksheet/ text book Driven Research/ Experience Driven

Passive Learning Active learning

Learn in isolation Collaborate with classmates/ globally

Time based Outcome based

Focus: Memorization of discrete facts Focus: What you know and can do

Little freedom Discovery, exploration, creativity

Our Challenge – Staying ahead of the shift

Tell me and I’ll forget;

Show me and I may remember;

INVOLVE me and I’ll understand

Chinese Proverb

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ve4M4UsJQo&feature=player_embedded - Apple Viewers

Our Challenge – Staying ahead of the shift

2nd grade learning “Simple Machines” aka Mechanical Engineering

Our ChallengeStaying ahead of the shift• We’ve started but it needs support, focus and funding

Science Fair

Green Team

Spellbinders

• Prepared Graduate Competencies• 21st Century Skills• Focus on “All students, All standards”• Clearer, higher, and relevant• Mastery – application and transferability• Concepts and skills

Our Challenge- Colorado on the move Key Elements for the Transformation to new Colorado Academic Standards

Our Challenge- Colorado on the move • Valdez Elementary School (DPS) Media literacy program 5th

grade – becoming a digital journalist, arranging news, creating blogs and podcasts using www.meehive.com

• William Roberts Elementary (DPS) - Guided Inquiry with 1st Graders. Animal Reports taken to a new level with the web 2.0 tool blabberize.

• Littleton Public Schools – Powered Up Writing Program,

laptops in fifth grade classrooms

• Fruita/ Monument 6th grade – Write a Book in a Year Club

• Ebert Polaris School (DPS) – School wide Art-Science Project

Our Challenge- Colorado on the move

Give to Bromwell - Annual Fund

Wish List Items Funded by PICs in ‘11

Challenge Fund money will begin helping to cover these types of needs

Take home books (K)Music books (5th)Rock and mineral DVDs (3rd)Dictionaries (3rd)Vocabulary books (K-5)Literature (3rd)

Ipad, Ipod touches, Ipad covers and Applications(K-5)

Georgetown Fieldtrip (4th)Audio CD package (5th)

Science Kits (4th)

Digital Cameras x2

Priority Uses of Challenge Fund $• Smart Boards in every classroom

Priority Uses of Challenge Fund $• Full Time Technology Teacher

• Also helps to integrate new Smart boards, Ipads and other media into classrooms as well as teach the use and application of technology.

• Current SPE and SCE share one technology teacher

• Full Time Interventionist for each school• Benefits “Effective Classroom”• A multi-function, demand based, floating teacher• Currently SPE and SCE share one “interventionist”

Alternative Uses of Challenge Fund

• Knowledge Bowl – Teacher training• Greenhouse/ Organics/ Land Use Projects• Field Trips• Mini Weather Station• Writer’s Workshop• Innovation Kits - Robotics• New Energy Projects

• Like the energy bike project

21 Century Schools (Re)Sources• www.21stcenturyschoolteacher.com/• www.p21.org• http://www.21stcenturyschools.com/index.htm• http://www.dangerouslyirrelevant.org/• www.scholastic.com/expert21 - CCSS• http://www.c21l.org/resources.html

Our Financial Challenge

• SPE and SCE have been operating under a resource constrained environment for the last 2-3 years.

• Class sizes are marginally on the rise now pushing past 20:1. Largest class - SPE 4th grade 25:1

• PIC fundraising efforts for both schools are being relied

upon more to subsidize academic necessities

Colorado invests less in K-12 than most states.

Per Pupil Revenue - $6,955 / Per Pupil Expense - $9,425

Our Financial Challenge

Property taxes predicted to fall as Routt County prepares 2012 budget - November 17th, 2011

• This is an assessment year for property values. Down -21% since last assessment in June of 2009.

Our Financial Challenge

• Education Fund Board history shows that educational grant money to the Steamboat Schools has fallen -26% in the last two years

Bottom Line

• Traditional sources of funds are neither stable nor

enough to help us “stay ahead of the shift”

• We need to support, emphasize and provide funding for, new standards of learning NOW if we want our kids to be able to compete for jobs or get into college (any college) = 21st Century Skills.

Challenge Fund Details

Collaborative School Committee (CSC)• PIC Representatives (5)• Principal (1)• School Representatives (3)

and Report to SAC

• Schools Receive and Allocate Funds

SPE $$$$

SCE $$$$

Challenge Fund Details• Dates: Jan 31st – May 30th Parent Donation Drive

• Goals: • Minimum of $50,000/ per school• 100% participation by all households to show group effort

• Levels of suggested Giving:• $1/ day/ child for a school year = $171• $25/ month for the whole family = $300• Become a Challenger with a gift of $1000 or more

• PIC/ CF: CF replaces all PIC fund raisers except The Sneak and Carnival.

• CSC Members: 2 year term, nominations of members by the chair of the CSC, voted on by the parent body. CSC Chair is a representative of each schools’ PIC.

Challenge Fund Details

• Fearless Leaders:• “Challengers” – Individuals willing to donate $1000 or

more to the Challenge fund as matching funds.

$10,000 committed so far !

• “Challenge Partners” - Businesses who are willing to share part of business compensation toward the Challenge Fund. Terms and conditions vary by offer.

Challenge Fund DetailsA Win - Win Situation• All donations are 100% tax deductible• 100% of donations go directly to the schools• Replaces catalog/vendor-oriented PIC fund raising efforts• Enable a more significant increase in funds for our

elementary schools.• Improving the quality of your child’s education.

How Can You Participate?• Participate in the Challenge – Give to what matters!

• Become a Challenger – Set up matching funds

• Become a Challenge Partner – Offer a percent of your business profits

• Inspire others to support the effort

• Give us your ideas on Facebook Steamboat Springs Challenge Fund

3 Easy Ways to Give

WWW.SSCHALLENGEFUND.COM1. One time donations, just hit the “Donate Now” button. 2. Or set up monthly recurring donations and spread out the payment

3. Write a check to “YVCF/Challenge Fund” and give to the school receptionist anytime.

Thank Youfrom all the students at SPE and SCE

F.A.Q.• Doesn’t EFB cover this sort of thing?• Who decides how to spend the money and how do we

know it will be spent wisely?• Why just the elementary schools?