Dear Cripple Creek-Victor School District Community,
 
The first quarter of school has already passed, and Thanksgiving is just around the corner!  Time flies, and we have definitely had an exciting and successful beginning to our school year.
 
The school year arrived with newness.   Cresson Elementary got underway with their new principal, Miriam Mondragon.  Mrs. Mondragon brings a passion for students, achievement, and community partnering.  Along with a new leader came Positive Behavior Incentive Support (PBIS) to Cresson.  All Cougars know the behavior expectations for the various areas of the school and are rewarded for displaying these.  The incentives within the program are motivating and fun, and many children have already reaped many kudos and other rewards during the past few weeks.
 
Other new faces came to our district despite cuts we had to endure with the majority working in the secondary school.  We had a tremendous hiring season and I am convinced that although we have a smaller staff, we have a much stronger staff as well!  Our new teachers, paraprofessionals, and others are committed to our students and their success.  Our 2011-2012 CC-V team is mighty!
 
In year two of Rachel’s Challenge, we are committed to positive change, decreasing bullying and violence.  With a school-wide assembly at Cresson and full day Chain Reaction days for the junior and senior high students, our entire district has a major focus on kindness, compassion, accepting others, and working together.  This includes students as well as staff.  We know that taking off our “masks” and building true relationships is key to all types of success.  It is crucial that our students feel accepted and safe in our buildings, on our buses, on our fields, and during our activities.  With this as a foundation, they can flourish academically, socially, and emotionally.
 
Mountain eCademy is our new online program designed for students who desire education outside of the traditional school.  Offered through Lincoln Interactive, Mountain eCademy is an exciting K-12 curriculum.  It provides a great foundation in core and elective courses with lessons that are fun, interactive, motivating, and challenging.
 
Other exciting things on the horizon are two large grant funded opportunities.  The district has been awarded funding to provide a center-based Early Head Start child care at Cresson Elementary.  The building and program will have openings for infants and toddlers who qualify.  We anticipate this opening in the spring.
 
Our second wonderful grant award is our joint venture with Peak Vista to construct a building for the Cripple Creek-Victor Mountain Health Center.  Our school based health center has a great need for space, and the efforts for capital funding have really come through!  The building will be attached to Cresson, sharing a wall with the gym.  Ground breaking should happen in late spring.
 
Thank you all for your support and involvement with our children and our schools!
 
Sincerely,
 
Sue Holmes
Superintendent