Mountain Middle School students start Monday
Mountain Middle School’s first day of school will be Monday with early release at 2 p.m.
Adult Education Center offers GED, ESL classes
The Durango Adult Education Center will hold GED and English as a Second Language registration Aug. 24-27 and will begin classes Aug. 31.
GED classes will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Thursday and from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday.
English as a Second Language classes will be offered from 9 a.m. to noon Monday to Thursday and from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday.
Conversational Spanish will start Sept. 14.
For more information, visit www.durangoedcenter.org.
Early childhood conference is coming to Farmington
Four affiliates of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development will offer the first 4 Corners Early Childhood Education Conference, “The Promise of Hope,” on Sept. 11 and 12 at the Civic Center in Farmington.
Jointly hosted by Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah ASCD affiliates, the conference is for preschool and early childhood educators who work with underserved populations in the southwestern United States.
The two-day event is designed for preschool to third-grade educators in private and public programs.
Doug Reeves, Doug Clements, Mark Hoog and Erik Francis are each slated to headline the program of 36 presenters and 28 sessions, with a focus on early childhood mathematics and literacy.
Conference registration is $99 and includes a Friday evening keynote speech and reception, along with a full day of Saturday sessions including breakfast and lunch.
For more information and to register, visit www.fourcornersconference.org.
Candidates can apply for District 9-R school board
The Durango School District 9-R Board of Education announces that two, four-year seats are up for election, which include District B, currently filled by Stephanie Moran, and District D, currently filled by Brie Stahnke. To qualify to run, people must meet a few criteria, including:
Candidates must be a resident of La Plata County for at least 12 consecutive months before the election and reside within the director district in which they want to run. For a map of director districts, visit http://board.durangoschools.org/board-district-maps.
Obtain 50 valid signatures on a petition by the Aug. 28 deadline, along with all other required applicant work.
Have not been convicted of a sexual offense against a child.
The board members will hold an information session to talk to the public about the duties and responsibilities required for persons interested in serving on the board at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 9-R board room. Board members will discuss various topics, including what makes a good school board member, eligibility, coherent governance, board policies and state statutes.
Nomination petitions are available in the superintendent’s office, and must be turned in to Sarah Berggren at 201 E. 12th St. by Aug. 28.
Ballet Folklorico to begin fall classes Aug. 31
New and experienced dancers are invited to join Ballet Folklorico de Durango, which will begin the fall 2015 semester with classes starting Aug. 31.
Classes will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Mondays at El Centro de Muchos Colores Hispano Resource Center at Fort Lewis College. El Centro is on the ground floor of the Student Union across from the bookstore.
Ballet Folklorico de Durango is a cultural arts program offered to kindergarten students to 20-year-old students from any background. Students learn and perform traditional Mexican dances in a fun and support environment.
Melisa Smith and Veronica Flores are the instructors for the semester.
Registration is $60. Classes will take place from Aug. 31 to Dec. 7. No class will be held Thanksgiving week.
Discounts for siblings and scholarships are available. Registration forms are available at www.fortlewis.edu/elcentro and can be returned to El Centro at FLC or brought to the first day of class.
Sharpen musical skills at Stillwater Foundation
The Stillwater Foundation’s fall music program will begin Aug. 31, offering more than 20 different classes for young people and adults of all ages and experience levels.
After-school classes for kids include introductory percussion, beginning steel drum, world groove, intermediate vocal ensemble and songcraft, as well as beginning, intermediate and advanced combos.
Community classes for mixed ages include ukulele ensemble, brass ensemble, samba band and music theory.
Adult classes include blues, funk, soul, a cappella vocal, jazz and Americana groups.
All classes form functioning bands that perform regularly in public at festivals, fundraisers, school assemblies and community events. Scholarships are available for financial assistance and for at-risk youth.
For more information or to register, visit www.stillwaterfoundation.org or call Jeroen van Tyn at 946-3049.
Fort Lewis College invites reaccreditation comments
Fort Lewis College is up for reaccreditation with the Higher Learning Commission this fall. Community members have the opportunity to send comments to the commission to aid the reaccreditation process.
Accreditation is a mark of excellence that speaks to an institution’s rigor and value. Representatives from the Higher Learning Commission will visit the campus in October.
Before that, the people can contribute their comments. This input will be used as part of the evaluation of the college.
To provide comment, visit www.ncahlc.org/HLC-Institutions/third-party-comment.html anytime between now and Sept. 19.
Center for literacy offers writing, book clubs
Grazda Center for Literacy and the Arts announces these new learning opportunities for fall:
Girls’ Writing Club for fourth- and fifth-grade girls.
Hero’s Journey Book Club for all fourth- and fifth-graders.
Real Writing for Real Life for middle schoolers.
All classes will be held Mondays and begin Sept. 21. The goal of these authentic literacy experiences is to empower and give voice to learners.
For registration information, visit www.grazdacenter.com and click on “Upcoming Special Classes,” email contact@grazdacenter.com or call Sherry Grazda at 769-3879.
District 9-R’s first day of school is Tuesday
The first day of school for all Durango School District 9-R students in the first to 12th grades will be Tuesday.
Aug. 31 will be an early release day. People should check with their school for specific start and end times.
There will be no school Sept. 7 in honor of Labor Day.
Free, reduced-price meals determined by income
Durango School District 9-R announces its policy for determining eligibility of children who may receive free and reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs for the 2015-16 school year.
School officials will use these household size and income criteria for determining eligibility:
A family with one child and yearly income of $15,301 may receive free meals. A family with one child and yearly income of $21,775 may receive-reduced price meals.
A family with two children and a yearly income of $20,709 may receive free meals. A family with two children and a yearly income of $29,471 may receive reduced-price meals.
A family with three children and a yearly income of $26,117 may receive free meals. A family with three children and a yearly income of $37,167 may receive reduced price meals.
A family with four children and a yearly income of $31,525 may receive free meals. A family with four children and a yearly income of $44,863 may receive reduced-price meals.
A family with five children and a yearly income of $36,933 may receive free meals. A family with five children and a yearly income of $52,559 may receive reduced-price meals.
A family with six children and a yearly income of $42,341 may receive free meals. A family with six children and a yearly income of $60,255 may receive reduced-price meals.
A family with seven children and a yearly income of $47,749 may receive free meals. A family with seven children and a yearly income of $67,951 may receive reduced-price meals.
A family with eight children and a yearly income of $53,157 may receive free meals. A family with eight children and a yearly income of $75,647 may receive reduced-price meals.
For each additional family member add $5,408 to the yearly income for free meals and $7,696 for reduced-price meals.
Applications are being provided to all households. Only one application is required for all children in the home. Additional copies are available in each school.
Florida Mesa Elementary collecting box tops
Florida Mesa Elementary School reminds students to bring in their box tops and labels for education.
During the school year information will come home with students in Thursday folders concerning school news, Parent Teacher Organization news and after-school activities.
Durango High announces back-to-school events
Durango High School announces these school events:
The first day of school will be Tuesday. This will also be Demon Day. Schedules will be given to students on the first day. Students are asked to bring pencil or pen, paper and a folder. There will be two bus runs on Demon Day. The first one, and then one four hours later. Atlas Freshman will arrive at DHS at 7:30 a.m. and meet in the courtyard. All remaining freshman and 10th-grade Basecamp students will arrive at DHS at 8:15 a.m. All upperclassmen new to the district will arrive at DHS for new-student orientation at 10:45 a.m. All returning upperclassmen will arrive at DHS at 12:15 p.m.
School pictures will be taken Sept. 1.
Open House and Fall Activities Rush will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. Sept. 21.
eSchool accepts students from Pagosa to Dove Creek
The Southwest Colorado eSchool is accepting enrollments from regional students for the 2015-16 school year.
Students can enroll for full-time study and earn an online diploma. Students also may consult with their current school counselor if they are interested in a blended learning model involving both face-to-face and online coursework, a unique option of this online school only.
The eSchool is a public online school serving secondary students in grades 7 to 12. Enrollments are open to any student from the nine districts of southwestern Colorado spanning Dove Creek to Pagosa Springs.
The school is a service of the San Juan Board of Cooperative Education Services and is accredited by the Colorado Department of Education.
For more information, visit www.southwestcoloradoeschool.org or call 403-0946.
Animas High School announces events
Animas High School announces these events:
Student orientation for the 2015-16 school year for ninth grade will begin Monday, 10th grade will begin Tuesday and 11th and 12th grade will begin Wednesday. The first day of academic classes for all students will be Aug. 27. Parent orientation will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 27.
There are a small handful of open seats for incoming ninth-, 10th- and 11th-graders. AHS does not accept transfer students past Oct. 1.
For more information, email maureen.truax@animashighschool.com.
Durango students can meet teachers
All elementary schools in Durango School District 9-R will host a Meet Your Teacher event where students and their families can drop off school supplies, meet their teacher and visit their school.
The districtwide event will be held at each elementary school from 8 to 9 a.m. Friday.
Herald Staff
