MOFFAT — The Moffat Pk-12 School has wrapped up a successful 2017-2018 school year. The first quarter started off with a significant increase in student enrollment. Looking to the 2018-2019 school year, the increase in enrollment gives the school an opportunity to add additional teachers. In the past, elementary classrooms have been combined. Next year, there will be a separate kindergarten classroom, as well as separate third, fourth and fifth-grade classrooms. They will continue to have a first-second-grade combo class. The school’s entire elementary teaching staff will be returning for the 2018-2019 school year and two new teachers will be joining the team.

Additionally, the vast majority of the school’s secondary teachers will be returning for the 2018-2019 academic season. Principal Jillian Sciacca is enthusiastic about the opportunity to provide students with more individualized and focused attention and stated, “we are thrilled that our staff turnover rate is so low and we have the opportunity to add teachers to our team. It will be exciting to see how the addition of more teachers impacts our students’ growth scores in the future.”

In addition to ensuring that students receive more individualized instruction at the elementary level, the school continues to ensure that secondary students have high-quality elective choices.

In January, the school hired Casey Wood as their full-time industrial arts teacher. Sciacca stated, “I could not be more pleased with the quality of our industrial arts program. The addition of Mr. Wood to our team has had a positive impact on both students and staff.” The school is also working to ensure that all teachers hold Colorado teaching certifications that match their assigned content areas.

In addition to adding additional staff, the Moffat Pk-12 School will be installing a 26-foot greenhouse grow dome over the summer months. According to Sciacca, “the indoor growing space will provide experiential learning opportunities for all populations and opportunities for upperclassmen to mentor our younger students as they learn about growing food and eating a healthy diet.”

Additionally, the school is making some improvements to the preschool playground with the installation of musical playground equipment and a soft turf to replace the dirt.

The Moffat Pk-12 school will also receive funding through an Expelled and At-Risk Student Services (EARSS) grant from the Colorado Department of Education to support at-risk students. The district received a $494,000-dollar grant to fund an early intervention program to support attendance, truancy, and behavior challenges.

The Moffat School District will be using the grant through school year 2022 to fund an early intervention program to support students with pro-active mediation approaches to attendance, truancy and behavior challenges.

This award offers the district a tremendous opportunity to partner with the Center for Restorative Programs and other countywide agencies to promote student wellness and academic success through research-based strategies. “The success of our district depends on our ability to provide opportunities to all of our students and families to grow both emotionally and academically,” says superintendent Christina Larson. “This grant allows us to develop a powerful program for both of our schools that will help us develop resilient students prepared for post-secondary success.”

This grant supports the district’s vision to create opportunities for all students to reduce or remove barriers through the creation of meaningful and healthy relationships with their teachers, peers and families. Staff from both schools and outside partners helped develop the grant proposal that was submitted to the state in March. Principal Sciacca supports the grant, and states, “the program will bring much needed support to the school for positive and proactive behavior intervention and attendance practices.”

Marie Louise Baker, director of Crestone Charter School, agrees that the focus of the grant aligns with the Charter School’s learner-centered mission, and says, “I personally care that we have a restorative approach to discipline. I also see how important attendance is to the growth of our students and want to better support our families with this.”

The Moffat Pk-12 School is in the process of updating their registration process to make it more convenient for families. Be on the lookout for information in the near future.