Garfield 16 Gazette

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Dr. Tinker Dulco, Vice President and Rifle Campus Dean of Colorado Mountain College, presented to the school board on the April 14th school board meeting. Dr. Dulco outlined the history of the concurrent enrollment program and partnership with Grand Valley High School. Concurrent enrollment is where high school students can take CMC college courses for both high school credit towards graduation and college credit. CMC's coursework transfers into all colleges and universities in Colorado, and many other institutions around the country.

Concurrent enrollment allows for students to begin their studies in an area they may want to pursue as a career. For the 2024-25 school year, students at Grand Valley High School took 50 concurrent enrollment courses, and 44 earned a certificate of completion. For families, those 537.5 credit save $57,512.50 in tuition dollars.

Colorado Mountain College offers courses to earn degrees in education, business, and nursing, and for other fields such as public safety and rescue, skilled trades, and tourism, hospitality, and culinary students can earn certificates. Popular programs for high school students in the region include nurse aid and welding.

Kelly McCormick, Grand Valley High School Principal says, "CMC is a great opportunity for kids to get a jumpstart on their plans after high school. Even if kids do not end up transferring what they learned into a career path, they learn valuable skills that they can use in their everyday lives."

Small, rural high schools would struggle to provide all the opportunities they do without a partnership with Colorado Mountain College. Without enough students interested in programs like welding, automotive, culinary arts, as examples, high schools cannot hire or maintain the staff needed with the qualifications and expertise. Together, Garfield 16 and CMC are keeping students engaged in school with their eyes to the future.

Important Upcoming Events:

• GVHS Spring Sports- Find schedules at https://gvhs.garfield16.org/athletics
• GVMS Spring Sports- Find schedules at https://gvms.garfield16.org/athletics

• Apr. 24: GVHS Seniors- Graduation Forms Due

• Apr. 24: GVMS Band to Colorado West

• Apr. 24: CFL Coffee with the Principals 9AM

• Apr. 26-27: FFA State Career Development Event in Ft. Collins

• Apr. 28: School Bus Driver Appreciation Day

• Apr. 29: GVHS Key Club Induction Meeting in Library 6PM

• Apr. 30: GVMS Spring Photos and 8th Grade Continuation Photos

• Apr. 30: GVHS Music Awards Night in Cafeteria 6PM

• May 1: School Principals Day and School Lunch Hero Day

• May 2: MayFest at Cottonwood Park. For more information, visit https://sbfrc.garfield16.org/mayfest

• May 4 - 8: Teacher Appreciation Week

• May 4: GVHS In-Session- Regular School Day

• May 4: Student-Led Conferences K-8 10:30AM - 6:30PM

• May 4: GVHS/CMC Student Commencement Ceremonies 6PM

• May 6: School Nurse Day

• May 7: GVHS FFA Banquet in Cafeteria 4PM

• May 8: GVHS Last Day to Request Early Finals

• May 11: GVHS In-Session- Regular School Day

• May 11: Student-Led Conferences K-8 8AM- 4PM

• May 11: GVHS 9th Grade Reward Day 2PM

• May 12: Board of Education Meeting 5:00 pm. 460 Stone Quarry Road, Battlement Mesa, CO 81635. Find agenda at https://go.boarddocs.com/co/garfield16/Board.nsf/Public

• May 13: GVMS STEM Club / Aspen Science Center 4:30PM

• May 14: GVMS & GVHS Spring Pops Concert at GVHS 6:30PM

• May 14: GVHS NHS Blood Drive at GVHS 9:30AM

• May 15: BUE 5th Graders to GVMS

• May 15: GVMS Theatre Performance 7PM

• May 18: GVHS Key Club to Journey Home in Rifle

• May 19: GVMS Night at the Museum 5:00PM

• May 20: GVHS Senior Sunset 7PM

• May 21: Last school day for GVHS Grade 12. End of 4th Quarter

• May 21: GVMS Choir and Ukulele Concert 6:30PM

• May 22: GVHS Baccalaureate 7PM

• May 23: GVHS Graduation 10AM

• May 25: Memorial Day- School-Based Family Resource Center Closed

• May 28: GVMS 8th Grade Continuation 10AM

• May 28: Last Day of School PK-11

• May 30: GVHS Athletics Golf Tournament Fundraiser 9AM. Email aparks@garfield16.org or mmendoza@garfield16.org to register.

Garfield County School District #16, the Parachute/Battlement Mesa Parks and Recreation District, GVHS Athletics, and Theatre Aspen have partnered to provide Cardinal Camps for the Summer of 2026.

Cardinal Camp has been designed for students entering 1st through 8th grade for the 2026-2027 school year (students currently enrolled in grades K-7), with one program, Theater Aspen, for students entering grades 4-12. The cost of the programs are $50 per week, per child. Theatre Aspen and English Language Learner programs are FREE.

Pay before May 29, 2026 for June Camps and before June 19, 2026 for July Camps. See this website for more information: https://www.garfield16.org/programs/summer-programs

Please fill out one registration form per child. Register now by following this link. Spaces are limited. Register before May 22, 2026 to reserve your child's spot.

The six-week program includes one-week sessions around a theme, such as arts and crafts, sports, outdoor education, etc. Families can sign up for the weeks that best meet their needs.

Cardinal Camp will be Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

A calendar of all camps offered is attached and can be found on the registration form.

Cardinal Camp is available to Garfield 16 students, as well as children who are not registered with the school district.

Garfield 16 programs will be held at Bea Underwood Elementary (BUE 0741 Tamarisk Trail, Battlement Mesa, CO 81635) or Grand Valley High School (GVHS 800 Cardinal Way, Parachute, CO 81635). Grand Valley Recreation Center programs will be held at Grand Valley Recreation Center (398 Arroyo Dr., Battlement Mesa, CO 81635)

All programs will provide lunch and a snack.

Download our app and easily see events for all schools, or just selected schools, and add events to your device (phone) calendar!

Kindergarten classes took trips to get up close and personal with animals! Kids enjoyed touring the PSS Wildlife Sanctuary where they got to learn all about rehabilitating wild animals. They also put on their cowboy boots for a half day of horse ranch fun at the RIDE equestrian program. There, students learned how to feed, care for, lead and connect with horses. This trip is a wonderful way for kids to bring together their learning unit all about animals and how animals live (and work) in our local environment.

The 4th-8th grade Learn to Ski n' Ride club wrapped up their learning season at Powderhorn. Over 20 kids got to participate in a series of three lessons to become confident shredders on the snow and slush.

Learn to Ski and Ride will be back in February, 2027, open to more participants.

G16's Outdoor Program had a great time partnering with BOCES and Challenge Aspen for their middle school adaptive XC ski day. Students got a day to slide and slide in the snow at Grand Mesa. Challenge Aspen volunteers and staff worked one on one with kids, providing individual access to having fun in the snow. Thank you to all the school district staff and Challenge Aspen for the fantastic day.

And this past week students at Grand Valley Middle School are using their PE class time to learn some fishing skills. Kids get practice learning to cast, tie and identify fish habitats with all types of gear during this mini lesson unit.

Grand Valley High School's Honors 9 English class got some real-world experience on the difficulties that wildland firefighters endure by hiking up the Storm King Mountain Memorial Trail this past week. Students hiked the trail with two wildland firefighters from the Colorado River Fire Rescue - Wildland Division (Burning Mountain Module) to learn about the South Canyon Fire in 1994, which took the lives of 14 firefighters.

This April and May are shaping up to be a busy time with kids climbing, camping, casting and thriving their way to the end of the school year.

Keep an eye out for some of our upcoming public events:

• 3D archery shoot at Rifle Rendezvous, May 17th
• RAMBO User Appreciation Day at Grand Hogback Train System/ Rifle Arch, May 23rd
• Parachute Pond 3rd annual fishing derby, June 6th

The School-Based Resource Center is here to support you! We are open Tuesday–Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and on Mondays by appointment.

Our services include student mental health support, substance education, family resources, help with government assistance, adult education classes, legal aid, a clothing closet, and a food pantry. Stop by and see us at 251 Parachute Avenue, or give us a call at 970-285-5700 ext. 5190 to learn more.

Follow us on Facebook to stay updated on all our programs and events! Garfield County School District NO. 16 School-Based Family Resource Center

We are excited to invite you and your organization/business to participate in the 2nd Annual Mayfest, a youth-led community event organized by the G16 Family Resource Center with help from the Town of Parachute, the Aspen Community Foundation, and JDMCL Foundation.

The event is designed to bring youth, their families, and community organizations together to learn about local resources, career opportunities, and internships, all while enjoying a day of fun activities and ending with a Battle of the Bands competition!

FACEBOOK

WEBSITE

Please do not hesitate to reach out to our School Based Family Resource Center for more information.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Claudia Flores Cruz

Center Coordinator

970-285-5262

cflorescruz@garfield16.org

As part of our commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of our students, we would like to inform you about the resources available for accessing information on registered offenders. At the beginning of each school year, we provide written details on where and how you can obtain this information from local law enforcement agencies. This information is also posted on the district’s website for your convenience.

We believe it is crucial for parents and guardians to have access to this information to stay informed about their community and to take any necessary precautions to protect their children. By keeping you informed, we hope to foster a safer environment for all our students.

You can find the Garfield County Sheriff's Office Offender Search here: https://www.garcosheriff.com/sex-offender-search/

Garfield 16 provides all students with counseling services through the school counselors. School counselors work with students to support their academic growth and success as well as their social and emotional development. School counselors work closely with teachers, principals, and parents to support students experiencing issues that impact their learning. These issues can be, but are not limited to, declining grades, poor work habits, organizational skills, distracting behaviors, school avoidance, anxiety, trauma, and transient personal or family issues, such as the loss of a loved one or change in family dynamic. A school counselor may work with a student on an individual basis or as part of a group. In addition, school counselors work with the administration to assess at-risk students.

At the elementary level, school counselors provide direct instruction to all students in social and emotional growth and wellbeing. Topics include social skills, recognizing emotions, problem-solving, and conflict resolution. For students who may be experiencing difficulty with social skills, regulating behaviors, or school counselors provide individual and group coaching.

At the secondary level, school counselors begin to support students with college and career planning and decision making. School counselors work with students on their Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP) requirements. School counselors facilitate college and post-secondary career and workforce exploration. At the high school level, school counselors work with students to ensure they are on pace for graduation.

How to contact your school counselor:

CFL:

• Referral Form
• Email Ms. Landry
• Call 970-285-5702

BUE:

• Referral Form
• Email Mrs. Sherraden
• Email Mrs. DeMaio
• Call 970-285-5703

GVMS:

• Parent Referral Form
• Student Referral Form
• Email Mrs. Hoyt
• Call 970-285-5707

GVHS:

• Email Mrs. Paine
• Email Mrs. Largent
• Call 970-285-5705

School-Based Family Resource Center

• All students and their families.
• Fill out the referral form, found by clicking this link.
• Drew Hogan- SBFRC Counselor
• Leslie Pinaire- SBFRC Counselor

Did you know that we can administer medication to your students if they have a need. What we need from you is a doctor's order/care plan, that needs to be signed by the doctor and by you as the parent. Parents then need to bring in medication to the school and we have trained staff that are able to administer medications. If you have any questions please call the district nurse at 970-285-5707

Find information about G16's Health Services by clicking the link below. Information includes: recommended immunizations, what to do if your student needs medication at school or has a severe allergy, and vision and hearing screenings by grade.

Garfield 16 is excited to participate in the Healthy School Meals for All program approved by Colorado voters, which provides all students in our district with access to free, nutritious breakfast and lunch.

Just like in previous years, families should continue to provide their household income information by filling out the Free/Reduced Meals Application. While meals will be provided for free to all students in participating schools, it's important to continue gathering this information in order to receive full access to federal funding, which goes directly back to schools to help cover the cost of meals and support after school and other nutritional programs.

Thank you for your support in helping maximize federal funding for our district and schools.

Healthy School meals for all cde webpage resources

If you need to contact transportation for any reason, including a missing student, please call the Transportation Office at the number below:

Office: 970-285-5701 ext. 5133

The school bus is an extension of the school building. All of the rules and expectations in school apply while riding a school bus or waiting at a bus stop.

1. Students should be at the bus stop 5 minutes before the scheduled pick up time.

2. Students should enter the bus and immediately sit in the seat.

3. Students must remain seated at all times. This is to ensure the safety of all students in case of a sudden stop, and standing is distracting to the driver.

4. Students must keep their hands and heads in the bus at all times.

5. Students should keep the bus aisle clear at all times.

6. Students should use indoor voices while riding the bus. Shouting and load noises are not allowed.

7. Students are not allowed to eat or drink on the bus.

8. Students must follow the directions of the bus driver and bus monitor at all times, without exception.

9. Students should collect any trash they have and throw it into the trash can when exiting the bus.

10. Kindergarten and first grade students must be met at the bus stop by a responsible adult to exit the bus. If a responsible adult is not at the bus stop, the students will be returned to the Center for Family Learning for the parent/guardian to pick up the student.

Teens are invited to the Parachute Branch Library from 2 to 4 p.m. on Mondays in March to take some great books and make the covers even better through the magic of bedazzling. All supplies will be provided during this 5-week workshop, but you are welcome to bring your own book(s) to bedazzle It’s free and open to all teens. For more information call the library at 970-285-9870.

Young children and their accompanying adults are invited to the Parachute Branch Library every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. for stories, activities, and music with friends! It's free and open to all. For more information call 970-285-9870.

Find information about rental counseling, prepare to buy a home, receive pre-purchase counseling, find help with closing costs, reverse mortgage counseling, financial counseling, help for those facing foreclosure, and help with home repairs. **

**Garfield County School District #16 is not responsible for, and does not endorse, any statement, sentiment, or opinion published or expressed in this document. This document is not part of, and has not been distributed as part of the District's curricular or extracurricular programs.