Bayfield School District

Dance and Cheer Show Spirit at State

The Denver Coliseum was brimming with dance and cheer teams, dressed in bright uniforms, when the Colorado state dance and cheer competition kicked off on Saturday, December 7th. BHS dance and cheer teams both competed, and both agree that their performance was their best ever. The cheer team placed 16th in the 3A category. They didn't drop a single stunt. The dance team placed 2nd, bringing home the first dance trophy BHS has seen, to be proudly displayed in a cabinet at the front of the school. 

Anti-Bullying Campaign for Fifth Graders

The BHS FOR Club (Friends of Rachel Club) held an anti-bullying presentation for the fifth grade students at the elementary school on Thursday November 21. It lasted an hour and involved teaching the kids what bullying is and having them participate in interactive activities in an effort to make them more aware of just how dangerous bullying can be. The kids were told to crumple up a piece of paper and then say sorry to it; it was a metaphor to teach them that although one might apologize to someone after bullying them, he or she may still experience damage after the incident(s) and never be the same again. It was a good lesson for the kids to learn the consequences and repercussions of bullying. At the end of the presentation an anti-bullying video made by FOR Club member, Connor Kennedy, was shown to the fifth graders to make them understand the importance of kindness, especially in school. The kids were also presented with a challenge that will last until January; the students will post Sticky Notes on a designated wall saying thank you to others for representing kindness around school. The incentive is if they get five hundred sticky notes they will receive cookies and if they get a thousand they will get hot chocolate and cookies. 

Amy Roach, Media Relations Intern, BSD                            

BSD Welcomes New School Board Members

At a meeting on November 18th, the Bayfield Board of Education gave the Oath of Office to Carol Blatnick, Daniele Hillyer and Tim Stumpf, who were elected in early November. They join Janie Hoover and Levi Mead to make up the board. Officers were also selected at the meeting; Tim Stumpf is the new president, Carol Blatnick vice president, and Janie Hoover is secretary/treasurer. 

Mr. Stumpf is extremely hopeful for the future of the school board. The Strategic Plan that the school board crafted in 2011 and 2012 will serve as a roadmap, and the board plans to lead these initiatives while keeping a permanent focus on student growth and achievement. 

The board is also grateful to Don Mooney and Barbara Wickman, who served on the school board for six and ten years, respectively. Their incredible contributions and the contributions of many others over the last decade have greatly benefitted the district. 

Meet New BHS Staff: Josh Walton

One of the many new members to Bayfield High School's staff is Josh Walton, teaching in the science department. He was born in Durango, Colorado and grew up Mancos, Colorado, attending Mancos High School. Through his high school career, he played football, basketball, and ran track. Attending Fort Lewis College, he majored in General Biology and Environmental Biology.He spent time researching the bird population after the Missionary Ridge fire that happened in 2003 and worked for the Division of Wildlife with the Colorado River Watch. Afterwards, he worked in the Wolf Education Research center, living an insulated wall tent during the winter of 2004 for five months; he took care of five wolves during that time. After over a year of living in a tent, he went back to Fort Lewis and attained his teaching license. He student taught at Bayfield Middle School and was assistant coach for the track team during his time there. He taught science at Cortez High school for five years, coaching track and one year of basketball. This is his first year teaching at Bayfield High School and is the head coach for the cross country team. He enjoys hiking, fishing, biking, running and camping. He had an exciting season with the cross country team and is having a very successful time teaching in Bayfield High School's science department this year. 

Amy Roach,  Media Relations Intern, BSD

Lego League

The First Lego League is a program and class offered to students at the Bayfield Middle School. It is available to students 9-16 years old and introduces kids into the exploration of technology and science. It prepares them with skills to handle real life problems. Each fall, the team is presented with a unique challenge which is based upon real world issues in the field of science and engineering.

This year's challenge is the Robot Game and the Project. The competition is entitled, "Nature's Fury". In the Robot Game, the team will work together to contrive and create robots using LEGO MINDSTORMS technology. The robots are built to perform certain tasks that correspond to everyday world issues. The Project includes researching a specific world problem and designing an innovative solution to that issue. 

Jessica Robbins, Abby Sporl, and Kami Larsen are Bayfield's Lego League coaches and they are very excited for this year's challenge. The competition is on November 9th at Animas Elementary School and is open to the public. "75% of my kids already know how to do it, so we're going to have a really strong force in competition. Kids that do the First Lego League are three times more likely to have a career in engineering, obtain a masters degree, and to become a community leader," says Robbins.  In the final weeks prior to the competition students are learning the expectation rubrics for the competition and putting the final touches on their projects.

Amy Roach,  Media Relations Intern, BSD

Teachers Develop Grading Standards

Elementary school teachers met on September 25th to work on their rubrics in an "Inter-Rater Reliability" exercise. Groups from each grade level met, and each teacher scored the same piece of writing using the same rubric. The rubrics were specifically designed for each grade level. This way they could find discrepancies in their grading and discuss whether any changes needed to be made to the rubric to make it clearer, more accurate, and appropriate for the grade level. 

Wolverine Pride

In an effort to promote a positive, safe, and respectful environment at Bayfield High School, Mr. Lehnus,  the new dean of students, has created a program called  Wolverine Pride.  Students who go out of their way to demonstrate kindness and compassion for one another are simply being recognized for their effort. They are rewarded with a piece of candy and a note that states: WOLVERINE PRIDE Thanks for contributing to Wolverine Pride . "Although it is a small gesture, it is part of a bigger idea and will hopefully grow into something more," Mr. Lehnus states. The teachers are also involved, they are constantly keeping an eye out for the acts of kindness displayed in not only in the classroom, but the entire school.  

The small acts of compassion make all the difference in the overall culture of Bayfield High School. This positive behavior intervention will reward students weekly, making them aware that their acts of kindness are immensely appreciated and noticed. Wolverine Pride will greatly influence the environment of the school, making it a more positive and healthier culture for everyone.