Ignacio School District is partnering with the La Plata County Sheriff's Office to re-introduce a K-9 detection program aimed at maintaining a safe and secure learning environment. This initiative will be piloted during the fourth quarter of the current school year.As part of the program, a trained K-9 unit will conduct periodic visits to school campuses to assist in detecting prohibited substances. These searches will be conducted in common areas, hallways, lockers, parking lots, and other school district properties to ensure a drug-free and safe space for students and staff.We are excited to be working alongside local law enforcement in this proactive effort.  This partnership underscores our commitment to the safety and well-being of our students and the importance of a healthy school environment.The Ignacio School District, the La Plata County Sheriff's Office, the Ignacio Police Department, and the Southern Ute Police Department are dedicated to educating students about the significance of a drug-free lifestyle while fostering a culture of safety and accountability.For more information about this initiative, please contact Christopher deKay, (970) 563-0500.

V.I.P. (Very Important Parent) awards go to … Carlie Hight, Pedro & Rose Vigil, Ellen Baker and Leila Baker at the IES Rise and Shine Assembly held Tuesday, Nov. 2.

As we approach the end of the first semester, Ignacio High School has much to celebrate and look forward to. Here are some highlights from this semester and our plans for the next. 

The Career and Technical Education (CTE) program has been bustling with activity. One of the biggest projects currently underway is the construction of a chicken coop and pump house shed by Ms. Klinger’s Agricultural and Mrs. Turner’s Wood Manufacturing classes. These structures are expected to be operational by spring, marking a significant milestone for the program. Additionally, six students recently attended the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Ind. The convention, held at Lucas Oil Stadium, drew over 71,000 FFA members and included tours of various agricultural operations. This experience was invaluable for our students, offering them a unique glimpse into the world of agriculture. 

Mrs. Turner’s program is also contributing to the community by finishing three playhouses for the Ignacio Early Learning Program and Ignacio Elementary School. Moreover, Woods 1 students have embarked on their OSHA 10 training, while two advanced students are pursuing their OSHA 30 certifications. In a significant boost to safety and industrial hygiene, the program was awarded an $8,000 AWI Education Foundation Grant for the second consecutive year, enabling the purchase of industry-grade equipment to enhance air quality and dust control in the shop. The Middle School CTE Exploration class for 8th graders is also in its second rotation, receiving positive feedback from participants. 

A recent field trip to the Hubbell Trading Post, Canyon de Chelly, and Aztec Ruins organized by Mr. Trejo and Ms. Gruber proved to be an enriching educational experience. At the Hubbell Trading Post, 13 students delved into the history of Navajo weaving, practicing traditional techniques on authentic looms under the guidance of a skilled Navajo weaver. This hands-on experience aligned with Colorado state educational standards, allowing students to demonstrate their ability to evaluate, design, and create textiles while reflecting on their cultural contexts. The visits to Canyon de Chelly and Aztec Ruins offered students the opportunity to connect historical and geographical knowledge, studying the adaptive strategies of ancestral Pueblo peoples and the impact of human-environment interactions. This interdisciplinary trip, involving the Fashion Design and Native/Southwest Studies departments, fostered a deeper appreciation for Indigenous contributions and cultural relationships. 

The performing arts department has also been active. The band and choir held their first concert of the year in October, showcasing the significant growth of our music program under the direction of Mr. Perrotti and Ms. Walker. Their exceptional leadership has instilled a passion for music in our students. The next concert is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 12 at 6:30 p.m., featuring a combined performance with the drama department led by Ms. Farrow. If you haven’t attended a performance this semester, there will be several opportunities next semester. 

Our student senate, led by Mr. Gillin, successfully organized this year’s Homecoming celebration. The Senate is now planning the Snow-Coming festivities for February, with a primary goal of increasing school spirit through various activities, including multiple pep rallies throughout the year. 

Looking ahead to the next semester, we are excited to announce that our students will be attending the La Plata County Futures Fair. This event will connect students with professionals from diverse fields such as nursing, hospitality, trades, outdoor adventure guiding, parks and wildlife management, clean energy, emergency response services, and the arts. The fair aims to foster meaningful interactions between students and industry partners, providing valuable insights into potential career paths. 

We are incredibly proud of the hard work our students have put into their studies and the dedication of our staff. As we move into the second half of the year, we remain committed to supporting our students and families in every way possible. Have a wonderful holiday season, and as always, please contact the school with any questions or concerns. Thank you for your continued support.

Ignacio Middle School (IMS) has had an excellent start to the 2024/2025 school year and a productive first quarter. At the beginning of the year, we celebrated our growth in CMAS, hosted a Family Science Night, and held our first Pep Assembly. Students with a GPA of 3.5 or higher enjoyed an Honor Roll Breakfast, and we conducted our first quarter Character Counts assembly. Additionally, we organized our first in-school dance, which was one of the best ever, welcomed the Navajo Magician, Brian Yazzie, and enjoyed a Rosie the Riveter performance through Colorado Humanities. These past 13 weeks have been incredibly busy and fulfilling. 

Our volleyball season was a success, with 34 girls participating and the A team finishing their regular season with a record of 9-1. In football, 36 boys participated, and we secured third place in our league. Our cross-country team had seven athletes, many of whom improved their personal records by the end of the season. We are currently in the Boys Basketball season with 30 athletes participating. 

With the implementation of a four-day school week, our district aims to enhance family time and engagement while maintaining a strong focus on academics during school hours. Our school day begins at 7:50 a.m. with core classes for 6th and 7th graders, while 8th graders participate in high school Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, including Band, during their first hour at the high school. This collaboration between buildings provides our students with valuable exposure to various CTE pathways. We are also pleased to offer Band classes for our 5th grade elementary students and Choir for our middle school students, enriching our arts programs and supporting student engagement. The school day concludes at 4:05 p.m., and on game days, events will start at 4:30 p.m. to ensure a safe environment for clearing the building and allowing parents in after 4:15 p.m. 

Ignacio Middle School is actively seeking parents, guardians, and community volunteers to join the Building Accountability Committee. This committee meets on the first Monday of each month at 4 p.m., with the next meeting scheduled for Monday, Dec. 2 at the middle school. The committee serves as an advisory group, providing opportunities for input from parents, volunteers, and community members to support student needs and learning. For more information, please contact Dayna at [email protected]. 

IMS students are also preparing for Literacy Night, which will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 6:30 p.m. Additionally, we are gearing up for our school-wide Science Fair in December, where all students should be researching, testing their hypotheses, and preparing to present their findings to judges on Wednesday, Dec. 18.  

We are thankful for the many opportunities our little community has for students. We are proud Bobcats! 

Courtesy of the Southern Ute Drum

As the fall colors come and go, Ignacio Elementary continues to rock this year! The school had a great positive start to the year. We welcomed some new faces that you will see around campus.  

Jennifer Wittrup is teaching 3rd grade this year. She has taught school, mostly in 3rd grade, for 28 plus years! Most of her teaching career was in Indiana. She taught for a short time in Wyoming before moving to Southwest Colorado. She is certified in trauma-informed practices. We are lucky to have a teacher with experience join our staff.  

Ashika Wagner is teaching 1st grade this year. Wagner completed her student teaching experience last year in a kindergarten classroom at IES. She has moved to the community and is doing a great job in her classroom. She got her degree at Fort Lewis College last May.  

Emily Hartley is teaching 3rd grade this year. She also came to us from Fort Lewis College. She is enthusiastic and is doing awesome things with her class. She has built working relationships with her students and loves watching them learn.  

Nicole Margeson is teaching SPED this year to grades 3-5. Nicole has taught for 12 plus years in Southwest Colorado in both Cortez and Dolores. She moved with her husband to Bayfield over the summer and joined our staff. This is her first-year teaching SPED. She is enjoying learning about SPED and working with students to improve math and reading skills.  

Amy Vezeau is a paraprofessional in our SPED department. She was a substitute all last year in the Ignacio Schools and decided to join us full-time. She has built great relationships with the students she helps. We are lucky to have her working with our students.  

Min Luna is a Paraprofessional in our SPED department. She joins us from Chicago, Ill. She has some experience working with preschool students in Chicago. We are excited and happy she moved to Southwest Colorado and has joined our Bobcat Family.  

Aundrea Herrera is a Paraprofessional in our kindergarten classes. She is a lifelong Bobcat! Aundrea graduated from Ignacio High School last May and is taking college classes online to be a teacher someday. We are excited to have her working in the schools and gaining experience towards being a future teacher.  

2024-2025 Performance Rankings: Each year the Colorado Department of Education ranks schools based on the CMAS scores (grades 3-5). Last year at this time we were rated as a school in Priority Improvement (among the lowest-performing schools in the state). Over the school year, we ensured all students had high-quality teachers, put common behavior expectations in place, and worked with grade-level teachers to ensure students were learning and growing academically and emotionally. Teachers met weekly to plan lessons and look at student work to ensure they were learning what was taught to them. Our efforts paid off! Our students grew an average of over 55 percentile in both reading and math. This equates to more than a year’s growth. Some classes grew in the 70 percentile!  We expected to move up in ranking from the CDE. We moved two levels to the top schools. For the 2024-2025 school year, Ignacio Elementary School is rated a Performing School. We still have room to grow and will continue this year.  

This year’s initiatives include Habits of Discussion. This will help our students improve their communication and critical thinking skills. Some of the skills they are working on is to always answer any question in complete sentences, both with oral and written tasks, and giving reasons for their answers based on evidence from the reading or math problems. Parents can help at home by asking students to answer in complete sentences anytime you ask them a question. For example, if you ask them what they would like to watch on TV, have them answer in a complete sentence and give a reason why they picked that show.  

We continue to infuse fun activities for students this year to help keep our learning climate a fun place to be. This includes your Rise and Shine pep assemblies, the AR reading Point Clubs where students can earn pizza parties and trips to Fly High but earning points in AR reading, the NED Show, the Navajo Magician (coming in November), and a schoolwide Read-A-Thon in November. We also have a friendly competition for which classes are reading the most words each week. This has motivated the students to have read over five million words so far this year. We have also recognized over 250 students for going beyond our expectations and being Six Pillar Bobcats. Next week the whole school will be working in homeroom classes to solve a mystery similar to the game CLUE.  

I invite anyone to come visit the school to see all the great things happening at the school this year. It is a great year in Bobcat Country.

In our ongoing commitment to providing healthy and delicious meals for our students, the Ignacio School District’s food service team recently took a field trip to Kerrigan’s Farm, where they picked up fresh roasted green chiles! This exciting initiative not only supports local agriculture, but also enriches our students’ dining experience with fresh, vibrant flavors. 

After returning to the kitchen, our dedicated team cleaned and prepared the chiles, transforming them into a homemade sauce that perfectly complements our meals. They also thoughtfully bagged and froze the remaining chiles, ensuring that we can incorporate this local goodness into future dishes. 

Last week, our students were treated to delicious homemade bean and cheese burritos topped with the freshly made green chile sauce. The smiles on their faces said it all! 

Our food service team works tirelessly throughout the school year to create nutritious, tasty meals that fuel our students for success. By using fresh, locally sourced ingredients, we are not only promoting healthy eating habits, but also fostering a connection to our community. 

We’re proud of our food service team and their efforts to provide the best for our students. Thank you for supporting our mission to serve great meals and for encouraging our young learners to appreciate wholesome, local foods!