The Beak February 2016
Congratulations to Mr. Hills!
As part of a way to give back to the community and part of CIVA’s Art Outreach program, the fine arts department contacted Andrew Jackson Elementary earlier in the fall expressing interest in doing a mural on their property. They happily accepted. The only challenge was funding this project. Majority of the budget at CIVA high school went to immediate art supplies, however not much was left for extra supplies for creating a mural such as: paint brushes, variety of paints and sealants, student transportation, etc. would be necessary for this project to get started. In January the Art department was awarded $500 to go towards the mural project. The only thing left to do is schedule a time that this mural can be completed. Ideally the project will be completed during the summer of 2016 when students have some time off from their rigorous schedules in order to provide community service to the schools in the Colorado Springs area. A.P. studio art students will most likely be chosen to work on the project as this helps build their portfolio for the spring examination and portfolio review. It is also a great way for students to get community service hours before graduating. Regardless of what drives the student to complete the project, we are all very excited to start this endeavor!!!
Information Night
Please join us at our annual information night February 17th at 7:00 pm at CIVA. This is a great opportunity to see what CIVA is all about. Questions will be answered, staff will be on hand and a building tour will be available.
Mrs. Hills Testifies!
On January 28th, our beloved Mrs. Hills joined Hope Bryer, an alumni from 2015, to testify on behalf of a financial literacy bill at the State Capital. We are very proud of our alumni remaining actively involved in their community and we thank Mrs. Hills for providing our students with such a valuable course and being recognized for her efforts at the legislative level.
Upcoming Season of Testing
The Colorado Department of Education has updated the testing requirements for the spring of 2016. They have significantly reduced the total number of hours required for assessments, while still ensuring students are thoroughly able to demonstrate their academic skills. We look forward to having our students demonstrate how much they have learned and grown over the past year. It is very important that we all work together at this time to support our students in this process. The CMAS testing window will start for 9th graders on March 15; the testing has been reduced to just six hours. Sophomores’ state wide will now take the PSAT exam on April 19th; this too is a reduction to just three hours of testing. This exam will provide the teachers, students and parents with valuable information on their college readiness. Juniors this spring will take the ACT for the last time on April 19th. Next year the State is switching over to the SAT for juniors; which tests more critical thinking and problem solving skills. Juniors will also be completing the three hour CMAS Science test starting April 11th. Seniors will no longer take any exams.
CIVA is in agreement with the State requirements and we appreciate their mindfulness in making changes to better serve the students. We are fortunate to live in Colorado where the State pays for the ACT and SAT exam, which is commonly required for college admission. We ask for your support by ensuring the students are here on time and well rested for these important opportunities. Each school in Colorado is evaluated on how well their students perform on these assessments. It is crucial to have maximum participation, as the school is also evaluated on participation rates. If for some reason a parent would like to not participate in these valuable exams, we request that you fill out a request to opt out form in the main office prior to the administration of the exams.
Booster Club Chipotle Fundraiser
The date for the fundraiser has been changed to Wednesday, February 10th. Make dinner a selfless act by joining the Booster Club at Chipotle at 5102 N. Nevada Ave between 4:00pm and 8:00pm. Bring in the flyer, show it on your smartphone or tell the cashier you're supporting the CIVA Booster Club. 50% of the proceeds will be donated to CIVA Booster Club.
Upcoming Events
Senior Panels - March 15, 16 & 17
CMAS testing - March 15-17
Spring Break - March 21-25
CMAS testing - March 29-31