DHS to split into communities

Durango High School will be doing a little downsizing next school year. After nearly three years of study, debate and deliberation, the school will enroll its 9th and 10th-grade students in small learning communities this fall. DHS expects to see reduced drop-out rates, an increase in the graduation rate, higher student success and a happier, more connected school community.

“We’ve decided as a school to change the way we work with our students,” said DHS Principal Diane Lashinsky. “We’ve agreed to be collectively responsible for each student graduating from Durango High School, and to do that, we have agreed to work together in small learning communities beginning with next year’s 9th and 10th-graders.”

 The structural change is the most significant since the high school started the trimester system in 2002-03, and it comes after more than two years of study. Research has demonstrated that smaller learning communities increase student achievement, because students have greater opportunities to develop relationships with their teachers and their peers. Students who feel connected to their school communities are less likely to drop out and are more likely to be invested in their own learning. And when students are invested in their learning, performance improves.

Starting next fall, the high school will divide the 800 students in the ninth and 10th-graders into four smaller groups of 200 students each. Each group of students will be assigned to teams of eight to 10 teachers who will teach core classes in English, math, science and social studies. Core teachers for each learning community will share responsibility for the success of their 200 students.

The small-learning-community model will allow the high school to assign students to the same content-area teacher from trimester to trimester to provide students with more continuity in instruction and with greater opportunities to build relationships with their teachers. “Teachers can become critical friends and coaches to their students when they spend more than 12 weeks of a single trimester in a learning partnership,” Lashinsky said. “Strong student-teacher relationships are critical to student achievement.”

With the high school’s current structure and scheduling practices, a student could be assigned to as many as 15 different teachers – five new teachers every trimester – during the course of the year.

While teachers have agreed to restructure the ninth- and 10th-grade classes next year, much work remains, said Lashinsky. Teachers have been assigned to work groups to determine how honors programs and special education students will be incorporated into the smaller learning communities; what additional transition strategies will be adopted to ensure that ninth-graders are successful their first year; what regular and advisory schedules will look like; whether the high school will need to schedule a second lunch hour; and what additional professional development teachers will need to work successfully in small learning communities.

Gov. honors local Historical Society

The landmark structure, constructed of native sandstone, is the oldest remaining school building in the Durango area and has been the home of the Animas Museum since 1978. It is also the last public building remaining from the former town of Animas City, which was annexed to Durango in 1948. Three generations of students attended the school from 1905-1967, including Animas Museum Director Robert McDaniel.

The original hipped roof, with a rear gable and bell tower, had been replaced with a flat roof following the fire. After the school closed in 1967, the building was neglected and the roof was in danger of collapse from heavy snows.

“When the La Plata County Historical Society started restoring the building in 1978, it was trashed,” said McDaniel, who oversaw the restoration work. “It basically took us 30 years to restore it, with the roof reconstruction being the final major project.”

State Historical Fund grants have contributed more than half the funding – upwards of  $450,000 – for the Animas City School’s restoration, rehabilitation and reconstruction. The historic building’s architecture once again features a hipped roof with gables, dormers and a bell cupola.

“Restoring this landmark has been a massive project that could not have been completed without the help of the State Historical Fund, the commitment of our small group of people and the support of the community,” said McDaniel.

The historic building retains its role as an educational beacon in the Durango community. The Animas Museum provides exhibits, lecture series, historical tours and publications that bring history alive for adults and children.

Ride the Rockies set to return

Two thousand cyclists will descend on Durango in just a few months. The 23rd annual Ride the Rockies, the yearly bike tour of Colorado’s mountains, will get its start in Durango this year.

This year, Ride the Rockies will cover 435 miles over seven days, and the ride will begin on Main Avenue on June 15. From Durango, the tour will make its way north to Breckenridge via Crested Butte. Along the way, Ride the Rockies also makes a valuable contribution to nonprofits, returning 100 percent of proceeds to Colorado causes, a role cherished by the tour’s new director, Chandler Smith. This year, Smith plans to increase awareness of the charitable components of the event.

“Ride the Rockies has made a significant impact on nonprofit organizations throughout the state,” he said. “With the proceeds from Ride the Rockies … we support Denver-area nonprofits that provide literacy programs and services for low-income youth. Fund- raising and grant-making is a significant component of the tour and one that should be highlighted and celebrated.”

Cyclists can still register for the event online or submit a mail-in application available in The Denver Post. The 2,000 participants will be selected at random from all applications received by Feb. 22. For more information, visit www.ridetherockies.com.

Animas River Trail reopens

The wait is over for Durangoans who commute and recreate on the Animas River Trail. The section of trail between Rotary Park and the Durango High School has been reconstructed and is now open for public use.

The section is located behind the new Durango Public Library and was closed late last summer to facilitate utility work, site improvements and trail improvements associated with the new library. Now, the reconstructed section of trail has been widened, moved away from the D&SNGRR tracks and will provide a direct connection to the new library.  

A few final touches remain before the trail is fully complete, however. Earthwork and final touch-ups along the trail will be completed as warmer temperatures permit.

–Will Sands