A probable COVID-19 case has been indentified at Columbia Elementary School in Colorado Springs School District 11. Each case of COVID-19 is reviewed by El Paso County Public Health and the school district. As part of this public health investigation:

• The person presumed to have a positive COVID-19 case is being kept home from school until they are no longer infectious.
• The person's mask use, social distancing, and activities while infections were assesed.
• The people who were close contacts of the person with the probable COVID-19 case are instructed to stay home from school for 14 days after the exposure. This is called quarantine.

Due to the large number of staff members who are required to quarantine as a result of the presumptive positive case, Columbia Elementary will move to remote learning starting tomorrow, Tuesday, October 20 and will remain on a remote learning status until the end of the day on Thursday, October 29th. There is no school for students district-wide on Friday, October 30 due to parent-teacher conferences, so Columbia students will return to in-person learning on Monday, November 2. 

In an effort to remain transparent with our community, the Colorado Springs School District 11 announces a new COVID reporting dashboard located at www.d11.org (click on the View daily COVID-19 case data on our new Interactive Dashboard link). On the dashboard, families, students, staff and community members may see the total confirmed cases, cases by grade level, locations with confirmed cases, and whether a school is currently on an in-peson, remote, or partially in-person status. 

Link: https://www.d11.org/coviddashboard 

Contact: Don Knapp

Email: dknapp@d49.org

October 16, 2020

Pikes Peak School of Expeditionary Learning Named One of the 2020 Best Small & Medium Workplaces™ by Great Place to Work® and Fortune

Falcon, CO – Great Place to Work® and Fortune have honored Pikes Peak School of Expeditionary Learning (PPSEL), a D49 charter school, as one of the 2020 Best Small & Medium Workplaces™. PPSEL is the only Colorado-based company to be listed in the top 50 workplaces. The ranking is based on confidential survey feedback representing more than 189,000 employees working at small- and medium-sized businesses in the United States.

Great Place to Work, a global people analytics and company culture research firm, evaluated more than 60 elements of team members’ experience on the job. These included the extent to which employees trust leaders, the respect with which people are treated, the fairness of workplace decisions, and how much camaraderie there is among the team. 

Rankings are based on employees’ feedback and they reward companies that best include all employees, no matter who they are or what they do for the organization.

Speaking of this award, Executive Director, Don Knapp, said, “I am proud to have Pikes Peak School of Expeditionary Learning recognized as a great place to work. Using a strength-based leadership style, we work to value each person as an individual, whether that is a staff member, a student or a family member from our community. These qualities have been especially important during the COVID-19. Relational trust and open communication have helped the school thrive despite the obstacles in front of us.”

The Best Small & Medium Workplaces stand out for exceling in one of the nation’s most competitive marketplaces. PPSEL is proud to be a company where everyone who comes into the building is working toward one goal.  Employees collaborate, support each other, and enjoy working together.

“Best Workplaces like PPSEL have built dynamic, flexible, and transparent workplaces founded on trust,” said Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work. “This gives companies on this list a powerful opportunity not just to do well for their people, but also to do well for their businesses.”

The Best Small & Medium Workplaces list is one of a series of rankings by Great Place to Work and Fortune based on employee feedback from Great Place to Work-Certified™ organizations. PPSEL also was ranked as a Best Workplace for 2020-2021 by Great Place to Work and Fortune.

About Pikes Peak School of Expeditionary Learning (PPSEL):

Founded in 2000, PPSEL is a public charter in School District 49 that serves students from preschool-8th grade. Located in Falcon, Colorado, the school is at capacity with 430 students. The core values and school philosophy reflect the adoption of the Expeditionary Learning school model that was developed at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Project-based learning develops connections between curriculum and real-life concepts while promoting active, hands-on participation by all learners.

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Don Knapp at dknapp@d49.org