Healing our inner child is a concept that most of us are familiar with, unique to each person’s perspective. For me, this looked like running to Prospect Valley Elementary School, followed by sitting under the big cottonwood tree that overlooked the playground and field. I caught myself several times engulfed with nostalgia, recovering lost memories
Back in the 1960s, the British Prime Minister was asked what the greatest challenge is for a statesman. His famous reply has been repeated many times: “Events, dear boy, events.” In my remarks to this year’s graduates, I’ve said that In August 2019, they started high school with the same hopes, dreams and fears as
The invitation read “Reimagining High School.” The description was too enticing to refuse. We’ve spent years complaining about our public education and here was an opportunity to be part of the conversation. It’s really the only way you’re granted an official permission to complain. It’s a snowy Saturday morning and I’m headed to the Jeffco
The Neighborhood Gazette, in an attempt to do a meaningful story about the bond project at Wheat Ridge High School, has stumbled upon some questions that remain yet to be answered. A Feb. 13 tour of “The Farm” revealed some troubling issues within the walls of a building that should be considered one of the
Let me introduce myself. I’m Susan Miller, and I represent District Four on the Jefferson County Board of Education. So why am I here writing about Wheat Ridge? Because I’m a fiercely proud mom of four Farmer graduates. We choiced our first child into Wheat Ridge High School back in 2010, when Griff Wirth and
The long-overdue facelift of Wheat Ridge High School is finally about to happen. The heart of the community since it was built in 1957, its face is largely unchanged since that time. The bond money voted in years ago is being put to use at last, with the final project expected to be completed by
When it comes to our children and the immunizations they are required to have when enrolling in school, Colorado ranks last in the United States with low rates of immunization. We’re not talking about the COVID shots but the ones that keep you from getting the measles, mumps, polio, chicken pox and pertussis. The kind
In its usual thoughtful way, Wheat Ridge High School organized a two-day event where professionals in the community were invited to speak to high school students about their careers, occupations and jobs. All in hopes that it would answer questions, clear the way and help form a path as they studied toward graduating with a
Wheat Ridge high school is proud to welcome Brandon Wilkes to the Physical Education team and coaching staff for the Farmers Football team. The Wilkes family rolled into Wheat Ridge on July 30 of this year. At the time the family consisted of Brandon, his wife Jessica, Bennett (who is currently a sophomore at Wheat
Jane Johnson, coordinator of the Career Explore program at Wheat Ridge High School, is particularly proud of her high school graduates who nearly dropped out before enrolling in Career Explore. “Many were not on track to graduate. We keep them in school by addressing their interests and helping them gain career readiness before they graduate.”
The Denver school board had a list of schools to be shut down due to not meeting the minimum criteria set in their closure study. It started with 19 schools, down to 10 and then five. After further community pressure, that list was further reduced to two schools, only to be reduced to zero the
I’m the proud father of four WRHS Farmers. I served as the Chair and CoChair of the WRHS School Accountability Committee for five years, and have watched the interaction between Jeffco Public Schools and Wheat Ridge for a decade. Like many, I’m outraged by the proposal to close three WR elementary schools after millions in
Dear Editor, From the moment you are greeted by Ms. Siddoway you are embraced with warmth, kindness, love and passion. After 18 years of being a teacher at Kullerstrand Elementary, her passion for teaching continues to grow. My son had Ms. Siddoway for first grade, he started her class as a remote student in August
“I don’t teach fake anything,” says Bill Gold, social studies teacher at Everitt Middle School. While at Everitt, he’s taught all eighth-graders U. S. history almost every year. This year, Gold is teaching three eighth-grade classes with 30 students each and, due to declining enrollment in the Everitt school neighborhood, two sixth-grade classes. Books stuffed
Kullerstrand, Vivian and Wilmore Davis are among 16 Jefferson County elementary schools that are recommended for closure next year, according to a report from the Jeffco Public Schools Superintendent Tracy Dorland at a special meeting of the Board of Education, Aug. 25. The board will vote on the proposed recommendation on Nov. 10, following a
There was a time where you moved to a neighborhood and your parents would look for the nearest school and that’s where you would go. Schools were about pure education. Teaching you to write, to read and various levels of math. When families started tuning in closer to what motivated their children, they began shopping
“I love teaching because every day there’s something new,” said Janelle Jerman, a music teacher at Prospect Valley Elementary in Wheat Ridge since 2002. “Teaching the younger kids is great because they love you no matter what,” she said. “And they’re not as self-conscious as older kids. So we can do things like dance and
“Wheat Ridge High School is a special place.” These are the words I heard over and over again during my first month as principal on The Farm. Students, parents, staff, alumni and community members all said the same thing. To be honest, I was hesitant to believe a place could be so special. I mean,
On Wednesday, May 18, second grade students at Stevens Elementary started summer early by taking home a brand new bike and bike helmet, custom fit to them! Local nonprofit Wish for Wheels, founded in 2004 by Brad Appel, treated approximately 50 second graders to new “Stevens blue” Huffy bikes. Each student got to choose a
My heart is full as I write to you for the final time as your community superintendent. I head into retirement with immense pride. Each year I see the joy of our graduating students and their loved ones at the Wheat Ridge High School graduation. Every student who walks across that stage is a success
“With great power comes great responsibility.” Thanks primarily to Spider-Man, this is an expression we have all heard countless times. Nowhere is it more true than at Alpine Valley School, a small private school in Wheat Ridge that practices the Sudbury model of education. The power that students wield at our school – the ability
Learning in Jeffco changes more every year and Everitt Middle School is keeping pace. There is a new class offered at Everitt this year. Angela Neve just began an elective course called Service Learning. “This is the second semester at Everitt for the class… I have high hopes for its continued success. This experience is
When I was hired into the position of principal at Stevens Elementary in the spring of 2017, I honestly jumped for joy. I knew that serving this community would be a life-changing experience, and it definitely has been! The last five years have gone by so quickly, and my heart is full of treasured memories
NASA astronaut Raja Chari fielded space exploration questions from Wheat Ridge High School students during a NASA-TV live broadcast from the International Space Station the morning of Feb. 18. During an assembly in the school’s auditorium that morning, students and guests watched the broadcast after a brief FAQ presentation and remarks by Congressman Ed Perlmutter,
