Despite the harsh weather, scores of parents and community members reached out to the Jeffco School Board during public comment to express their hope and trust in the district to stand by LGBTQ+ students by upholding the district’s JB-R policy, in addition to supporting Colorado House Bills 1039 and 1323. The March 14 meeting was
The first Jefferson County School Board meeting of the new year and the second meeting of the newly-elected board on Jan. 18 devoted most of the evening to awards and recognitions, before summarily approving 24 items as part of the consent agenda without discussion. Items in the consent agenda included approval of 18 acres of
On the evening of Dec. 6, I pulled onto Independence Street, heading to Peak Expeditionary School’s Festivus Celebration. Midway up the road, cars were lining the sidewalks, and as I turned into the school’s driveway, the parking lot was completely full. Having gone to Pennington Elementary (now Peak) myself and having kiddos there since 2015,
The Jeffco Schools consolidation process has been, simply put, tough. The merged school populations are working hard to make the best of a challenging situation but the loss of culture and community is draining for students, families and staff. The school district branded the closure process “Regional Opportunities for Thriving Schools” but I have talked
It’s been years since our kids attended school, and yet we are so happy when we run into parents we met at pick up and drop off, PTA activities and more, all those years ago. Recently Brenda Reitz had organized a meet up for parents whose children attended Prospect Valley. It was great to reunite
Each phase of my education has provided several building blocks to the foundation of the person that I am today. As a college student, I often reflect and refer to these building blocks to better assess academic and personal matters. While I learned many useful lessons that I will continue to carry with me, I
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
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
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
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
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
Someday, historians will look back on March 2020, and the years following, examining the way in which the world responded to an unimaginable global crisis. Toilet paper disappeared overnight, liquor stores hit an all-time high for sales, and schools closed. Historians will critically analyze how we as educators reacted to this unprecedented interruption to education. What will
For many families with school age children, it’s enrollment time of the year again. And while for many it will just be a repeat action, we are seeing more parents considering new options. It wasn’t that long ago that families found themselves needing to create a classroom environment in their own homes – competing, of
