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All Local, All The Time
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Facing significant enrollment challenges, Heatherwood Elementary School has unveiled an ambitious plan to transform its educational offerings through a new Environmental STEAM program set to launch in the 2025-2026 school year. The school, which was designed to accommodate 500 students, is currently operating at just 40% capacity, a decline that began during the COVID pandemic. Current projections suggest enrollment could drop to approximately 200 students by 2028. When a school's enrollment...
According to a recent report issued by the Colorado Department of Education in October of 2023, there were 1,800 fewer students enrolled in Colorado Public Schools than in 2022. School districts across the state have been facing declining enrollment issues, with some, like Denver Public Schools, expecting upwards of an 8% decline in students in the next five years. Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) is projected to lose 1,700 students over the next 5 years based on reports from 2022-2023. In response, it has created a Long Range Advisory...
Since childhood, the calling to be a teacher was ever-present for Heatherwood Elementary School fifth grade teacher Anna Lyttle. Early experiences as a camp counselor, music teacher assistant, and outdoor education instructor solidified this desire. These roles provided valuable skills but also confirmed a passion for working with children. After completing her Bachelor's in American Studies and Sociology from Colby College, Lyttle ventured into the realms of advertising, marketing and sales....
Heatherwood Elementary School hosted its annual mile-long Heather Heatherwood "fun run," Tuesday, May 21 to round out a spirited school year. Students and staff wound through the course on the closed streets of the Heatherwood neighborhood and tackled obstacle courses created for the event. This year the theme was "CandyLand," so obstacles consisted of candy balloon arches, donut tires, and pool noodle lollipops. The PTO set up obstacles throughout the course, complete with photo booths and...
Heatherwood Elementary School celebrated its last school-wide assembly of the year on Friday, May 17, that took the school on a trip "Back to the '90s" with time capsules and photos. Sparky, Heatherwood's blue husky mascot, made the trip with them. Sparky was trained by professional mascot trainers and was there to cheer on the school as kids were recognized for participating in school activities that included student council, Maji Safi, intramural sports, handbells and choir, Battle of the...
Ok. It is graduation time of year again. Niwot High School, CU Boulder, various preschools and elementary schools are all celebrating the launch of a flock of graduates who have completed the requisite tasks to "level up." Let's talk about that for a moment. "Graduate" means to complete. Commencement means to begin or start anew. So, a graduation commencement ceremony marks both an ending and a beginning You "graduate" to the next level while at the same time "commence" something new. While you...
Heatherwood Elementary School held its annual Carnival on May 3, a windy spring day in a field of freshly blooming dandelions at Heatherwood Elementary School. The Carnival is the school's spring fundraising event and was significantly larger than last year's Carnival. Mara Oleson, co-president of the Parent Teacher Organization Board, or PTO Board, said that the carnival sold 350 wristband-tickets for kids and estimated that about 450 people attended. "I became active in Heatherwood's PTO last...
Members of the Heatherwood Educational Advisory Team were feeling hopeful, inspired, and empowered at the close of the second meeting of the group on April 29. The team is beginning a community engagement process to develop recommendations for future programming and other educational experiences to help increase Heatherwood Elementary School's enrollment in future years. The Boulder Valley School District is among numerous school districts across the country that are facing the challenges of...
Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) has been experiencing declining enrollment since 2018, a decline exacerbated by the Covid pandemic. One of the schools most notably affected is Heatherwood Elementary School, which has approximately 226 enrolled students as of Oct. 1, 2023. Heatherwood is running at just above 40% of its 500-student capacity. To address declining enrollment throughout the district, BVSD has implemented a long range planning process, an "Enrollment Advisory Phase" and a...
On the evening of March 21, Heatherwood Elementary School, located in Gunbarrel, hosted its second annual Math Night to celebrate the young Husky learners from Pre-K through fifth grade. Each class prepared an interactive activity, or game, for the numerous families and community members who attended the dynamic event. The fifth-graders made an incredible game where estimation meets math, called "esti-mysteries." It was a guessing game to test your estimation skills with helpful clues. Each...
Carolyn Ann Roberts, who grew up in Gunbarrel and attended Heatherwood Elementary School, died May 20, 2023, at age 25 of Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Carolyn was a CPA and won a state doubles title in tennis at Fairview High School....
Heatherwood resident David Joseph Waters, age 39, was arrested and charged with attempted second-degree murder after Boulder County Sheriff’s officers responded to a report of a road rage shooting at around 6:50 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 24 near the south entrance to the Heatherwood subdivision off 75th Street in Gunbarrel. Dispatchers received a report from a caller that another driver shot at him with a handgun as the caller was passing him. A news release from the sheriff’s department indicated that deputies responding found a bullet hole in...
This month's recipient of the Left Hand Laurel is Shana Oehmke, uber-parent volunteer at Heatherwood Elementary School (HES). Living just three blocks away from the school for the last 15 years, the Oehmke children had an easy commute to HES; Henry is a third-grader this year, Charlotte is in seventh grade at Platt Middle School, and Amelia is a sophomore at Fairview High. HES school office manager Marlys Lietz wrote, "Shana has worked hard to keep our school finances in order and has been...
Longmont based HOPE, short for Homeless Outreach Providing Encouragement, cares for some of the most vulnerable members of the community. Founded in 2007, HOPE has supported the homeless community with the end goal being self-sufficiency. The organization exists to fill people's most basic needs of shelter and food, in addition to providing forward momentum resources such as one-on-one advocacy. Gunbarrel resident Erin Hofer-Shall is an angel of HOPE. While that sounds very ethereal, she and...
Make a float out of your car and come celebrate with a graduation parade. That's what a mom in Heatherwood is telling graduates of any age or school in the area. She's organizing a car parade for May 9 in the Heatherwood neighborhood of Gunbarrel. Kathy Kester's daughter, Sara, is graduating from the University of Colorado. Kester said she wanted to do something to mark the occasion since colleges and schools aren't doing in-person ceremonies. "I felt bad that they aren't going to have any...
Meg Heitlinger moved here from Minneapolis in 2006 for the same reason many people come to Colorado--"the idea of living from snow to sunshine." Twelve years later, Heitlinger became the much beloved president of the Parent Teacher Organization at Heatherwood Elementary. "It seems that Meg is here at Heatherwood more days than she's not," said Mary Lietz, Principal's Assistant. "She is constantly pitching in, supporting our school and leading our PTO Crew. She is smart and eloquent and delivers...
Their first names rhyme, so it is easy to see them as a matched set and their last name is emblematic of the brightening effect they have on the community. It's Jill and Bill Whitener - the vivacious, capable, and caring duo who have become very familiar faces in Niwot. We posed a few questions to find out what makes this generous couple tick and here is what we've learned. Left Hand Valley Courier (LHVC): Tell us a bit about your backgrounds. Jill & Bill (J&B): Jill grew up in Aspen. Her...
Full-day kindergarten programs have been available in the local school districts for more than a decade, but often came with a steep monthly tuition fee. Starting this school year, those programs will be free to families in all Colorado public schools, thanks to a bill signed into law last May by governor Jared Polis that funds kindergarten at the same per-pupil rate as the other grades. For principals at Heatherwood and Niwot Elementary Schools, the move to make full-day schooling available to...
Heatherwood Elementary is getting a much-anticipated facelift thanks to a Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) bond approved by voters in 2014. This $6.2 million project broke ground in February, and the essential portions of the project will be completed in time for school to start this coming August. During the renovation, the building will receive routine repair and maintenance, as well as security upgrades. Though these changes aren’t always visible, they are significant. “It’s impor...
Heatherwood Elementary students had two opportunities this winter to show off their smarts. In December, students competed in the National Geographic Geography Bee, and in January, students completed in the Heatherwood Spelling Bee. Both bees are new to Heatherwood this year, thanks to new TAG (talented and gifted) teacher Jennifer Arreola. Heatherwood Principal Genna Jaramillio said, "The Geography Bee and Spelling Bee are great learning experiences for our students and are a great addition to...
Jessica Arment, the teacher-librarian at Heatherwood Elementary School, has been recognized for her dedication to learning. Arment is a recipient of the 2018-19 Impact on Education Award for Heatherwood Elementary. Arment, a 10-year teaching veteran who has been at Heatherwood Elementary for the past six years, was nominated for the direct impact her work has on the students, and for the leadership role she takes on with the rest of the staff. Her library is a safe and welcoming place for...
Holly Owens notices when things need some of what she’s good at – adding a little sparkle. When she moved to Gunbarrel, she sensed Heatherwood Elementary School (HES) could blossom with her loving touch. Because of her enthusiasm and hard work, Owens has been selected as this month’s Left Hand Laurel. Owens had never heard of Gunbarrel when she lived in South Boulder. But when friends moved to the area and the Owens’ family was invited for a barbeque, they too were lured by the larger yards a...
Heatherwood Elementary School (HES) won the lottery when Carrie O’Boyle moved to Gunbarrel seven years ago. Her husband Patrick was starting a new job in the area, so after more than 20 years in Madison, WI, the couple and their two young children headed to Colorado. The O’Boyle boys are Finn, now 11 and attending Platt Middle School, and Cormac (Mac), 9, a fourth-grader at HES. “Carrie, a valued volunteer at Heatherwood Elementary, is always willing to pitch in where needed and lend a helpi...
The fifth-grade Junior Scouts of Troop 179 have been working hard this school year to earn their Bronze Award, which is the highest award that Junior Girl Scouts can earn. One requirement for the Bronze Award is recognizing a need in the community, making a plan and putting it into action. In this case, the girls talked about how the playground designs at Heatherwood Elementary were faded and hadn't been updated in years. As outgoing fifth-graders, they wanted to give back to their school. A sma...
The skies were clear over the Front Range at lunchtime on Monday, Aug. 21. Students at Heatherwood Elementary in Gunbarrel grabbed their protective glasses and headed outside for a solar eclipse party. “It was really cool that it could get so dark and cold and the sun get so small so fast and then it all just comes back,” fifth grader Joy Allen said of her eclipse experience. “The temperature really surprised me,” said third grader Simon Schmidt, who measured a temperature drop of 12 degrees...
The Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee held its monthly meeting on Tuesday, June 6 at the Niwot Fire Station. After the meeting was called to order, members reviewed the June budget reports prepared by county liaison Pete Salas and LID treasurer Harris Faberman. According to their figures, the LID has committed to just over $66,000 in expenses so far this year, including about $11,000 in pending requests, and has nearly the same amount remaining in the 2017 budget. The...
Girl Scout Troop 179 is on a journey to Get Moving. The eleven Heatherwood Elementary fourth graders of Troop 179 have spent the school year exploring the theme of movement and energy through an intensive, collaborative study called a journey. “We’re learning about all types of energy,” troop leader Nancy Renken said of the project, which requires more in-depth study than a typical girl scout badge. “One part of the journey was animal energy. Observing animals in nature is a little tricky so I reached out to Greenwood [Wildlife Rehabil...
Heatherwood Elementary School invites parents of incoming kindergarteners for the 2017-18 school year to a registration tour event on Wednesday, Jan. 25, from 11:30-12:30. Parents can come meet current kindergarten teachers, get general information about kindergarten, and take a tour of the school. Staff will also be available to assist families with registering through the BVSD online system after the tour. In addition, Heatherwood asks families to mark their calendars for the Kinder Kickoff Orientation for parents and students on Tuesday,...
Bells rang out holiday carols at Barnes and Noble as the Heatherwood Huskies Handbell Choir, led by the school’s new music teacher, Lynette Schulz, delighted families and shoppers during their debut performance, as part of the school’s music department book fair fundraiser. “I chose handbells to start with because I knew it would be something new, something the kids would be excited about,” Schulz said when explaining her decision to launch the group this past fall. She also felt it would b...
In November, Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) will be asking voters to approve an operational mill levy, ballot measure 3A. Though the ballot language states the levy would support the district’s ongoing construction, technology and maintenance expenses, the school district envisions it as a way to provide for much more. Since the State of Colorado began cutting education spending during the recession in 2009-2010, using a legislative maneuver called the negative factor, BVSD’s funding has...
Genna Jaramillo loves to learn. From the time she was a high school senior serving as her school’s mascot, T-Doug the Cardinal, to stepping into the role of principal at Heatherwood Elementary School, Jaramillo has been dedicated to schools and education. Born and raised on the bayou, Jaramillo received her undergraduate and graduate degree from Louisiana State University and is still a proud Tigers fan. From there, Jaramillo taught first grade in Houston, Texas, where access to new t...
During the last four years, Principal Brent Caldwell has brought many positive changes to Heatherwood Elementary, including the creation of a new vision and mission statement, a significant upgrade to the technology available at the school, and the introduction of the Design Thinking philosophy. Even though Caldwell will leave Heatherwood at the end of the school year to assume the principal role at Boulder Valley School District’s new PreK-8 school in Erie, he is confident Heatherwood’s sta...
A new play structure. The best backpack ever. Over 300 Heatherwood Elementary School parents and students used the Design Thinking method to dream up solutions for common elementary school problems, at the first ever family challenge night on Thursday, April 7. Participants worked together as a family to design and build a product prototype, which they presented to a classroom of participants. “I liked all the colors and using all the puff balls,” second grader Kaitlyn Tschoepe said as she exp...
