All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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Niwot High School is host to over 60 student-run clubs, and one stand-out is the Dance Club. As described by Dance Club leader Ellie Rauschkolb, "Dance Club is a club that is open to anyone who wants to perform and learn to dance and have fun. We perform at assemblies and the Niwot Open House which are our biggest performances. Niwot Dance Club is not an auditioning club which is great since it's open to anyone who wants to join, whether they're experienced or not." Every year Dance Club...
If you are a parent, you probably have begun thinking about summer plans. One option is summer camp for the children. Boulder Country Day in Gunbarrel offers several options for children ages three to 13 with a wide variety of mix and match options to keep your child active and excited this summer. For children ages three to five, “Camp Sandbox” offers half- and full-day options for four weeks from June 3-June 28. Camp Sandbox features weekly themes such as “Brilliant Bug Ball” and “Animal Rescuers” to capture children’s sense of wonder with p...
Niwot High School is dedicated to fostering an environment that emphasizes individual growth and engagement, continuously offering diverse opportunities for students to excel in a setting that prioritizes their voices and enjoyment. One way this goal is implemented is through the Unified Programs at NHS. With the help of Amanda Foust, Chair of the Drama Department, Niwot High School created a unified theater class. Niwot High School is one of the first schools in the St. Vrain Valley School...
Thirteen choir students from Niwot High School had the unique experience of attending a special All-State Choir event held annually in Denver. On Feb. 8-10, the best junior and senior students from across the state had the opportunity to work with clinicians and spend most of their time, morning to evening, in rehearsals, with the final performance on the last day, Feb. 10, at 4:00 p.m. at the Buell Theatre. This year, the 2024 All-State Choir saw 1,717 students from across Colorado audition,...
Four Sunset Middle School students, Keeva Walton, Heidi Kintzel, Sylvia Madry, and Avery Nixon, and Sunset Choir Director Anna Hansil participated in the prestigious Colorado Middle All State Choir 2024 on Feb. 8 and 9. Acceptance into the Colorado Middle All State Choir is an incredible accomplishment for these young musicians. Students from Sunset Middle School auditioned back in October, along with over 1,500 other students statewide. Colorado Middle All State Choir gives seventh and...
Niwot Elementary 5th Grade Student Reporters (Kestrel Glick, Graham Ottem, and Sienna Shear) The Niwot High School auditorium hosted the Niwot Elementary School's talent show on Feb. 2 to a sold-out, enthusiastic crowd. The talent show showcased the brave, courageous participants ranging from kindergarten to fifth grade. The talent show was a fun and inclusive experience for all, including a performance done by kindergartener Miles Carland, dancing to "Pretty Bird" in a fantastic parakeet costum...
Niwot High School is host to over 60 student-run clubs, and one stand-out is the Asian Student Association (ASA). In the words of the ASA leadership team, "Asian Student Association is one of the many diverse clubs at Niwot High School. The club is dedicated to promoting understanding, appreciation, and celebration of the diverse cultures within Asia. Through educational presentations, cultural showcases, and community outreach, ASA aims to foster cross-cultural understanding and create a...
St. Vrain Valley Schools presented a concert at Longmont High School Feb. 7, which included a performance by the district's Middle School Honor Band, conducted by Mr. Phuong Nguyen. Nguyen, a graduate of Colorado State University, has 23 years of teaching experience and currently teaches at Boltz Middle School in Fort Collins. His experience includes performing in Colorado rock/jazz/ska/reggae bands. He has also performed with famous rock bands, Vietnamese pop stars, as well as starred in short...
Niwot High School senior Drew Moore has many talents, but he is particularly proud of the fact that he once built a guitar with Legos. "I took the fretboard from a real guitar. And all the hardware. And it worked for a moment, but the nut wouldn't stay on the plastic," he said. "Legos are so much fun. You build whatever you want." Moore developed a love for music when he was about three years old, playing piano and xylophone. At the age of seven his parents got him his first guitar. He remembers...
Niwot High School senior Anna Enssle has the rare privilege among young musicians to say that she has performed at Carnegie Hall, twice. During her junior year, Enssle auditioned for and was accepted into an honor choir in New York, where students from across the country met together to rehearse for a few days and then perform in the Hall. "It was such a surreal and wonderful experience," Enssle said. "I got to meet so many talented people who shared a deep love for creating music. I got to...
Niwot High School is known for its diversity. With students from over 50 different middle schools, it is a melting pot filled with unique students from all walks of life. One of the places you can find that diversity is in Niwot's Unified Programs. Niwot's Unified Program is composed of two parts: Unified Sports (district-wide) and Unified Theater (Niwot and Frederick High School). Both of these programs give students with disabilities opportunities that many other schools do not offer. Unified...
Niwot High School is host to over 60 student-run clubs, and one stand-out is the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. In the words of club leader Sydney Bennett, "We are a group of students who gather before school on Fridays at 6:30 a.m. During our meetings we do devotionals, worship, play games, and more. It is a super great community of people to meet new friends and learn about Christianity. Anyone is welcome to come." FCA is a group that was created by students to bring people together who...
On Tuesday, Jan. 30, the auditorium of Frederick High School resonated with the combined talents of 194 students from across the St. Vrain Valley School District for the High School Honor Choir Concert. Fifty-three of those students were from Niwot High School. The other schools that participated were Erie High School, Frederick High School, Longmont High School, Lyons Middle Senior High School, Mead High School, Silver Creek High School and Skyline High School. The annual Honor Choir Concert...
One of Niwot High School's ongoing traditions is "Cupidgrams." Cupidgrams are musical Valentine's Day greetings performed by the students in Niwot High School's Evenstar Choir during the first few weeks of February. A Cupidgram is a Valentine a student can buy for a classmate or teacher. Students pick a song off of the list provided, and the recipient of the Cupidgram will eventually be sung to in one of their classes on Feb. 15. In the words of Niwot's choir director Laura Walters, "I love the...
Niwot High School bands have no shortage of different ensembles and talent. On Wednesday Jan 31, Wade Hendricks, Director of Bands at Niwot High School, took students from both the Jazz and Advanced Jazz band classes to perform at Longs Peak Pub and Tap House in Longmont. Each student participated in at least one jazz combo (or smaller group of live jazz musicians) starting at 6:30 p.m. They referred to this performance as their "Combo-Rama." The preparation for this event was described as a...
Niwot High School hosted the Class 3A Colorado Speech and Debate State Championships Tournament, which began on Feb. 2 in the afternoon and concluded on Feb. 3, in spite of rain that quickly turned to snow during the day. NHS staff members Danielle Maloit and Joe Brown were on hand to see that the event went smoothly, while the Niwot High School cheerleaders manned the concession booth for the Saturday session. The event carried on well past the anticipated 5:15 p.m. ending time, and the...
When Victor Valdez-Aguero was a young boy, his father was a big car enthusiast. "He owned a few dozen cars imported from Japan," Valdez-Aguero said. "A few Ford Mustangs--Shelby GT 500s. He owned muscle cars like Corvettes. C3s from 1981, a 1979 Pontiac Firebird, and a couple of Mitsubishi Lancer Evos." Initially, Valdez-Aguero thought that learning about cars was too complex and he didn't pay much attention to them, but in his early teens he started asking to help his father work on them. At...
Among the many honors and merits to be earned as a member of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), one stands out from all the rest - the rank of Eagle Scout. The process is intensive, with badge requirements, an individually led community project, and approval by the Eagle Scout board of review. Montana Heather, a senior at Niwot High School, has recently joined the ranks of just over 4% of scouts and earned his Eagle Scout Badge after years of hard work and persistence. Having received his...
Carson Lyle, Editor-in-Chief of "The Green and Black," and a NHS senior with hopes of attending Northeastern University to study journalism contributed to this article. "The Green and Black" is Niwot High School's entirely student-run newspaper which reports on issues and events in the St. Vrain Valley School District that students might find interesting. Its reporters also tap into opinion writing and share their voices on policies regarding their education, or whatever they feel passionate...
Niwot Elementary School will showcase over 50 student acts at the "Niwot Kids Got Talent" show on Friday, Feb. 2, at 6 p.m. in the Niwot High School auditorium. Tickets are available at the door for $5 for adults and students in sixth grade and above. Students in fifth grade and under are free. "The talent show is a longstanding, beloved tradition at Niwot Elementary," said Principal Nancy Pitz. "I've been at the school for 10 years now and it was a well-established event when I got here. It's a...
In a genuine demonstration of true community support, Niwot High School students and families, Longmont merchants, and the greater Niwot community came together in support of Make-a-Wish Colorado last week and likely exceeded the $10,000 fundraising goal set by the NHS Student Council, the event's organizer. Niwot's Wish Week brought together people from a wide array of backgrounds, all in support of Charlie, Niwot's 2024 Wish Kid, and others like him. Make-A-Wish Colorado supports kids with cri...
When Merrick Blondeau was in elementary school, his sister Ana's friends were percussionists. Blondeau thought they were cool, so in sixth grade he joined the band at Sunset Middle School. Since then, he has simply loved making music and getting lost in music. Blondeau enjoys listening to classical music, "But," he said, "not often enough to be able to pick a favorite." One piece he does appreciate listening to is "The Planets," a seven-movement orchestral suite by the English composer Gustav...
Niwot High School is host to over 60 student-run clubs, and one stand-out is the A Capella Club. In the words of Greta Stauch, who is currently an 11th-grader at Niwot High School as well as the founder of the A Capella Club, "The Niwot High School A Capella Club is made up of a select group of auditioned performers from all four grades who put together vocal performances without the help of accompaniment other than from their peers in the group. The club is completely run by students-everything...
Charlie is a 14-year-old who absolutely loves basketball, specifically the Lakers and the Warriors, as well as Legos and U.S. History. Charlie also loves to eat macaroni and cheese and Doritos. In many ways, he is a totally typical teenager, but something that is unique about Charlie is that he has cystic fibrosis. Make-A-Wish Colorado supports kids just like Charlie, granting their one true wish and raising awareness for kids with critical illnesses. For the past few years, Niwot High School...
Niwot High School is host to over 60 student-run clubs, and one stand-out is the NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Club. NASA Club meets every Monday under the supervision of Niwot High School teacher Erin Smith. NASA Club leader and founder, Amelia Koth, collects feedback from club members regarding goals for their next “observation night.” Koth then presents the feedback to the club members to determine the details of their upcoming observation nights. In addition to “ob...
Lauren Mocilac's love for art goes beyond the classroom walls. As the art teacher at Niwot Elementary School, she not only cultivates creativity in her young students but also brings her own artistic talents to life through greeting cards, prints, and other gift items. Mocilac's journey as an artist began long before she stepped into the classroom. Her passion for capturing the beauty of the world around her, particularly the Colorado landscapes and the innocence of childhood, is evident in her...
Madison Kintzel, an eighth-grader at Sunset Middle School won the Niwot High School Art Show Rising Star Award for her sculpture of a willow tree erupting out of the middle of a book, with long spiraled paper branches and tiny paper leaves hanging over a lake, which was made by cutting several layers of paper deeper into the bottom half of the book. The artwork is entitled "Weeping Willow." The award was presented during the Niwot High School Art Showcase in early December. The Rising Star...
The Sunset Middle School Arts Student of the Week, seventh-grader Aliyah Olivares, was nominated for her incredible drive to create and learn about art. She improves her craft with every iteration and studies art in and outside of school whenever she has free time. Olivares creates art in many different mediums including clay sculpting, digital drawing and artwork, papercraft and paper maché. She particularly enjoys paper maché, however her favorite medium is drawing. She is planning on expandin...
Niwot High School is host to over 60 student-run clubs, and one that represents a multitude of talented and passionate Niwot students is the Drama Club. Aiden Sagner, Drama Club President, defines Drama Club as a group that "meets with students who are looking to improve their acting skills and broaden their knowledge and understanding of the theater world." Drama Club particularly appeals to students who may not have time to involve themselves in theater classes. For example those who are...
Julianna Deems was nominated by her art teacher, Jennifer Tjornehoj, as the Sunset Middle School Arts Student of the Week. Deems is in the sixth grade and recently won the Blue Ribbon Award, a prestigious award based on handpicked artwork by the principal of the middle school. Deems loves painting, oil pastels, and creating sculptures in and outside of her classes at Sunset. She also participates in the school's orchestra program. Deems said that she has a strong connection with art. "When I do...
A record number of choir students earned the distinction of becoming members of the St. Vrain Valley School District Honor Choir for January 2024. Fifty-three singers were selected after an arduous try-out process. The Honor Choir consists of both a Mixed Choir and a Treble Choir. Laura Walters, Director of Choirs at Niwot, said, "We practiced in class all semester up until the audition and students had to audition on their own in November." The audition process included learning a portion of...
Niwot High School’s Second Annual Art Showcase was a big success Dec. 4-6. The show was hosted by the Niwot High School Booster Music Performance and Art which is affiliated with the Niwot High School Boosters, Inc., and sponsored by the Boulder School of Fine Art. The show displayed art from both students at Niwot High School as well as from younger art students at Burlington Elementary School and Sunset Middle School. The show was started a year ago to help display the achievements of local arts students which often has been overlooked due to...
The annual Longmont Lights Parade was held on Saturday, Dec. 9, on Main Street in Longmont. Niwot High School and Silver Creek High School have both been participating in this parade for many years but in 2014, the two schools started to team up as a super-band for this particular parade. The increase in cross-school band cohesion among St. Vrain Valley schools has been remarkable. "Since we are a combined band and don't wear our typical marching uniforms," said Wade Hendricks, Director of...
Niwot High School junior Kennah Brackett has been selected to participate in the Colorado All State Jazz Choir (ASJC), which is open to students in the 11th and 12th grades. Brackett is the first NHS student to be chosen for this honor. According to Laura Walters, Choral Music Director at NHS, Brackett worked hard to prepare herself for the initial audition. "She had to prepare two solos as well as several scales," Walters said, "all performed in a swung/jazz style. For one of the solos, she...
Niwot High School is host to over 60 student-run clubs, and one stand-out is the Best Buddies club. In the words of Claire Jensen, vice-president of Best Buddies, "Best Buddies is a global organization that is devoted to promoting the friendships between students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and students without. We promote activism, acceptance, and education all while having lots of fun. Our club specifically focuses on one-to-one friendships between students outside...
By Kestrel Glick, Sienna Shear, and Graham Ottem (NES fifth-grade students) "Contemptible" was the winning word as Cooper Edwards, a fifth-grader, outlasted ten other competitors to win the 14th Annual Niwot Elementary School Spelling Bee on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023. Fourth-grader Henry Himmerick took second, followed closely by fifth-grader Grayson Michael, who finished third. The bee was watched by all second-grade through fifth-grade students, who supported their schoolmates vigorously with...
Niwot High School is host to over 60 different student-run clubs, one of which is the impressive Model United Nations Club. According to the United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA), "Model UN is a simulation of the UN General Assembly and its other multilateral bodies where students perform an ambassador role while debating topics such as gender equality, climate action, global health, and more." The Niwot High Model United Nation members, under the supervision of...
Although jazz guitarist Alex Fick has a busy schedule, with classes and performances in Marching Band, Advanced Jazz Band, Tenor/Bass Choir, and Drama, he still finds time to pursue a wide variety of other interests that engage his attention to detail and his passion to create. At the moment, he is inventing a card game. In addition, he is a volunteer gargoyle for Niwot's Rock & Rails summer concert series, and he recently made his own guitar. Over the summer. Fick built the guitar from...
Winter is a time for cheer, time with loved ones, good food, and of course, festive music. The Niwot High School orchestras, choirs, and bands will be hosting their annual winter concerts from Dec. 4 through Dec. 7. Kicking off the performance schedule on Monday, Dec. 4 at 7:00 p.m. is the “Winter Jazz in the Rockies” concert featuring the two jazz band ensembles at Niwot High School. The ensembles will perform several pieces including Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five,” Van Morrison’s “Moondance,” Lena Horne’s famous “Stormy Weather,” and more....
Niwot High School's "Pride of Niwot" Marching Band has been making tremendous strides in recent years, taking on more advanced halftime shows and attending more events and performances than before the pandemic. Band members celebrated their success at the second annual band banquet on Nov. 13. Band directors and parents helped organize the banquet, which was filled with awards, videos, a slideshow presentation, and a catered pasta dinner. Students and staff dressed up formally for the event and...
Niwot High School student Rae Sweeney has been an outstanding leader of the Niwot High School Color Guard for the last two seasons. The Color Guard performs with the marching band at football halftime shows, in parades, and at competitions, using a combination of flags, sabers, mock rifles, and other equipment, as well as dance and other interpretive movements. Its main purpose is to interpret the music that is being played by the band through dance and synchronized movements. Sweeney remembers...
Niwot High School's art show, hosted by the NHS Booster Music Performance and Art under the umbrella of the parent-run Niwot High School Boosters, Inc., is returning for its sophomore year Dec. 4-6 from 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. each evening. The art show is sponsored, in part, by the Boulder School of Fine Art. "Niwot High School is not only academically and athletically driven, but artistically driven," said Lydia Moy, Chairman for NIwot High School Booster Music Performance and Art, who helped to organ...
All around the country, we honor and thank United States Veterans for their military service on November 11. This originated after World War I to commemorate the armistice reached during the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Every year in honor of Veterans Day, the Niwot High School "Pride of Niwot" Marching Band marches in full uniform down Main Street in downtown Longmont playing, and singing the lyrics, to "The Army Song" (also known as "The Caissons Go Rolling...
When Niwot High School music students traveled to Europe for two weeks last summer, visiting Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Finland, one of the highlights of the trip for violinist Ian Springsteen was the visit to the Sibelius Academy and the Jean Sibelius house in Finland. Sibelius, who is widely known for his symphonies and tone poems, especially "Finlandia," now ranks among Springsteen's favorite composers. It was an inspirational trip. Springsteen remembers that their group performed in...
"Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic" is Niwot High School's fall theater production. This show is entertaining, comedic, and witty. It is also rated PG-13 because it includes adult language and situations at times. Amanda Foust, Niwot High's theater director and teacher, has put an immense amount of thought and effort into this show. The production has two full casts, both of which are full of talent. The characters in this show each have very...
Thursday Nov. 2 was the final football game for the Niwot Cougars' 2023 season. However, it wasn't just the final game for seniors on the football team; senior members of the cheerleading squad and marching band also had their last experience as students performing on Everly-Montgomery Field that night. Throughout the season, and for many, the past four years, students have dedicated hours of practice outside of school and performing at various sporting events and exhibitions. "I calculated the...
For the first time since 2018, the "Pride of Niwot" Cougar Marching Band attended the Greeley Invitational Marching Festival on Saturday Oct. 21. High schools from Greeley, Loveland, Longmont, and the towns in between were invited to come perform their halftime shows. Marching bands who attend the Greeley Invitational receive a score between one and one hundred. Scores are based on musical ability, marching performance, and a general effect category. However, bands do not compete against each...
