All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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Niwot High seniors and their families are holding a car parade to honor the Class of 2020 on Friday, May 22 at 4 p.m. The procession will begin at Niwot High School, travel west on Niwot Rd to 2nd Avenue, and then head through town to end at 83rd St. and Neva Rd. Strict social distancing and other guidelines will be followed....
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...
The Education Foundation of the Saint Vrain Valley School District recently announced the winners of their 2020 Tribute to Teachers, which honors individual teachers at the Pre-K through 12th grade, who exemplify excellence in teaching. In what has been an unprecedented end of the academic year, these three award-winners have continued to play a critical role in the growth and development of the youngest members of our community. Jess Esinhart: Legacy Elementary School Jess Esinhart is no strang...
The socially distant version of the annual Tribute to Teachers awards may have lacked the glamour of a gala, but that didn't make it any less special to Megan Schlagel, recipient of Niwot High's 2020 Teacher of the Year award and a finalist for St. Vrain Valley Teacher of the Year. "I was really honored by the recognition," Schlagel said of hearing the news of her award. "I'm not usually a crier, but I was crying. I've been teaching 11 years, and it's definitely the highlight, I would say, just...
At the University of Colorado Boulder, campus has been a little quieter this spring with the March 11 announcement that in-person classes would be moved online. Five days later, CU recommended all students living in dormitories move back home. But for some, that wasn't an option. Senior David Broughton is a resident advisor (R.A.) at Hallett Hall and one of the few still living on campus. Broughton said there are approximately four students and six R.A.'s remaining at Hallett Hall. Hallet's population of about 10 students is the lowest in the...
To be sure, the local seniors in the class of 2020 are missing some notable high school rites of passage, but assuming Colorado's social distancing measures continue to ease through summer, a commencement ceremony won't be one of them. In an April 20th letter to district families announcing the cancellation of in-person classes, St. Vrain Valley Schools Superintendent Don Haddad wrote: "For our graduating seniors and their families, we know how especially disheartening these past few weeks have...
They call her Mama G., but students and teachers at Flagstaff Academy can now refer to their middle school principal as Colorado Charter School Leader of the Year. "I was very excited and totally humbled when I found out about all the nominations and the kind things people had to say," said Katie Gustafson, 39, who has been an administrator at the school for five years and a teacher for five years before that. The award from the Colorado League of Charter Schools recognized Gustafson for...
Grable Howie isn't used to writing songs on command, but when the talented junior was tapped to represent Niwot High in the CU College of Music's Centennial Song competition, he found that inspiration was easy to come by in his home state. "I was tasked with writing a song about the spirit of Colorado," Howie said of the contest, held to commemorate the College of Music's 100th anniversary. "It was a little difficult to do this, because I was only able to have five tracks, and I had a slightly...
The empty parking lot at Niwot High School is more than the result of a much-needed Spring Break. School closures have forced sports, clubs and all extracurriculars to hit the pause button for the sake of public health in light of COVID-19. While time off from classes may seem like every high schooler's dream, these cancellations have caused upset among students who have been working hard all year. Among these cancellations are the Band Spectacle concert, Choir/Orchestra concerts, Mock Trial...
Beginning on March 30th, BCD will launch 'Bulldogs Connect,' their distance learning initiative developed to meet the needs of students and families during the forthcoming school facility closure due to COVID19. Since March 13th, BCD faculty have been collaborating virtually to design a distance learning program to serve all of their students from Preschool through 8th grade at developmentally appropriate levels. BCD teachers will be using multiple platforms including Seesaw, Google Classroom, a...
Just a few short weeks ago, the long-term closure of schools seemed unthinkable, but the coronavirus pandemic has abruptly forced the world into adopting different ways of thinking about everyday life. For parents, students, and educators, that has meant confronting the reality of full-time "remote learning," and adjusting to unfamiliar roles and responsibilities in the education environment. At Dawson School in Lafayette, the community is embracing the new paradigm with optimism, togetherness,...
A bonus week of Spring Break sounds like a dream come true for students, but, at Niwot High School, reaction to the St. Vrain Valley School District's decision to cancel classes in the wake of COVID-19 has been decidedly mixed. With milestone events and the spring athletic season now in jeopardy, the drastic disruption of the spring semester has caused almost as much anxiety as the virus that prompted it. "I think there are a lot of people filled with fear, because nobody really knows what's...
At age 13, Rumi Natanzi suffered a medical emergency that required years of recovery. She spent a lot of that time listening to original cast recordings of popular musicals, and by the time she was ready to enter ninth grade, she had found a new passion-one that eventually developed into a memorable four-year run on the Niwot High stage. A few weeks ago, Natanzi took her final bow as a Cougar, and said goodbye to the place that has allowed her to tell stories with her expression and voice. "I di...
This past Wednesday, Niwot Elementary School hosted its 12th annual Children's Book and Art Sale to benefit The Mwebaza Foundation, a local non-profit started in 2008 by the school's first-grade teacher, Dale Peterson. Each year, this fundraiser garners donations from parents, students, and visitors from used children's book sale purchases. What set this year apart was the inclusion of children's art, made and donated by students from all grade levels at Niwot Elementary. The Niwot Elementary...
On Feb. 26, Scotland made global history by passing the Period Products (Free Provision) Scotland Bill, officially making tampons and sanitary pads freely available to women in public places. There was no parliamentary opposition to this historic act, making it a "milestone moment for normalising menstruation in Scotland and sending out that real signal to people in this country about how seriously parliament takes gender equality," according to its creator, Monica Lennon. In the United States,...
You know they're creepy, kooky, mysterious, and spooky, but perhaps you didn't know that the Victorian-inspired Addams Family has been a part of American pop culture for more than eight decades. In 1938, cartoonist Charles Addams created a satirical version of upper class 20th century family life for The New Yorker, giving us the enduring characters Gomez, Morticia, Wednesday, Pugsley, Uncle Fester and Lurch. The family has been with us ever since, most famously as a 1960s sitcom, featuring a th...
Stop by Niwot Elementary School on March 4 and shop the 12th annual Children's Book and Art Sale. Each year, the elementary school hosts various fundraisers to benefit partner schools of local non-profit, The Mwebaza Foundation. Over a decade ago, Niwot Elementary partnered with Mwebaza Infant Primary School, in Kyengera, Uganda to participate in a cultural exchange. Since then, the foundation has added six additional partner schools in Uganda and Colorado, respectively. Students are given the...
On Feb. 20, Niwot Elementary gifted and talented students held a mock trial. Students were assigned several roles, including defense attorney, prosecuting attorney, and reporter, while staff members served as staff officers and advisors....
Niwot High School students are no strangers to helping the community. Whether it's individual teams having Breast Cancer Awareness Games for their sports or or other groups' fundraisers, students have plenty of opportunities for philanthropy. After being inspired by one student's personal involvement with the Make-A-Wish organization, as well as seeing other schools' participation, Niwot High School will have its very first "Wish Week." Starting on March 2, the student council will have a...
Over the years, speech and debate kids have often joked, "We don't cut up dead bodies, but we might quote them." First founded in Wisconsin in 1925, the National Speech & Debate Association, formally known as the National Forensics League, sought to motivate high school students to participate in speech and debate activities. Six years later, in 1931, the first tournament was held at Ripon College with 49 schools participating from across 17 states. Students are able to participate in a variety...
Recently, three Niwot High students were recognized by the Rotary Club of Niwot for their outstanding achievements in and out of the classroom. The three were introduced at a recent Rotary Club breakfast by principal Eric Rauschkolb and received a plaque noting the award. They are now eligible for a scholarship from the RCN. Natalia Storz - December Natalia has excelled in the classroom, and she has also demonstrated many personality traits that have exemplified her selflessness and commitment...
On Jan. 30, Boulder Country Day middle school students participated in the annual Model United Nations exercise. In teams, students represented a member country by researching it, writing resolutions on current issues it faces, and defending those resolutions at a gathering called the MUN General Assembly. Through this process, students learned about international relations, developed empathy, and gained a better understanding of how issues across the world affect us all. As an authorized IB...
Last year, Niwot High School started the Mwebaza Club to turn shipping containers into classrooms for children in Uganda. The classrooms were a booming success and have greatly decreased the overcrowding at the school. After the classrooms were shipped to Uganda, the Mwebaza Club faded away. Now, Niwot High School has initiated the club again, this time to fund a young boy's education. In Uganda, people are required to pay for school, and many families cannot meet the high prices. So, the...
Flagstaff Academy's mission is to develop students who are equipped to be well-rounded, ethical leaders in the world community with a foundation based in mathematics and science. How does this look in the world of school counseling? Sponsored by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), National School Counseling Week (Feb. 3-7) highlights the unique contribution of school counselors within U.S. school systems and the tremendous impact they have in helping students achieve academic and...
Imagine this: it's baseball season for Colorado schools and ball fields across the state are filled with young boys, eager to play the game they love. But one such field in Arvada is a little different than the others--that's because many of the coaches are officers with the Arvada Police Department and they use their radar guns to measure pitch speeds. Boulder County Sheriff's Deputy Eric Underwood credits this early exposure to law enforcement for some of his initial interest in the profession...
Three rival high schools came together this past holiday season to bring Christmas to their community. Representatives from Niwot, Longmont, and Silver Creek High Schools met to start a collaborative community project that was modeled after the Marine Corps' Toys for Tots program. NHS typically runs a food drive during the holidays, but it hasn't reached the level of impact that it was intended to. Needing a new idea, the student council revamped an old concept. Niwot Student Council's Ben Goff...
From Jan. 7 – 10, all Boulder Country Day middle school students participated in the BCD Seminar. The seminar is modeled after the Aspen Institute Seminar and is intended as an opportunity for BCD students to stretch their intellectual thinking. With over 60 years of experience, the Aspen Institute Seminar is designed to help people of all ages and walks of life to reflect upon the most important questions facing us as human beings and as leaders. Each night, BCD students were assigned texts b...
Last Thursday, Jan. 9, Niwot High alumni Oskar Wells and Sophia Jones stepped up to cut the ribbon. After months of construction, Niwot High School hosted a grand re-opening to show off its latest renovations. "Kids have always been proud to go to Niwot High School," said Principal Eric Rauschkolb, "but now the building reflects the pride they feel in their school." The funding for this project came from a 2016 bond issue in which voters approved $10 million for improvements and renovations. The...
As graduation quickly approaches -136 days to be exact-life after high school seems not just scary, but scarily expensive, as paying for any higher education looms over graduating seniors and their parents. Colleges may offer up some money, but a full-ride is unlikely. For many families, the hunt for scholarships is on. There are thousands of scholarships large and small up for grabs across the country, and narrowing the field can be a trick for many students. Applying for scholarships tailored...
Davita Bird has always been interested in how things work, so at the suggestion of her mother, an engineer at Seagate, she started exploring the world of computer programming as a curious seventh grader at Flagstaff Academy. Now in her senior year at Niwot High, that curiosity has blossomed into a passion that has her expanding the frontiers of technology. "Computers were always the maximum 'how is this doing anything?' for me," she said. "Without the programming, it's just a hunk of metal. We...
Nothing came of last week's bomb threat at Niwot High School, except the arrest of a student believed to be responsible. Nothing, but rattled nerves and the question, when will this fear of school-based violence end? In the last 15 months, the Saint Vrain Valley School District held 24 meetings to solicit community input on our local education system. Understandably, one of the most pressing subjects was school safety. "This is a touchy subject, it's scary," said Paula Peairs, vice-president of...
Every year starting in August, school districts across the state start analyzing enrollment numbers and other demographic data from their students. They track things such as building activity, socioeconomic trends, and more. This wealth of data then allows the planning department create projections in the spring. These projections, which largely focus around how many students are anticipated to be in various school feeder systems, will affect decisions such as open enrollment quotas. Paula...
Three Niwot High students were recently honored by the Rotary Club of Niwot as Students of the Month. From left, senior Keith Hemenway (October), senior Maisey Jefferson (September), and senior Trevor Smith (October) were introduced at a recent Rotary Club breakfast by Niwot principal Eric Rauschkolb and received a plaque noting the award. The three are now eligible for a scholarship from the RCN. The RCN meets Thursday mornings at 7:15 for breakfast, at the Niwot Grange Hall. Guests welcome...
An unexpected "glitch" might have sealed the victory for third-grader Sylvia Madry at the 12th annual Niwot Elementary Spelling Bee on Dec. 5, but her hard-fought victory was definitely no mistake. Careful study of the Scripps spelling list, plus a few tried-and-true tricks helped propel the bespectacled eight-year-old through 34 challenging rounds against older and more experienced competitors. "It wasn't the words that were hard, it was standing up and spelling them in front of all those peopl...
Julea and Maedee Trank-Greene are twins and seniors at Niwot High School. They also have had a lifelong interest in helping the homeless. "It makes me very sad to see people living on the street," said Julea. Which is why, for their IB CAS project, the Trank-Greenes are collecting food and winter gear for the homeless through HOPE for Longmont. CAS stands for Creativity, Action, and Service, and it is one of the requirements to graduate from the International Baccalaureate program. Juniors and...
Students of Niwot High School are adding their own two cents to the fight against Polio. Polio (poliomyelitis) is a contagious disease that invades the brain and spinal cord, causing severe paralysis that can lead to health complications and even death. While public awareness, support, and prevention have been successful in the U.S., there are still places in the world where this disease is left untreated. Niwot's Interact Club members have made it their goal to eradicate this disease, emulating...
During a recent summer job, Dawson senior Spencer Sampliner encountered and was moved by the stories of veterans and mental health issues brought on by high-stress battle situations. He then made an important connection: Extensive research has been conducted on how best to treat the troubling symptoms created by extreme stress, anxiety, and depression -- the very same symptoms which lie at the heart of the current teenage mental health crisis. Sampliner also recognized that, in the same way the...
On Nov. 21, third graders at Niwot Elementary School received personal dictionaries donated by the Rotary Club of Niwot. Rotary members Eli Buzas, Kevin Parrot, and Dennis Daly, retired principal of Niwot High School, visited each of the three classes and distributed the dictionaries to each student. "It was a breath of fresh air and sort of invigorating to me," said Daly (pictured) after the visit. "I just wish everyone could experience the positive environment that Principal Nancy Pitz...
The honors just keep coming for Niwot students and budding infosec experts Davita Bird, Julia Curd, and Caitlyn Fong. Last month, the trio was one of two all-girls teams invited to compete in the 16th annual Cyber Security Awareness Week competition, the largest student-run contest of its kind. "It was awesome to be one of the two girls teams," Curd said of the three-day event, which was held at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering in Brooklyn, from Nov. 6-9. "We actually ended up making friends...
This past year, Front Range Community College expanded its Center for Integrated Manufacturing and added new programs to fill the need for skilled labor in machining, manufacturing, and automation. In addition to this expansion, FRCC also added a bachelor's degree program for nursing and continues to be a leader in training our state's residents in these vital industries. Colorado philanthropists Suzanne and David Hoover pledged a donation of $1 million, to be dispersed over the next five...
The students of Flagstaff Academy showed that a little Respect can go a long way, after collecting more than 1,000 pairs of new and gently used shoes for Soles4Souls, a Nashville-based charitable organization that distributes shoes and clothing to those in need around the world. Spearheaded by the charter school's National Junior Honor Society, the shoe drive took place during October, when the school was focusing on Respect as a part of their ongoing Dragon PRIDE core virtues initiative....
From Friday, Nov. 15 to Sunday, Nov. 17, Niwot High School will be performing the production "The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon." The book "Grimm's Fairy Tales" was originally published in 1812 by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm, and it was a compilation of 86 stories, although the brothers would continue to add stories until the book contained 210. Over the years, these stories have morphed as a result of modern influences such as the Disney films. In Grimm's original story of "The Little Mermaid,"...
Sunset Middle School principal Anthony Barela showed off his new pink hair-do to a crowd of fawning admirers after the Fall Crawl wrap-up assembly on Oct. 31. Barela was once again subject to the salon chair, after his students met their goal for this year's annual Parent Advisory Committee fundraiser, held on Oct. 5. Last year, Barela received his first Mohawk, but didn't get any color to go with it. Through this year's Fall Crawl, the PAC raised more than $15,000 that will go towards...
Keynes Chen stands in his small office in the band and orchestra room practicing his violin. His concentration and dedication to his craft are clear to see by the way he holds his violin gently. His voice is soft as he shares his past: an upbringing shaped by violinist parents, beginning to learn the same instrument himself before the age of five, later studying at the University of Colorado Boulder, and eventually starting his own music school before transitioning to teaching orchestra at Niwot...
Colorado is suffering from a shortage of nurses with four-year BSNs degrees - needing as many as 500 new nurses to fill the void. Looking forward, that figure is expected to balloon by 2024, growing to 4,500. Previously, nurses could have successful, financially feasible careers with a two-year associate’s degree but, as the healthcare and job markets become more competitive, requirements for employees and prodivers are changing. Many healthcare companies now require nurses to have their bachelor’s degree and nurses without may have tro...
It's so crowded that you can only shuffle through the doors on either side of the Niwot High School auditorium. People are milling about below, trying to find their seats, catching up with friends, proudly bragging about their students and how hard they work. After a little time, the chatter falls to a hush, the lights dim, and the Fall Musical Extravaganza begins. The Fall Extravaganza has taken place annually for over five years, but in the last two, it has evolved. While various ensembles...
Sporting a collection of tunes from the popular movie The Greatest Showman, the Niwot High School band was a force to be reckoned with at SVVSD band night. The band provided a wall of sound as a result of its abundance of members and energetic performance. SVVSD band night is an event where marching bands from across the district gather to perform in front of judges. This year, the high schools attending included Lyons, Skyline, Erie, Roosevelt, Greeley Central, Frederick, Silver Creek, Niwot,...
On Friday Oct. 5, a cadre of tweenage ninjas-in-training jumped, swung, and climbed their way through a colorful obstacle course that tested the strength and agility of even the most seasoned trainees. In the process, they raised more than $15,000 for the Sunset Middle Parent Advisory Committee, which will go towards upgrades in the school's interior, and a new sound system for the cafeteria. The obstacle course was a new twist to Sunset's annual Fall Crawl fundraiser, and both parents and...
It's been a whirlwind fall for second-year drum major Cole Toothaker and the Cougar marching band, but a scary moment over the summer almost had the talented musician and natural leader watching it all from the sidelines. "I was on a rafting trip in Idaho, and I did a backflip on the beach-I have a gymnastics background and do flips a lot," he recalled. "But I landed on an incline, and put my hands down to break my fall, and ended up breaking both of my wrists, which was a little inconvenient."...
Just one day after leading a large contingent to the Global Climate Strike in Denver on Sept. 20, local environmental coalition The Lookout Alliance co-hosted the Colorado Climate Crisis Teach-In, an event aimed at empowering individuals of all ages to work for climate solutions. Heading up their panel on youth activism was Niwot junior Maya Beauvineau, who is working both in her school and in her community to bring "youth voices" to the fight against what she calls "the greatest threat that we...
