For Earth Day this year, the Energy & Sustainability team partnered with several libraries in the district to donate new books that highlight unique and important perspectives about environmentalism and sustainability. In Amara and the Bats, Amara advocates to save bat habitats near her home. In Dry, Alyssa is faced with tough decisions amidst a planet-changing drought in her suburban California neighborhood. These were just two of the ten options librarians had to choose from. We chose these stories to provide captivating and unique perspectives that shined a brighter light on the human dimensions of Earth Day. Through the eyes of characters like Amara and Alyssa, we wanted to offer students the chance to connect their own lives to the environment around them. We wanted to provide opportunities to leverage our valuable libraries as a way to transport our students into worlds where they can connect deeper with the environment.
Blue Mountain Elementary
Our collaboration with the school libraries was instrumental in bringing this vision to fruition. We want to thank all of the librarians who put up displays of Earth Day books! These book displays showcase the litany of perspectives and encourage our students to take a step into one of the worlds that the librarians have provided through books.
As we reflect on this Earth Day initiative, we are reminded of the immense power of literature and storytelling to inspire, educate, and spark change. By leveraging the resources within our schools, we can empower our students with opportunities to explore, learn, and connect in profound ways. The Energy & Sustainability team looks forward to further partnership with the libraries in curating a culture of environmental stewardship.
If you walk into the special education resource classroom at Centennial Elementary you will find students highly engaged and smiling during their small group lesson with Mrs. Genesee Lemon, special education teacher, who uses mindfulness techniques to empower students.
Lemon is a standout teacher who incorporates 2-4 minutes of mindfulness techniques into her everyday lessons to set her students up for success during group time. “When my students come to my group they are often working on the skills that are most difficult for them. It is crucial that we get them in their optimal learning zone where they are open and ready to challenge themselves as learners,” Lemon said.
According to the Oxford Languages dictionary, mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing on one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.
From work to home, mindfulness can be beneficial for all ages and in all areas of life. Lemon uses mindfulness in her personal life and that inspired her to incorporate it into her work with students. “It makes a huge difference in my own life when I am grounded and in connection with my feelings and needs and I want to share that skill with my students,” Lemon said.
Cozy Corner in Genesee Lemon’s classroom that incorporates mindfulness.
Integrating mindfulness into lesson plans doesn’t take a lot of time, but makes a big impact on student learning. Lemon incorporates different mindfulness techniques (breathing, movement, imagery) in hopes that her students will find a practice or strategy that works for them. She hopes the strategies that students learn will carry over to the general education setting and at home when students become dysregulated, stressed, or frustrated.
Exploring different mindfulness strategies can be fun and engaging for students. Lemon shared that she teaches students a new mindfulness activity 2-4 times a week and then gives them opportunities to choose and implement the strategies that work for them the other days of the week. “I have an anchor chart where we keep track of the mindfulness strategies we have learned with pictures as symbols (since many of my students are still working on becoming confident readers) that way they can access that resource whenever they need it.”
There are many resources available for those who want to incorporate mindfulness into their own classrooms. Lemon uses mindful cards that have descriptions and illustrations to guide the practice. She uses the following mindful cards: Mindful Kids and Little Renegades, but there are many other options that can be found online. Lemon also reads books about mindfulness to her students. Here is a link to some great books to read with students about mindfulness.
Lemon has been with the district for over 12 years and has worked as an autism team specialist, and has taught preschool, kindergarten and special education. She has a background in human development and family studies, as well as early childhood education. She earned her masters in special education and educational equity. Her favorite thing about being a teacher is helping her students feel successful in an area that was previously difficult for them. “I want all my students to know that they are worthy and valuable no matter what is easy or difficult for them,” Lemon said.
As you can imagine, after teaching for so many years Lemon has many favorite teaching moments, but it’s the little things that add up for her. Lemon shared, “Seeing a student who is now greeting others when they were too afraid to speak, or seeing the student who can now blend words, and the student who understands regrouping after math group, make all the difference for me. I love that I get to be a part of the lightbulb moments with my students.”
Columbine Elementary hosted its sixth annual Career Day on Wednesday, May 1. This year’s event was unique because it welcomed students not just from Columbine but also included fourth and fifth-graders from Rocky Mountain Elementary, as well as third to fifth-graders from Indian Peaks Elementary. Counselors from each of the schools worked collaboratively to coordinate this opportunity for students.
“We invite professionals from the community to come and share about their work in an effort to broaden our students’ awareness of careers and deepen their self-awareness, goal-setting, and commitment to education,” said Career Day founder and Indian Peaks Counselor Michael Laurent.
A variety of fields were represented including business, healthcare, technology, skilled trades, literature, visual arts, engineering, education, public safety, hospitality, military, and public service. Additionally, Longmont City Council member Susie Hidalgo Fahring, who is also a third-grade teacher at Indian Peaks, and Mayor Joan Peck, were in attendance. This diverse mix of industry representatives allowed students to explore a multitude of career paths and gain valuable insights into different professions.
Throughout the event, students engaged with the professionals, asking questions, participating in demonstrations, and learning about the daily responsibilities and challenges of each field. By interacting with them directly, students were able to visualize themselves in these roles and understand the importance of education and hard work in achieving their goals. It also allowed students to connect their academic learning to real-world applications.
Adrian Pettigrew, third-grader at Columbine, doesn’t plan on becoming a realtor, but he found the real estate booth interesting. “They sell a lot of houses and it’s hard work, especially with only one employee,” shared Adrian. Columbine fourth-grader Elyana Bailey, enjoyed the farm equipment booth because, “The engineer had a cool toy tractor that he made and he told us what type of skills you need to build a real one.”
The Grand View Elementary Robotics Team, known as the DJB-Bots, consisting of fifth-graders – Althea Manka, Kayle Nunjar, and Joe Versoi – competed in the World VEX Robotics Competition, in Dallas, Texas from May 1-3.
This season was Kendra Versoi’s first year as the robotics coach for Grand View elementary. With her background as a high school robotics coach, Versoi applied her experience to help guide and support the younger students. This involved starting with the fundamentals, constructing a foundation through the construction of a clawbot, followed by iterative improvements – a method that proved instrumental for the third-grade teams new to robotics. Meanwhile, the more experienced teams embarked on a path of innovation, sketching different designs and then building various prototypes to determine which would be most effective.
“After the first competition, all three teams that made it to state decided to make modifications to their robot. They learned new design ideas from the first competition,” said Versoi. “By the time our third tournament came, all six teams were focusing on improving their scores, and they really started to work on driving and coding.” In anticipation of the world competition, students dedicated additional time, often staying late on practice days and meeting on Saturday mornings, to enhance their coding and driving skills.
The preparation for the World Competition was a rewarding experience for both the students and Versoi, who spent countless hours building, fine-tuning, driving, and coding their robots. “The teams’ resilience and willingness to learn from each other and their mistakes set them apart in order to make progress through the competitions,” explains Versoi.
The support and camaraderie among the three students played an important role in their success. “We always try to talk about what we can do next time and what we need to improve on,” shared Althea. Joe emphasized the importance of clear communication with each other, saying, “When we’re in a difficult match, it’s important that we stay focused and that we talk to each other about what needs to be done.”
As the DJB-Bots reflect on their accomplishments, they eagerly anticipate what lies ahead “Joining robotics in middle school is definitely something we want to do. I’ve had so much fun here at Grand View; I can’t wait for next year,” shared Kayle.
The National Honor Society (NHS) at APEX Homeschool Program recently wrapped up their first-ever Make-A-Wish fundraiser, setting a new record for the highest fundraising total in the history of Make-A-Wish events within the St. Vrain Valley Schools.
“Our goal was $7,500, which at the beginning seemed like a lot of money for such a small school to raise, but in the end we raised $9,200, which is incredible,” shared sophomore Ezra Kellar. “It exceeded all of our expectations. We thought if we got a good chunk of the $7,500, it would be great, but to raise so much more than our goal was amazing.” Students were excited about surpassing their fundraising goal, knowing that their efforts would have a significant impact on granting the wishes of children in need.
This was the first year APEX coordinated a Make-a-Wish fundraiser. “Normally, the NHS does a food drive in February,” said sophomore Elliana Sievers. “This year, we decided to try something new and hold Make-a-Wish month. It blew us away to see how much the kids were responding to it and how into it everyone was.”
Students implemented a variety of strategies to promote Make-a-Wish Month and encourage people to donate. “We split ourselves into different committees, and each one was responsible for different aspects of the fundraiser,” said junior Anna Vaughn. “I was one of the leaders of the advertising committee, so I had people make a ton of posters and do announcements in the morning to raise awareness.”
Mallory McQueen, a sophomore, was responsible for asking for donations and getting prizes. “I walked along Main Street and handed out posters to a bunch of shops,” said Mallory. “When I got back to my house, I saw online that there were already a lot of people and businesses who had donated. It’s such a cool thing for a teenager to be able to do this because it’s so special to help kids.”
Sophomore Ellianna Sievers co-led the education committee, which was responsible for engaging students. “My committee worked with the students at APEX,” shared Ellianna. “The week before we started the fundraiser, we went into all of the classrooms to talk about Make-a-Wish and explain how to donate. Throughout the month, we set up a craft table to bring about awareness about it. We went into classrooms and read books to the younger kids, and we went into the high school classes and did a presentation for them. We just wanted to teach everyone what it was all about.”
The funds raised were collected through donation jars at the school or online. “We had jars throughout the school, and we also put up posters with QR codes so people could donate through the website,” shared Ezra. “We posted information about it on our school website, had links in our weekly newsletter, and spoke to students during lunch to explain how and where they could donate, which I think helped them understand how it worked.”
The fundraising experience was memorable for students who exemplified teamwork. For senior Geneieve Carter, two separate experiences during the fundraiser stood out. “One was working with the kids. We made flowers with pipe cleaners and tissue paper, and it was fun seeing how they lit up and were very curious about it,” explained Geneieve. “Secondly, I was a supervisor of the education committee, and I thought it was really profound to see all of the members of my own group and other groups working so well with one another. The two leaders were really committed and fully took the concept and ran with it. It was amazing seeing that.”
The inaugural year of Longmont High School’s TrojanTECH program — one where students earn an associate degree from Front Range Community College — wrapped up on Thursday with the freshman class’s third “Mentor Day.”
The program’s 31 students and their mentors spent the morning reflecting on the year’s accomplishments, which included several students who achieved a 4.0 GPA. The Longmont Economic Development Partnership and the Latino Chamber of Commerce of Boulder County hosted the students at their Longmont offices.
Join us in supporting our Agricultural Sciences program at the Career Elevation and Technology Center’s annual plant sale. This event, a beloved community tradition and a culmination of the year-long efforts of St. Vrain’s agriscience students, showcases the program’s focus on providing students with hands-on experience and leadership development in agricultural careers.
Students have cultivated over 40,000 plants to be featured in this year’s sale. Proceeds from the plant sale directly support the agricultural program, funding soil, field trips, and learning opportunities for students.
2024 Plant Sale Details:
Dates: May 3 and 4, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and May 6-10 (or until sold out), 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Location: Career Elevation and Technology Center, 1200 South Sunset St. Follow signs in the parking lot to the greenhouse located southeast of the building.
Payment: Cash or Check only.
Offerings: Choose from a selection of annual bedding plants, geraniums, hanging baskets, patio planters, herbs, vegetables, perennials, succulents, and house plants.
Thank you for your continued partnership as we celebrate a successful spring semester in St. Vrain Valley Schools. Our Transportation Department is dedicated to consistently delivering excellent service for our students and their families and we are currently preparing for the upcoming school year.
If you are interested in having your child ride the bus for the 2024-2025 school year, please apply for transportation services as soon as possible. We make every effort to accommodate as many eligible riders as possible. Click here to apply for transportation services online.
Families can learn more about eligibility requirements by watching this video.
St. Vrain Valley Schools’ Transportation Department looks forward to serving our students, teachers, and staff. Please visit our webpage or contact us at 303-702-7530 if you have additional questions.
Sincerely,
Transportation Department St. Vrain Valley Schools
Summer is just around the corner, and as we prepare to bid farewell to another school year, let’s ensure we do so with sustainability in mind.
As you prepare to close up your classroom for the summer, follow these steps to conserve energy and resources:
Clean and Turn Off Appliances: Ensure microwaves, coffee pots, toaster ovens, and fridges are not only cleaned but also turned off and unplugged to save energy.
Unplug Electronic Devices: Remember to unplug laminators, lamps, radios, and decorations to further reduce energy consumption.
Power Down Electronics: Turn off and power down PCs, laptops, monitors, projectors, and TVs to conserve electricity.
Control Indoor Environment: Close window and door blinds to maintain a stable indoor temperature and reduce the need for excessive cooling or heating.
Adjust Thermostat: Set the thermostat to 78° to conserve energy while maintaining comfort.
Save Water: Ensure classroom faucets are turned off to prevent water waste.
Special Considerations: For science and art classrooms, remember to turn off kilns, exhaust fans, fume hoods, and other lab equipment. In athletics facilities, turn off locker room fans and lights in the gymnasium, equipment storage areas, and locker rooms.
Before locking up your classrooms for the summer break, also take a moment to assess any potential waste, especially when it comes to desks and furniture. Communicate with your custodial supervisors if you have furniture that you want to leave the school. They will decide if they are going to keep it at the school, transfer it to another building, or transfer it to storage in Frederick. Everything else goes to the warehouse to be auctioned or disposed of, depending on the condition of the furniture. We do our best to partner with the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials to extend the life and utility of our furniture that can no longer be used in its current state.
In the work order system, it says that it could takeup to 5 days for items to be picked up or longer depending on how many requests we receive. Be sure to plan ahead and prepare with the asks you send to the warehouse team! This proactive step can help minimize unnecessary waste and promote responsible resource management!
By taking these simple yet effective measures, we can all contribute to a more sustainable end-of-year routine. Let’s work together to make a positive impact on our environment and future generations.
St. Vrain Valley Schools’ Special Education Department will host a parent resource fair, providing families of students with disabilities an opportunity to connect with a diverse range of community resources and external agencies at one event.
The fair will take place on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Skyline High School, located at 600 E. Mountain View Ave, Longmont, CO 80504.
The event aims to foster collaboration and support among families and community organizations. Attendees will be able to explore a variety of resources tailored to meet the unique needs of individuals with disabilities and their families.
Representatives from local organizations will be present to offer information. Among the organizations participating are:
The four members of the Longmont High “Pronounce This” robotics team won the top award at the recent high school VEX World championship, giving them the distinction of the best all-around team out of more than 800 competitors.
The team — senior Luke Hernandez and juniors Alex Dickhans, Abi Reichert and Carl Richter — has been competing together for three years, though the students all have participated in competitive robotics starting in either elementary or middle school.
Silver Creek High School 
