In a classroom at Rocky Mountain Elementary, kindergarten students wait eagerly for music time to begin. Their energy is palpable as they bounce around the room, singing together to start the lesson. Soon, the sound of laughter and rhythm fills the space as they clap and move to a musical medley, learning to distinguish patterns between different melodies and arrangements. For these young learners, this class is a joyful exploration into the world of music.

Jennifer Goerlitz, Rocky Mountain’s dedicated music teacher, works to introduce students to music opportunities across St. Vrain Valley Schools. Her classroom begins the pathway that connects Rocky Mountain Elementary to Trail Ridge Middle School and ultimately to Skyline High School, where students can continue to develop their musical talents in choir, band, orchestra, and more. From the first day of kindergarten through high school graduation, students in the Skyline feeder have access to a cohesive and inspiring music education experience.

This intentional connection is visible throughout the school year. Rocky Mountain students perform in joint performances and community events alongside older students from Trail Ridge Middle and Skyline High, including a Winter Gala, Spring Festival, musical showcases at football and basketball games, and more. These events give younger students a glimpse of what’s ahead. Seeing high school musicians perform with skill and enthusiasm often sparks their own dreams of picking up an instrument or joining a choir.

Goerlitz collaborates closely with music teachers across St. Vrain Valley Schools to align instruction and ensure a seamless transition from one stage to the next. “I’m always asking the middle and high school directors what I can do to better prepare my kids,” she explains. “It’s important that they feel ready and excited when they step into that next level of music.”

Through this collaborative effort, Rocky Mountain Elementary builds confidence, community, and a sense of belonging that carries students to Skyline High School and beyond. For many, those first joyful rhythms in Goerlitz’s classroom are just the beginning of a lifelong love of music.

Throughout October and November, downtown Longmont transforms into a vibrant celebration of life and memories as local artists showcase their creations for Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead). Streets come alive with bright colors, intricate artwork, and towering gigante sculptures traditionally used in Day of the Dead parades. Now in its 24th year, Longmont’s Día de Muertos event is Colorado’s longest-running Day of the Dead exhibition, drawing more than 6,000 community members each year. This year, members of Skyline High School’s Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) program had the opportunity to contribute their creativity to the festival. 

Their goal was to craft a gigante, a large puppet created to honor deceased loved ones and honor their stories. What began as a tangled structure of chicken wire and cardboard in the back of a classroom slowly took shape into an eight-foot-tall sculpture, bursting with color and personality. The students collaborated with local artist Joy Giddens, whose guidance helped bring their ideas to life. The VPA Capstone Seniors drew inspiration from the Mexican flag, incorporating its rich colors into the gigante’s design. The result was both a celebration of heritage and a reflection of the students’ creativity and teamwork.

Once completed, the Skyline VPA students proudly joined the gigante procession through downtown Longmont, walking alongside other artists and performers. Jennifer McLees, an art teacher at Skyline High School spoke about the process of bringing the gigante to life and what it means to the group, “This collaborative art making experience brought the Capstone Seniors together, allowing them to grow as leaders and learn how to navigate and create meaningful experiences of their own.”

As the gigante made its way through the heart of downtown, it stood as an artistic challenge for the students and an opportunity to connect with the community while honoring a rich heritage through shared expression.

In an effort to celebrate the fall season and spark a love of reading, Central Elementary turned its library into a pumpkin wonderland of imagination. Marisa Ramel, Central Elementary’s librarian, had students join together to take part in decorating pumpkins to resemble beloved book characters in order to blend art and literature. 

What began as a simple fall activity quickly grew into something more meaningful. Students began sharing their favorite books with classmates and explaining why they chose a certain character and what made that story special to them. They were able to express their creativity by diving deeper into the characters from their favorite books and designing their own pumpkin.

From a pouty blue fish with purple scales to a grumpy pigeon with wide eyes, each pumpkin tells its own story. The library feels alive with the magic of stories brought to life with 80 decorated pumpkins lining the shelves and tables.

As students walk through the library, they don’t just see pumpkins, they see stories. Each one is a reminder that reading can take us anywhere, and that creativity can turn even the simplest idea into something extraordinary. Through this project Central Elementary celebrates imagination, teamwork, and the joy of getting lost in a good book.

St. Vrain Valley Schools is celebrating the dedication and impact of its classified employees by recognizing their vital roles in supporting students, staff, and school communities across the district. The recognition is part of the annual Classified School Employees Week, observed Oct. 13-17, which honors the district’s 1,550 classified staff members who serve in more than 118 positions.

With a total workforce of about 5,500 employees, St. Vrain Valley Schools is the largest employer within its 411-square-mile area. Classified employees form the backbone of day-to-day operations, ensuring students have safe, clean, and nurturing environments to learn and thrive. Their work spans student support, transportation, maintenance, nutrition, administration, and technology.

Among the key contributions celebrated:

• Nutrition Services: 250 staff members serve more than 18,000 meals per day, earning the nickname “the largest restaurant in town.”
  
• Transportation: Over 180 bus drivers transport more than 6,000 students daily, covering nearly 2 million miles annually.
  
• Maintenance and Custodial Teams: 200 employees maintain 4.9 million square feet of facilities and 893 acres of grounds, equivalent to 677 football fields.
  
• Instructional Support: 640 paraeducators and support staff provide over 454,000 hours of academic and social support through rigorous programming.
  
• School-Based Support Staff: Office professionals, health clerks, and campus supervisors keep schools running smoothly, managing 500,000 greetings, 245 million steps, and 180,000 student health visits each year.
  
• Central Office Support: 100 staff members handle more than 55,000 paychecks, 70,000 financial transactions, and 8,000 technology help tickets annually.
  
• Before- and After-School Care: More than 180 Community Schools staff members support 27 program sites that serve 4,850 children during the school year and 2,200 more through non-school-day and summer programs.

As the district celebrates Classified School Employees Week, St. Vrain Valley Schools extends its deepest gratitude to every classified team member whose dedication keeps schools running and students thriving. Their service is the foundation of St. Vrain’s success and their impact is felt in every classroom, hallway, and bus route across the district.