The St. Vrain Valley School District board climbed aboard the Mobile Innovation Lab for their workshop Wednesday before seeing some of the impressive work going on at the Innovation Center.
“We go above and beyond at the Innovation Center, so we want you all to actually have the participation experience,” explained Patty Quinones, assistant superintendent of innovation, as part of the center’s update to the school board.
Longmont High School’s Medical & BioScience Academy (MBSA) will be hosting its senior poster session on Wednesday, April 27 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in the Commons. The poster session is an opportunity to learn more about the MBSA program at Longmont High School, MBSA senior internships, and the projects that the senior class have been working on.
This year’s project topics include: animal rehabilitation, biomedical engineering, chiropractors, genetics research, health imagining, nursing, physical therapy, sports medicine, veterinary medicine, and more. Students have completed internships at Medtronic, UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital, Centura Longmont United Hospital, The Colorado Learning Center of Human Anatomy, and many other partnering institutions.
Light refreshments will be served.
During our four years of high school, we all aspire to be successful and become someone that will have a great impact on the world we live in today. For Skyline High School senior Adrian Mendez, those dreams will come true this fall.
Mendez is among 250 new Amazon Future Engineer scholarship recipients of a $40,000 scholarship to study computer science beginning this fall.
The Amazon Future Engineer is a childhood-to-career initiative that is designed to inspire and educate millions of students each year from underrepresented communities and build life-changing skills that will leverage computer science and coding to bring their dreams to life. “Being an Amazon Future Engineer scholarship recipient is very emotional and exciting,” stated Mendez. “It’s a huge relief for how I will pay for college, and it makes it easier for my parents.”
Mendez is a first generation college student who will earn his high school diploma as well as an Associate of Applied Science degree in Computer Information Systems from Front Range Community College this May. Mendez will attend the Colorado School of Mines, “my goal is to get a masters in Computer Science and a minor in Instructional Engineering,” stated Mendez.
Being part of FalconTECH “has opened many doors for me,” stated Mendez. “The support I received from my counselors, administrators, and teachers has contributed to my success and I am thankful that I had this opportunity at Skyline.”
Throughout St. Vrain Valley Schools students are building their future. P-TECH programs in Biochemistry at Frederick, Cybersecurity at Silver Creek, or Computer Science at Skyline, and new this year at Timberline PK-8 are designed to help students maximize their potential and learn valuable skills.
Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) is a model that allows students to earn a high school diploma as well as an associate degree. This program supports the creation of a dynamic workforce and provides students the framework and resources they need to successfully complete postsecondary education.
New this school year, Pathway to FalconTECH at Timberline PK-8 provides students the opportunity to participate in a series of introductory to advanced P-TECH courses in computer science and workplace learning, as well as mentorship opportunities with Skyline’s FalconTECH students. Preparing students for FalconTECH includes extensive work around computer science, and supporting them in learning to speak the language of programming. The interim P-TECH and workplace learning courses share many parallels with the Skyline FalconTECH first college course that they will take during their freshman year.
Students in sixth grade dive into coding and programming and learn collaborative and professional skills. By the end of the 2021-2022 school year, all 139 sixth grade students will have completed the introduction to P-TECH course.
“Our P-TECH program has taught me many valuable lessons,” shared Lizbeth Alderete, 8th grader at Timberline PK-8. “Through this program I learned time management, how to use technology to my advantage, and how to be prepared for high school. It’s been a great opportunity and I am thankful to have participated.”
In seventh and eighth grade, students explore the computer science strands, preparing them for the FalconTECH partnership with IBM when they will study in areas including algorithms, coding, and history of computing. “It’s been really exciting to see students become proficient and thrive using tools they’ve all scratched the surface of in their day to day learning,” shared Rachel Kissner, Science Teacher, Timberline PK-8.
Three new courses focus on IBM’s Workplace Learning Skills and Learning the Language of Code. They will prepare students for the rigor of college courses in FalconTECH and at Front Range Community College, and will be added to the Pathway to FalconTECH catalog in the fall of 2022. Timberline PK-8 had 35 students apply to FalconTECH for the 2022-2023 school and 30 were accepted, an 85 percent acceptance rate. Additionally, 90 percent of students who applied went through the PTECH program at Timberline.
Skyline High School continues to be the flagship IBM P-TECH school in the western United States. FalconTECH allows students to earn their high school diploma as well an Associates of Applied Science degree in Computer Information Systems (CIS) from Front Range Community College.
In 2020, 33 members of the Skyline graduating class were part of the first FalconTECH cohort – 15 of these students received their high school diploma, as well as their associate degree. The success of FalconTECH would not be possible without the continued partnership between students, staff, and their industry partners – Front Range Community College and IBM. To date, there are 27 Skyline alumni that are currently working for IBM and 66 students who will complete their paid internship with IBM in the summer of 2022.
“P-TECH is a valuable experience,” stated Greg Stephens, Assistant Principal and FalconTECH Coordinator at Skyline. “There is no other program where students can have a high school experience, a college experience and a real-world experience at the same time. Everything connects in P-TECH.”
Beginning in 2019, WarriorTECH has added three cohorts and students continue to excel in their AIMS Community College courses. They will be gearing up for their first summer of industry internships focusing on resume building skills, interview skills, and workplace soft skills.
P-TECH is a valuable experience for students to participate in because it provides them with post secondary opportunities that they can take advantage of throughout high school. “It gives our students the upper hand as they leave high school, and gives them the confidence that they can indeed pursue higher education opportunities,” shared Ashelie Swanson, Assistant Principal and WarriorTECH Coordinator at Frederick High. In their guided study course, WarriorTECH students have identified community projects which will be showcased to all their industry partners next month.
The newest P-TECH program at Silver Creek High School, RaptorTECH, supports students in developing cybersecurity skills, interpersonal skills, and workplace readiness skills. Students take their RaptorTECH 9 Guided Study course during their first and second semester.
The first cohort of 9th graders are currently taking their first college course – Introduction to Cloud Computing. “We do not intend for our students to just become computer experts through our program, but also to become well-rounded people who are able to contribute to society both professionally and personally,” shared Aaron Basking, RaptorTECH Counselor.
RaptorTECH students meet quarterly with their mentors and engage in cybersecurity activities to learn about each of the industry partners. They also get the opportunity to be part of a community of students as they are entering high school, which serves as a support network as they navigate through high school and college at the same time.
P-TECH is a catalyst for students’ futures, preparing them to tackle challenges they never thought possible. P-TECH provides structure and support so students can thrive and maximize their potential.
Mead High School has spent the past two years rebuilding the Energy Academy by updating the curriculum and finding new partners, seeing an increase of students registering for Energy Academy courses. “I believe it is because we have utilized our partners to make a fun and engaging curriculum that challenges students, and allows them to explore their individual interests,” stated Shannon Krack, Energy Academy Coordinator.
The Energy Academy allows students to focus on energy related topics while earning their high school diploma. Topics of study include wind, oil and gas, coal, geothermal, solar, nuclear, hydro-electric, and conservation. Students are required to take four core energy classes, six credits of science, and three elective classes. “My favorite lessons are the experiments we do with hydrogen fuel cell cars, roller coaster rides, and other fun experiments,” stated Aiden Pettitt, senior capstone student at Mead High. “They gave me hands-on lessons on energy and physics.”
There is also a heavy focus on the Design Thinking Process in the academy, which directly translates to a career in the energy industry, since it is all about finding solutions to problems. Energy Industry Fundamentals students are collaborating with each other to help solve current issues with the grid and rolling blackouts. “They are applying the content knowledge and researching new technologies to come up with a plan to help make a more sustainable and reliable grid system,” stated Krack.
There are many benefits of having the Energy Academy located at Mead High. “We are so centrally located and Colorado is such an energy-heavy state that we can actually take students on amazing field trips and they can see first hand what is going on in the academy,” stated Krack.
The academy continues to have strong relationships with partners that represent the many different energy fields from Oil and Gas to Solar and Wind. Taking advantage of these connections provides students the support they need to develop targeted interests that can translate to a future career.
The three groups of finalists for the 12th annual Doing Democracy Day tackled topics related to homelessness, social-emotional health and school resource officers.
The presentations by the student groups on Thursday at the Longmont Museum were the culmination of a day’s work teaching students to collaborate and prepare solutions to local issues. The event brought 80 government students from across the St. Vrain Valley School District together with over 30 local leaders and community members.
Ron Cardenas’ graduation was postponed 58 years by the Vietnam War, but he finally received his Erie High School diploma on Friday.
Cardenas was a student in Erie’s Class of 1965 and joined the U.S. Marines in his junior year of high school. He never received his official diploma despite earning all his graduation credits while serving in the Vietnam War.
Not one, not two, but 24 robotics teams are representing the St. Vrain Valley School District next month at the VEX Worlds Championship.
Taking place in Dallas this year, student-led teams from the elementary to university level compete at this global event showcasing game strategy, design and teamwork skills in robotics. St. Vrain’s 24 teams represent 11 schools across the district in the four categories: VEX IQ Elementary, VEX IQ Challenge Middle School, VEX Robotics Competition Middle School and VEX Robotics Competition High School.
Classes like art, music, and physical education (PE) are a place where many elementary students begin to learn how to express themselves. These classes form an integral part of their school experience. For students like Elijah Young, fourth grader at Rocky Mountain Elementary School, specials is a place “where we can learn how to work together as a team, and we have fun doing it.”
“Anybody can become a musician or an artist, they can be anybody they want to,” shared Ms. Jennifer Goerlitz, music teacher. That’s what the specials team at Rocky Mountain Elementary strives to teach their students every day while also finding new opportunities for collaboration with each other to implement lessons and activities that will benefit their students. “When our students come into the gym, you can see their excitement,” shared Ms. Danita Johnson, PE teacher. “They know it’s a place where they can be free, where they can run, and where they can be loud if they want to.”
Ms. Jennifer Goerlitz’s class focuses on teaching students “about music that they are familiar with and musicians that may have a similar background with, and that they can relate to.” Ms. Goerlitz uses the students’ interest to guide her instruction. “They don’t have to become a music teacher, or a professional musician when they grow up. I want them to find who they are, and to build those connections with others through music.”
It’s really important for students to learn to express their identity, who they are, and what they value as human. This is something that Ms. Kaley Hinchsliff, art teacher, highlights in class. “The whole idea of the design process is to continue using it throughout their lives. They learn how to brainstorm ideas in class, and then put them into action. It’s a great skill for them to start implementing now,” shared Hinchsliff. “Showing them art from artists that look like them makes a big difference, this allows them to benefit from art beyond the classroom.”
A student’s creativity, passion, and other life skills are built in these classes. They prepare them for their future by building more confidence in themselves, and giving them the knowledge that they can grow up to become anybody they want to be. “These classes have helped me learn new things and take risks,” shared Young. “I enjoy that we can learn something new everyday, and if there’s a band in middle school, I know I can play the guitar.”
To students at Legacy Elementary School, chess is more than a game, it’s an opportunity to learn and practice life skills like problem solving, patience, strategic thinking, and planning.
The Chess Club at Legacy Elementary has been running since 2009. “It’s been so successful for so long because children love learning new things,” shared Kristin Pierce, fifth grader teacher. Students have helped make it successful throughout the years, “when they return the following year, and spread the word about how much they enjoy the club, that makes more kids want to join,” shares Pierce.
Many elementary students don’t consider chess a typical game because they don’t get many chances to play with kids their own age, but Chess Club gives them an opportunity to play against their peers. “It is a really fun way to interact with people that you don’t often talk to or see very much. This lets you get to know people better and it also lets you improve and learn new strategies,” shares Brennen Gibeault, fifth grader at Legacy Elementary.
The Chess Club contributes to the growth of students by teaching them how to become critical thinkers. “In the game of chess, you not only need to think through your moves, but you also need to consider how your opponent may move based on the move that you make,” shares Pierce. Problem solving skills, strategy, and critical thinking are required to be able to outplay an opponent during a chess match.
After teaching students how to play the game, Ms. Pierce structures the class into a chess tournament, with the winner being awarded a chance to play Dr. Corey, Legacy Elementary Principal. “Having a principal that will invest their time in a chess match draws interest and makes this a unique club for our kids.” Currently there are eight students participating from grades third through fifth, and Ms. Pierce plans on adding a beginner chess club for students in the primary grades.
“Chess teaches you how to be a good winner and a good loser,” shared Gibeault. “When you win it helps with self confidence and this helps you when you are doing other school activities like presentations, and it also helps you socialize with other people.”
