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.” 

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.

At Spark! Discovery Preschool, the commitment to embracing diversity in early childhood education is paramount. Blair Hunter, the Special Education Teacher in the Significant Support Needs (SSN) classroom, exemplifies this commitment through her dedication and compassion.

A graduate of St. Vrain Valley Schools, Hunter began her career at Spark! as a part-time paraeducator while completing her Speech Pathology Assistant internship. “I initially intended to pursue pediatric nursing and was encouraged to explore pediatric pathology,” Hunter explains. “But once I started working in the SSN room, I realized that was my true calling.” Within a few months, Hunter pursued her Master’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education. “The joy of working with students and witnessing their growth inspired me to seek a program certificate for teaching individuals with significant needs and autism,” she shares.

Central to Hunter’s teaching philosophy is the belief that strong communication and personalized strategies are essential to meeting students’ diverse needs. Hunter implements daily routines by utilizing a variety of communication methods, such as visuals, written directions, and schedules. “It’s important to me that students are included and have the opportunity to participate in school activities, both during and outside of school hours,” she explains.

By emphasizing the importance of aligning her instructional planning with the school’s curriculum and STEM program, Hunter ensures that students receive customized versions of all activities. “Students are exposed to the same content. Depending on their goals, their participation will look different – some may be working on co-regulation during adult-directed activities, others on matching skills, receptive knowledge, or expressive verbal or Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC).”

Hunter understands the importance of involving parents and families in their child’s education to ensure comprehensive support within the classroom. “Just like working with students, each family will have different needs,” says Hunter. “I do my best to build relationships with families and support them as well. I think having that connection is vital to supporting students.” Understanding the significance of parent involvement and engagement, various communication channels are implemented. “Most of my students will not go home and talk about their day, so I try to find ways to make sure parents still have a connection with us,” she explains. Hunter also utilizes daily communication sheets, newsletters, in-person updates, and frequent pictures to keep parents informed.

Recognizing the diverse needs and backgrounds of her students, Hunter has taken the initiative to learn sign language and practice Spanish. Sign language has allowed her to enhance communication with students who may benefit from visual cues and alternative modes of expression; additionally, bolstering her Spanish skills provides her the opportunity to build stronger relationships with students and their families whose primary language is Spanish.

For Hunter, the most rewarding aspects of her role manifest in the daily victories and growth she witnesses in her students. “From a student’s first words to their developmental milestones, every achievement is a testament to their resilience and our collective efforts.”

Betty Heath, a long-time volunteer in St. Vrain Valley Schools, currently at Legacy Elementary School, has been providing mentorship to a group of five fourth-grade students once a week. These students, who call themselves the “Aspiring Writers,”expressed interest in learning how to write articles for their school newspaper. Drawing on her journalism experience, Heath provided students with the ins and outs of article writing.

Recognizing the importance of establishing a strong grammar foundation, Heath acquired dictionaries from the local Rotary Club to assist students in their learning process. Additionally, she compiled a list of common writing terms to support students and utilized the dictionaries to look up words, enhancing their writing skills as they worked on drafting their articles.

The Aspiring Writers’ first assignment with Heath was to practice writing letters. “The students learned how to write sentences and create paragraphs,” explains Heath. “We then reviewed how to address envelopes and affix stamps so they could mail the letters.”

As they progressed to learning how to write newspaper articles, Heath enlisted community member Angie Bustillos as an interviewee for the students. “Angie’s impressive academic background as a St. Vrain Alumni and Boettcher Scholar, her pursuit of a master’s degree in economics, and her recent work with a global bank in Vienna made her an ideal choice for this collaboration,” explained Heath.

During the interviews, students asked Bustillos one prepared question initially, but as the interview progressed, they naturally thought of more questions to ask, leading to an engaging and in-depth discussion.

Throughout the interview process, students embraced the opportunity to work with Bustillos and showcase the writing skills they learned through the project. “Talking to Angie was really exciting,” shared fourth-grader Leila Carrazco. “She was so nice, and it was interesting to ask her questions to get to know her.” Colton Lewis, another fourth-grade student, exclaimed, “Working on this newspaper project was fun! We got to learn a lot about writing and interviewing.”

Bustillos enjoyed working with the Aspiring Writers, “Engaging with these students during the interviews was an energizing experience. Their boundless enthusiasm and brilliance were infectious. It’s been rewarding to witness their growth in the short time I’ve known them.”