This school year, Fall River Elementary introduced a chess club to their extracurricular offerings With a passion for the game and a desire to help create a space where students can thrive, Principal Quinn O’Keefe established the club to help students develop their critical thinking and strategic planning skills.

“When I was a teacher, I always observed an interest in chess among my fifth-grade students,” explains O’Keefe. “I had thought about creating a chess club at Fall River for quite some time, and this year, I finally made it happen. It’s about giving kids a space to build confidence and find success beyond sports.”

The club welcomed students from the third through fifth grades and took place on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school. Interest in the chess club was overwhelming, 55 students applied to fill the 20 slots available. Because of the high demand, the school expanded the space available.

In addition to instilling confidence, O’Keefe highlighted the academic and social benefits of chess. He believes the game serves as a powerful tool for honing focus, perseverance, and critical thinking skills, all of which are transferable to academic success. “One of the key lessons of chess is the importance of focus,” stated O’Keefe. “It’s a direct analogy for the effort required to succeed in academics.”

During the club’s first year, many memorable moments stand out; however, there is one specifically in the championship match that left a lasting impression on O’Keefe. “Dylan Kupper, a third-grader, faced off against Max Romero, a fifth-grader, in a thrilling championship match,” recounted O’Keefe. “Despite the odds, Dylan held his ground, forcing a draw in the first game through sheer strategy. It was a testament to the transformative power of dedication and effort.”

Students took on various roles in supporting each other during the tournament and creating a welcoming environment. Some focused on strategy, planning their moves carefully, while others encouraged their teammates during matches. “I love being part of the chess club because it’s all about having fun and enjoying a great activity,” shared Dylan. Max echoed Dylan’s sentiments, stating, “For me, chess is not just a game, it’s a chance to think strategically. Being able to participate in six matches to reach the championship was tough, but it’s all really exciting.”

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.” 

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.