The Mead High School Mavericks hosted the Niwot High School Cougars on Friday, January 30 for a Unified Basketball match-up. The Unified Sports program brings together students with disabilities and students from general education for competitive after-school sports opportunities. The games promote inclusion, teamwork, friendship, and sportsmanship, all while illustrating the power of sports to bring people together.
The Mavs and Cougars were close for the duration of the matchup, culminating in a tie heading into the final minute of play. During that last minute the Cougars scored, pulling them into a 62-60 lead. The Mavs ran the ball back across the court in the final seconds, but their bid for a tie ended with the buzzer sounding.
During the game, chants of “Lets Go Cougars” alternated with “Let’s Go Mavericks”, as a supportive crowd cheered the athletes for each score.
St. Vrain Valley Schools offers Unified Basketball, Bowling, Band, and recently Frederick and Niwot High Schools have started Unified Theatre programs. Every May, a culminating Unified Day of Champions is held at Everly-Montgomery Field, bringing all Unified athletes together for a field day of fun, games, and celebration.
Second grade Learning Lab students at Legacy Elementary put their creativity and problem-solving skills to work after reading I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufman Orloff. Inspired by the story of Alex, a boy who hopes to convince his mom he can care for an iguana, students were challenged to design and build a prototype of the iguana’s cage – transforming a literacy lesson into a hands-on engineering experience.
After analyzing the story, students identified the concerns from Alex’s mom about owning an iguana and used those insights to inform their designs. Using materials such as cardboard boxes, pipe cleaners, egg cartons, and other recyclables, students built models of the iguana’s habitat while considering the animal’s needs. Throughout the process, they practiced creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving as they tested ideas and refined their designs. This interactive approach encouraged active student engagement, transforming abstract concepts into concrete and meaningful learning experiences. Building on the lesson through technology, students photographed their completed prototypes and placed them into a digital bedroom setting.
Students work together to upload their projects digitally to show to the class.
The iguana habitat challenge, and other interactive projects, reflect the purpose of the Learning Lab at Legacy Elementary. Students at every grade level tackle hands-on projects, whether designing creatures with unique adaptations or building and coding Sphero-powered chariots for collaborative races. Lisa Mercier, the Learning Lab teacher at Legacy Elementary, emphasizes the lasting impact of these experiences. She says, “The benefits of having a Learning Lab are endless. It fosters a growth mindset that will benefit them for the rest of their lives and sparks curiosity, collaboration, and problem solving. Also, it’s fun!”
St. Vrain Valley Schools invites the community to attend our first-ever Future Ready Festival. This district-wide open house allows visitors to explore the innovative programs and pathways that define the St. Vrain Advantage.
Event Details
Saturday, March 7 from 2:00-6:00 p.m. Silver Creek High School Free and open to the public
The Future Ready Festival is ideal for community members who want to discover the diverse offerings and opportunities across St. Vrain Valley Schools. Prospective families, newcomers to the area, and anyone exploring enrollment will have the chance to learn about these pathways through hands-on experiences and interactive learning zones. Current St. Vrain families are also welcome to attend, especially if they’re interested in exploring new or future options. If you’re curious about what’s possible for learners at every stage, this event is a great place to start.
Program Highlights
The Future Ready Festival offers an in-depth look at how St. Vrain Valley Schools prepares students for success through innovation, academic excellence, and diverse learning pathways.
Guests can explore:
Interactive learning zones
Hands-on demonstrations
Live student performances
Displays showcasing district programs and pathways
Future-Ready Voices – A speaker series featuring presentations from across St. Vrain
Coffee chats with district leadership including Superintendent Dr. Jackie Kapushion and the Board of Education
Explore all of the Advantage Zones
The Future-Ready Festival offers an in-depth look at how St. Vrain Valley Schools prepares students for success through innovation, academic excellence, and diverse learning pathways.
Visit each of our Advantage Zones for interactive activities, hands-on demonstrations, live performances, and so much more. Collect a sticker at each zone to fill out your event passport.
Schedule Enjoy student performances from around the district
2:00 p.m. Skyline Halcones Mariachi directed by Brian Crim
2:30 p.m. Highlands Elementary Choir directed by Jenn Ordway
3:00 p.m. Indian Peaks Mariachi directed by Kris Emanuel
3:30 p.m. Lyons MS/HS Jazz Band directed by Karen Gregg
4:00 p.m. Mead High Jazz Choir directed by Rikelle Berry
4:30 p.m. Silver Creek Fiddle Group directed by Katarina Pliego
5:00 p.m. Altona Jazz Band directed by Dana Clanin
5:30 p.m. Frederick High Rock Band directed by Jacob Passini
Transitions by Symphonation Innovation Center Music Team, directed Kyle Liss
3) A Sample of St. Vrain
Hallways:
Hands-on STEM challenges; Departments and Feeder Booths featuring the Innovation Center, Westview Middle, Sunset Middle, Niwot Elementary, Indian Peaks Elementary, Fall River Elementary
4) Pathways and Possibilities: Enrollment Help Center
Counseling Center:
Access assistance and district enrollment information
5) Media, Arts, & Enterprise
C-Wing Classrooms:
Altona Middle Rattler Student News
Silver Creek High Art Lab
Junior Achievement Workshops with Silver Creek High
Longmont High Business and FBLA Showcase
Frederick High Golden Eagle Student Broadcast
6) Career and Technical Excellence
Lower D-Wing Classrooms:
Manufacturing and Robotics MakerSpace
Make Your Own Spice Kit & Culinary Activities
Photobooth
Pollinator Planting Activities & Small Animal Veterinary Activities
Hands-On Health Sciences Demos
Pre-Law Mock Trial
Theatre Games & Alternative Program Booths
7) Science Discovery
Lower E-Wing Classrooms:
Hands-on Science Activities
Soaring Heights PK-8 Science & Design Thinking
Frederick High Biomedical Science Academy Demos
Lyons Feeder Environmental Leadership
Longmont High Medical and BioScience Academy
8) Play Like a Champion
Big Gym / Wrestling Room:
Cheer Clinic with Lyons High School
Open Pickleball with Erie High and Skyline High
Unified Bowling with Silver Creek High and Frederick High
9) Robots and Beyond
Small Gym:
Hands-on robotics, drones, and engineering activities
10) Aquatic Robotics
Aquatic Center:
See aquatic robotics in action in St. Vrain’s district pool
11) Equations for Excellence
Upper E-Wing Classrooms:
Erie High Academy of Aerospace & Engineering
Math Play with Manipulatives
Elementary Social Studies Kits
Mead High Energy Academy Activities
12) Learning and Literacy in Action
Upper D-Wing Classrooms:
Design Thinking Challenges with Skyline High
K-12 ELA Materials Exploration
Book Tasting
The Science of Learning
13) Cyber Exploration
Maroon Lab:
Binary Bracelets with Silver Creek High’s RaptorTECH
Caesar Cipher Decryption with RaptorTECH
Security Awareness / Password Cracking
How to Become an Influencer with Skyline High School
14) The St. Vrain Advantage: Our Shared Vision and Voice
Library:
Schedule Connect with district leadership to learn more about the St. Vrain Advantage
2:30 p.m. Coffee with Dr. Jackie Kapushion, Superintendent
3:15 p.m. Overview of District Finances with Chief Financial Officer Tony Whiteley
4:00 p.m. Coffee with the Board of Education
4:45 p.m. 2024 Bond Update with Executive Director of Construction and Maintenance Bryan Zwisler
15) Future-Ready Voices: Speaker Series
Auditorium:
Schedule A speaker series in the auditorium featuring presenters from across St. Vrain
2:20 p.m. Musical Theater Performance Lyons High School performs an excerpt from the “Addams Family Musical”
2:40 p.m. Video: They Call Him Coach Emmy-winning production highlighting Longmont High’s boys basketball team
3:00 p.m. Student Opportunity and the Power of Public Education Silver Creek High panel, moderated by Principal Erick Finnestead
3:20 p.m. How to Plan for Your Future with Your School Counselor Lead Counselor Maura Brady-McMullen covers how counselors can support your student to achieve their goals
3:40 p.m. Lift Off: The First-Ever Student-Led Drone Performance Team Students Reese Wieder, Willow Cahill, & Brooke Boatman give behind-the-scenes insight to producing a drone show
4:00 p.m. Three Siblings, One System: A Unified Experience Siblings Bailey, Ashley, & Nolan share about their high school journey into a ‘Unified’ community
4:20 p.m. Preparing Our Graduates for an AI World Chief Academic Officer Dr. Diane Lauer explores how students can balance durable human skills with strategic AI
4:40 p.m. Future-Ready. Career-Ready. ToniJo Niccoli, Principal of the Career & Technical Education Center, discusses exceptional workforce readiness opportunities
5:00 p.m. The P-TECH Experience Student Blake Baker and mentor Erik Black discuss the intersection of high school, college, and the professional world
5:20 p.m. Video: A Champion’s Mindset A St. Vrain production highlighting Valarie Allman, a gold medal Olympian & Silver Creek High alum
5:40 p.m. Musical Theater Performance Silver Creek High School performs an excerpt from “Newsies”
16) Childcare with P-TEACH
P-TEACH high school and college students will provide childcare for children ages two and older while families explore other Advantage Zones. A staff member will check children in and collect parent cell phone numbers in case contact is needed. Please note that the site is not equipped to change diapers; parents will be asked to return if their child needs a diaper change. Parents must remain on site.
St. Vrain Valley Schools has received a $252,625 grant from The Weld Trust to launch Opportunity Amplified, an initiative designed to expand student access to high-quality science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) programs across Weld County schools. The 18-month investment will support both in-school and out-of-school learning opportunities, with a focus on expanding access and encouraging student participation in robotics, performing arts, and other enrichment programs.
“We are proud to support Opportunity Amplified, which opens doors for thousands of Weld County students to explore their interests, develop critical skills and better prepare for their futures,” said Jeff Carlson, CEO for The Weld Trust. “This grant helps ensure that more students have access to this vital program.”
Through Opportunity Amplified, schools will receive funding for robotics equipment, musical instruments, club and coaching stipends, competition travel, and participation fee waivers. The initiative is expected to directly impact approximately 8,000 students in Weld County by increasing access to hands-on STEAM learning experiences. These experiences will foster creativity, collaboration, problem-solving, and leadership skills, helping students develop confidence and critical thinking skills essential for success postgraduation. Each program will be tailored to the needs of each participating school.
“This investment allows us to continue our longtime focus on extracurricular and co-curricular activities,” said Jackie Kapushion, Superintendent of St. Vrain Valley Schools. “By expanding STEAM and performing arts opportunities during the school day and after school, we’re strengthening student engagement, deepening learning, and helping more students connect to programs that inspire them.”
Erie High School students, families, and community members packed the gym on Friday, January 23, filling the stands with cheers and Tiger pride for the Girls and Boys Throwback Basketball Game double-header. The event was held at Erie Middle School, a building rich with history, as it once housed both Erie High School and Erie Middle School before the current high school was built in 2005.
Hosting the game in the former school gym brought the Tigers back to their roots, creating a meaningful connection between past and present. As Erie faced off against the Broomfield Eagles, the evening became a celebration of tradition, community, and the legacy of Erie athletics. With longtime supporters and current students sharing the stands, the night honored the history of the program while showcasing the spirit that continues to define Tiger basketball today.
Despite facing tough competition from the Broomfield Eagles, the Tigers played with determination and heart until the final buzzer. While Erie did not come away with a win, various individual performances stood out. Junior, Tyler Firebaugh led the boys’ effort with 12 points, while Senior, Juliet Slater paced the girls with 13 points. The throwback game brought the Erie community together, reminding everyone in attendance that Tiger pride runs deep, on and off the court.
Stepping into the music room at Mountain View Elementary, the sound of anticipation fills the space as students gather around guitars, keyboards, and a drum set. This energy reflects the heart of Mustangs Rock, the school’s Rock Band Club, now in its fifth year. The program grew out of a discovery made by music teacher Karlie Carter shortly after her arrival to Mountain View. “When I first started, I found this awesome set of rock band instruments in my closet,” Carter said. “As a classically trained pianist, I honestly had no idea what to do with them, but I was intrigued.” Through professional development with the nonprofit, Music Will, Carter expanded her instrument collection, incorporated a rock band unit into the fourth-grade curriculum, and then launched the after-school club.
A student learns to play the guitar in Mountain View’s Rock Band Club.
Mustangs Rock is a 10-week program open to fourth graders and meets for an hour after school each Wednesday. Students rotate through guitars, drums, keyboards, and vocals as they learn chord patterns, rhythms, and lyrics for different songs. “Our motto is ‘try everything,’” Carter said. “My goal for this program is accessibility. Students learn chord patterns by focusing on colors so they can get right into the music.” While participation in the after-school club is limited to 12 students per semester, all fourth graders are invited to join the experience during the annual fourth grade music showcase, performing alongside the club as singers or instrumentalists. This year’s featured songs include “We Will Rock You,” “Best Day of My Life,” “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” and “Eye of the Tiger.”
A student practices playing chords during Mountain View’s Rock Band Club meeting.
For Carter, the impact of Mustangs Rock extends far beyond the stage. The club strengthens connection and community between students as they learn to listen to one another, collaborate, and take creative risks. As they rise to the challenge of performing, students build confidence and a sense of empowerment rooted in shared accomplishment. “My hope is that they develop skills and a new connection to music that they will carry with them through middle school, high school, and beyond,” said Carter.
A student plays the keyboard during rehearsal for Mountain View’s Rock Band Club.
St. Vrain Valley Schools has been awarded a $235,683 Quality Teacher Recruitment Program Grant from the Colorado Department of Education. This funding will directly support the district’s Alternative Licensure Pathway to Special Education (ALPSE) program, which was developed to help address the statewide shortage of special education teachers and strengthen services for students with special needs across St. Vrain and neighboring districts.
The ALPSE program provides intensive, targeted support to education professionals seeking a Special Education Generalist License, offering two pathways: Initial Licensure and Added Endorsement. The program is open to both St. Vrain employees and out-of-district candidates, and can typically be completed in two years.
The program currently has 21 participants with increasing numbers each year. In the first year of the program, participants engage in 175 hours of dedicated professional development, learning side-by-side as they explore foundational topics such as Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) regulations, special education processes, and best instructional practices for diverse learners.
The coursework is taught by highly-qualified instructional coaches who not only facilitate learning, but also work directly in the field with each candidate to offer targeted feedback, best practices, and individualized support. For those in the Added Endorsement pathway, this experience is further enriched through collaboration with a cooperating teacher who guides their growth inside the classroom.
When reflecting on the grant and its impact on the ALPSE program, Dr. Laura Hess, Assistant Superintendent of Special Education, shared, “We know the value of investing in our teachers and the impact it has on our students. Our goal is to continue to expand the program so teachers have more access to professional development which will benefit all students across St. Vrain.” This new funding represents an important step in supporting educators and enhancing services for students with a variety of learning abilities. As the ALPSE program grows, St. Vrain remains committed to developing high-quality teachers who are equipped to meet the diverse needs of learners across the district and beyond.
Elementary students across St. Vrain Valley Schools are strengthening their writing skills through the use of Write from the Beginning and Beyond, a structured framework that supports the district’s adopted ReadyGen English language arts curriculum. By the 2026-27 school year, all K-5 teachers will be trained in this curriculum, creating a shared foundation for writing instruction that emphasizes clarity, structure, and developmentally appropriate expectations. “This approach empowers educators to drive age-appropriate writing achievement by mastering expectations across the entire grade continuum,” said Shane Saeed, a curriculum analyst at St. Vrain Valley Schools.
A pair of students work together on a writing assignment.
At the elementary level, the approach emphasizes vertical alignment, ensuring each grade level focuses on specific writing skills that intentionally build from year to year. Early instruction centers on sentence structure and syntax, which Saeed noted is especially critical for multilingual learners. “Students need to be successful at the sentence level in order to be successful at the paragraph level,” Saeed said. “Because syntax differs across languages, the comprehensive nature of this instruction supports students in developing coherent, quality sentences.”
A student practices his writing skills.
Organization and clarity are further supported through the use of Thinking Maps and oral rehearsal strategies embedded in daily instruction. These tools help students plan and verbalize their ideas before writing, reducing cognitive load and building confidence. “The cohesion in Thinking Map structures, language, and checklists allows students to build on what they already know, rather than relearning new systems each year,” said Temple Hayles, an assessment coordinator at St. Vrain Valley Schools. “It keeps the focus on grade-level expectations and helps students express their ideas more clearly,” she said.
A student practices writing a sentence.
In classrooms, the approach is implemented as a layer within ReadyGen writing lessons and includes teacher-modeled writing, collaborative planning, drafting, revision, and feedback using improvement checklists. Teachers receive ongoing professional learning and coaching support, while students gain confidence as writers who know how to begin and refine their work. “We routinely hear that students who once resisted writing now see themselves as writers and understand how to get started,” Hayles said.
A student writes on her worksheet during class.
Together, consistent structures, explicit instruction, and shared language of the Write from the Beginning and Beyond curriculum helps to establish a strong writing foundation for students across St. Vrain Valley Schools, preparing them for continued success as writers in the years ahead.
Nine high schools within St. Vrain Valley Schools have been honored with the distinguished College Board Advanced Placement (AP) School Honor Roll designation, acknowledging outstanding student performance on college-level Advanced Placement exams.
The AP School Honor Roll recognizes schools whose AP programs are delivering results for students while broadening access. Schools can earn this recognition each year by meeting criteria that demonstrate a strong commitment to fostering a college-going culture, expanding opportunities for students to earn college credit, and promoting college readiness.
St. Vrain Valley Schools offers a robust selection of 35 Advanced Placement courses for high school students, including those enrolled in New Meridian High School, St. Vrain Virtual High School, and LaunchED Virtual Academy, as well as through AGILE programming. In 2025, the district saw 3,048 students take 5,372 AP exams. Additionally, 1,147 students earned the AP Scholar recognition and 78 students earned the prestigious AP Capstone diploma. AP exam participation in St. Vrain Valley Schools has grown by 96% since 2016.
“From administrators and counselors having regular conversations with students about the benefits of taking AP classes, to current AP students writing letters to younger grade levels encouraging them to enroll in AP courses, there is a clear belief that all students can be successful in AP classes,” said Amanda Fitzgerald, the Advanced Placement Coordinator at Frederick High School. This same sentiment is echoed by Lindsay LaPorte, the Advanced Placement Coordinator at Mead High School, “We have set the expectation that all students take a college-level course prior to graduating. Setting this high expectation has helped encourage students to enroll in these classes.”
This comprehensive approach to academic rigor and encouragement of higher learning has empowered more students to step confidently into AP courses and take full advantage of what the program offers. Through AP coursework, each culminating in a challenging exam, students learn to think critically, construct solid arguments, and see many sides of an issue — skills that prepare them for college and beyond.
St. Vrain Valley Schools is currently piloting new instructional resources for elementary music, middle school health, and high school health. The resources will be available for introduction and review in-person at the Learning Services Center, 401 S. Pratt Pkwy., in Longmont. Teachers, administrators, families, and community members are all welcome to evaluate the materials and provide feedback.
Elementary Music: Tuesday, February 3 from 5:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Middle & High School Health: Tuesday, February 3 from 5:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Thank you for expressing interest in exploring the adopted instructional resources used in St. Vrain Valley Schools.
