Foundations for Success – Preschool Registration Begins

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November 19, 2018, 8:43am  |  St Vrain Valley School District

St. Vrain Valley Schools offers high-quality preschool programs in every community across the district. We are committed to shaping today’s children to be tomorrow’s young adults, parents, business owners, industry leaders and senior citizens. Studies have shown that children participating in preschool programs are more likely to graduate high school, go to college and earn more in their careers.  The purpose of the district’s Preschool Program is to provide a high-quality early childhood experience for our youngest learners in a safe, supportive, and stimulating environment. We believe family partnership’s are vital to a student’s success in our program. Ongoing opportunities for parent involvement are offered throughout the school year and strongly encouraged

Preschool Open Enrollment
January 6-17, 2020
Find a Preschool Program in St. Vrain

The Early Grades Matter

Developing skills at an early age is critical to a child’s educational success. Language skills at the age of one or two can predict literacy skills at age five. Most research today indicates that children participating in rigorous preschool programming exhibit more positive health, social-emotional and cognitive outcomes than those that do not.

“Quality preschool programs and positive relationships with caring adults provides a strong foundation for children and increases their chances of being successful,” says Edwina Salazar, Executive Director of the OUR Center, a local basic needs provider that maintains its own four-star rated child development center. Roughly 60 to 75 percent of families utilizing these services are part of low-income households. 

At Spark! Discovery Preschool, a stand-alone STEM preschool facility within St. Vrain, students regularly engage in design thinking challenges that build upon teamwork, problem solving and social development. Keeping Humpty Dumpty protected from falling off a wall or devising a way to keep the family dog from chewing on shoes are clever scenarios to engage even the youngest preschool students. 

“By facilitating design thinking challenges, we achieve a higher level of rigor within our coursework,” says Spark! Discovery teacher, Jess Harbison. “We are setting them up to be better problem solvers, collaborators and critical thinkers. That is what the jobs of tomorrow will call upon.”

Mountain View Elementary’s STEM Discovery Preschool is another program within St. Vrain using these techniques. By incorporating iPads, makerspaces, prototyping resources and guest speakers, teachers are able to integrate STEM and the arts seamlessly. Mountain View parent Liz Lasher says she is impressed by the growth her daughter, Marilyn, has shown. 

“Mountain View does a great job of integrating STEM curriculum and developing emotional intelligence in the classroom,” says Lasher. “Marilyn consistently surprises us at home with new terms and phrases she has learned. She is more outgoing, asks more questions and is more independent.” 

St. Vrain Valley Schools is committed to shaping today’s children to be tomorrow’s young adults, parents, business owners, industry leaders and senior citizens. Studies have shown that children participating in preschool programs are more likely to graduate high school, go to college and earn more in their careers. In 2014, the White House Council of Economic Advisors reported that for every $1 invested in preschool education, our economy sees a return of $8.60. This is largely based on increased earnings as students enter the U.S. workforce. 

Chris Barge of the Community Foundation of Boulder County directs the organization’s School Readiness Initiative and feels St. Vrain is performing head and shoulders above many school districts in the state and across the country. 

“As a school district, St. Vrain manages its finances very well, especially in a state where resources are scarce,” says Barge. “Placing emphasis on early learning and performing above expectations is why St. Vrain Valley Schools continues to succeed.”

Student Athletes Shine on National and World Stages

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On Top of the World: SVVSD Student-athletes shine on national and world stages

Whether they’re racing to finish lines, wrestling challenges, finding their flow through life’s turbulence, or finding creative solutions to balancing athletic pursuits with rigorous academics, St. Vrain Valley School District student athletes are continuously ascending to new heights. Our district is proudly dedicated to strong athletic and educational programming, and it shows. Here, we’ve checked in with a few of our nationally-ranked stars, who share glimpses and tips from their journeys so far.

Cruz Culpepper, Track & Field, Niwot High
Son of Olympic stars Alan and Shayne Culpepper, it would seem middle distance runner Cruz Culpepper is following in his parents’ footsteps on the track. It would more accurate to say the Niwot High Junior is blazing his own trails, and fast. Running played a natural role in Cruz’s life from an early age, but he didn’t begin competing seriously until the beginning of his freshman year. Since then, he’s consistently achieved, winning the prestigious Arcadia Invitational in the mile, placing second at the Texas Relays, and just recently capturing the individual state championship title in cross-country. “It’s not all about winning, but winning feels good,” he says. “It validates the training.”

Typical routine:  In the summer, I log 50 miles a week. Now, I just do about 40 miles a week. The rhythm of the school year helps with getting everything in, training and academics. That consistent structure really helps.

School support: My coach, Coach [Kelly] Christiansen, is amazing. He has the number one coach award–I couldn’t ask for any better coach.

Personal tip: Consistency is everything. I started making my biggest jumps when I realized that. Also, pay attention to details but don’t overthink things. That’s too mentally draining.

Goal: For this upcoming track season I want to run under 1:50 for 800m, and under 4:05 for the mile. Senior year I hope to break a 4-minute mile, and I am aiming for the Olympics.

Drake Engelking, wrestling, Longmont High School
Inspired by his father, a star athlete himself while a student at Longmont High, senior Drake Engelking decided to give wrestling a try eleven years ago. While enthusiastic, Drake didn’t take the sport too seriously initially. Things changed at age twelve, however, when he won his first national tournament. “I ended up winning the whole thing, and something just clicked,” he said. “I thought, wow, I can really go somewhere with this.” Since then, Drake has balanced studies with training and lots of travel, competing in and out of state and earning himself the ranking of 15th in the nation.

Typical routine:  Our team typically practices two mornings a week, and every day after school same as all the other sports. Saturdays we’re usually at competitions, same as college routines. And Sundays, I go up to UNC to practice with those guys.

School support: My dad was my coach when I was younger, and as head wrestling coach at Longmont High is my coach now. I’ve learned so much from him and all my earlier coaches, who prepared me by teaching me every little thing.  

Personal tip: You just have to work your hardest. Wrestling isn’t an easy sport to get into. There are a lot of ups and downs. You have to know you are going to lose, and you just have to stick with it if you really want it. If you love it, you will get through the downs.

Goal: I’m really excited to continue wrestling career and become an All-America at the University of Northern Colorado.

Katie Fankhouser, freestyle whitewater kayaking, Lyons Middle Senior High School

Junior Katie Fankhouser’s journey as a whitewater kayaker started with a simple ad in the newspaper. That, and budding boredom with gymnastics. “I was almost ten,” Katie recounts. “I saw the ad for Lyons Kids Kayak Club and thought, why not try gymnastics in a kayak?” From the get-go, Katie showed remarkable aptitude, learning rolls, flips and tricks with precision. Soon local competition morphed into traveling statewide, nationally, and, last November, representing the USA at the World Championships in Argentina and earning numerous sponsorships.

Typical routine:  Kayaking is mostly in the summer. From May through August, I typically kayak every day, three times a day. When the school year starts, I switch gears and focus on running. This shift gives me a healthy balance. I can build a lot of all-around fitness with running and lifting and other sports, and I can focus on academics with a more standard schedule.

School support: Teachers have been incredibly supportive and helpful. This time last year, I was in South America for four and a half weeks competing. All my teachers worked with me creatively and flexibly to make sure I was able to keep on top of my classes.

Personal tip: I really try to think consciously about setting goals. Make sure you’re following a direction. Set a goal, reach that goal, reset. Continually self-reflect.

Goal: I want to make Team USA again. If I qualify, I’ll compete at Worlds in July in Catalonia, Spain.

Autumn Lull, gymnastics, Silver Creek High School

Silver Creek sophomore Autumn Lull’s decade and counting pursuing gymnastics started out as fun at her local recreation center. It quickly transformed into much more. The modest, determined gymnast is currently ranked 10th in the nation overall, and 4th in beam. “It’s taught me so much,” Autumn says. “Deep down, I really do it because it’s fun. But it is also a big part of why I am who I am.”

Typical routine: I get up at 5:45 and get ready for school. I leave school at 1:30 and head over to Airborne Gymnastics, where I train until 7–sometimes I can finish as early as 6. I get home about 7 or 8, eat dinner, do my homework, go to bed, get up and do it all again.

School support: My coaches and teachers have been so helpful and understanding. There’s a willingness to do what it takes so I can stay on top of everything, from scheduling a free period at the end of the day so I can train to having the option of online classes.

Personal tip: Trust yourself to give your best, and trust those who support you. Sometimes others know how capable you are even better than you know yourself.

Goal: I want to continue gymnastics in college.

Trevor Smith, paraclimbing, Niwot High

The fact that he was born without the lower part of his right arm was no deterrent to Trevor Smith when it comes to scrambling, scaling, and basically ascending all the heights that call out to him. As a young child, he climbed up everything at every opportunity. Three years ago, Trevor determined the time was right to pursue rock-climbing in earnest. “It was all self-driven,” he said. “I bought a copy of The Rockclimber’s Training Manual, created a training plan on my own, and started connecting with the local climbing community.” Within two years, not only had the IB student established himself as a formidable talent, he took second place at the 2018 IFSC Paraclimbing World Championships in Innsbruck, Austria.

Typical routine:  My training fluctuates depending on the season and goals, but typically I’ll train Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays for about four hours each session, aiming to really push myself to the max. Those days need to be really productive. On the ‘off’ days, I’ll go to the gym if I can, but I don’t put the pressure on myself for the same kind of explosive workouts. If I have something coming up, like a test, I won’t go to the gym that day. There’s lots of late night homework.

School support: My teachers have been really flexible, helpful and accommodating. Last year, I really dug a hole for myself traveling to the World Championships. But my teachers all worked with me to make sure I was able to get myself caught up.

Personal tip: Between sports and school life, it’s important there’s balance. Don’t focus all on one. Either can flip on a dime. You can have an injury that can cost your entire career. Be in equilibrium.

Goal: I plan to medal at Nationals in March. Next, the World Championships will be in Tokyo in August. I’m looking at Paris Olympics, 2024. Outside of sport, my goal is to be an aerospace engineer.

St. Vrain Valley shines as model of innovative curriculum done right

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Patty Quinones doesn’t want to know what kids want to be when they grow up, but instead what problems they want to solve in their lifetimes.

“We want kids to be very, very prepared for their futures,” said Quinones, the St. Vrain Valley School District’s assistant superintendent of innovation.

She spoke Thursday at Discovery Education’s fall forum, hosted at St. Vrain Valley’s new Innovation Center. St. Vrain first started working with Discovery Education in 2015 on its digital curriculum.

read the full story in the Daily Camera

St. Vrain Valley School District RE-1J Credit Rating Upgraded to AA+ by Standard and Poor’s. St. Vrain Issues Remainder of 2016 Authorization at Low Interest Rates

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St.Vrain Valley School District RE-1J achieved a credit rating upgrade from Standard & Poor’s from “AA” to “AA+” and issued the remaining $60.34 million of bonds from its $260.34 million of voter authorization in 2016. The sale on September 19 was for a 5-year bond maturity, shortened from what was initially planned to be a 14 year schedule. The shorter repayment term was made possible by growth in the tax base of the school district since 2016, a contribution of fund balance dollars, and the fact that interest rates had recovered from the spike in rates that occurred after the 2016 election. The Series 2018 bonds carried yields of 1.72 percent to 2.21 percent, which combined with the rates locked in at the time of the sale of the initial $200 million in December 2016, provided a net interest cost of 3.57 percent for the full issue.

“We did very well investing the first $200 million in new and upgraded facilities and were able to hold off on the sale of this remaining piece of the bonds until we were prepared to finish the remaining projects. We recognized the lack of other high-quality issues in the Colorado marketplace over the summer and were able to get investors to focus on our issue before bonds that might be approved in November 2018 were available,” said St. Vrain’s Chief Financial Officer, Greg Fieth.

The rating upgrade to “AA+” from Standard & Poor’s recognized the District’s:

  • very strong financial profile
  • meticulous capital spending
  • conservative budgeting approach

Thanks to the support of our teachers, staff, and community, there is no school district in the state of Colorado that has a higher S&P credit rating.

“Because St. Vrain Valley Schools’ assessed valuation increased by 7 percent due to an unanticipated rebound in Weld County oil and gas values and new residential construction, Greg Fieth and his financial team saw that keeping the mill levy at the same rate for 2019 would allow the bonds to be paid back in a much shorter timeframe,” said Denver based bond underwriter George K. Baum’s executive vice president Todd Snidow. “Shortening the repayment period to only 5 years on the Series 2018 bonds saves local taxpayers over $12 million in interest expense,” said Snidow.

“Now that the final piece of the 2016 bond authorization has been sold, we can compare the ballot numbers that voters approved to our final results and are proud to report that the total amount of principal and interest to be repaid on these bonds until their final maturity in 2036 is over $21 million less than voters approved in 2016,” said Fieth. “We are grateful that our community has allowed us to address the District’s growth in a timely and cost-effective manner,” 

Superintendent Don Haddad remarked “We take our fiduciary responsibilities to our community very seriously and are pleased that our forward planning and fiscal diligence have created excellent facilities and savings for our taxpayers.”

Innovation Center grand opening

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Innovation Center grand opening: celebrating a bright future and boundless opportunity for the whole community

Here in St. Vrain, you may be well acquainted with the incredible, unique and progressive resource we have in the Innovation Center. Perhaps you are quietly curious, just newly aware it’s there. Regardless, whatever your impressions, they’re bound to be good. And this year, they’re going to just keep on getting better. Join in on the new building’s grand opening celebration, scheduled for this Friday afternoon, September 28, from 1 to 4:30 pm.

The new site being celebrated on Friday is a gleaming, cutting edge, 50,000 square foot facility located at 33 Quail Road. Funding was provided from the passing of a 2016 bond initiative, alongside support from the center’s many industry and community partners. “This has been eight years in the making,” Patty Quinones, Assistant Superintendent of Innovation says of the new site. “We were excited the Innovation Center was placed on the 2016 bond, and are just so thankful that our community really supports public education. We’re excited for this opportunity to provide our students and staff with this very iconic facility.”

Celebrating a Bright Future for Students

Walk through the new Innovation Center halls, peer in its labs and multiuse classrooms; you can’t help but be inspired. Peering into the various labs, you will get a glimpse of students working with a robotic arm. You’ll see students designing drones; collaborating to design underwater robots that could save the Titicaca water frog in conjunction with Denver Zoo; engaged in radio show production, and more.

Classes range from Robotics to Information Technology, Video Production, Unmanned Aerial Systems, Entrepreneurship and many other programs. Through extended learning and mentorship opportunities, students gain invaluable real world experience and even employment focused on designing and engineering technology solutions for industry and community partners.

“In our new building we’ve been able to build a new aeronautics division with a 250 square foot landing pad,” Quinones says. “We have a bioscience lab that is a cut above. We have more industry equipment, more opportunity for research and development…more for everyone.”

Included in that “more” is an entrepreneurial zone, designed to build a collaborative culture for students, staff and the community. Here, individuals and teams are guided through the entrepreneurial process, ultimately enabled to bring concepts to reality through workshops, courses, mentorship and financial support resources. Concepts can be put forward to interested parties in the pitch room, cultivating compelling presentations that could result in seeing their projects ultimately utilized in our community and beyond.

Boundless Learning Opportunities for Teachers

Alongside more opportunity for students, the new Innovation Center provides more for teachers, administrators, and the community-at-large. This fall, St. Vrain’s Professional Development team relocated to the new building. “When we posted about our new office space, teachers were thrilled,” says Diane Lauer, Assistant Superintendent of Priority Programs and Academic Support. “They asked, ‘do we get to take classes there now, too’, and we are thrilled to be able to tell them, yes.”

“Part of this new space really affords us the opportunity to learn by doing—all of us,” Lauer says. “There’s a time for theoretical learning and there’s a time to learn through authentic opportunities; to engage in collaborative, professional learning that challenges us to use the design process model and wrestle with our own inquiry questions. We use that process to help identify, prototype, test, and come to solutions around elevating education in our sphere.”

Teachers of all grade levels and content areas can benefit from the hands-on, experiential learning available at the Innovation Center. Lauer describes current collaboration with one of the district’s early childhood directors; plans are in progress to bring preschool teachers over to the center, to learn about aeronautics, for example. “Preschool students can actually build and fly their own drones,” Lauer says. “Especially the chuck gliders, the ones where you hold the plane by two fingers and just chuck them into the air.” Young children can hypothesize, making predictions about which planes will fly the highest and the furthest. They can make comparisons regarding different shapes and throwing methods. They can build, adapt, and purposefully observe the differences in flight attained through each modification. “We’re laying a foundation for critical thinking, in everything we do,” Lauer says. “From the youngest age, with encouragement we can purposefully observe and problem-solve.”

“Teachers are finding instructional creativity in the problem-solving process,” says Lauer. “Working with the Innovation Center’s equipment and resources, teachers can enrich their lessons so that students learn academic content and apply their thinking in authentic solution-finding situations. The engineering and design process starts with empathy, taking another’s perspective into account. Identifying problems and solutions of the real world involves everybody.”

The Innovation Center’s large Learning Commons creates opportunity for districtwide meetings and presentations. Smaller breakout spaces encircle classrooms and labs allowing teachers to engage in meaningful study as their learning progresses. Flexible seating abounds, allowing learners to reconfigure their learning spaces to adapt to their needs. A vast range of professional development classes will be available to teachers, staff, substitutes, and administrators in and out of district.

Community Members can Explore and Learn

Community members too can utilize the inspiring space. Plans are in the works for camps and public offerings such as Family Nights, allowing the community to explore and learn together in the enriching makerspace area and labs. The center welcomes community partnerships, always looking for industry partners to share expertise for the advancement of students.

Whether or not you experience Innovation Center programming, as a member of the SVVSD community, you have no doubt been positively impacted by it. Student designers build websites, apps for a variety of platforms, electronics, circuity, robotics, biomedical, aerospace, environmental, structural, and mechanical engineering projects. They work alongside community partners to explore potential solutions for grand challenges. They model and apply the design thinking process that is embraced throughout the district. The results go far beyond the realm of any one domain, integrating specialized skills, a collaborative ethos, compassion, empathy, and purposeful visions of a better world.

See for yourself just what the Innovation Center is all about… and how you can help make the most of it. Join the St. Vrain Valley community for the open house celebration this Friday, September 28. Enjoy a self-guided tour and student demonstrations, and treat yourself to a refreshed, bright outlook full of hope for the future.

New Innovation Center Grand Opening Celebration

Date: Friday, September 28, 2018
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Location: 33 Quail Road, Longmont
Directions: Innovation Center of St. Vrain Valley Schools

Northridge Elementary wins $15,000 Succeeds Prize

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Northridge Elementary School’s plans for an outdoor classroom for students and the community just got a $15,000 boost.

The Longmont school recently won the $15,000 Succeeds Prize for Excellence in STEM Education, with the school planning to use the money to design and build an outdoor space.

The $15,000 prize, presented by Ball Corporation, was awarded to Northridge as an “outstanding example of science, technology, engineering and math education.”

Read the full story in the times-call

Superintendent Update – Advancing the Future

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It has been an outstanding start to the 2018-2019 academic year and I want to express my deep appreciation to our community for your continued partnership and support in advancing student achievement. In Colorado and across the United States, St. Vrain Valley Schools is leading the conversation on how to build a highly-successful public education system that is not only giving our students a strong competitive advantage for their future success, but also having a significant impact on the economic growth and overall health of our community. 

This month we have begun our annual fall community meetings where we have been sharing our pyramid of strategic priorities with members of our community. At the foundation of our pyramid is one critical component to our ongoing success: strong district finances. In St. Vrain, our finances are the strongest they have ever been – among the best in Colorado and beyond. This is in large part due to the steady support of our community, our outstanding teachers and staff, and our excellent students, as well as a consistent and strategic approach to sound investments and financial management. St. Vrain’s high level of fiscal excellence was recently recognized by Standard and Poor’s through an increase in our credit rating to AA+. Over the past decade, we have built a system that has not only created efficiencies to reduce spending, but also increased the quality of programming and opportunities throughout our schools, recruited the best teachers and staff, and greatly raised the quality of our school facilities and environments. 

We believe that second only to parenting, our public schools will have the greatest impact on the future of our communities, state and nation. This is a responsibility that we take with the highest level of importance to ensure that we are delivering a world-class education to our children.

Thanks again for all of your outstanding support and I hope to see you at one of our upcoming community meetings to share more about our vision for the future and to thank you personally for what you have done to advance excellence across our system.

Sincerely,
Don Haddad, Ed.D.
Superintendent, St. Vrain Valley Schools
@SVVSDSupt

Join us to celebrate the grand opening of the new Innovation Center

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Join us to celebrate the grand opening of the new Innovation Center

All members of the St. Vrain Valley community are invited to join us for an open house celebration of the new Innovation Center of St. Vrain Valley Schools. The event will include self-guided tours and student demonstrations.

This state-of-the-art facility was made possible through the generous support of our community in passing the 2016 bond initiative, as well as our many industry and community partners. 

About the Innovation Center

The Innovation Center of St. Vrain Valley Schools provides transformative experiences that empower students to apply knowledge to professional opportunities that mirror the pace of emerging technology.

Student learning at the Innovation Center transcends the traditional classroom and provides experiential opportunities that are developing today’s students into tomorrow’s leaders, innovators and changemakers. In addition to rigorous extended learning and mentorship opportunities, students gain valuable experience through employment that focuses on designing and engineering technology solutions for industry and community partners.

Focus areas include:

  • Information Technology
  • Robotics
  • Computer Science
  • Virtual Reality
  • Entrepreneurship and Business Applications
  • Engineering and Manufacturing
  • Media and Broadcasting
  • Design Thinking and Discovery
  • Aeronautics
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Capstone and College Credit Opportunities

Longmont Estates teacher named finalist for state Teacher of the Year

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Longmont Estates Elementary fifth-grade teacher Katie Goldsberry said school was always a magical place for her as a student, prompting her to want to create the same magic for the next generation. “The more you learn, you become open minded,” she said. “You become a citizen of not just your community and your state, but your world.” Goldsberry is one of six finalists for the Colorado Teacher of the Year award. The winner is expected to be announced Nov. 1, and will go on to compete in the Teacher of the Year Program.

read the full story in the Daily Camera

Niwot students fundraise, design, build classrooms from shipping containers for Uganda school

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Longtime Niwot Elementary School teacher Dale Peterson wanted to teach about Africa, but also go beyond the typical lessons focused on African animals. 

So 10 years ago, he connected with the headmistress of the Mwebaza Primary School in Uganda, and they started a pen pal program.

“We wanted it to be a true partnership,” he said. “It’s as much for the kids here as it is for the kids in Uganda.”

Peterson sent cameras to the school so the students could document their lives and send back pictures. Those picture prompted his students to start raising money through lemonade stands and garage sales, raising so much that Peterson started the Mwebaza Foundation in the spring of 2008.

“Their school building was kind of a mud hut,” he said. “We were inspired to want to do more. The kids here need an opportunity to give back to the world and learn to be compassionate. This is a very hands on way to do that.”

The foundation expanded to partner with three more Ugandan schools, along with raising money so the Mwebaza school could build a more permanent structure to hold classes.

Now, the foundation is working with Niwot-area students to turn shipping containers into classrooms to help with overcrowding.

Peterson said Mwebaza Primary initially enrolled students until age 10, but many students didn’t continue their schooling after leaving. So the school began allowing older students to stay, but they’ve had to come at night — and walk home in the dark — because of space issues.

The foundation is working with Homes of Living Hope, a Louisville nonprofit that supplies the shipping containers to schools and community groups.

The nonprofit previously worked with students at Monarch High in Louisville, who built a mini medical and dental clinic for a neighborhood in Mexico City.

Mwebaza Foundation executive manager Devaki Douillard said the shipping containers offer several advantages to building in Uganda.

Building in Uganda can take years, she said, and is more expensive. Building here and shipping the classrooms to Uganda means they can take advantage of donated materials and volunteer labor.

She estimated it will cost $13,000 to ship the containers to Uganda, while the foundation spent $75,000 to build a new school building there. 

Niwot High students working on the project said they like that they can participate directly by building the new classrooms here.

“Not everyone can go to Uganda,” said senior Jaryd Meek, who recently worked on the framing. “It’s cool to really see where all the money we raised is going.”

Some of the Niwot High students now building the shipping containers and raising money were in Peterson’s class at Niwot Elementary.

“It’s so cool to watch how it’s gone from being pen pals to building schools,” said Niwot senior Emma Falk.

Fellow senior Ava Dumler added that connecting with the Ugandan students “was a really meaningful experience in first grade.”

“We talked about how much we take for granted here,” she said.

Her contribution to the shipping containers was to work on the design for the murals that students will paint on the outside. She chose butterflies to incorporate the idea that “education really gives you your wings.”

The plan is to ship the containers to Uganda in December, with an estimated arrival date of March. A local team of adult builders plans to go to Uganda to help with the assembly. 

Students are continuing to raise money to cover travel expenses for the adult team and labor expenses in Uganda.

“This project is a big part of Niwot,” said Niwot junior Julea Trank-Greene.

St. Vrain Valley Schools