New school to make debut

27JCompass
July 27, 2012
www.sd27j.org
Save the Dates
Board meets with city councils
T
he 27J Board of Education
meets with the city councils
of Brighton and Commerce City
at 6 p.m., July 31, at Brighton
City Hall, 500 S. Fourth Ave.
The joint meetings are scheduled
when there is a fifth Tuesday in
the month.
North Back-to-School Night
C
elebrate the start of a new
school year from 6 to 7 p.m.,
Aug. 15 with North Elementary, 89
N. Sixth Ave. The Brighton Early
Rotary Club will be serving up free
hot dogs and students will have the
chance to meet their teachers and
see their classrooms for the new
year.
Chamber new teacher lunch
T
he Brighton Chamber of
Commerce and the Brighton
Rotary sponsor the annual 27J New
Teacher Luncheon from 11:30 a.m.
to 1 p.m., Aug. 13, at Prairie View
High School, 12909 E. 120th Ave.,
Henderson. Visit brightonchamber.com or call 303-655-9251 for
details.
Stuff the bus for 27J students
hick-fil-A in Brighton sponsors
its annual Stuff the Bus Program
through Aug. 18. Various boxes will
be set up at businesses throughout
the city of Brighton to collect school
supplies for 27J students.
C
Benefit planned for Garcia
J
ordinelli’s Sports Bar and Restaurant will donate the proceeds from
its annual Aug. 11 golf tournament
to benefit longtime 27J grounds
department employee, Mark Garcia.
Garcia was diagnosed with cancer
earlier this summer. Funds from the
tournament are normally used to
benefit area charities. Items are needed for a benefit drawing and dinner
that will occur after the tournament.
For information on how to assist,
contact Randa Ash at 303-669-8044.
Photos courtesy of School District 27J
Brantner Elementary in Thornton, School District 27J’s 11th and newest elementary school, hosts its ribbon cutting at 11 a.m., Aug.
1. The school was built through excess bond proceeds from a 2006 voter-approved bond election and contributions from the district’s
Capital Facility Fee Foundation. Bottom right, the view from inside a Brantner classroom.
New school to make debut
T
here’s a lot to be proud of when
it comes to Brantner Elementary.
It starts with how the school
was built. The $8.2 million needed to
build Brantner came through excess
bond revenue and interest from a 2006
voter-approved bond election that built
four new district schools, two elementary and two middle schools as well
as repairs to existing district facilities.
It also wouldn’t have been possible
without nearly $2 million in contributions from local housing developers
as part of the district’s Capital Facility
Fee Foundation.
“I think it’s a tremendous testament
to the fiscal responsibility and hard
work of our staff that we were able to
not only deliver the four schools and
necessary repairs that we promised
Brantner Ribbon Cutting
Ceremony
The ribbon cutting ceremony for
Brantner, 7800 E. 133rd Ave.,
Thornton, is 11 a.m., Wednesday,
Aug. 1, and will include refreshments
and tours of the school.
voters in 2006 but also provide a new
school to serve the growing Thornton
portion of our school district,” said
27J Superintendent Dr. Chris Fiedler.
“The contributions from developers
involved with our Capital Facility Fee
Foundation were also a critical component of building this new school.
The job to make sure the pride in
how Brantner was built transferred to
students and the surrounding school
community was given to school principal Michele Saller. It was a job that
the former Otho Stuart Middle School
assistant principal gladly accepted.
See Brantner
Page 6
2
Around 27J
27JCompass
www.sd27j.org
July 27, 2012
District expects to
hire 80 new teachers
S
chool District 27J
expects to have hired
80 new teachers for the
2012-2013 school year by the
time new teacher orientation
begins next week.
According to Ruth DeCrescentis, 27J Chief Human
Resource Officer, the district
focused its spring recruiting
efforts for licensed staff
on hard-to-fill areas such
as occupational therapists,
psychologists, speech therapists and special education
teachers. She added that there
was a high volume of overall
applications, especially in the
field of elementary education.
Of the 75 licensed staff
hired, as of mid-July, DeCrescentis reported 14 are
new to the teaching field; 37
hold a master’s degree and
two hold doctorates; 15 have
relocated to Colorado from
another state and 18 have 10
or more years of teaching
experience.
The weeklong new teacher orientation begins Aug. 2
and new teachers will receive
a red-carpet welcome to the
district at 8 a.m., Friday, Aug.
3 at the District Training
Room, 80 S. Eighth Ave.
27JCompass
The 27J Compass is a semi-monthly
publication produced by School District
27J.
Kevin Denke
27J Public Information Officer
27J Compass Editor
303-655-2905
[email protected]
School District 27J is an equal opportunity
employer, and does not discriminate on
the basis of age, race, color, ancestry,
religion, creed, national origin, gender,
physical or mental disability, sexual
orientation, gender identity, or veteran
status. The district complies with the
Civil Rights Act of 1964, related Executive
Orders 11246 and 11375, Title IX of the
Education Amendments Act of 1972, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973, Section 402 of the Vietnam
Era Veteran’s readjustment Act of 1974,
the Age Discrimination in Employment
Act of 1967, as amended, the Americans
with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Civil
Rights Act of 1991, and all civil rights laws
of the State of Colorado. Accordingly,
equal opportunity of employment shall
be extended to all persons and the district
shall promote equal opportunity and
treatment through fair and equitable
hiring practices. The 27J Administration
Building is located at 18551 E. 160th Ave.,
Brighton, CO 80601.
Fiedler officially new 27J Superintendent
J
uly marked the beginning
of a new era in School
District 27J.
Dr. Chris Fiedler became
the new 27J Superintendent
of Schools July 1, ending a
lengthy transition period from
former superintendent Dr.
Blunck.
Fiedler thanked Dr.
Blunck for his contributions
to the district.
“I would like to thank Dr.
Blunck for his extraordinary
leadership the past six years
during challenging financial
times for the district,” Dr.
Fiedler said. “He has put us
in the best possible position
to move forward and continue
our efforts to provide exceptional instruction and learning
experiences for our students.”
Dr. Fiedler called taking
the reins of School District
27J - on the heels of the highest third-grade TCAP reading
results in district history and
with the district preparing
to debut a new elementary
school built solely through
bond savings – “an exciting
time to serve and lead in 27J.”
He added that he believes the
positive third-grade reading
results are just the beginning
of more exciting news for the
district.
“I plan to continue our
focus on instruction. I believe
that every employee in the
district has the desire to continually improve. We owe it
to our students to ensure that
happens,” Dr. Fiedler said.
“Our board has made academic achievement job one and
we are confident we will meet
and exceed their expectations
in the months and years to
come.”
Dr. Fiedler said continued
student academic achievement
and effective management
of student population growth
are among his top priorities.
He wants to showcase the
district’s rich history and its
bright future.
“I expect us to significantly
improve upon our communication to our multiple communities,” Dr. Fiedler said.
“We have a rich history and
tradition to share with those
families who are new to 27J
and are making new memories
for our students and families
daily and these stories will be
shared."
Dr. Fiedler has worked in
School District 27J for seven
years, first as principal of
Thimmig Elementary and the
past four years as principal at
Dr. Chris Fiedler
Prairie View High School. His
wife, Jessica, is a principal in
the Adams 12 School District.
They share a four-year-old son
and five children from previous marriages. They are completing the purchase of a home
in Brighton and their youngest
son will begin elementary
school in 27J this fall.
27J won’t pursue mill levy, bond in 2012
BRIGHTON – School
District 27J does not plan
to seek a mill levy override
request or bond money to
build new schools in the 2012
November general election
and possibly not before 2014.
The district plans to use the
time to evaluate the district’s
needs in terms of building
capacity and operational funding.
27J Superintendent Dr.
Chris Fiedler said it is also an
opportunity for the district to
engage the community in a
heartfelt discussion about the
needs of the school district
and educating students outside
the often super-charged atmosphere of an election.
“Our past two unsuccessful mill levy requests
came against the backdrop of
incredibly difficult economic
times for the residents of our
community. We understand
that, for many of our 27J families, those difficult times continue,” he said. “I think those
past elections are indicative
of our community members
having to make tough choices
about how they put food on
their family’s table and keep
a roof over their head. I don’t
think they are an indicator
about how our community
feels about education. We
School District 27J’s operating revenue, generated through mill levy
overrides and highligted in red, remains well below that of
surrounding school districts.
know our community rallies
around our schools and giving
our children the best possible
opportunities to succeed.
“This ‘break’ from voter-approved funding requests
will not only give us the
chance to reassess our needs
but make sure we are presenting a compelling story about
our district to the community,” Dr. Fiedler added.
27J Chief Operations
Officer Terry Lucero shared
an overview of mill levies and
bonds with the Board of Education during its June study
session. Lucero explained the
purpose of mill levies, which
is a tax rate applied to the
assessed value of a property
and and mill levy overrides,
which are additional property
tax to increase operational
revenue. He also talked about
bonds – general obligation
loans made to school districts
for the purpose of new school
construction or renovation.
Lucero told board
members that there are several
factors that will dictate when
the school district returns to
voters with funding requests.
Those factors include: a positive economic outlook, strong
district communications, the
ability to share specifically
defined district needs and
show a district-wide benefit to
residents.
While the district begins preliminary plans for a
possible 2014 bond and mill
levy override request , the
challenges it faces continue to
mount. 27J, one of the fastest
growing school districts in the
state, remains the least funded
among surrounding school
districts in terms of mill levy
override funding. Those
existing funding challenges
were compounded by millions
of dollars in state education
cutbacks over the past several
years.
The district has been able
to offset some of those funding shortfalls through prudent
financial planning and being
fiscally conservative. Even
as its sources of money have
dwindled, 27J’s needs have
continued to grow. By the
time the district likely returns
to voters, current projections
show enrollment will have
climbed well over 17,000
students. The most pressing
capacity needs will include
additional middle school
space and the building of a
third district high school.
“Building new schools to
serve students is important but
it’s only part of the equation,”
Lucero said. “We need to
have sufficient funding to put
teachers and staff in those
buildings to give our students
the education they deserve.”
As 27J moves toward any
future elections, the goal is to
make those decisions part of a
community conversation.
“We want to hear the wants
and needs of our school district community,” Dr. Fiedler
said. “That input is going to
help shape what voters see on
the ballot in the future.”
27JCompass
www.sd27j.org
July 27, 2012
Catching Up
With ...
3
Jeff and
Beverly
Bernard
Photo by Kevin Denke
J
eff and Beverly Bernard’s lives are distinctly intertwined with the
community of Brighton and
School District 27J.
Both are Brighton High
School graduates (‘78).
Their son and daughter also
graduated from Brighton
High School and their
daughter was a teacher at
Northeast Elementary for six
years.
The two, who moved to
Brighton as youngsters with
their families in 1966, met
the last day of their seventh
grade year at then North
Junior High. The connection
was immediate.
“I told my girlfriend,
‘I’m going to marry that
man someday,’” Bev recalls
with a laugh.
It turns out she was
right. They remained a
couple throughout high
school and married about a
year-and-a-half after graduating BHS. Bev first studied
interior design and then
worked at the Adams County
Sheriff’s Office before she
dedicated herself to the role
of raising their children. She
also worked at Southeast
Elementary for six years.
Construction began as
a side business for Jeff as
he worked for more than a
decade at a Denver machine
shop. Then, in 1990, he
launched Bernard’s Custom
Construction in Brighton.
“When we started in
business, everyone was getting out of business because
construction was going
backward at that time,”
Jeff says. “We did a lot of
roofing, remodeling, started
to build custom homes.
The business has transformed over the years from
roofing to custom homes,
land development and commercial construction. With
their kids growing up, Bev
eventually began to work
with Jeff as his construction
business boomed. They
are wrapping up work this
month on a new urgent care
medical office near 27th
Avenue and Bromley Lane.
Their successful
construction business is
complemented by the
couple’s heavy community
involvement. They belong
to St. Augustine Parish in
Brighton and their company
built the congregation’s new
parish life center. Jeff has
also served on a number of
city committees, including
the city planning commission, and served as a volunteer Brighton firefighter for
18 years.
Brighton is where they
grew up. It’s where they
raised their family. Both
doubt they will ever live
anywhere else.
“I think it’s the comfortableness we grew up here,”
Bev says. “(We’ve) watched
it grow and just the excitement of seeing all the new
development and businesses.
I can remember when WalMart came, the excitement
of ‘Oh my gosh, we have
a place to go shopping.’ I
think it’s just been fun to
watch it grow and expand,
yet still love being able to
go out to a restaurant and
see local people and know
people when you’re walking
down the street.
“Brighton is still a small
community but it’s progressive. It still has that small
neighborhood feeling,” Jeff
adds. “That’s important.”
They have fond memories of their time in School
District 27J. Jeff remembers
being at the original Henderson Elementary and then
moving to the new Henderson building.
“I still remember that
carrying our desks from
one school to the other
when they moved,” he says.
“Now days they wouldn’t let
anybody do that. Students
helped move the school.”
Bev remembers at North
Junior High (now Brighton
Heritage Academy) having a class where students
actually repelled off the roof
of the school. She savors the
chance to still catch up with
old classmates on a regular
basis. They also head up
their BHS reunion committee.
“It is amazing how many
have stuck around Brighton
or have come back, either
because of their parents or
because they miss the small
town,” Bev says.
“There are a large number
of teachers we still run into,
talk to,” Jeff adds. “That’s
fun. They still remember us.”
“Catching Up With ...” is a
regular feature designed to
highlight SD27J Alumni. If
you have someone you would
like to nominate, please email
[email protected] or call
303-655-2905.
4
27JCompass
www.sd27j.org
July 27, 2012
Four questions with Ana Mendoza
The former Vikan principal is ready for a new challenge
as principal of Prairie View High School
Q
A
Do principals get
nervous about the first
day of school?
I’ve been in education
for 32 years and I am
still nervous about the
first day of school! I always
have a hard time sleeping the
night before not only because
of nervous energy but for
the excitement of seeing our
students and meeting them.
I laugh sometimes because I
still have the same questions
I had when I was a student
myself: Will I know where to
go? Will they like me? Will I
make friends right away?
Q
Your education
experience includes a
lot of time at the
middle school level.
What excites you about
making the move to high
school?
A
I have had a lot of
time at the middle
level but I also had
about 12 years at the high
school level when I first
started teaching and as a
student activities director.
I am extremely excited
about returning to the place
I started. I love kids of all
ages and at the middle level
I felt I was able to make
a huge impact at a very
vulnerable age. Now, at
the high school level, I can
make sure those connections
that were made at the
middle level can continue.
Making a difference in the
dropout rate and making
sure students develop into
successful independent
citizens is going to be a
great experience. I am also
very excited about being a
part of the extracurricular
and athletic activities that
come with high school.
I am looking forward to
continuing the work that
has been started and to be
part of creating a history
and establishing traditions
at PVHS.
Q
A
What’s one thing
about you that you
think will surprise
students?
I think they will be
surprised to know
that I am trilingual
(English, Spanish and
American Sign language) and
that I can dance just about
anything from a Mexican
“corrida,” and Cotton-eyed
Joe, to a Cupid Shuffle and
Cha Cha Slide!
Q
What does it mean to
be a ThunderHawk?
A
Personally, being
a ThunderHawk is
being a role model
for students and providing
them with all the necessary
tools they need to be successful
in a world of work and life’s
challenges. For our students,
I envision a ThunderHawk
as being someone who is
Ana Mendoza
able to contribute to a culture
and climate that creates
integrity, respect for each
other, respect for our school/
building, and respect for our
community. A ThunderHawk
should be powerful, strong,
proud and should exude a
sense of determination and
distinction.
Grant puts AEDs, evacuation chairs inside district schools
A
ll 27J schools now
have life-saving
equipment in place
thanks to the help of the
school district’s community
partners.
Staff installed the final
eight AEDs (Automated
External Defibrillators) at
schools this summer as well
as evacuation chairs at the
district’s two-story school
buildings.
School District 27J
received a $32,460 Community Health Investment
Program grant from Brighton’s Platte Valley Medical
Center in 2011. The CHIP
grant was divided between
$15,000 toward the AEDs
– used to restore normal
rhythm to an individual’s
heart – and about $17,000
for the evacuation chairs,
which allow emergency
personnel to transport an
incapacitated person from
the upper level of a building
in the event of an emergency. The grant allowed 27J to
further partner with the Kick
Start My Heart Foundation
for the additional $45,000
needed for the AEDs, associ-
ated equipment and necessary training.
Kick Start My Heart is a
charitable foundation created
by a group of Boulder soccer
enthusiasts in 2005, and
dedicated to raising funds to
provide AEDs, emergency
training and cardiovascular
wellness education at local
schools and sports facilities.
“Every school is safer for students, staff and
visitors with the emergency
equipment in place that was
funded by this CHIP grant
as well as the Kick Start My
Heart Foundation,” said 27J
Emergency Response and
Crisis Specialist Nancy Ross.
Ross also credited Platte
Valley Ambulance chief
paramedic Carl Craigle for
his help with the grant.
“Carl Craigle was
instrumental in the implementation of this grant
and we truly appreciate his
ongoing support,” she said.
“Carl personally taught First
Aid classes to match the
grant-provided CPR sessions
so our staff members could
complete their required
safety training.”
Each district school, including charter schools, now
has AEDs in place. Brighton and Prairie View high
schools have one mounted
near the office and one dedicated to athletics.
Evacuation chairs were
installed near the elevators of 12 district schools,
including Bromley East
Charter and Eagle Ridge
Academy.
Ross said the next step is
to install AEDs at the district
swimming pool complex
as well as the Educational
Service Center.
Photo courtesy of Nancy Ross/SD27J
27J System Maintenance Technician Gabe Elizalde installs the
final AED (Automated External
Defibrillator) cabinet and sign at
North Elementary in June.
Girl Scouts host Aug. 11 school supply drive
G
irl Scouts from
Troop 2433 are
earning their Silver
Award by hosting a school
supply drive.
They will be accepting donations for all grade
levels at the Wal-Mart, 7101
E. 128th Avenue (at Quebec
Street)
Thornton,
80602.
They will
be at the
store from
9 a.m. to 4
p.m. The
donations
will be delivered to School
District 27J and will be
distributed to schools and
students in need. Stop by
to show your school spirit
and help a student start the
year off with the supplies
they need to make learning
a success.
27JCompass
www.sd27j.org
July 27, 2012
5
Summer to Remember
When the final school bell rang, the 27J family spread out across the country
and the world. Here’s just a sample of where Summer 2012 has taken them!
Photo courtesy of Eric Bierbauer
Prairie View High School math teacher Eric Bierbauer took this
photo at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
P
urtesy
hoto co
k
ral wee
nt seve .
e
p
s
ts
studen ies Program
ighton
p of Br ton Sister Cit
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o
r
g
A
h
the Brig
part of
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d durin
lan
bice, Po
s in Zie
ck
od Blun
of Dr. R
June as
Photo courtesy of Ana Mendoza
Prairie View High School principal Ana Mendoza snapped this
beautiful shot of the beach of Naples, Fla., shortly before Tropical
Storm Debby hit the area. Ana rode out the storm and watched the
wind and rain and massive waves churn toward the coast.
Photo courtesy of Nicole Emmert
Student Leadership
Prairie View High School junior Nicole Emmert attended the National
This is Nicole at the
Conference from June 17-27 at American University in Washington D.C.
native). ta
Minneso
a
is
(she
l
Memoria
World War II Veteran’s
Photo courtesy of Joan Kniss
27J Board of Education President Joan Kniss snapped this picture
during a long weekend near Balboa Island, Calif.
6
www.sd27j.org
July 27, 2012
Cadets help in
fire effort
27JCompass
United Power
supports 27J students
Photo courtesy Cathy Laliberte
Cadets from 27J’s Civil Air Patrol squadron spent two weeks
volunteering inside the High Park Fire evacuation center in
Fort Collins in June. They spent long days sorting through
donations, organizing and cleaning them and then helping
redistribute donations to fire evacuees.
Brantner
From Page 1
“We’ve spent a lot of time
this summer reaching out to our
community through different
events and they’ve warmly
embraced us,” Saller said.
“There’s already a strong spirit
among our school staff and
community.”
The 38,000 square-foot,
two-story facility, which includes four modular classrooms
can hold up to 400 students.
The school was designed by
Larson Incitti Architects and
built by Saunders Construction.
For information about the
school visit the Brantner website or call 720-685-5050.
Photo courtesy School District 27J
With the beginning of a new school year, School District 27J is grateful to have the support
of a number of community partners in making sure our students return to school with the
necessary supplies. One of those partners, the United Power Employee Association, donated
about 417 pounds (about $430) worth of supplies, to 27J on July 23. United Power employees
conduct the school supply drive on an annual basis. Pictured, from left, are United Power’s
Laurel Eller, Beverly Esquibel, 27J Community Outreach Coordinator & Homeless Liaison, Cathy Brady, 27J Print Shop Supervisor, and United Power’s Diedre Gregg-Donovan,
who helped organize the drive.
Lowe’s helps school district middle schools upgrade technology
F
ix-ups and improvements are a normal
sight at school buildings
during the summer months. But there’s a good
chance that students from
Overland Trail and Vikan
middle schools might not even
notice the work that happened
in their schools this summer.
But, make no mistake, it’s
going to have a big impact on
how they learn.
Thanks to a $100,000
Lowe’s Toolbox for Education
grant, electricians spent more
than a month upgrading the
electrical infrastructure of
both schools.
A district equity survey
found that the two middle
schools lacked the electrical
capacity of the district’s newer
middle schools, which opened
in 2008.
“The designers of Vikan
and Overland Trail middle
schools could not have foreseen the tremendous demand
for technology needed in a
21st-century classroom,” said
27J Construction Specialist
Ranette Jordan. “We’re just
glad that Lowe’s was able to
provide us the resources to
upgrade these schools.”
The work involved the
installation of 42-circuit,
sub-electrical panels in both
schools and branch circuits to
each classroom. Brighton’s
Wayne’s Electric handled the
work.
While that may not be as
visible to students, the next
phase of the project will.
Lowe’s gave 27J permission
to use remaining grant money
to purchase computers and
ceiling-mounted projectors.
Jordan said they will work
with principals at both schools
on the technological enhancements for the classrooms.
Photo courtesy School District 27J
Contractors from Wayne’s Electric bend conduit pipe inside Vikan Middle School in June.
Vikan and Overland Trail received substantial electrical infrastructure improvements that will
improve technological access for students.
27JCompass
www.sd27j.org
July 27, 2012
The “Premiere”of a New School Year
7
Photos courtesy of School District 27J
SD27J school administrative staffs returned to their buildings July 18. When principals and assistant principals showed up at the district training room to kick off four days of
instructional leadership training July 20, district staff was waiting to greet them with a red carpet and celebratory, noise-making clackers. New teachers will get the same “premiere”
welcome when they arrive for orientation Aug. 3. Above, West Ridge Principal Carie Brock takes to the red carpet.
Singing from the Mountain Tops
27J adds new communication tools
I
Photo courtesy of Bette Weir/PVHS
Prairie View High School and the Prairie View Music Booster Club sponsored the first Rocky
Mountain Choral Camp, attended by about 60 students, this summer in Estes Park. Here, the
high school choir rehearses with Dr. Tony McNeill (formerly of Appalachian State University,
and a finalist for choir director at historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, home church of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.).
t’s been a busy summer
for the School District 27J
communications department as changes have been
under way to improve how the
district communicates with the
community.
Many of those changes
have taken place on the Internet. First, a number of changes
and additions have been made
to the district’s main webpage
(www.sd27j.org). The changes
are meant to improve the look
of the page, share information
in a timelier manner and make
the page more user friendly.
School District 27J has
also stepped into the world of
social media with a Facebook
page (www.facebook.com/
SD27J) and a Twitter account
(www.twitter.com/SD27J).
New 27J Superintendent Dr.
Chris Fiedler also has a Twitter account (@SD27Jsuper)
where followers can keep up
on his daily district activities.
“Social media is just
another important tool that
allows us to connect on an
hourly, daily basis with the
27J community,” said 27J
Public Information Officer
Kevin Denke. “We’re excited
about all the different ways
we can share the great things
happening in our schools.”
The 27J Compass, which
will be available electronically every other week throughout the school year, is another
way community members
can keep informed about the
district.