August 20, 2015
TEACHERS PREPARE
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Although school officially started this week for most students, teachers began working in their classrooms the week before — decorating classrooms and hallways, developing lesson plans and brainstorming ways to provide the best learning environments for their students. To see what teachers were doing behind the scenes last week, turn to Pages 6 and 7 for stories and photos.
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Innovation marks scientific, technical businesses State-of-the-art operations visited by congressman By Clarke Reader creader@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Ericka Valerio, a third-grade student at Foster Elementary School, talks to her new teacher, Dahlia Hansen, while her classmate looks on. Photos by Crystal Anderson
Arvada schools in session First day of school brings excitement By Crystal Anderson canderson@coloradocommunitymedia.com
FUN FACTS
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t’s 8 a.m. and cars begin to fill into the parking lot at Foster Elementary School. Cars parked, kids jump out of the backseats with backpacks strapped across their shoulders and smiles on their faces: School is officially back in session. Dressed in their finest back-to-school day outfits, students walked toward the back of the school with their parents. Carrying backpacks filled with brand-new school supplies and stylish lunch bags, students found their class lines and sat down on Foster’s blacktop with their new classmates. “I’m going to move to the back of the line if you don’t stop,” said Derek Gonzalez, a third-grade student, to his classmate, Ericka Valerio, as she teased him in a high-pitched voice. “This is where you’re going to — Students come every day before the start of school,” a parent said to his — Staff kindergartener. As the students sat in line, their — Teachers new teachers came out to greet them. They said hello to each of — Schools on ... their new students, learning their names, talking with them about — Campuses new school supplies, and getting them ready for the excitement of the day. With parents standing nearby — taking first-day-of-school photos and saying goodbye — the students sat, ready to get started with their day. Then the bell sounded. The students walked in with their teachers. And the new school year got underway.
JEFFCO SCHOOL DISTRICT BY THE NUMBERS
• 5,780 kindergarteners started school this year, the future class of 2028. • More than $60 million was spent upgrading Jeffco’s school buildings’ infrastructure this summer. • Buses drive more than 25,000 miles each day, which is equal to the circumference of the planet. • In an average school year, Jeffco buses travel more than 4.5 million miles.
the state will be able to help in
some way with
apprenticeship programs.
Right now we’re participation we can.”
Foster Elementary School kindergarten students wait in line on the blacktop prior to the start of school on Aug. 17.
10 THINGS ABOUT ARVADA SCHOOLS • Ralston Valley High School has 18 new teachers this year.
seniors for their last year of high school and beyond.
• Pomona High School has brand-new state championship banners hanging in its gymnasium to celebrate 42 years of championships across all sports fields.
• Foster is giving 500 students new iPads to help increase learning, giving the school a one-to-one ratio with students and devices.
• Foster Elementary is launching a new K-6 STEM program.
• Pomona has 12 alumni on staff for this school year.
• Pomona has 100 more students than in years past.
• North Arvada held a beautification day before the start of school to clean up its landscape.
• Ralston Valley has a new senior seminar class to help prepare
“We’re hoping
doing all the
86,000 14,000 5,200 155 185
• North Arvada Middle School has a new administration team.
Wind power. Blood work. Infusion systems for interventional radiology and 3D metal printing — four radically different businesses in scientific and technical fields. But they share a common thread of innovation. Congressman Ed Perlmutter, D-Colorado, recently spent two days visiting four of his district’s most state-of-the-art companies to see how they work, the kinds of challenges they’re facing and what help they could Perlmutter benefit from. “The innovative piece of this is what I really wanted to focus on. There are a lot of really smart people here with some new ideas out there,” Perlmutter said. “We’re visiting an interesting group that has applications from medical and astronomy to energy and military.” Perlmutter’s district Heidi Hostetter, covers the west vice president and north of Faustson metro areas, including Golden, Lakewood, Northglenn and Thornton. On Aug. 10 and 11, he visited Lakewood’s Primus Aerospace and Windpower and Terumo BCT, Arvada’s Faustson Tools and Westminster’s Surefire Medical. The businesses specialize in different fields — wind power systems, blood work, 3D metal printing and infusion systems for interventional radiology, respectively — but all are facing challenges related to employee attraction and retention, growth and public awareness. “This business is so competitive,” said Randy Brodsky, president of Primus Aerospace. “Our building here has a 42,000-square-foot capacity, and we’re going to need to find additional space.” Primus and Surefire employees spoke about challenges of competition with China. Surefire is also potentially facing some high taxes as part of the Affordable Care Act’s medical device tax. Alicia Svaldi, co-founder of Faustson, highlighted the benefit of Colorado Helps
• Ralston Valley is offering AP psychology and AP physics for the first time.
Innovation continues on Page 5