August 20, 2015
THIS WEEK IN
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SPORTS
LOCAL
Fall sports: High schools prepare for beginning of season.
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Two students diagnosed with meningitis No additional cases reported at Mountain Vista as of Aug. 18 By Mike DiFerdinando mdiferdinando@colorado communitymedia.com
Mountain Vista High School Principal Michael Weaver addresses the media Aug. 18 regarding two cases of viral meningitis at the Highlands Ranch school. Photo by Mike DiFerdinando
Two students at Mountain Vista High School have been diagnosed with viral meningitis. Both students are doing well and will remain home until their symptoms are gone, according to the school. “I feel pretty confident that they’re going to be in good shape,” said Mountain Vista Principal Michael Weaver. “We’ve communi-
cated with their parents and kept in close contact and made sure we’re here for anything they need.” Viral meningitis is less severe than the bacterial version, and people usually get well on their own within seven to 10 days, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The cases first came to the school’s attention Aug. 16, and as of Aug. 18 no additional cases had been reported, according to the school. The principal of the Highlands Ranch school informed parents of the two cases on Aug. 17. “Based on information spreading quickly through social media, we felt we would be proactive and get
ABOUT VIRAL MENINGITIS Some facts about viral meningitis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: What it is: An inflammation of the tissue that covers the brain and spinal cord. Some symptoms: Fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea. How it spreads: Close contact with an infected person or surface. How to avoid it: Among other ways, wash hands with soap and water; avoid kissing or sharing cups or utensils with someone who is sick; disinfect frequently touched surfaces. Treatment: Usually, no specific treatment. Most people recover in seven to 10 days. Find more at www.cdc.gov/meningitis/viral.html
Students continues on Page 5
A WELCOME SIGHT
E-cigarette use by kids targeted A proposed ordinance would make possession of emerging products illegal for minors By Shanna Fortier sfortier@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Members of the Mountain Vista Golden Eagles Marching Band head west on Littleton’s Main Street as part of the Aug. 15 Western Welcome Week Grand Parade. The Golden Eagles were among eight high school bands marching in the parade, the highlight of Festival Day. For more coverage, turn to Page 9. Photo by Tom Munds
The growing popularity of electronic cigarettes and nicotine-delivering vaporizers has sparked a call to clamp down on their use and possession by minors in Douglas County. A proposed ordinance would expand the definition of banned tobacco products for those under 18 to include emerging alternate means of ingesting nicotine. The existing ordinance prohibiting possession and use of tobacco products by minors passed in 2001. E-cigarettes were introduced to the U.S. market in 2007. A first reading of the ordinance took place Aug. 11 at the Board of County Commissioners’ business meeting, where it passed unanimously. E-Cigs continues on Page 11
Growing STEM school starts year strong Highlands Ranch charter has highest enrollment yet
By Taryn Walker twalker@coloradocommunitymedia.com School was back in session for STEM School and Academy on Aug. 11, and with its largest enrollment yet. As classes began at the Highlands Ranch school that morning, 1,346 students scattered the halls to find their engineering lab, coding class and music room for first period. This year, the Douglas County charter school added a fifth-grade class and 34 staff members, and doubled in space with 65,000 square feet to “play” with. The school has made numerous strides since its inception in fall of 2011. Penny Eucker, STEM’s executive director, will be honored by the Denver Business Journal as an Outstanding Woman in Business. But that’s not what it’s about to her. She considers herself the “mother of the school,” she said.
“After STEM’s first year, they had a public grade of F and were struggling financially, and that doesn’t happen in Douglas County,” Eucker said. “I started in the fall of 2012, and the school district came to me to tell me they were closing the school. I said, ‘We’ll see.’” Thanks to teacher leadership, within a year, everything turned around and the public grade rating that is based on state scores skyrocketed to an A, she said. “We’re one of the strongest charter schools in the nation and best STEM schools in Colorado,” Eucker said. With the opening of the 2015-16 school year, staff saw 400 new faces, which is a 40 percent enrollment growth, and with the addition of a new grade, more possibilities are popping up. Eucker said the school, which is now fifth through 12th grade, is seeking an expansion in hopes of opening an elementary for children in kindergarten up to fifth grade for 2016. She said STEM is just waiting for approval by the Douglas STEM continues on Page 12
Penny Eucker, STEM School and Academy’s executive director, checks in on a new fifthgrade class on the third day of school, Aug. 12. The grade level was added last spring after approval from the Douglas County Board of Education. Eucker said the school and academy is waiting on approval for the addition of an elementary for students in kindergarten up to fifth grade. Photo by Taryn Walker