Arvada Press 080521

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August 5, 2021

JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO

A publication of

INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 10 | LIFE: PAGE 12 | CALENDAR: PAGE 15

VOLUME 17 | ISSUE 7

Masks for under-12 Jeffco students District releases new guidelines for beginning of school year STAFF REPORT

cipal Bryan Thompson said the playground gives a face-lift to the old recess amenities and added that the project was slated to begin construction last year but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We felt that what was had was outdated,” said Thompson, “and we wanted something more contemporary, something more engaging for the kids. We did have a good space out there, but we just felt it was time to upgrade several things to

On July 30, the Jeffco School district released updated COVID protocols for the start of the 2021 school year requiring students ages 3 to 11 to wear masks in all schools while indoors. The new guidelines take effect Aug. 17, the first day of the fall semester. The district’s policy aligns with updated advice from Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH), recommending all people return to wearing masks indoors regardless of vaccination status due to substantial transmission rates of COVID-19 and the highly infectious nature of the Delta variant. Once a student becomes fully vaccinated (currently eligible at age 12 or older) masks are recommended, but not required. Despite nearly 74% of people 12 and older in Jefferson County having received at least one COVID vaccine, the district’s message to families is that safety and keeping students in school are their primary concerns.

SEE PLAYGROUND, P7

SEE SCHOOLS, P2

An FCA student tries out the new playground’s slide.

PHOTO BY RYAN DUNN

Faith Christian Academy opens new K-8 playground Swings, play structure, gaga ball pit ready in time for school year BY RYAN DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

When students at Faith Christian Academy’s K-8 school return on Aug. 18 for the 2021-2022 school year, they’ll have a new place to spend recess.

FCA hosted three Popsicles in the Park events the week of July 26 to welcome students to the new playground, which was completed in early July. At Popsicles in the Park, students were invited to enjoy ice pops and enjoy the new playground, which features a brandnew play structure with a climbing wall and slide, swings, a gaga ball pit and a grass field. The playground was completed earlier this month and occupies a space that was previously a parking lot and turf field. FCA K-8 Prin-

Changes to juvenile justice in Arvada Two ordinances pertain to fighting in schools, jury trial eligibility BY RYAN DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

The Arvada City Council unanimously passed two ordinances at the

July 19 meeting that will change how juvenile defendants in the city are processed through the criminal justice system. Ordinance number 4767 deals with fighting in schools while Kurtz ordinance number 4768 changes juvenile’s trial procedure.. The ordinances went into effect on July 27.

Both ordinances were presented to Council with the endorsement of Presiding Arvada Municipal Court Judge Kathryn Kurtz, and ordinance 4767 specifically earned the support of the Arvada Police Department and John McDonald, director of security and emergency management for Jefferson County Public Schools. Arvada Deputy City Attorney Nora Steenson presented the ordi-

nances to Council and said that the city team has been discussing these measures since before the COVID-19 pandemic and felt compelled to get them passed before the start of the 2021-2022 school year because many schools will be returning to in-person learning. While Steenson, Kurtz, APD’s Public Information Officer Dave SEE JUVENILE, P8


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