SAFE2TELL POSTS NEW RECORD
Colorado students and other concerned people submitted 2,664 tips to Safe2Tell in September, a 45% increase over the same month in 2018.
Tips are up 42% overall for the school year that started in August. The most common reasons for reports were suicide threats, bullying and concerns about drugs.
About 2.5% of the tips in September were determined to be intentionally false, and 222 were duplicates of a concern someone else had reported.
The public can report concerns anonymously by calling 877-542-7233, visiting Safe2Tell.org or using the Safe2Tell mobile app.
Early childhood commissioners named.
Gov. Jared Polis appointed six new members to the Early Childhood Leadership Commission on Thursday.
The new commissioners are Ryan Beiser, Cherry Hills, regional president at PNC Bank Denver; Jehan Benton-Clark, Denver, portfolio director at Colorado Health Foundation; Pamela Harris, Denver, president and CEO of Mile High Early Learning; Kate Kennedy Reinemund, Englewood, executive director of Constellation Philanthropy; Sue Renner, Denver, vice president of philanthropy at Merage Foundations; and Ida Rhodes, Pueblo, director of operations at Catholic CharitiesDiocese of Pueblo.
Polis also appointed two co-chairs: Tom Massey, deputy executive director at Health Care Policy and Financing, and Susan Steele, executive director of the Buell Foundation.
District honors staffers, student.
Jeffco Public Schools gave out its annual Wayne Carle Legacy Awards for diversity and equity Thursday in Golden. Honorees were:
• Mitchell Elementary Principal Samantha Hollman.
• Jessica Post, a high school teacher.
• Andrea Syko, family engagement liaison.
•Gabrielle Davis, a leader on the Student Voice Leadership Committee.
• Jeffco Safe Schools Coalition, which works with LGBTQ youths.
Five Denver-area schools honored.
The U.S. Department of Education recognized five Denverarea schools as National Blue Ribbons Schools.
Blue Ribbon Schools either have the highest levels of student achievement in their state or have made the most progress in closing achievement gaps between subgroups, such as students of different races. This year, the Education Department recognized 312 public schools and 50 private schools.
The recognized schools were Bradley International School, Denver Public Schools; DSST Byers Middle School, DPS; Lois Lenski Elementary School, Littleton Public Schools; Slavens K-8 School, DPS; and Summit Middle Charter School, Boulder Valley School District.
Study finds benefits to full-day preschool.
Researchers from the University of Colorado who studied Westminster Public Schools found children who went to full-day preschool programs performed better on assessments of early literacy and math skills.
Westminster received funding for several fullday classrooms in 2016 and split its preschool program about evenly between full- and halfday programs. Researchers could compare children who were assigned to the full-day program and those whose parents were interested but couldn’t get a slot. The researchers will track the children as they move into elementary school.
High school construction complete.
Renovations are finished at John F. Kennedy High School, which has a new cafeteria and fire suppression system. The project also included a new main entrance to the 55year-old building, changes to the front office, cooling units in classrooms and lights for the sports fields.
The renovations cost about $11 million and were funded by bonds approved in 2016.
Construction ongoing on Sandoval campus.
Work is underway on a $65.7 million project to add a classroom building and other new facilities to DPS’s Paul Sandoval campus. The project also will include two new gyms, an addition for performing arts, four tennis courts and a soccer field.