Jeffco Public Schools

Superintendent's Corner

Dear Jeffco Families & Community,

Last spring, on my advice, the Board of Education allocated funds to create an online, one-stop-shop enrollment system for all Jeffco Public Schools. Also supported in part by funding from the Rose Community Foundation and the Gates Family Foundation, the vision was to create an easy to use platform for any family to enroll in one of our school options.

School choice is an integral part of the education landscape in Jeffco and Colorado. In our community, most parents choose their neighborhood school. We wanted to create a system that honored the guaranteed enrollment families are provided through their neighborhood school, while also allowing families to learn more about and enroll in the quality option and charter schools that are part of our district as well. We had a goal of making the school choice process more equitable, where every family had an equal opportunity to learn more about and enroll in different schools.

EnrollJeffco had an ambitious timeline: going from scratch to a fully operational system in less than six months was no small feat. At one point this fall, we were concerned about not being ready and considered delaying a year. Ultimately, we felt an obligation to our Board of Education and our philanthropic funders to deliver EnrollJeffco on time and within budget, so we took the necessary steps to make that happen.

Read more.

Jeffco students, parents, families, staff, and community members may engage with Dr. Glass via Facebook, Twitter @COJasonGlass, and through his blog, advancejeffco.blog.

ENROLLJEFFCO ROUND ONE CLOSES AT MIDNIGHT TONIGHT!

All students, even those simply returning to the same school, should be entered in the NEW EnrollJeffco system. Please enroll by midnight Friday, February 8 at www.enrolljeffco.org. Use the same login as you use for JeffcoConnect, and then indicate whether your student(s) is returning to the same school, moving up to their next neighborhood school (elementary to middle, middle to high), or applying for a different school. Seniors on-track to graduate in May do not need to be entered into the system.

Round One choice enrollment closes at midnight on Friday, February 8. If you are applying to a school other than your current or neighborhood school, you must apply via EnrollJeffco before the deadline to be a part of the initial lottery. Schools that have more applicants than seats will have a lottery; offers (or waitlist position) are expected to be emailed to all applicants at all schools on February 26. You will have five days to accept an offer. You may only accept one offer. If you are on a waitlist, you will remain on the waitlist and be notified if space opens.  

EnrollJeffco will be off-line from midnight Friday, February 8 to noon Saturday, February  9.

At noon Saturday, February 9 Round Two of Choice Enrollment opens. Round Two is not a lottery, it is first-come, first served. Notifications of Round Two offers will begin in early March.

Go to www.EnrollJeffco.org for details on the new enrollment system.

THE GIFT WAVE AT ROONEY RANCH ELEMENTARY

Third-grade brains were heating up here in Laura Kendall’s class at Rooney Ranch Elementary. Fractions tend to do that, but with the help of a few Watch DOGS, Rooney Ranch dads who volunteer, everybody was getting through it. They were anxious to finish because once they put the numbers away, it would be time to put all that young brainpower to work on their Gift Wave project.

“I think I think it’s important for our students to understand that there is a world so much bigger and greater than just within the walls of our classroom, and I think so often we get kind of stuck in the curriculum that we are here to teach. I think we need to figure out a way to let them know the things that we are doing in our classroom actually can impact on such a greater level,” said Kendall.

The Gift Wave is rooted in tragedy. Two years ago, one of California’s many wildfires, the Tubbs Fire in Santa Rosa, hit Kendall hard, especially when she heard about all the children that had been affected. She turned a yearly Thanksgiving project, one in which her students do some creative writing about turkeys, into outreach, and asked her kids to send their stories to Santa Rosa’s Austin Creek elementary.

Read more.

Good News in Jeffco

Jeffco Public Schools will be well represented for the 2019 All-State Band, Jazz Band, and Orchestra. Read more.

Students from the Fairmount Production Studio at Fairmount Elementary went on a field trip to the Communications Department. Read more.

The National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) named Matt Heckel, Assistant Principal/Athletic Director at Dakota Ridge High School, a Certified Master Athletic Administrator. Read more.

For more good news, visit the Good News Blog and see Jeffco in the News.

HAPPENING IN JEFFCO

Good News Coalition Accepting Nominations
Deadline February 22

The Good News Coalition is accepting nominations for the 2019 Good News Recognition Breakfast - Theme: "Unsung Heroes." Help the coalition find and share the stores of the Unsung Heroes doing good things for Jefferson County. Please complete the nomination form or find it online at www.goodnewsjeffco.org. The deadline is Friday, February 22.

Westminster Legacy Foundation
Community Awards

Each year, the Westminster Legacy Foundation honors Westminster citizens, individuals, groups, businesses, and organizations active in the Westminster community. The nominees and winners are recognized at a breakfast in their honor. Click here for more information.

District-Wide Elementary Art Show
February 20 - March 14

This show exhibits our best work from grades K-6 and features the diverse themes and lessons happening in our art rooms. The show will hang at Red Rocks Community College, 13300 West 6th Avenue, Lakewood, 80228, from February 20 to March 14. Art will be displayed in the main level hallway, the lower level, and the upper level/library, and can be viewed from 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. The opening reception is Friday, February 22 from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Johns Hopkins University Engineering Innovation Summer Program
Open House February 23

The semester-long course is condensed into four weeks and is made available to high school students in the summer. The course will be offered at Red Rocks Community College (RRCC), June 24 - July 19, Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Click here for more information or to apply to the program. RRCC will host an Open House for interested students on Saturday, February 23, 1:00-4:00 p.m. Click here to RSVP for the Open House.

WE'RE HIRING!

Jeffco Public Schools is a Great Place to Be!

Click here to explore different types of positions with Jeffco Public Schools and for more information about employment at Jeffco Public Schools. Follow @JeffcoK12Jobs on Twitter for job posting information and @JeffcoSchoolsHR one Twitter for HR announcements and events.

IMPORTANT DATES

• January 22 - February 8 - EnrollJeffco window
• February 15 - K-8 early release

BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS

• Wednesday, February 13, 10:00 a.m., Study Session
• Thursday, March 7, 5:00 p.m., Study Session
• Thursday, March 7, 6:00 p.m., Regular Meeting

Meetings are held at the Jeffco Ed Center Board Room, 1829 Denver West Drive #27, Golden. Meeting schedules and agendas are posted on BoardDocs.

ATHLETICS & ACTIVITIES

Check Out the Latest from JPS-TV

Emmy®-nominated JPS-TV is the official YouTube channel for Jeffco Public Schools. It features stories about Jeffco kids, teachers, and staff! Click here to check out the latest from JPS-TV!

Keep Up with Jeffco Athletics

To get the latest on Jeffco’s high school athletics, be sure to check out the CHSAANow.com/jeffco website, JPS-TV Sports, the Jeffco Athletics Facebook page, and scores and photos via @JeffcoAthletics on Twitter. Click here to check out the latest from JPS-TV!