Dear D51 Families and Colleagues,

Happy March! With Spring Break around the corner, this was our final full week with students before the break. While I know everyone is looking forward to a well-deserved break, I encourage you to stay engaged as we wrap up the third quarter and head into the final stretch of the school year.

I had the opportunity to take in two awesome performances this week…one as a dad and one as a fan! DIA put on their 5th Grade Modern Band Concert, and it was great watching the students play the instruments they learned in class and sing fun songs in both English and Spanish. It was a proud dad moment for me to see my kiddo play the keyboard and sing with his classmates. Shoutout to DIA for putting on a great performance while celebrating culture. I also had the opportunity to catch the Central High School Theatre production of Anastasia! I’m always blown away by our high school theatre programs, and CHS did not disappoint. Shoutout to the students, and shoutout to Ms. Meltzer for prioritizing the arts in D51 while making it fun for all! There is still a chance to catch productions from all of our high schools tonight and this weekend. See the details below in the events section. 

I want to end this week by reinforcing our commitment to providing a safe and welcoming learning environment at ALL of our schools for ALL of our students, families, and staff. While the current conversations around immigration at the federal level have created fear and uncertainty for many of our students and families, our message in D51 has remained the same throughout this process. Our schools are safe places where all students are welcomed and entitled to a high quality education. We will not allow for the education environment and the safety of our students and staff to be disrupted, and that applies to any outside entity wanting to enter our schools. Thank you to our Board & our Director of Safety & Security for discussing this topic at this week’s Board Work Session. Hopefully it helped further clarify our policies and procedures in D51 when it comes to protecting our students and staff while learning is happening in our buildings. I’m proud to be the Superintendent of a district that champions teachers, staff, and administrators who put student safety first, and together, as a community, we can continue to support one another so that our students are free to find joy in their learning experience at all of our schools. 

National School Breakfast Week
Good nutrition is essential for student success, and National School Breakfast Week is a great time to highlight the importance of starting the day with a healthy meal. Thanks to Colorado voters, D51 participates in the Healthy School Meals for All program, ensuring every student has access to free breakfast and lunch during the school day. Read more here.

Recognizing our School Social Workers & Maintenance Team
This week, we’re celebrating two groups of unsung heroes in D51—our school social workers and maintenance team—whose dedication makes a lasting impact on our students, staff, and schools. Read more here.

Altrusa Art Competition Winners
On February 20, the Altrusa International Foundation hosted its annual awards ceremony, celebrating students from the Career Center, R-5 High School, and CMU Tech. These students were recognized for their hard work, academic achievements, and dedication to serving their community. Read more here.

D51 HOSA Team Competes at State Leadership Conference
At the end of February, District 51’s HOSA team competed at the State Leadership Conference, showcasing their dedication to healthcare careers. Read more here.

DECA Competition
A few weeks ago, Rhonda Johnson, Technical Instructor of Applied Business at CMU Tech, took students to the State DECA Competition in Colorado Springs, including nine D51 high school students. These students demonstrated their talent, dedication, and hard work at this highly competitive event. Read more here.

GJHS Student Earns Runner-Up Colorado Journalist of the Year
The Colorado High School Journalist of the Year Award honors exceptional high school journalists for their dedication, skill, and contributions to student media, and a Grand Junction High School Senior was recently named runner-up in this prestigious competition. Read more here. 

Redlands Middle Hosts Elementary Feeders for Visit
Music has a unique way of bringing people together, and a recent visit to Redlands Middle School showed just that. Elementary students from feeder schools watched performances by the RMS Music Program, experiencing firsthand how music connects and inspires. Read more here.

Bookcliff Middle Launches Golf in Schools Program
During the month of March, students at Bookcliff Middle School will have the unique opportunity to participate in the Golf in Schools Program, bringing a new sport into their physical education curriculum. Read more here.

Broadway Bears Art Show
This week, Broadway Elementary hosted its annual Student Art Show, celebrating the creativity and talents of its students. The school's main hallway was transformed into a vibrant gallery, showcasing student artwork alongside clay sculptures from the Broadway Clay Club. Read more here.

Middle Schoolers Take on the MESA Judo-Bot Challenge
This week, middle school students from Mt. Garfield, West, Bookcliff, Orchard Mesa, and Redlands put their engineering skills to the test in the MESA Judo-Bot Competition at Redlands Middle School. After weeks of designing and building hydraulic-powered Judo-Bots, students battled it out to see whose bot could flip, push, or outlast the competition. Read more here.

Celebrating Read Across America Day in D51
There’s nothing quite like the joy of reading, and Read Across America Day was a fantastic reminder of the power of books. Schools across the district celebrated with guest readers, themed activities, spirit days, and an emphasis on the importance of literacy. Read more here.

Tony the Rapper Visits Thunder Mountain
This morning, students at Thunder Mountain Elementary received a visit from a special guest, freestyle rapper T-O-N-Y Vasquez, who shared how reading and writing are essential tools for setting goals, staying motivated, and achieving success. Read more here.

Las Familias Family Sessions
D51 is excited to offer Las Familias, a six-session virtual course designed to help parents navigate the education system, understand their rights, and learn effective ways to support their children. This program was previously offered for our Spanish-speaking families, and our Access, Opportunity, and Family Partnership Department is eager to now host sessions for our English-speaking families.

Through these sessions, families will gain valuable insights into inclusive parenting, multiple intelligences, and advocacy while connecting with others to build a strong support network. The free sessions begin in mid-March and run for two hours each in a flexible virtual format.

We hope you’ll partner with us to get the most out of your student’s educational journey. Sign up today!

Board of Education Meeting Recap
On March 4, the Board of Education held a Work Session in the Harry Butler Board Room. For highlights from the meeting, click here. To view a recording of the meeting, click here.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Spring Musicals
  • Central High School Spring Musical - Anastasia
    March 6 and 7, 7 p.m., and March 8, 1 p.m. & 7 p.m., at Central High School
    Purchase tickets here.
  • Fruita Monument High School Spring Musical - Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka
    March 6, 7, and 8, 7 p.m. at Fruita Monument High School
    Purchase tickets here.
  • Grand Junction High School Spring Musical - Jekyll & Hyde
    February 28, 7 p.m., March 1, 1 p.m. & 7 p.m., March 7, 7 p.m. and March 8th, 1 p.m. & 7 p.m. at Grand Junction High School
    Purchase tickets here.
  • Palisade High School Spring Musical - You Can’t Get There from Here
    March 6, 7, and 8, 7 p.m. at Palisade High School
    Purchase tickets here.
• FMHS Music Department's Annual Chili Dinner and Silent Auction
  March 11, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. at Fruita Monument High School
  Support the FMHS Department through a fun night of live music, chili and desserts, and a silent auction. Click here for more information.
• SWAP Youth Career & Resource Fair
  March 13, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Career Center
  This annual event is designed to connect young adults with employers and community resources for career opportunities. Attendees should dress professionally and bring resumes. IntelliTec College, SWAP, and D51 are also offering resume and interview prep to help students make a strong impression. More info here.
• R5 High School Gear Bazaar
  April 4, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., and April 5, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at R5 High School
  Spring is here! It's the perfect time to refresh your outdoor gear—whether you're looking to buy, sell, or trade. Mark your calendars for this event, featuring community vendors, food trucks, and plenty of great finds for the warmer season ahead!

For more events happening across the district, visit:

• Fall Athletics Schedule
• District Upcoming Events

If you have good news to share with us, we'd love to highlight your program, event, story, and more. Please share it with our communications department by emailing communicate@d51schools.org.

Dr. Brian Hill
District 51 Superintendent