Dear D51 Families and Colleagues,

It feels like just yesterday we were preparing for the start of the school year, and now here we are, fully in the swing of things. As we settle into the rhythm, I’m proud of how our students, staff, and families have embraced all the changes—whether it’s new schools, new teachers, or new classrooms. Y’all have approached these transitions with enthusiasm and resilience. Let’s keep that positive energy going as we move through the rest of the first quarter!

September is one of my favorite months of the year. It’s a month full of exciting announcements, opportunities, homecoming events, and strong community connections. On Tuesday, I was able to visit Palisade High School for the kickoff of their new Careers in Construction program. You can read more about it below, but I want to thank Principal Bollinger and his team for working hard to offer an opportunity like this to our D51 students. And shoutout to our Engaged & Supportive Community Partners like the Home Builders Association of Western Colorado for partnering with us on this so that the future of work in the trades in Western Colorado is even brighter.

I also had the opportunity to continue my meetings with my Superintendent Student Advisory Group. I met with my student group from Central High School, and it was great to hear directly from the students about all of the positive changes they are seeing at CHS, and how much they appreciate the support from their administrators and teachers. Way to go, CHS, and shoutout to the students for taking the time to meet with me. I also had a lot of fun at the CHS Academic Awards Night on Wednesday. You can read more about it below, but I wanted to mention just how proud I am of the students for their hard work, of the teachers for their support, and of the families who packed the gym to cheer on their kiddos. 

We ended the week by having a special guest visit D51. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser visited the district today for a roundtable discussion on the topic of social media, smartphones, and the work we have done in D51 to combat the issues these things have caused for our children. You can read more below, but I wanted to make sure to shoutout our students, staff, and community partners who shared during the roundtable discussion, and I want to thank AG Weiser for taking the time to visit us, hear from us, and support this work at the state level. Great things are happening in D51, and it was fun to highlight the awesome work our schools are taking on when it comes to distracting social media. “More Social, Less Media” is not just a motto—it’s a movement toward healthier, more connected school communities. Thank you to our families for supporting this work from home, as well. 

Colorado Attorney General Visits D51 for More Social, Less Media
This afternoon, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser joined District 51 admin, staff, students, members of the Board, and community partners at Grand Junction High School for a roundtable discussion on the impact of smartphones in education and how District 51's updated student cell phone policy has addressed this challenge. Read more here.

Day and Night College Fair
This week, Grand Junction High School hosted the Day/Night College Fair, bringing in 24 institutions of higher ed from across Colorado and neighboring states. Colleges such as Colorado Mesa University, the University of Colorado at Boulder, the University of Oregon, and many others joined us for two sessions: one on Monday evening for students and families, and one on Tuesday morning for students bused in with their College & Career Advisors and counselors. Read more here.

M.E.S.A. Club Competition
On Monday, our D51 middle school M.E.S.A. Clubs kicked off the school year with an exciting challenge: the legendary Milk Jug Raft Race! Read more here.

Careers in Construction Kick Off
On Tuesday, Palisade High School officially launched its Careers in Construction Colorado (CICC) program in collaboration with the District 51 Careers & College Readiness Department and the Home Builders Association of Western Colorado. Read more here.

Central High School Academic Awards
Wednesday night was a memorable one at Central High School as they celebrated their 36th Annual Academic Awards recipients. I was able to join in one the festivities as they recognized over 213 students for their outstanding academic accomplishments. Read more here.

Grand Junction High School Academic Awards
As I mentioned earlier, September is one of my favorite months in education because so many wonderful things are happening across our district. After recognizing over 200 students at CHS for their academic achievements, Grand Junction High School honored 463 sophomores, juniors, and seniors on Thursday for their academic success. Read more here.

Dual Immersion Astronaut Visit
This week, students at Dual Immersion Academy were thrilled to welcome back former NASA astronaut Lieutenant Colonel Duane "Digger" Carey to their school for another memorable visit. Read more here.

NED’s Resiliency Ride Visits Broadway Elementary
This week, Broadway Elementary held a school-wide assembly with a special guest… the NED Resiliency Ride. Read more here.

Lions Club Donates Pocket Constitution Books for D51 8th Graders
The D51 Board of Education proclaimed September 17 as Constitution Day, marking the historic signing of the United States Constitution on September 17, 1787. And once again, our local Lion’s Clubs generously provided every D51 8th grader with a pocket constitution book. Read more here.

Board of Education Meeting Recap
On September 17, the Board of Education held a Business Meeting in the Harry Butler Board Room. For highlights from the meeting, click here. To view a recording of the meeting, click here.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Loma Elementary Fall Carnival
  September 20, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
• FMHS Homecoming Events
  • FMHS Homecoming Football Game
    Tonight, 7 p.m. at Stocker Stadium
• Colorado West Marching Band Festival
  September 21, 10 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. at Stocker Stadium
• CHS Homecoming Events
  • CHS Homecoming Parade
    September 25
  • CHS Homecoming Football Game
    September 27, 7 p.m. at Stocker Stadium
• Dual Immersion Multicultural Carnival
  September 26, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. at Dual Immersion Academy
   

For more events happening across the district, visit:

• 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