Dear D51 Families and Colleagues, 

As I’ve shared before, our district’s theme this year is “Together, We Thrive.” We know that our success in D51 is only possible with the support of our Engaged & Supportive Community Partners. This week was a powerful reminder of that as we spent time collaborating with our partners to continue building a stronger D51. 

On Tuesday, we hosted our 2nd Annual Strong Schools, Strong Community Luncheon: A State of the District Address. 150 community partners, stakeholders, and staff gathered to celebrate our district’s successes, discuss the challenges we face, and envision a brighter future with the continued support of our broader community. This event, which you can read more about below, gave a comprehensive overview of the State of our District, showcasing our accomplishments and highlighting the ongoing work that will shape the future of our schools. A sincere thank you to everyone who attended and to all who continue to support our students, staff, and families, helping to build a strong, thriving school district and a vibrant, growing community. Take a second to watch this short Community Partnership video, which was featured at the event, to see how some of our many collaborations are making a significant difference for our students!

We also hosted the Regional Family, School, and Community Partnership Convening on Tuesday—a meaningful event that deepened our commitment to supporting student success through collective efforts. This initiative, supported by the Colorado Education Initiative and the Colorado Statewide Family Engagement Center, brings together families, schools, and communities to implement best practices that foster student development and family partnerships. I had the privilege of delivering the welcome address at the event, and seeing a room filled with D51 staff, students, families, and representatives from seven other Colorado school districts highlighted the incredible work our Access, Opportunity, and Family Partnerships Department is doing to bridge the gap between academic success and family partnerships.

This week was also filled with celebrations. On Monday, we celebrated Mesa View Elementary school earning the coveted National Blue Ribbon School Award. Through hard work and determination, MVES was one of only 316 public schools out of over 90,000 nationwide to earn this award. You can read more about it below, and I want to shoutout Principal Cohen and her staff for all that they do to support our D51 students. I also got to celebrate academic excellence at Fruita Monument High School on Wednesday night at their Academic Awards Ceremony. It was so much fun celebrating student success in the FMHS gym that was packed with families and staff cheering for our students. Thanks to Principal Klusmire for the invite, and thanks for your leadership at FMHS. I also got to celebrate with the Dual Immersion Academy students, staff, and families at their fall festival. This was a fun event as I got to attend as not only the Superintendent, but as a parent, as well. Thanks to Principal McLaughlin and the DIA staff and PTA for putting on a great family friendly event. The turnout was amazing!

This week I was able to continue meeting with my Superintendent Student Advisory Groups. I met with my Palisade High School group on Monday, my R-5 High School group on Thursday, and my Grand River Academy group today. These opportunities are some of the most important opportunities I have as a Superintendent as they provide a space for me to hear directly from the most important stakeholders of all…our students. This concludes my first quarter meetings with my advisory groups, and I want to thank all of our high school Principals for providing me with this opportunity, and I want to thank the students who serve on the advisory groups for giving up some time to hang out with me over lunch and share about what’s working well and what needs improvement in our schools. 

I started this letter with a message of collaboration, and I’ll end with it. We’ve highlighted in the past our partnership with the local ag community to bring local produce and milk to our school cafeterias to provide a healthy option for students that also supports our local economy. I had the chance to try the Colorado Proud meatloaf on Thursday, and it was delicious! This meal is made with local beef from our Western Slope ranches, and it was served to me from one of our Lunch Lizard food trucks that was funded by community partners like the Western Colorado Community Foundation. This is just one more example of how we are all connected and how we can support one another for a brighter Mesa County. Thanks again to our local ranches for collaborating with D51 on this initiative, and shoutout to Dan Sharp and our Nutrition Services Department for all of y’all’s work to prioritize local products in our cafeterias. Be on the lookout for the next time the Colorado Proud meatloaf is on the menu! I know I will!

Mesa View Elementary Awarded National Blue Ribbon School
Earlier this week, we received incredibly exciting news from the U.S. Department of Education. We are thrilled to announce that Mesa View Elementary has been named a National Blue Ribbon School Award winner! Read more here.

Thunder Mountain Elementary Holds Annual Pinwheels for Peace Ceremony
On Monday, Thunder Mountain Elementary celebrated its 7th Annual Pinwheels for Peace Assembly, a tradition started by teacher Jessica Birely. Held in recognition of the International Day of Peace on September 21, the assembly serves as a powerful reminder that peace is a choice we make daily. Read more here.

Strong Schools, Strong Community Luncheon: A State of the District Event
On Tuesday, we hosted our Strong Schools, Strong Community event, where 150 community partners, D51 staff, and stakeholders came together for a lunch to learn more about the district’s current initiatives, celebrate our successes, and hear our vision for the future. Read more here.

Regional Family, School, and Community Partnership Convening
Schools and communities across the country are facing critical challenges like mental health, affordable housing, supporting newcomers, absenteeism, and teacher retention. In an effort to come together and create sustainable solutions, seven districts from across Colorado gathered to strengthen family-school-community partnerships by sharing strategies to address these challenges. Read more here.

Lincoln Orchard Mesa Brain Health and Wellness Family Night
This week, Lincoln Orchard Mesa Elementary hosted its first Brain Health and Wellness Family Night, offering a valuable learning opportunity for students and their families. In partnership with St. Mary’s Hospital, the event featured an engaging presentation on brain health, providing valuable insights into how our brains work and the importance of maintaining mental and physical wellness. Read more here.

Fruita Monument High School Academic Awards Night
This week, Fruita Monument High School held its awards ceremony to honor students for their academic excellence. Read more here.

Dual Immersion Academy Multicultural Carnival
On Thursday night, Dual Immersion Academy hosted its Annual Multicultural Carnival, a fun tradition that brings our community together in a vibrant celebration of diversity and unity. Read more here.

Chatfield Elementary Project of Gratitude
As part of their ongoing commitment to fostering gratitude, Chatfield Elementary students are working on a special initiative to say “thank you” to our local heroes - firefighters, police officers, healthcare workers, and others who selflessly serve our community. Read more here.

Dos Rios Teachers Receive STRIVE Award
The Dos Rios Elementary Kindergarten team recently partnered with STRIVE, a company that works with District 51 to enhance early literacy practices for teachers. Over an additional six-week period, the Dos Rios Kindergarten team worked closely with STRIVE to improve instructional methods, aiming to strengthen students’ foundational literacy skills. Read more here.

Chipeta Elementary Receives CO Health Foundation Donation for Multigenerational Park
Chipeta Elementary has been awarded a $550,000 grant from the Colorado Health Foundation’s “Creating Health Equity and Building Resilient Communities” program to transform the community park on their school campus. Read more here.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Book Giveaway
  October 4 and 5, 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. at the old Fruita Middle School Gymnasium
  This event offers a wide variety of items, including textbooks, novels, furniture, manipulatives, and school supplies. All materials are free and open to the public. We recommend bringing a cart or truck to help transport books and other items.
• Grand Junction High School Homecoming Events
  • GJHS Homecoming Parade
    October 3, 6 p.m., downtown Grand Junction (Main Street)
  • GJHS Homecoming Game
    October 4, 6 p.m. at Stocker Stadium
• Walk, Bike, and Roll to School Day
  October 9, 2024
  Walk, Bike, and Roll to School Day offers students a fun and healthy way to stay active, reduce traffic, and promote a cleaner environment, all while fostering a strong sense of community. Many D51 schools have special events planned, so be sure to check with your child’s school for more details.

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