Dear D51 Families and Colleagues,
I had the opportunity this week to spend time in our schools and see the incredible work happening across D51. Those moments are grounding and a reminder of why this work matters and who it ultimately serves…our students.
This week, I was able to attend the Peace Bench dedication at Orchard Avenue Elementary. Shoutout to the GJ Rotary for donating the bench, and shoutout to Principal Dr. Maxwell-Richards and OAE students for sharing why peace matters to them! I was also able to attend the Counselor Appreciation Breakfast at CMU to celebrate and honor our amazing school counselors during School Counselor Appreciation Week. Our counselors do so much to support our students, and they deserve tons of appreciation. Shoutout to Kayla Witzel for your leadership with our counselors.
I was also able to participate in one of my favorite events this week. Grand Junction High School hosted their annual Naturalization Ceremony where we witnessed 39 new American citizens be sworn in by Judge Gallagher. It was a great opportunity for our students to witness this process and hear directly from folks who went through the naturalization process. Shoutout to Principal Sorensen and Ms. McCune and Mr. Whiteford for all of y’all’s work to organize this event.
I was also able to swing by Orchard Mesa Middle School to learn about different topics that our D51 Challenge Program students researched and presented on as part of the National History Day competition. Thanks to Principal Dr. Medved and Ms. Sleigh for creating this opportunity for our students to showcase their skills.
I was also able to visit Wingate Elementary School today after school for a memorial service honoring D51 student Becker Minnick. It was a powerful event filled with songs, shared memories, and the dedication of playground equipment in his honor. Thank you to Principal Schraeder and everyone who helped organize this memorial for one of our own D51 students. Becker will be missed, but memories of his impact live on.