Don Haddad, Superintendent
Dear St. Vrain Valley Community,
As we are prepared to begin the 2020-2021 school year in a challenging time of uncertainty, I want to take a moment to recognize the strength of our community and the support we have received from our families, teachers, staff, business owners, elected officials and many others who understand the strong nexus between public education and the advancement of our nation and world.
I believe that public education is one of the most important institutions within our society, serving as the foundation to our economy, public safety and national security, public health, and so much more. Our students today are entering a complex, highly competitive workforce, unlike anything previous generations have experienced, and it is essential that we provide them with the knowledge, skill, ingenuity, confidence and capacity to advance and compete on a global scale.
Last spring when we first closed our schools to in-person learning, our teachers and staff worked incredibly hard to reimagine learning in a remote environment to support the continued academic and emotional growth of our students, and more importantly, keep them connected to their classmates and school communities. During that time, we had over 99 percent engagement through our online learning platforms and I could not be more proud of how our teachers, staff and families supported students during this difficult transition.
Additionally, over the summer months, we have continued to engage with thousands of students and families through our innovation and STEM camps, the Community Resource Center, summer meal distribution sites, and our Mobile Innovation Lab book tour that distributed over 3,000 books to St. Vrain Valley Schools students. We’ve also had hundreds of teachers and staff engaging in professional development to continue advancing their own knowledge and skills designed to best support our students. Our 2016 bond projects have also continued during the past several months, including opening a brand new building for Mead Elementary School, breaking ground on a new elementary school in Erie, adding classroom space to several schools and upgrading building HVAC systems alongside other renovations and repairs. While we may be physically distanced during this time, the enthusiasm for learning, collaboration, and student success remains strong across our community.
As we begin the new school year, we will continue to work very closely with our county and state health agency partners, as well as our comprehensive task force, to navigate the complex and continually evolving coronavirus pandemic and its impact on our community and schools. I want to thank everyone for your continued partnership and support as we have planned for many reopening scenarios and safety protocols to ensure a safe and productive learning environment for our students, teachers, and staff. Our most up-to-date information can
be found online at coronavirus.svvsd.org.
A year ago, I never would have envisioned that we would be facing the challenges we are experiencing today, but I can’t imagine a more committed community of teachers, staff, families, students, and community leaders to come together and ensure that we advance through this, and become stronger as a team and system.
Sincerely,
Don Haddad, Ed.D.
Superintendent
St. Vrain Valley Schools
