Good News Bulletin

The Town of Elizabeth has granted rezoning and approval on a contract between Elizabeth School District and LG Designs & Construction LLC with a 6-0 vote. The approval is for two applications located at 530-580 Banner Street, just East of the old Frontier High School.

The rezoning will consist of six lots, totaling 26,682 square feet, changing it from Public Institutional (PI) to Downtown (DT) District. The site plan is to develop three single-family attached homes, creating a total of six residential units.

The contract approval brings $250,000 of revenue to the district to help offset the costs of Frontier. This has been a year-long effort by the school district to secure outside funding to support the redevelopment of Frontier Center.

"We appreciate the town's partnership and support as we continue our work towards the development of Frontier," says ESD Superintendent Dan Snowberger. "This is an exciting next step in the process and we want to thank the Town of Elizabeth for its partnership with the school district."

Members of the ESD School Board were also in attendance for the approval and spoke in support of the redevelopment of the old parking lot.

The development includes six residential units, each featuring a private two-car garage, individual driveway and a fenced yard.

A visit to Singing Hills Elementary.

On Thursday morning, members of the ESD School Board, including Heather Booth, Rhonda Olsen and Mary Powell, along with Superintendent Dan Snowberger, met with the staff at Singing Hills.

This is the latest of a series of sessions where the school board takes questions from staff and talks all things related to the school district. The last session was held at Running Creek Elementary.

The discussion centered around the best way to get resources to teachers for things they need in the classrooms, teacher input on board policies, learning the board's role and who they report to, cell phones in classrooms and the best way to communicate budget related issues to staff.

These sessions are all about open dialogue and transparency. It also gives a chance for school staff to get to know the board and how their process works.

The next sessions will be held at Elizabeth Middle School and Elizabeth High School in the new year.

ESD School Board members closed out the week by celebrating the holidays with TAC (Teacher Advisory Council) in the ESD Boardroom.

Following a regularly scheduled TAC meeting, the group socialized and exchanged holiday treats, many of which were homemade. The Teacher Advisory Council meets on a monthly basis and is made up of district board representatives and staff from all ESD schools. The meetings are designed to bring any concerns, challenges or ideas to to the group.

The ESD School Board has worked hard this school year to build open lines of communications with staff and the TAC meetings are one of many platforms to do that.

At this month's meeting, the group talked about a number of issues including insurance premiums, Frontier High School, the new charter school and use of leave.

Combining the meeting with a small holiday party was a great way to finish out the calendar year!

Superintendent Monthly Review!

ESD Superintendent Dan Snowberger and Public Information Officer Jeff Maher talk about school district related news from November and December.

This is our last one of 2024 and some of the topics include the EHS Alternative Education Community Thanksgiving Dinner, Future uses of Frontier Center, Fall plays, Winter Concert Series, board meetings at schools, parking lot rezoning near Frontier, Teacher Advisory Council (TAC) meetings and more!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfrcGSvIcuedOjf_qx4O2iOTYmDRme0DOGh9AkWWXoqmnxVQA/viewform

A wonderful and merry event at Running Creek Elementary this month!

The school's security specialist and his wife dressed as Santa and Mrs. Claus and they greeted children and took pictures with them. This was all for the first ever silent auction fundraiser for Running Creek Elementary Preschool.

The funds that were raised will be used for more classroom events and crafts for the events as well as graduation for the Pre-kindergarten. The goal was to raise $1,000 and they raised just above that number. The event also included games, a sugar cube castle, Christmas music and attendees were able to build their own stuffed animals. It was called 'Winter Wonderland, Running Creek Preschool'.

Some of the items that were auctioned off included a Harley Davidson jacket, tickets to Sky Zone, Children's Museum tickets, Bino's Pizza gift certificate and swag, True Value Gift Bundle, Comedy Works passes, Playstreet Museum passes, Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance passes and more! Thank you to everyone who took part in this event.

Congratulations to our incredible Running Creek Elementary Spelling Bee participants and a special shoutout to our champion, Mara Jones from 5th grade! 🏆

The competition was fierce, and every student showcased their hard work and spelling skills. Maura's poise and determination truly shined as she took the top spot. We're so proud of all our students for their dedication and sportsmanship. Way to go, Mara—your school community is cheering you on!

(Photo and caption courtesy from RCE Principal Michael Seefried)

If these walls could talk.

There's something special tucked away on the third floor of the tower at the site of the old Frontier High School. In a back room, packed away in boxes are memories from past decades. You can even find school trophies dating back to the 1930's.

You will find old class photos, which show how styles changed over the years, athletics banners, certificates, memorials and so much more.

There are desks and furniture that is several decades old, carpet, wallpaper and window coverings that immediately take you back to the 1970's era. Looking through the old boxes would leave anyone in awe, especially those who have close ties to the contents and the stories.

How many lasting friendships were made in these rooms? How many class lessons were taught that helped shaped someone's character or career? How many teachers went above and beyond, faced challenges, found solutions and finished strong? How many students over the years found their passion and inspiration within these small classrooms?

Elizabeth School District looks forward to working with our partners to develop the best use of Frontier Center, while still preserving its history and allowing for its incredible story to continue on.

Our amazing Running Creek Elementary teachers brought their creativity and competitive spirit to life with a Door Decorating Contest! 🖌️✨ Each door tells a story, spreads joy, and showcases the incredible talent and passion in our school.

A huge THANK YOU to our wonderful PTCO for lending a hand (and some supplies!) to help get these doors started. Your support means the world to us and makes everything we do so much brighter! 🌟

(photo and caption courtesy of RCE Principal Michael Seefried)

It's rally time!

Mark your calendars for Friday, December 6th-Sunday, December 15th for American Furniture Warehouse. This is a fundraising rally that will benefit Elizabeth Education Foundation, so you can better your home while benefiting the schools at the same time!

See the details below for how to participate. Additionally, by taking part in the rally, you will be entered into a drawing for a $500 gift card to AFW.

We appreciate your support for EEF and Elizabeth School District!

Time to get your tickets for the 119th National Western Stock Show going on January 11th - 26th, 2025.

Attached is the flyer for the Elizabeth School District Stock Show Fundraising Program. It contains an active link where anyone can go in, enter the promo code, and purchase tickets at discount rates during the Stock Show.

These purchases also support the Elizabeth Education Foundation as they will receive $2 per every ticket sold through this link.

Check out the stock show while supporting Elizabeth School District at the same time!

A new website has launched for the Greater Elizabeth Parks, Trails, and Open Space Master Plan. Here is the link:

https://scj.mysocialpinpoint.com/GreaterElizabethPROST

From the website:

"The Town of Elizabeth, Elizabeth Parks and Recreation District, and the Elizabeth School District have initiated this planning effort to look ahead and consider the future of the region. This process will set the groundwork for the long-term health, connectivity, and effectiveness of the area and its communities."

They are asking for your feedback too, so be sure to join the conversation!

Dec 16 - ESD Board Meeting - Business Session 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Dec 17 - EMS Athletics: 7th Grade Girls Basketball @ EMS (Challenger)

- 8th Grade Girls Basketball Game HOME vs. Challenger - EMS Athletics 5:00-6:30 p.m.

- EHS Boys Wrestling Dual Varsity 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Dec 19 - 7th/8th Girls Basketball @ Chinook Trail - EMS Athletics 3:45-5:00 p.m.

EMS sports calendar

EHS sports calendar

**Reminder to all parents: Be sure to check the websites of your individual schools for more information about upcoming events.

Elizabeth High School: https://www.elizabethschooldistrict.org/EHS

Elizabeth Middle School: https://www.elizabethschooldistrict.org/EMS

Singing Hills Elementary School: https://www.elizabethschooldistrict.org/SHE

Running Creek Elementary School: https://www.elizabethschooldistrict.org/RCE

The Elizabeth Education Foundation partners with Elizabeth School District in numerous ways throughout the year to support students and teachers. This volunteer-led, independent fundraising foundation provides scholarships for graduating seniors, classroom grants for teachers, and the STARS Awards for outstanding citizenship among students.

Learn more about the EEF at its website.