What's Up at Washington Square

Over 150 Adams 12 students interested in Washington Square programs attended our 13th annual EmPwr Day on Tuesday, February 17. Each participant rotated through multiple 45-minute, hands-on lessons across our CTE programs, getting a true taste of the real-world learning that defines Washington Square.

Current Washington Square students served as ambassadors and instructors, guiding participants through experiences ranging from practicing self-defense tactics in Law Enforcement and administering medication through animal IVs in Veterinary Science, to soldering pipes and bending conduit in Construction. Manny Herrada ('27), a Sports Medicine student from Northglenn High, shared why he volunteered to be an ambassador: "I liked getting to express my knowledge of what I know about the class to the younger kids, tell them everything they might want to know, and answer their questions."

For many visiting students, the impact went beyond the activities themselves. Osiris Arguello, a 10th-grader from Horizon, reflected, "The best part of today has been being able to connect with all the people around me — the other students, the staff, and the student ambassadors."

Registration continues at Washington Square as the Spring semester marches on. Current students who requested a meeting with their counselor can expect those meeting before Spring Break. If you have not yet connected with your counselor or if you did not request a meeting but would now like to meet, please come up to the counseling office.

Additionally, the acceptance list for all FutureForward classes will be posted in all home high school counseling offices and on our website on April 24th.

Washington Square holds Pre-Acceptance meetings for all it's programs on Tuesday, April 14th and Thursday April 16th, while Bollman hosts Orientation meetings for its programs on Monday, May 18th and Tuesday, May 19th.

Click on the images below or the provided links to find out which evening your program will be meeting.

Bollman / Washington Square

Redd Iron has always been a family business, with an emphasis on FAMILY. Family members founded the business, employees are considered family, and, lucky for us, they consider Washington Square as part of their family, too.

What makes the partnership between FutureForward and Redd Iron, Inc. so unique is that it is generational. It all started in the early 2000s when company founder Brian Atkins and his son, David Atkins, now president, started judging SkillsUSA Welding competitions (which they continue to do). When Vice President of Operations Jarred Schlener, David’s brother-in-law, joined the company, he remembered a FutureForward instructor, too - he was one of Glenn Ashley’s Spanish students in the late 1990s. Now a third generation of the Atkins’ family is finding his professional footing in the Diesel Automotive Program.

Deep community roots naturally lead individuals to give back to that same community, and that is exactly what drove Mary Schlener, Vice President of Finance, to help Principal Marv Lewis start the Welding Internship Program at Washington Square. Mary saw firsthand the impact of the college-for-all push in the 90s and 2000s every time she walked into her shop, where she saw “a two-generation gap in tradesmen". The internship program was Mary’s attempt to bolster and to sustain the profession, while also helping staff her own company’s workforce.

Now, Redd Iron's fabrication shop has a new energy, conversations buzzing between high school interns and experienced mentors. Mary remarked, “Our welding interns are so eager, motivated, and excited, and their attitude is infectious.” That youthful exuberance quickly won over experienced welders, who saw a chance to share their welding knowledge while maybe even learning a bit of teenage slang. These interactions even spurred our newest welding instructor and Redd Iron Steel Fabricator/Welder of 15 years, Shawn Labesky to join the Washington Square staff.

Whether at Redd Iron or at Washington Square’s fabrication shop, generations now work shoulder to shoulder — experience beside enthusiasm, legacy beside possibility. What began decades ago around a SkillsUSA judging competition has grown into something much bigger. Now one knows how the future will shape this partnership, but one thing is for sure: we are proud and extremely fortunate to be part of the Redd Iron family.

Club Competition season is heating up for both SkillsUSA and HOSA. We are excited to share the great things our students are doing!

Over the past month, multiple Washington Square programs have been holding SkillsUSA regional competitions. Top finishers in each competition qualify for the state competition held April 7th to 9th in Pueblo.

The following students placed at their regional competition and will represent Washington Square at the state competition.

Chapter Display

• Brayden Lopez ('26), Landyn Peterson ('27), Tatum Propernick ('26)

CPR / First Aid

• Lucas Martinez ('26)

Crime Science Investigation

• Brooke Blohm ('26), Charly Cundari ('26), Kristy Munguia ('26)
• Kaylee Grable ('26), Bethany Wendland ('26), Dylan Patton ('26)

Customer Service

• Chole Smith ('26)

Diesel Technology

• 1st Place - Blake Celius ('27)
• 2nd Place - Aiden Pardilla ('26)

Electrical Wiring Construction

• Ethan Fedorchek ('26)

• Tan Tran ('27)

Extemporaneous Speaking

• Anapaula Pierrend ('26)
• Alejandro Sanchez (''27)

FireFighting

• 1st Place - Kingston Padilla ('28)
• 2nd Place - Holden Moriuchi ('27)

Job Skill Demonstration

• Caedon Campbell ('26)

Law Enforcement

• 1st Place - Katharine Felderman ('26)
• 2nd Place - Jose Reyes Banuelos ('28)

Masonry

• Caedon Campbell ('26)

• Jaxson Joiner ('26)

Plumbing

• Landyn Peterson ('27)

Welding:

• Individual Fabrication

• 1st Place - Lucas Palmer (‘26)

• Team Fabrication

• 1st Place - Ernesto Alvarez (‘26), Cesar Borunda Mena, Jr. (‘26), Ian Maehl (‘26)

A big shout out to Mr. Adkins, Mr. Cooper, and Ms. Gutierrez for all their help coordinating regional and state competition logistics!

A huge congratulations to the 14 Washington Square students that attended and competed at the state HOSA conference and competition during February. All participants completed a written exam, with top scorers moving on to a hands-on, performance assessment where Washington Square's success was on full display!

Our building's top finishers this year were Becca Koch and Harper Pahl in EMT. They placed second, earned a silver medal, and qualified for the national competition in Indianapolis this summer on June 17th to 20th.

Additionally, the following students finished in the top 10 and were honored on the stage:

Alison Estrada - CPR

Brisa Guizar Silva - CPR

Finally, the following students made it to the second round in their respective events:

Kyle Murray & Aaron Young - EMT

Lucas Martinez & Jayden Wright - EMT

Allison Clarke - Sports Medicine

Zsa Zsa McWee - Sports Medicine

Washington Square also wants to extend a huge thank you to Mr. Lombardo and Mrs. Brumley for their support in preparing these students for the competition!

March 9th - NO SCHOOL - Staff Work Day

March 13th - End of 3rd Quarter

March 19th - National Technical Honor Society Induction (5:30 p.m. start) - New members only

March 23rd - March 27th - NO SCHOOL- Spring Break

April 13th - Regular classes at Washington Square

April 14th & April 16th - Program Pre-Acceptance Meeting

April 15th - NO CLASSES - Staff Work Day

April 23rd - Lettering Ceremony

April 24th - Acceptance List Posted

May 4th - Regular classes at Washington Square

May 5th - Signing Day

May 6th - Seniors' Last Day / School Wide BBQ

May 12th - No Classes - Staff Work Day

Here's what's happening in each program this month!

Washington Square wishes our students and families a restful, safe, and enjoyable Spring Break! We hope this time away offers a chance to recharge, spend time together, and come back refreshed and ready for more hands-on learning. Enjoy the break—we’ll see you soon!

Cold weather is coming! Prepare for the cold days, give yourself more time when making it to school, be careful of icy roads and sidewalks, and pull out those winter coats.

If the district determines that due to inclement weather we will operate on a 1-hour delayed start, FutureForward at Washington Square will have school, and will operate on a 1-hour delayed schedule. Buses will also be on a delayed bus schedule. Please check the bus schedule link for more detail.

If your student will be missing class, please communicate with Washington Square and their home high school. Our attendance guidelines are posted here.

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If you or your family are facing challenges this school year, Adams 12 is here to help. We offer a variety of resources, including health services, academic support, mental health services, and access to community programs.

For more information on available resources or how we can assist, please visit our district resource web page. We're here to support you!

Families who qualify for free or reduced benefits must reapply every year. Submitting this application may also waive some of your student’s required fees. Submit your application online at Adams 12 Five Star Schools.

Don’t miss out and apply now for Free and Reduced Benefits for the 2025-26 school year. Apply today on the SchoolCafe Family Hub.

The District is committed to nondiscrimination in relation to race, color, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions); age, religion, creed, national origin (including ethnicity); ancestry, genetic information (including family medical history); marital status; family composition; sexual orientation; transgender identity; gender identity; gender expression; or disability (“Protected Classes”), in its educational programs or activities, operations, and employment applications and decisions. Harassment may be a form of discrimination.

A report of discrimination or harassment may be made to any District employee, including the District’s Title IX/Nondiscrimination Coordinator or designated assistant principal in each school building. Reports may be made in person, in writing, over the phone, by email or via the District’s website. The District’s nondiscrimination policies, grievance procedures, and online complaint form are available on the District’s Nondiscrimination and Title IX web pages on the District’s website, www.adams12.org.

The District’s Title IX/Non-Discrimination Coordinator is responsible for coordinating, monitoring, and documenting District compliance with District Policies 4140 (Equal Employment Opportunity), 8400 (Nondiscrimination), and 8410 (Sexual Harassment). Inquiries about these policies may be referred to the District’s Title IX/Nondiscrimination Coordinator, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, or both.

The District’s Interim Nondiscrimination Coordinator is:

Michaela Bland
Title IX/Nondiscrimination Coordinator
Educational Support Center (ESC)
1500 E 128th Ave, Thornton, CO 80241
TitleIX-Nondiscrimination-Coordinator@adams12.org
(720) 972-4179

The District will address reported incidents occurring between January 3, 2024 and July 1, 2024 under this version of District Policy 8400, Nondiscrimination.