On behalf of the D’Evelyn Junior/Senior High School faculty, staff, and administration, please accept my heartfelt best wishes that you, your children, and your families have a wonderful Summer Break. The Summer Break is an important time for students to rest, relax, and recharge. I hope D’Evelyn students enjoy opportunities to travel, earn some spending money on a summer job, read a book for fun, and/or compete in their respective sports during the summer months.
This week, perhaps more than any other, I have been asked, “how did the school year go”? I have certainly enjoyed the opportunity to serve as principal for the entire 2017-2018 school year, my first full year in the position. I am consistently impressed by the stellar effort demonstrated and achievement reached by D’Evelyn students, and I am grateful for the dedication to academic excellence that our students show day-in, day-out. I take pride in the many successes of D’Evelyn students and faculty members. I have also learned a lot, both from my successes and failures. I look forward to having some “quiet time” at school this summer to reflect on the past year and brainstorm areas for improvement for my second year. When we return to school in August, D’Evelyn Junior/Senior High School will begin its 25th year of providing an excellent liberal arts education to Jefferson County Public School students. As an administration, faculty, and staff, we will spend professional development and collaborative time together ensuring we are true to our roots, but also improving to both maintain and grow the excellence of the program. I look forward to the opportunity to celebrate the great D’Evelyn tradition, and consider it an honor to have the responsibility of sustaining that excellence. On Saturday, May 19th, the Class of 2018 graduated from D’Evelyn Junior/Senior High School. The Class of 2018 is the 21st graduating class in D’Evelyn history, and they will leave a lasting legacy of excellence and achievement in academics, athletics, performing arts, and community service. The graduates of the Class of 2018 have developed into intelligent, hardworking, and knowledgeable young men and women, well-prepared for their future pursuits. It was my pleasure to present the graduates to the faculty, staff, district administration, and Jeffco Schools Board of Directors during the lovely graduation ceremony on Saturday. I am honored to be associated with such a wonderful group of young people during this momentous occasion. D’Evelyn graduates have completed a unique course of academic study and character development during their 4 - 6 years in the school, a course that lays the foundation for future success and happiness, personally, professionally, and academically. I thank the graduates, along with their parents and family members, for choosing this unique path, and congratulate the students for their success in completing the program. I stated in my graduation address, By way of this rigorous course of study, you have developed a base of knowledge that can be applied to your future pursuits. You have developed the reading, writing, problem solving, and analytical reasoning skills that will provide a foundation for a meaningful personal and professional life. Those skills are all rooted in knowledge - you know the great stories of literature and history, the key tenets of science, and important formulas and theorems of mathematics. And that knowledge will assuredly ground your approach to future challenges, problems, and obstacles. My belief in the benefits of the academic program you experienced in your time at D’Evelyn is sincere and heartfelt. I know that each of you is prepared for your next phase in life, whether it be academic, professional, personal, or military, as well as the many phases and transitions that await in your life’s journey. In the process of completing the academic program, D’Evelyn students develop important skills that will serve them for life. They have developed work ethic, respect for authority, perseverance, and character - all important traits for a young person as they forge their own path in adulthood. Please join me in a heartfelt congratulation to the D’Evelyn Class of 2018. You are an exceptional group of young men and women. While it is sad to see them leave the halls and classrooms of D’Evelyn, I look forward to seeing the true happiness and wonderful achievements that await them. This week, we received the very exciting news that D’Evelyn Junior/Senior High School has been recognized by the US News & World Report as a gold medal high school in the United States, the #3 high school in Colorado, and the #183 high school in the United States. The publication considered 28,000 schools from across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The US News & World Report uses state standardized testing performance and preparation of students for college as metrics for these rankings, two areas in which D’Evelyn students consistently excel. The recognition as the third rated high school in Colorado reflects the great work of D’Evelyn students, faculty, and staff, along with the important support provided by parents and families at home. The work of important parent volunteer organizations, like the Steering Committee, Accountability Committee, and D’Evelyn Education Foundation, provide critical support and leadership in the effective implementation of the D’Evelyn program. As a school faculty and staff, we lead the school in a way that honors the D’Evelyn philosophy as outlined in the founding Program Document. By design, we have not adjusted curriculum or academic expectations to align with the frequent changes in state standardized testing guidelines. I am proud to see that D’Evelyn students have continued to thrive on many new and different assessments, because of their work, their learning, and the wonderful design of the D’Evelyn program. As principal, it is important to me that I lead a school with time-honored, consistent expectations that produce positive results for its students. I am both happy and honored to have found such a position as D’Evelyn principal. As graduation of the D’Evelyn Junior/Senior High School Class of 2018 approaches, I can say with great confidence that our soon-to-be graduates have excelled in a timeless academic program, with benefits that will serve them for the rest of their lives, both personally and professionally. It is especially validating to see an outside organization offer D’Evelyn Junior/Senior High School with this distinctive recognition, validating the efforts of our students, their families, our faculty & staff, and as a guiding point, the philosophy outlined in the Founding Document. A recognition of this nature is an immense tribute to all members of the D’Evelyn community. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as leader of this great school with a strong, supportive community, unified around a common vision of providing excellence in liberal arts education to our students. Thank you for the important role that you play in this wonderful school. https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/colorado Monday, May 7th marks the beginning of Teacher Appreciation Week. We are fortunate to have a knowledgeable faculty at D’Evelyn, dedicated to delivering the liberal arts program as outlined in the school’s Founding Document. I am constantly impressed by the knowledge, wisdom, and passion for education shared among the D’Evelyn faculty. Please join me in thanking and recognizing the teachers of your student(s) during the week of May 7th. As we near the conclusion of the school year, I am met with many bittersweet moments. The D’Evelyn graduation is among those events - it is a great joy to see the celebration of the accomplishments of the members of our graduating class; however, there is a bit of sadness seeing those young men and women leave our community. In a similar way, the end of the year marks the appropriate time to recognize and celebrate the careers of our retiring teachers. In 2018, we say goodbye to two long-standing D’Evelyn faculty members, both integral in the success of our great school from its early years. I offer my congratulations and best wishes to Ms. Janet Shibly and Mr. Chris Baker, both of whom will be retiring at the conclusion of this school year. Ms. Shibly is one of only four remaining original members of the D’Evelyn faculty, beginning her tenure as the Vocal Music teacher in 1994-1995. As many of you know from attending her concerts, Ms. Shibly has a well-earned reputation for teaching, training, and coaching D’Evelyn singers to greatness each year. I have enjoyed working with Janet over my own D’Evelyn tenure, and am constantly amazed by her bountiful energy and passion for music. Most importantly, Ms. Shibly has brought each day for the past 24 school years a sincere and heartfelt desire to pass her knowledge and love of music onto each of her students, regardless of their age or ability. The concert performances of her different choral groups are a highlight of every school year. Please join me in thanking Ms. Shibly for her extraordinary service to D’Evelyn - she will be greatly missed. Any interested community members may join in the celebration of Janet’s career by attending her final choir concert on Wednesday, May 9th at 7 pm in the D’Evelyn Auditorium. Mr. Baker has taught History, Government, and Economics at D’Evelyn since the 1996-1997 school year. In his 22 years at D’Evelyn, Mr. Baker has been not only a great teacher, working to develop his students for a life of thoughtful, active civic engagement, but also an important leader of the D’Evelyn History Department. He has taught 12th grade Government and Economics every year since the first year it was offered in the school. In addition to his role as a teacher, Mr. Baker served as the head football coach and an assistant track coach, mentoring countless D’Evelyn athletes to great achievements outside of the classroom. On a personal level, I am grateful for Mr. Baker’s support and mentorship during my D’Evelyn tenure. Mr. Baker served as my supervising teacher during my student teaching assignment at D’Evelyn in the spring of 2006, and continued to serve as an important role supporting me as a teacher, Assistant Principal, and now Principal ever since. Please join me in thanking Mr. Baker for his extraordinary service to D’Evelyn over the years. I am fortunate to lead a school with such a great faculty and supportive parent community. I appreciate your efforts to positively recognize and thank our teachers during the upcoming Teacher Appreciation Week. |
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