By: Josh Griffin, Principal On behalf of our family, I am thrilled to share the news that we welcomed our daughter Madison James Griffin on Thursday, September 23rd. Madison was born at 3:05 PM at Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Hospital in Denver, weighing 4 pounds, 15 ounces. Both my wife Fran and Madison are doing great, and our older two daughters are so excited to have a baby sister. Dad is just happy! Madison has been diagnosed with Trisomy 21, commonly referred to as Down syndrome. My wife and I learned of Madison’s condition at the end of the first trimester of Fran’s pregnancy. Since we learned of her diagnosis, we have been abundantly blessed to receive care, support, and consideration from our family, friends, community members, and medical professionals. Fran and I consider ourselves blessed to have the opportunity to be Madison’s parents, and we truly believe that we were chosen as her parents for a reason. In just a few days, Madison has already been a light in our lives, and I know that she is the perfect child to complete our Griffin family of 5. I am hopeful that in the upcoming months, I will be able to bring Madison, along with her two sisters Josie and Avery, to D’Evelyn athletic, extracurricular, and social events. As a family, we feel fortunate to be involved in this outstanding D’Evelyn community, and the support we have already received from so many revalidates that appreciation. I will be on a leave of absence through Friday, October 29th. In the event that Fran or Madison need unexpected additional medical care or support, I may need to extend my leave, but I currently intend to return on November 1st. I am grateful to our faculty, staff, and administration for continuing the important work of educating our students in my absence. Please join me in welcoming Mr. Tim Schmeckpeper back to D’Evelyn, as he will return to serve as interim principal in my absence. I have known “Schmeck” for over 25 years, and I am honored that he has agreed to serve in this role during my leave. I wish your child(ren) and family the best as we move into the fall this school year. Thank you for your sincere and ongoing commitment to the success of your student(s) and our great school. I appreciate your understanding and support as I take the upcoming weeks to spend additional time with my family. By: Josh Griffin, Principal
Last week, I was thrilled to share the news of the great success of D’Evelyn students on the SAT and PSAT 9 & 10 from the April 2021 statewide administration. Those results are a great tribute to the hard work and dedication of our students, faculty, and staff, and the outstanding support of our families. We have received additional great news. Each year, the Colorado Department of Higher Education completes a study of the postsecondary success of Colorado High School graduates. One statistic generated in this study is called “remediation rates”. Remediation rates measure the percentage of graduates that require remedial coursework in public Colorado colleges and universities for English and Math. In its most recent study, the Colorado Department of Higher Education found that the D’Evelyn Class of 2019 earned a 0% remediation rate. This means that among all graduates of the D’Evelyn Class of 2019, no one needed remedial coursework in English or Math. In the 11 years for which remediation rate data is available, we are proud to say that we have never had a class of graduates with a remediation rate about 4%. This remediation rate data is a remarkable tribute to the quality of the D’Evelyn liberal arts program and the commitment of our students, staff, and families. Each year, the remediation data is a great point of pride - it highlights the level of knowledge and skills our graduates bring with them as they pursue postsecondary study. On a personal note, I want to share with our full D’Evelyn community about some temporary change in our leadership team over the next few weeks. My wife and I are expecting our third daughter. She will likely arrive during the week of September 20th. In order to support my wife and all three of our daughters, I plan to take a leave of absence beginning Wednesday, September 22nd that I plan to conclude on Monday, November 1st. I am thrilled to share that in my absence, veteran educational leader and recently retired D’Evelyn AP Tim Schmeckpeper has agreed to serve as the interim principal. “Schmeck” is a great man and has played an important role in my life dating back to my freshman year of high school. I am honored that he has agreed to fill the role of interim principal in my absence. Mr. Schmeckpeper will begin his interim appointment on Monday, September 27th. Additionally, D’Evelyn AP and Athletic Director, Jerry McWhorter will also be taking a leave of absence for at least the next few weeks. We are fortunate to have Mr. Kevin Land join us to serve as interim AP in Jerry’s absence. Mr. Land will work to support high school students with last names starting with A-L. Mr. Land will begin his interim appointment on Monday, September 20th. I have great confidence in our administrative team, our faculty, staff, and counselors - they will do an outstanding job of continuing their important work in my absence. I encourage students and families to continue to utilize direct communication, and work directly with the teachers, counselors, staff, and administrators. If you need assistance connecting with a member of the D’Evelyn faculty or staff, please contact our Main Office at 303-982-2600 during office hours (7 AM - 3 PM, Monday-Friday). I wish you all the best during the next few weeks. I will miss my daily interactions with D’Evelyn students, faculty, staff, and families, but at this time, it will be important for me to dedicate time to my family. I appreciate your support and understanding as we welcome our new daughter in the upcoming days! By: Josh Griffin, Principal
At D’Evelyn, we are fortunate to have our school philosophy clearly established by the D’Evelyn Program Document, commonly referred to as the “Founding Document”. The quality of our school program is greatly supported by the shared belief in the Founding Document throughout our community. Among the key elements of the Founding Document, D’Evelyn is designed to offer a strong liberal arts education, with high academic and behavioral expectations for all students. The purpose of our school is to support the development of the minds and character of our students, so that they may be effective community members and well prepared for their future endeavors. Over the 27-year history of our school, we have seen great success among our students, both during their time at D’Evelyn, as well as in their postsecondary pursuits. As noted in the Founding Document, and quoted from the work of Jacques Barzun, the purpose of education is to ensure that our students are not “wide-eyed strangers in a world of wonders”. By way of a well-designed liberal arts curriculum, and quality instruction throughout the D’Evelyn program, our school’s mission and vision have served students well for many years. While the school philosophy guides us, we are proud of the work and achievements of our students each year. Particularly against the landscape of the tumultuous educational setting we have experienced since March 2020, I am especially proud of the great achievements of our students in the spring 2021 administration of the SAT, PSAT 10, and PSAT 9. I am thrilled to share that the upcoming D’Evelyn graduating class (current seniors, Class of 2022) earned the highest average SAT scores among all public, non-charter high schools in Colorado during the April 2021 administration. This marks the 20th consecutive year of rankings by the Colorado Department of Education in which D’Evelyn juniors earned the highest average ACT or SAT scores among non-charter high schools in the state. With an average score of 1269, these students did a remarkable job on the test. We are very proud of you, seniors! Additionally, the D’Evelyn Class of 2023 and Class of 2024 also earned the highest average scores on their respective PSAT tests among Colorado public, non-charter high schools in the April 2021 administration. The Class of 2023 earned an average PSAT 10 score of 1158, and the Class of 2024 earned an average score of 1108. Congratulations to our current sophomores and juniors - you did an outstanding job on your respective tests last spring. These great results are the result of the hard work and dedication of D’Evelyn students, teachers, and staff, as well as the commitment and support of D’Evelyn parents and families. Our students meet our high institutional expectations with perseverance, grit, and determination, all skills and ultimately character traits that will serve our students well. I am incredibly proud of not only the performance of these students last April, but also the preparation that brought them to this level of success. The education of our students now begins in 6th grade, and I am grateful to our junior high teachers for their important work in establishing a strong foundation for success among our high school students. As a school, we are uniquely positioned to provide our students a transformative learning experience during their junior and senior high school years. The timeless nature of the liberal arts philosophy allows us to support the growth and development of both the mind and character of our students. Congratulations to our students on these remarkable achievements - we are proud of you! By: Josh Griffin, Principal
I hope that you and your family have enjoyed the Labor Day weekend. It is important for our students, teachers, staff, and families to enjoy some down time during the school year, and it is my hope that the three-day weekend was a great way for all parties to rest, relax, and have fun. I continue to be impressed with how well the school year has started. Thank you to our students, teachers, staff, and families for your commitment to a successful start to the school year, as we all focus on a great year of learning and growth for our students in the D’Evelyn liberal arts program. In my classroom visits and school supervision throughout the first three weeks, I have seen firsthand the great benefit of our return to 100% in-person learning, daily class meetings of 50 minutes in length, the restoration of our traditional 7th hour program, and the opportunity for students to socialize at before school, after school, during passing periods, and at lunch. As we continue through the school year, I expect that our students will experience greater complexity and challenge in their classes. Additionally, we are already in the midst of the beginning of our first round of unit assessments in our classes. Thank you for joining our faculty and staff in encouraging your students to keep up the great momentum with which we started the year. If your student is struggling, whether in a class or personally, please partner with our teachers, counselors, and/or administrators to develop a plan to better support your student. In the upcoming weeks, we have several important opportunities for families to continue and/or increase your engagement in the school. Please consider these upcoming opportunities as pathways to deepening understanding of the D’Evelyn program, and ultimately a good way to best support your student during this year and their remaining D’Evelyn tenures. D’Evelyn Accountability Committee The first D’Evelyn Accountability Committee meeting of the year is Tuesday, September 14th, 2021, at 5:30 PM in the D’Evelyn library. Accountability meetings generally last approximately 1 hour. The purpose of the Accountability Committee is to serve in an advisory capacity to the D’Evelyn Steering Committee as well as the principal. During our typical meetings, we discuss and gather input on important matters in the school, share important updates on school philosophy and operations, and present opportunities for families to become more involved in the school. In particular, the September 14th meeting is an important one, our Steering Committee will provide training in the Founding Document, as well as training on the curricular development/review and textbook selection processes. For families interested in learning more about our school’s liberal arts philosophy, and ultimately seeking opportunities to serve on curricular and textbook committees, we hope that you will be able to join us in our first A/C meeting of the year on the 14th. D’Evelyn Steering Committee The D’Evelyn Steering Committee serves as the governing board of the school, with specific responsibilities in regards to D’Evelyn’s curriculum, textbooks, and hiring practices, establishing policies for the school, and supervising the principal. The D’Evelyn Steering Committee meets 1-2 times per month, and has already been hard at work to ensure a successful year and strong future for our great school. The next Steering Committee meeting is September 20th at 4:30 pm in the D’Evelyn Main Office Conference Room. We encourage D’Evelyn families interested in learning more about the school’s governance to attend and observe S/C meetings as they are able. Parent Teacher Conferences - September 29th, 5:00 - 7:30 PM & September 30th, 3 - 5:30 PM Mark your calendars! Our fall parent teachers conferences are just a few weeks away. We are still gathering feedback to determine the best methodology for hosting these conferences, but will announce our plans soon. We encourage D’Evelyn families and students to attend conferences as an opportunity to touch base with teachers and learn firsthand about the progress of your child in their classes. Thank you for your support and engagement in a strong start to the 2021-2022 school year. I look forward to many more great days and achievements ahead for our students. |
Archives
May 2022
Categories |