New Staff 13-14

Here’s a summary of the six new staff members we will have on board next year:

Lisa Rutenberg will be our new Technology Director.  Lisa comes to RMAE with a variety of IT experience, including time with Harvard University Health Services and Jones and Bartlett Publishers.  In both cases she was an IT Consultant and Manager.  Lisa brings a wealth of knowledge to the school.  She also has two kids in the Pre-K!

Mary Gordon will be one of the new 4^th grade teachers.  She comes to RMAE from West Jefferson Elementary.  Mary previously did her student teaching at Bergen Valley and Green Mountain Elementary.  She has a daughter in the RMAE middle school!

Betsy Bartelt will be the other new 4^th grade teacher.  Betsy brings over twenty years of teaching and working with kids to our 4^th grade.  She has worked at several mountain area schools, as well as Aurora and Cheery Creek schools.

Emily Johnson will be the new 7^th & 8^th grade History teacher next year.  Emily comes to RMAE from the Noel Community Arts School, a turnaround school in Denver.  Emily twice had the opportunity to study abroad in Brazil and Turkey!

Laura Benninger will be the new 6^th grade Math & Science teacher next year.  Laura has over ten years of experience working with middle school and upper elementary, including Aurora Hills Middle School.  Of note is Laura’s graduate work in the Improving Middle School Mathematics Consortium at the College of William and Mary.

Dwight Koch will be the new 7^th & 8^th grade Math teacher.  Dwight has more than ten years working with middle school students in a variety of modes including teaching Math & Science and coaching girls’ and boys’ sports.  Dwight spent some of his time in Montessori schools, as well as the Denver School for the Arts, a DPS school.

Please welcome the group later this summer!

RMAE FIELD Update

If you attended the Auction this year, you know that the Paddle Raise portion of the auction was devoted to PE.  We split the paddle raise between acquiring new and improved PE equipment (snow shoes, fitness stations, storage, mats, etc.) and moving toward being able to install a flat, real field for PE (soccer, kick ball, football, field day, etc.).

Since the paddle raise took place, we have had a few private donors come forward wishing to help with the field.  These are donations and grants from individuals or families who would only provide these donations to a future athletic field.  Hence, they are earmarked funds that can only be used along with the paddle raise funds to construct this field.   One significant gift is from an individual who has no children here but believes the school and community need a field here!   It is also true that RMAE families have stepped forward with donations strictly for this field.  Please know that these families are regular donors to Annual Giving, the Auction, and assorted other fund raising endeavors RMAE has undertaken in the last few years.

The field has 2 “phases” to its construction.  The first, for which we do have the funds thanks to the paddle raise (all RMAE families) and recent generosity (outside people and a few RMAE people), involves the creation of a level, “turf ready” dirt / grass U-10 soccer dimension field.  This will happen over the summer and hopefully begin immediately after school lets out in June.   The aim is that the athletic field will be ready and usable by start of school next year.

The second “phase,” which may or may not happen right after the first phase, is then to turf the field.  The school will be seeking grants, matching gifts, etc. from external sources to achieve this vision. This fully completed athletic field project would certainly be a fantastic addition to our school and has been part of RMAE’s long range site development plan ever since we moved to this campus. It would also be a welcome addition to the Evergreen community, while potentially providing RMAE with an additional revenue source through after school usage fees.  But even if there is delay in phases to fully complete the project, we will still have a true field for PE and more in the 2013-2014 school year.

Charter Facilities

Here’s a look at the reality facing Charter schools when it comes to their facilities!

http://www.redefinedonline.org/2013/05/charter-schools-dont-look-like-the-taj-mahal/

Staff Changes

4th grade teacher John Dunegan has taken a position next year at a school close to his home, so he will no longer have the significant commute to Evergreen.  From John:

It is with excitement for my family’s future that I am announcing that I have accepted a 4th grade position at Twin Peaks Charter Academy in Longmont for the upcoming school year.  This comes at a major transitional time for my family. My wife, Sarah, is finishing her seminary degree and will be a minister at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Laramie, WY, starting next month.  With my wife needing access to Laramie, it was not going to be feasible for me to remain in Evergreen; I had to find a position to the north. We will be moving our family to Fort Collins to both be in-between Laramie and Longmont, plus be close to my wife’s family in Fort Collins.  My time here at RMAE has been wonderful, and this move does not reflect a desire to leave this school community. My need to move on is completely related to the places my wife’s new career is taking us.  Thank you for all your support for me and my classroom during my time at this wonderful school.

Spanish Day Camp

What: Spanish day camp for students entering 2^nd-4th grade (current 1^st-3^rdgraders)

Who: Srta. Delight and 10-15 students

Where: RMAE Spanish room

When: June 17-21 and/or July 15-19. Students may attend 1 week or both weeks. 8:30 am-12 pm Monday thru Friday

Why: To give younger students a chance to be exposed to Spanish before they enter 4^thgrade at RMAE. And to have fun!

How much:

$125 for 1 week of camp

$200 for both weeks of camp

*ask about sibling discounts

How to register: Turn in registration form with payment to Srta. Delight. Forms available in the office.

Registration deadline: Friday, May 17, 2013