2018 Winter Five Star Journal

Winter 2018 Vol. 18 | No. 2
COVER:
BTEC
STUDENTS
TEACH AT
HOUR OF
CODE
Page 22
Students
make a
difference
at Westlake
Middle
Page 8
Ballot Issue
5C passes
Page 16
Choice
Process Begins
Page 18
www.adams12.org
COUNSELORS IMPACT STUDENTS WITH GRATITUDE TOUR | PAGE 14

News Journal
Vol. 18 | No. 2 | Winter 2018
Connecting you
to your Five Star Schools
IN THIS ISSUE
4 Superintendent Message
6 Elementary School Feature:
Cherry Drive - Name, Strength and Need
8 Middle School Feature:
Westlake Mascot Change
12 Five Star Snapshots
News Journal
Official Sponsor of
the Five Star Journal
14 Counseling/Mental Health Gratitude Tour
16 Positive Election Results
18 Choice
20 District Calendar
Communications Services
1500 E. 128th Ave.
Thornton, CO 80241
(720) 972-4156
21 New Graduation Requirements
22 In the News
24 Faces of Five Star Schools
www.adams12.org
Board of Education
Kathy Plomer
Laura Mitchell
Norm Jennings
Brian Batz
Jamey Lockley
Adams 12 Five Star Schools is a caring, inclusive and
engaging district which exists so the students it serves
can attain the knowledge and skills necessary to
pursue the future of their choosing and are equipped
to navigate and thrive in our rapidly changing world.
Five Star Journal, Winter 2018 | 3

SUPERINTENDENT MESSAGE
By Chris Gdowski, Superintendent
Follow on twitter
@SuptGdowski
Thank you! Because of the support of Five
Star District voters in November’s election,
we have started implementing some of the
investments outlined for Ballot Issue 5C. The
ballot issue, which provides $27 million dollars
annually in additional revenue for the district,
passed with a 56.30 percent voter approval.
With this support, we are now able to jumpstart
the priorities outlined in our strategic
plan ELEVATE that parents, students, staff
and community members worked together
to create.
This additional funding will allow us to
elevate student success through six focus
areas as identified through ELEVATE.
• 21st Century Learners
• Diverse Learning
• Outside-the-Classroom Learning
• Safe Schools
• Social-Emotional Learning
• World-Class Staff
Immediate Investments
Community Invests
in Students
District starts implementing investments as a result of community
support for ballot issue 5C
One of the most immediate investments that
we’ve implemented since election day is the
elimination of our district-level textbook
and instructional materials fee at all grade
levels, and our technology fee at the middle
and high school levels. This investment item
provides more than $1 million in fee relief for
our families. These fees have been eliminated
effective the current school year, and anyone
who has paid the fees for this year has already
been provided a refund check.
We’ve also implemented a 1 percent Cost-of-
Living Adjustment (COLA) for all staff. As you
know, remaining competitive in our ability
to attract and retain the best teachers and
support staff has been a challenge for many
school districts, including ours. This is just
part of our work to be more competitive in
the marketplace.
Ballot Issue 5C also makes it possible for us
to increase salaries for teachers who are early
on in their career, boost compensation across
all experience levels to help us keep our high
quality staff members, and provide more
opportunities for teachers to take on
leadership roles within their schools.
Our Interest-Based Strategies team – made
up of school board members, members of the
teacher’s association, school principals and
district administrators – has already started
meeting to begin discussing the details of
implementing these investments. Their work
will continue through Spring 2019.
Upcoming Investments
Our staff has already begun the planning
work to implement several of the other
critical investments outlined in Ballot Issue
5C. Beginning with the 2019-2020 school
year, we will invest more than $4 million
in reducing class sizes and increasing high
school course options. School leaders will
begin hiring additional staff in the spring for
the following school year.
Another significant investment from 5C is
in social-emotional learning. The district
will adopt a social-emotional learning curriculum,
and our Learning Services team
has started the process of evaluating the
different social-emotional resources that
currently exist. We will also begin hiring
additional counselors and social workers this
spring for all of our schools.
Unmet Needs Due to Defeat of
Amendment 73
As many of you know, in addition to our
local Ballot Issue 5C, there was the statewide
measure, Amendment 73, that would have
provided $60 million in additional funding
to the Five Star District. Amendment 73 did
not pass.
It’s important to note that the investments
we outlined to fund had Amendment 73
passed are now dependent on year-by-year
funding increases from the state Legislature.
While there is no guarantee we will receive
that funding, we have a roadmap for how to
invest any new dollars.
Several of the investments that Amendment
73 would have funded include: additional
resources to support our special populations
(Emerging Bilinguals, Special Education and
Gifted and Talented), increasing transportation
to have later high school start times and
reduce the walk distance, and expanding
alternative education opportunities.
Implementing a new middle school sports
program was also under our Amendment
73 plan. Despite 73’s defeat, we’re currently
exploring how we might start with one sport
and potentially build out a program over time
should additional revenue become available.
Progress Reports
As we move into 2019, we will provide a
dditional updates on our spending plan
to jump-start ELEVATE. Additionally, as we
implement our new strategic plan, we will
share with you not only how we are investing
these additional dollars, but what tangible
impact they are having on our performance
and meeting our goals.
Thank you again for your ongoing support of
the Five Star District. I wish you all a wonderful
winter break! •
4 | Feature Name Five Star Journal, Winter 2018 | 5

More than a name
District ‘Name, Strength and Need’ initiative puts focus
on students’ social-emotional needs
The corridor walls of Cherry Drive Elementary in Thornton are lined this school year with
photos of each of the schools’ 340 students. The black, cardboard matted frames of smiling
student faces complete with their first names printed in large letters are visible outside each set
of classrooms.
But, behind those smiling faces, are hopes, dreams, anticipations and challenges. The pictures
are part of a school-wide staff promise to take the time to understand each of their students in
a new way.
One of the goals identified in Adams 12 Five Star Schools’ recently-adopted strategic plan,
ELEVATE, is to know every student by their name, strength and need. The importance of school
staff reaching beyond student academic needs to know and understand them on a personal
level was driven home by Five Star Schools Superintendent Chris Gdowski at the start of the
2018-2019 school year. Superintendent Gdowski welcomed all building principals back to a
new school year and encouraged them to work with their staff on knowing each student in
their building by their name as well as their greatest strength and need.
The message immediately struck a chord
with Cherry Drive Principal Tina Hepp who
considers supporting the social-emotional
needs of students “a passion”. When she
welcomed her school staff back from the
summer, she was ready to launch the initiative
on a building-wide level.
Hepp recruited her own nephews to model
name, strength and need responses in short
video clips and asked her staff to complete
the same exercise with each other.
Hepp explains that, while teachers hold a
mastery of knowing where students are at
academically, the pressures of academic
standards and testing means they can
sometimes miss the opportunity to know
students on a more personal level.
Her message to teachers was simple: listen,
take the time to talk to each student and give
them the opportunity to “share who they are”.
“Taking the time to truly talk with them makes
the difference,” Hepp said.
The student pictures on hallway walls are
joined by inspirational messages such as
“You Matter” and “We All Matter”.
It is about creating a school culture not only
focused on high academic performance but
also care and compassion.
“My goal for students when they walk into the
building is it’s their safe place, it’s their happy
place and that they know we care about
them,” Hepp said.
She added that a focus on students’ socialemotional
needs doesn’t mean pursuing high
academic performance has to take a backseat.
“My goal for students
when they walk
into the building is
it’s their safe place,
it’s their happy place
and that they know
we care about them.”
- Tina Hepp,
Cherry Drive Elementary Principal
Becoming a state-rated performance school
remains the goal. She believes by engaging
students on a personal level, knowing their
strengths and needs, will guide them down
a pathway of learning and future academic
success.
Hepp said she has organized checkpoints
with teachers throughout the year to help
track their progress on connecting with
students as part of the initiative.
The social-emotional focus area of the
ELEVATE plan includes expanded supports
and interventions for students who struggle
socially, emotionally and behaviorally;
development of a P-12 social-emotional
learning curriculum; investments in new
staff training; and increases in school-based
support staff such as counselors and social
workers. Learn more at www.adams12.org/
elevate/plan. •
6 | Elementary School Feature
Five Star Journal, Winter 2018 | 7

Student Voice
Students drive change in mascot at Westlake Middle
The wolverine pumps up the crowd at an assembly revealing the new mascot.
Photo credit: Tasha Nichols Photography
It was not long after a lesson about stereotypes that Sophia Goodman and Westlake Middle
School classmates discovered a tile mosaic in their school foyer – long covered with carpet –
that had a depiction of a Native American that they found offensive.
They decided they wanted to do something about it. A classmate wrote a letter to Principal
Rachel Heide and about 30 students, including Goodman, signed it.
Though neither Goodman nor any of the students who signed that initial petition are Native
American, “we had a lot of empathy,” she said.
That was the fall of 2016. Now a 10th-grader at Legacy High School, Goodman is one of the
four initial petitioning students who stayed actively involved in the discussion with other
students, faculty and the community about whether the warrior mascot best fit the image of
the school.
Ultimately, this student-driven effort led to a new mascot at Westlake – the wolverine – which
was unveiled in Spring 2018.
Confronting the Past
Since 1974, the warrior was Westlake’s mascot,
with imagery prominently displayed not
only in the foyer but also the school’s gym.
But, 2016 wasn’t the first time students and
the community asked if the warrior was
really the right mascot for Westlake.
Richard Williams has been part of the
community for more than 30 years. Three
of his four children and two of his
grandchildren have attended Westlake.
Two of his children were confronted with
the images of the stereotypical warrior
depiction and he saw how it affected them.
“When (my daughter) walked into the school
she saw that horrific mascot … immediately
it had an impact on her identity and her
self-confidence,” said Williams, who is Oglala
Lakota and Northern Cheyenne.
A few years later, at a sporting event, someone
posted similar derogatory images at the
school. His son ran across the school ripping
the images down, Williams recalled, saying,
“I’m not a mascot.” That experience opened
up a conversation about the mascot, which
Williams got involved in as a long-time
community member and as the former
president and CEO of the American Indian
College Fund.
At the time, they believed all the depictions
would be removed and replaced with
symbols, but the name of the Westlake
Warriors would remain. “We thought the
issue was dead,” Williams said. “Here we are
almost 20 years later.”
“Don’t be afraid to
take initiative.
You have a lot more
influence than you
think, and you have
a voice in your
community.”
- Sophia Goodman
former Century Middle School student
8 | Middle School Feature
Five Star Journal, Winter 2018 | 9

As students and parents renewed the
conversation about Westlake’s mascot,
Principal Heide met Williams and learned
about his family’s experience. Knowing the
history and recognizing that this conversation
had started again made the process
more critical than ever, Heide said, adding
“that was extremely powerful for all of us to
hear his story.”
A New Direction for Westlake
Starting the conversation about Westlake’s
mascot wasn’t easy; still, Heide said it was
one that needed to happen, not only for the
students who were there in 2016 but also for
the students who attended before them, like
Williams’ children.
Goodman said she stayed part of the process
even as she moved on to high school because
she was “thinking about future students that
would come into the school”.
Heide focused on building a task force with
a range of viewpoints on the issue and
engaging students, future students, teachers,
parents and community members.
“It was important that we had stakeholders
from our community … to be part of a task
force to look at the detailed steps we were
going to take,” she said.
After a series of meetings, they agreed that
making a mascot change was best. The
school preserved the tile, donating it to
History Colorado, and have archived the
story about the history of the mascot.
The school received hundreds of submissions
of ideas for a new mascot, and students
voted to select the wolverine.
“I know that I’ve got grandchildren that are
going to school there that I know now will
never have to deal with this again,” Williams
said.
Heide said she believes it will make the
school better for all: “This was about making a
decision that impacted everybody and made
a difference for everybody.”
For Goodman, the experience was empowering.
“What I learned was that people can make
a difference,” Goodman said. “The smallest
change, like a middle school mascot, can be
a powerful one.”
Goodman encouraged students to stand up
for what they think is right: “Don’t be afraid
to take initiative,” she said. “You have a lot
more influence than you think, and you
have a voice in your community.” •
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most accurate information. Ensure your contact information is currently
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Be the f irst to know.
Receive priority alerts
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Text “YES” to 68453 *
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Reply with HELP if you need assistance.
10 | Middle School Feature
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Photo credits: Silver Creek Elementary
Photo credit: Skyview Elementary
A collection of photos from events
happening around the district.
Photo credit: Century Middle
Photo credits: Hillcrest Elementary
Photo credit: Riverdale Elementary
Photo credits: Northglenn High School
Photo credit: Thornton High School
Left page top left Century Middle School placed flags in honor of Veterans Day / Left page top right Silver Creek Elementary
recognized over 600 veterans & active service members / Left page bottom left Riverdale Elementary’s Pumpkin Run /
Left page right center Northglenn High School’s 21st Century Skills day with industry partners /
Left page bottom right Thornton High School’s Hispanic Latino Student Union presented mural at Journey Through
Our Heritage Competition / Right page top left Skyview Elementary’s Girls on the Run club at Candy Run 5k /
Right page center/bottom left Hillcrest Elementary staff’s amazing Halloween costumes /
Right page top right Arcelia Guerrero, Legacy senior, High School Youth Art winner /
Right page bottom right Hour of Code at Glacier Peak Elementary with Superintendent and Bollman students
Tag us in your images on social media using #FiveStarProud.

Gratitude Tour
Mental Health staff share gratitude with
community partners
“It’s everything from safety and security to
food at the food bank and everything in
between,” Schwab said. “It’s really the whole
child … all of them are really there for kids.”
This gratitude tour also provided counselors
the opportunity to learn more about each
partner and how they can strengthen those
relationships to better serve students.
“These partners help bridge that gap,” Schwab
said. “I don’t know where we would be
without them.”
While it may be a small gesture, Schwab
said, it’s one she hopes will go a long way in
building stronger connections and creating
better outcomes for students in the Five Star
District.
“Everyone does something different for our
kids,” she said. “We just want to make sure that
we tell them thank you for all that they do.” •
Sixteen Community Partners
Thanked for Support
Counselors from across the Adams 12 Five
Star Schools visited community partners
to thank them for their support. Although
the district has dozens of partners across
the community, they started with partners
who regularly see the district’s students
and provide some level of support for
good mental health.
Those partners are:
1
2
3
4
5/6
A Precious Child
Adams County Coroner’s Office
Adams County Human Services
Adams County Sheriff’s Detention Facility
Anythink Libraries
(Huron and Wright Farms branches)
The idea was simple – some smiling faces, a box of
donuts and one message: “Thank you.”
That desire to share gratitude for the community
resources that provide support to students outside the
school day is what prompted Anjela Schwab, a professional
school counselor at Horizon High School, and
her counselor colleagues to embark for the first time on
what they called a gratitude tour.
“Every kid in Adams 12 Five Star Schools may need these services at one time or another,” she said.
It was important for them to do this – fanning out across the community in groups on Dec. 12,
bringing treats, a card and a desire to learn more – because their community partners do more
than provide critical services. When students get the support they need, Schwab said, it also
means they are more present and connected in the classroom.
The counselors visited 16 partners who play a role in supporting mental health.
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Broomfield FISH
Carpenter Recreation Center
City of Northglenn
Colorado Crisis Services
Community Reach Center
Front Range Community College
The Link
North Suburban Medical Center
North Metro Fire Rescue District
Thornton Police Department
14 | Counseling/Mental Health Gratitude Tour

Sponsored by
Dairy Max
Special
appearance
by a Denver
Broncos
Fuel Up to
Play 60
Ambassador!
Investing in Kids
Five Star Community approves additional funding to jump-start
district’s strategic plan
Thanks to the support of the Adams 12 Five
Star Schools community, Ballot Issue 5C passed
with voter approval in early November.
Ballot Issue 5C, a mill levy override that will
generate $27 million in new, recurring revenue,
will allow the district to jump-start the
priorities outlined in its strategic plan ELEVATE
that parents, students, staff and community
members worked together to create during a
year-long process.
This additional funding will allow Five Star
Schools to elevate student success through six
focus areas as identified through ELEVATE.
• 21st Century Learners
• Diverse Learning
• Outside-the-Classroom Learning
• Safe Schools
• Social-Emotional Learning
• World-Class Staff
16 | Positive Election Results
The successful passage of 5C is just the
beginning of the work to implement the
priorities outlined in these ELEVATE focus areas.
For more information on what investments
this funding measure will allow the district to
fulfil, visit www.adams12.org/elevatefunding.
The success of 5C highlights numerous
district accomplishments including that,
for the third consecutive year, the Five Star
District has been accredited as a performance
district by the state and its on-time graduation
rate continues to rise year-over-year. Recent
academic results also indicate students
are thriving because of the community
commitment to their academic success.
“All of the accomplishments we’ve celebrated
across the district wouldn’t be possible
without the Five Star community’s support,”
Superintendent Chris Gdowski said. “Thank
you for further elevating the success of our
students!” •
DJ, FOOD
AND DOOR
PRIZES!
FIVE STAR 5K
8:00 a.m. Kids Fun Run/Roll (1 Mile) $5
8:30 a.m. 5K Run/Walk/Roll $30
($10 registration for students)
Awards ceremony immediately following 5K.
T-shirt, water and chocolate milk included with registration fee.
Event inclusive of all ability levels and is suitable for wheelchairs.
WELLNESS FAIR
8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
REGISTER NOW!
www.adams12.org/fivestar5k
Packet Pick-Up:
Thursday, April 18 and Friday, April 19
Educational Support Center
1500 E. 128th Ave., Thornton, CO 80241
Questions? Call (720) 972-6011
Same-day registration available on race day at the
Adams County Fairgrounds from 7:00 -7:45 a.m.
Adams County Fairgrounds | 9755 Henderson Road, Brighton, CO 80601
All funds raised will go toward enhancing wellness programs in Adams 12 Five Star Schools.

will be given to sibling applications so that families can attend the same school. Families with
children already attending schools that are not open to Choice are eligible to submit an application
for their existing student to remain at the school or for younger siblings to attend the school with
their older siblings.
The duration of a Choice placement is valid for all grades served by the school. For example, if
a student attends a Choice elementary school, the approval is valid to the end of fifth grade, as
long as there are no significant changes in that school’s enrollment or facilities. When a student
transitions from elementary to middle school or from middle to high school, they must reapply for
Choice. If they don’t, the student’s placement automatically reverts to their boundary school.
Students that are approved for Choice are responsible for their own transportation.
2019-2020 Choice process
Submit application by Jan. 31 for priority consideration
Last year, Adams 12 Five Star Schools received
more than 4,500 Choice applications for the
2018-2019 school year. In accordance with
the state’s open enrollment law, the district’s
Choice Program allows for students to apply
to attend schools outside of their attendance
area boundary.
Both in-district and out-of-district students
can apply for Choice. Out-of-district Choice
requests are considered after in-district
requests. Acceptance to a Choice school is
based on several criteria: availability of space,
sufficient teaching staff, appropriate programs
and the necessary facilities for special needs
students.
Adams 12 Five Star Schools publicized the
schools open to Choice for the 2019-20 school
year on Dec. 1, 2018. The Choice application
and list of open schools are available online
at www.adams12.org/choice. For families
without computer access, a computer kiosk is
available at all schools and at the Educational
Support Center located at 1500 E. 128th Ave.
in Thornton.
The deadline for priority consideration is Jan.
31, 2019 and is not first-come, first-served. If
the number of requests exceeds the spaces
available in a given school, the district will hold
a lottery. Parents and students submitting an
application for priority consideration will be
notified of the results of their application no
later than the third week of February.
The second deadline to submit a Choice
application for the 2019-20 school year is March
30, 2019. As with the first round, if the number
of requests exceeds the spaces available for
priority consideration in a given school, the
district will hold a lottery. Notification of
approval or denial will be made no later than
the third week of April.
In addition to the two deadlines above, in some
years a third round of Choice may be held in
August and September if space is available.
Schools open to the third round of Choice will
be posted online at www.adams12.org/choice
by Aug. 1.
While not a guarantee, when possible, priority
Extended-day kindergarten
For neighborhood elementary schools,
admissions to extended-day, tuition-based
kindergarten (EDK) are not managed through
our Choice Program but rather directly by
each school with an EDK program. Parents of
extended-day, tuition-based kindergarteners
at neighborhood schools should note
that enrollment in that program does not
automatically mean the student will go to
the same school for first grade. The student
must apply through the Choice program for
first grade placement if he/she wants to go to
a school other than his/her boundary school.
Also note that the school the child attended
for kindergarten may not necessarily be open
for Choice.
For magnet schools, extended-day, tuitionbased
kindergarten are managed by the
Choice Program.
Parents of extended-day, tuition-based
kindergarteners attending magnet schools
do not need to reapply for Choice as their
Choice approval remains in effect through the
highest grade served at their magnet school.
Secondary programs
In-district students are not required to apply
for Choice to attend secondary programs
like Horizon SOAR, Legacy 2000, Mountain
Range High School of Business, Northglenn
High STEM and EC@N-STEM Programs and
Thornton High International Baccalaureate
(IB). Admissions to those programs are
managed by each school. Out-of-district
students wishing to attend high school
programs that are not schoolwide must
apply for both Choice and with the program.
If the school is not open to Choice then the
program is closed to out-of-district students.
If the student is not selected in the Choice
lottery, they are wait listed for the school and
program.
To learn more about Choice and find answers to
frequently asked questions, visit the district website
at www.adams12.org/choice. The Five Star District
Planning and Admissions Department determines the
acceptance of Choice requests and can be contacted
via email at choice@adams12.org or by phone at
(720) 972-4055. •
18 | Choice
Five Star Journal, Winter 2018 | 19

DISTRICT CALENDAR
2018-2019 School Year
Printable versions of the 2018-2019 Year at a Glance are available in both English and Spanish.
*Dates may not apply to district charter schools; please check each school’s calendar for school-specific information.
GRADUATING CLASS
of 2021 and Beyond
Adams 12 Five Star Schools
1500 East 128 th Avenue
Thornton, CO 80241
The new graduation requirements for the Class of 2021 and beyond focus on two areas:
Credits and Coursework and College and Career Readiness Demonstrations.
SCHOOL CALENDAR– 2018-2019*
JULY 2018 F First Day of School for Students
JANUARY 2019
S M T W T F S S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 6 B 8 9 10 11 12
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 13 14 15 16 17 A 19
22 23 24 25 26 27 28 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
29 30 31 27 28 29 30 31 18
FS-August 15, 2018 6 th morning; 7 th -8 th afternoon; 9 th ONLY
FE-August 15, 2018 ALL Elementary K-5 and K-8 Report
FS-August 16, 2018 ALL Students K-12 Report
L Last Day of School for All Students
May 23, 2019
A Elementary Assessment Days
September 4, 2018; January 18, 2019
May 3, 2019
AUGUST 2018 FEBRUARY 2019
S M T W T F S S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4 1 2
5 6 7 8 I D 11 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
12 I D FS/FE FS 17 18 10 11 12 W B I 16
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
26 27 28 29 30 31 17 24 25 26 27 28 19
W Elementary School Work Days (No School for K-5 Students)
October 11, 2018
February 13, 2019; May 10, 2019* (potential snow day make up)
D Teacher Duty Days (No School for All Students)
August 10, and 14, 2018
December 21, 2018
May 24, 2019
SEPTEMBER 2018 MARCH 2019
S M T W T F S S M T W T F S
1 1 2
2 3 A 5 6 7 8 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 10 11 12 13 14 Q 16
16 17 18 19 20 21 22 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
23 24 25 26 27 28 29 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
30 19 31 16
C Teacher Comp Day – All Schools (No School for All Students)
November 19, 2018
I District In-service Days – All Schools (No School for All Students)
August 9, and 13, 2018; February 15, 2019
B In-Common Release Days – K-8 (No School for K-8 Students)
October 12, 2018
January 7, February 14, and April 1, 2019
Q Quarters Days
Oct. 12, 2018 42 days
Dec. 20, 2018 43 days
Mar. 15, 2019 47 days
May 23, 2019 43 days
OCTOBER 2018 APRIL 2019
S M T W T F S S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4 5 6 B 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 W B/Q 13 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 21 22 23 24 25 26 27
Pupil Count Window ............................ September 24 – October 8, 2018
Calendar Information
Registration of New Students .............. Please Contact Your Local School
School Year Starts, K-9 ................................................... August 15 , 2018
1 CREDITS AND COURSEWORK 2
High school students will complete 23 credits in the
following coursework to graduate:
4 English
3 Mathematics
3 Social Studies
(1.0 United States History, 0.5 Government)
3 Science
(2 lab-based credits)
1 Physical Education*
(0.5 Health)
NO Physical Education Waiver available
2 Fine & Practical Arts
(Music, Art, Theater, Career & Technical Education,
World Language)
7 Electives*
COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS
DEMONSTRATIONS
High school students must demonstrate college
and career readiness in English and mathematics by
achieving a minimum score or grade in at least ONE
of the following assessment demonstrations*:
• Accuplacer
• ACT
• ACT Work Keys
• Advanced Placement (AP)
• ASVAB
• Concurrent Enrollment
• Collaboratively Developed Assessment
• District Capstone
• Industry Certificate
• International Baccalaureate (IB)
• SAT
School Year Starts, All Students Report ......................... August 16 , 2018
28 29 30 31 23 28 29 30 22
Labor Day .................................................................. September 3, 2018
Elem. Assessment Days .................... Sept. 4, 2018; Jan. 18, May 3, 2019
Dist. In-Svc. No School-All Students ........ Aug. 9, 13, 2018; Feb. 15, 2019
Elementary Work Days ..... Oct. 11, 2018; Feb. 13, 2019; May 10* , 2019
In-Comm. Rel. Days, K-8 ....... Oct. 12, 2018; Jan. 7, Feb. 14, Apr. 1, 2019
NOVEMBER 2018 MAY 2019
S M T W T F S S M T W T F S
*New requirement beginning with the Class of 2021
*Students are not required to achieve a minimum score for English
and mathematics in the same assessment demonstration
1 2 3 1 2 A 4
Teacher Comp Day-No School ................................. November 19 , 2018
Veterans’ Day Observed .......................................... November 12 , 2018
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5 6 7 8 9 W* 11
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Thanksgiving Break .............................................. November 20-23, 2018
18 C 20 21 22 23 24 19 20 21 22 Q/L D 25
End of First Semester ............................................... December 20, 2018
Teacher Duty Day-No School-All Students ................ December 21, 2018
Winter Break ................................. December 24, 2018- January 4, 2019
High School In-Common Release Day ..............................January 7, 2019
All Students Return from Winter Break ...........................January 8, 2019
Martin Luther King Day..................................................January 21, 2019
Presidents’ Day ............................................................February 18, 2019
Spring Break .............................................................. March 25-29, 2019
Last Day for Students......................................................... May 23 , 2019
Teacher Duty Day ............................................................... May 24, 2019
Memorial Day ..................................................................... May 27, 2019
25 26 27 28 29 30 17 26 27 28 29 30 31 18
DECEMBER 2018 JUNE 2019
S M T W T F S S M T W T F S
1 1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 Q D 22 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30 31 15 30
BASE CLOSED ...................................................... August 6-10, 2018
SUMMER BASE OPEN ................................ May 31 – August 3, 2018
BASE OPEN ..................................... August 13, 2018 A.M. and P.M.
WHAT ARE COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS DEMONSTRATIONS?
College and Career Readiness Demonstrations are assessments, assignments or classes in which students
can demonstrate proficiency in both English and mathematics. By achieving a minimum score or grade in
AT LEAST ONE of the demonstrations AND completing the coursework listed above, students will become
eligible to graduate beginning with the Class of 2021 and beyond.
*Subject to Revision
Approved January 31, 2018
Details and ongoing updates available at
www.adams12.org/graduation-requirements
Five Star Journal, Winter 2018 | 21

IN THE NEWS
Superintendent Gdowski named Most Admired CEO
In November, Superintendent Chris Gdowski was named one of Metro Denver’s Most Admired
CEOs by the Denver Business Journal. Gdowski is one of 15 executives honored out of over
100 nominations. Awardees were selected based on company success, civic engagement and
innovation. Gdowski was honored among CEOs from such companies as Noodles & Company,
Vail Resorts and American Furniture Warehouse, and was the only education leader selected.
Read More
Bollman Tech students lead coding activities
for second-graders
Bollman Technical Education Center (BTEC) computer science students led a variety of computer
science activities at four elementary schools throughout the week of Dec. 3 as part
of Computer Science Education Week’s Hour of Code. The “Buddy with BTEC” program is
designed to give elementary students an opportunity to engage in computer science and
provide high school students with a chance to learn about the types of activities they could
lead in future years as well. Read more about the “Buddy with BTEC” event at Centennial
Elementary on Dec. 4
Safety at center of recent, future bond improvements
When the Five Star Schools community approved a $350 million construction bond in November
2016 to update district schools and facilities, school safety and security was a key component of
the plan. As part of renovations this past summer at nine district schools, main building entrances
were modified to provide an additional level of secured access for building visitors. At schools
where the existing building layout allowed, new secured vestibules were created where visitors
can enter a first set of doors to interact with office via a glass transaction window. Read More
Legislative Update: Democrats to control both chambers and
governor’s office as new session begins
The first regular session of the 72nd General Assembly will convene on Jan. 4, 2019.
Democrats will lead both chambers of the Legislature, as well as the executive branch with the
election of Governor-Elect Jared Polis. Democrats have also regained control of all the statewide
offices in Colorado. Read More
More seats available at STEM Lab for the 2019-20 school year
When the renovation and reconstruction at STEM
Lab is completed as part of the 2016 Bond Program,
more STEM opportunities will be available for
students across the district. The expansion will add
one more class at each grade level K-7. This is the
first time there have been additional seats available
at the upper grade levels and they won’t last long.
Read More
These are excerpts of stories — visit www.adams12.org to read these stories in
their entirety and others highlighting student, school and community success.
District completes sale of second and final set of bonds
Adams 12 Five Star Schools has completed the planned second sale of general obligation
bonds as part of the successful passage of a $350 million bond program approved by the Five
Star community in 2016. The sale of $65 million in bonds was completed Nov. 28, 2018, and
will support later phases of school and facility improvement work planned as part of the fiveyear
bond program. Read More
22 | In the News
SHARE YOUR NEWS
Help Adams 12 Five Star Schools spread the word about the great things
happening across the district. With nearly 39,000 students across five cities
in 54 schools, we need your help in sharing the exciting events, initiatives
and success stories happening at your child’s school. Submit your good
news story: www.adams12.org/share-your-news.
Five Star Journal, Winter 2018 | 23

Faces of Five Star Schools
Adams 12 Five Star Schools may extend across five cities and two counties, but we pride
ourselves on being a close-knit community and school district. We are fortunate to have
a strong partnership between staff, students, parents and the community to support our
students’ academic, physical, social and emotional needs.
During the 2018-2019 school year, the Five Star District will highlight members of the Five
Star community from students to staff, and parents to community members. Each week
over the school year, we invite you to get to know the many Faces of Five Star Schools:
www.adams12.org/faces •
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