Issuu

SENTINEL EXPRESS C O M M E R C E

VOLUME 35 32

C I T Y

50cI

SSUE 48 02 ISSUE

WEEK ,OFNJOVEMBER ANUARY 12, TUESDAY 24,2023 2020

New COVID-19 restrictions will prohibit indoor dining, personal gatherings

Award for an Ag-based high school

Founders of Commerce City’s STEAD School win medal from governor BY SCOTT TAYLOR STAYLOR@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

An agriculture-focused Commerce City high school is still two years away from graduating its first class of students and it’s already garnering attention and picking up awards from the state. Amy Schwartz and Kelly Leid, the founders of Commerce City’s STEAD School, are among six recipients of the Colorado Governor’s Citizenship medals for 2022. The pair and the school they opened in the fall of 2021 will be featured in a Rocky Mountain PBS documentary set to air on Jan. 19 and will be honored at a reception and dinner Jan. 26. “All of our honorees are featured permanently in the Western History Exhibit at the History Colorado Students Isabelle Canelos, David Fontes, and Kaleb Linton at agriculture-based STEAD School in Commerce City. COURTESY PHOTO Center in Denver,” said Jen Landers, executive director of CiviCO, the managing group of the awards a ten-acre campus that is expanding “Across those four pathways are and computer engineering. Colofor the state. “This exhibit features in phases as the student body grows, upwards of 3,000 different career rado State University seeks to do the 100-plus past and present leaders in with multiple buildings designed possibilities, some of them in agrisame with agriculture education, he the state of Colorado and each year to look and feel like barns. Auxilculture, some not,” Leid said. said. when this medal is awarded, the iary specialty workshops and labs The school might have a student “What we aim to do is push that winners are featured. So, their story support the programs and student with a knack for software developinterest down into high schools and lives on.” projects, offering real-world learning ment that could end up designing start seeding and cultivating that The pair are scheduled to receive experiences. drone software meant to keep track among a much younger age,” he the Growth and Innovation Award The public charter high school of crop growth. said. as entrepreneurs who have led with is part of School District 27J and it “My hope would be these kids go The school took on its first class in ingenuity and while inspiring others broke ground in January 2021. Stuinto a pathway that leads directly Aug. 2021. and creating new possibilities. dents are drawn from District 27J’s into agriculture. Lord knows we “Babyis boomers retiring county required toare follow basedatonan the By Ellis Arnold e spirit thisoutside award isthe to city of Brighton’s student population viasite a weighted need them,” Leid said. “But as long accelerated rate and these positions A “Th long line ofofcars rapid testing at severity of a county’s local virus spread. Colorado Community recognize individuals who lead with lottery, up to 175 students per class. as they are pursuing whatMedia they in Ag-related fields, we are Riverdale Regional Park. The site has had to close early many days in recent Thestruggling dial grew out of the state’s safer-atexceptional ingenuity and growth The school is a new take on STEM- are passionate about and that this to replace them,” Leid weeks due highcreating demand. Adams County’s 14-day test positivity rate As Denver metro counties continue home “We’d order — thetopolicy that came and who goto about opportufocused education. STEM schools school helped them develop the to said. like fill them with after kids inch closer local stay-at-home ordersit a of thecolor, statewide orderdiverse this nities forpercent, others,” she standard across country, skills they to needed, I will consider andstay-at-home we have a very was 15.9 as ofsaid. Nov.“So 17, when accordingare toaTri-County Healththe Department. we look atand what the STEAD School focusing students on Science, great student body.” under success.” Colorado’s system of coronavirusspring and allowed numerous types of Brighton Commerce City’s test positivity rates were both higher Techthan is doing in terms of inspiring stunology, Engineering and Mathemat- related restrictions, the state announced Rather regular classrooms, businessesthan to reopen. 13 percent. Forty-five people in Brighton and 29 in Commerce City have dents around the ideas of science, ics. STEAM Schools, a more recent Silicon Valley for Ag the curriculum is entirely projecta new level ofthat rulesagriculture that prohibits The state recently to color died from COVID-19 related ithealth To limit the spread COVID-19, technology and agriculture, offersissues. subset, adds Arts to theofmix. He noted is indoor a $47 based. Students areswitched given tasks dining and personal gatherings — a identifiers — levels blue, yellow and to students alternative to the The Commerce City school focuses billion annual business in Colorado, and must consider the best ways at least 15ancounties moved to traditighter restrictions that prohibits indoor and change that applies to the majority of the orange rather than numbered levels — to tional classroom.” on Science, Technology, Environsupporting more than 195,000 jobs. complete them. personal gatherings. ment, Agriculture and Design. The “Colorado can become the epi“We spend a lot of time thinking Denver metro area and many counties in avoid confusion. Until Nov. 17, level red Barns instead of classrooms goal is less to promote farming as center for agriculture innovation, about we get young exother regions. meant ahow stay-at-home order. people Now, level The STEAD campus is located a career but to use agriculture as a similar to Silicon Valley. So we’d cited about what agriculture means COVID-19 dial, which red — “severe risk” — about is the secondon the site of the former 40,000teaching method, he said. It focuses likeThe to state’s become the Silicon Valleyhas for today,” he said. “It’s Photo by Belen Ward been in effect since September, is the set acre Boxelder Farms property in on four subject areas — animal, agriculture,” Leid said. ofPart different levels ofValley’s restrictions that was each Reunion, near the intersection of plant, environmental and food sciof Silicon success Please see RESTRICTIONS, Page 2 SEE AWARD, P5 Tower Road and 104th Avenue. It is ence. schools that supported mathematics

CONTACT

US AT

303-659-2522

INSIDE THIS ISSUE INSIDE THIS ISSUE

LOCAL 3 LOCAL 5 2 OBITUARIES BITUARIES O 8 5 LEGALS LASSIFIEDS C 11 7 CLASSIFIED 9 LEGALS 11 NEWS BRIEFS

FOLLOW THE SENTINEL EXPRESS ON FACEBOOK Follow the Sentinel Express on Facebook

LOCAL

BUSINESS

•27J Schools moves • Vestas to lay off 200 online-only Dec. 1 • Legislators talk 2023 employees

• Page 3 • Page 2

• Page 9