Serving Lakewood, Wheat Ridge and beyond
WEEK OF OCTOBER 24, 2024
VOLUME 41 | ISSUE 12
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Lakewood’s Bright MINDS Program offers lifeline for students with dyslexia
Local churches, governments scramble for solutions after Severe Weather Shelter Network closes BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
ensure that dyslexic children are educated in a way that they need, so they can be successful in middle and high school.” The district empowered the school to build the program, which opened in 2021, from the ground up, demonstrating its commitment to serving dyslexic students, whose struggles often go unrecognized until they are years behind in reading. “Elementary school was the worst,” Judy said. “I had no help, and I didn’t enjoy school at all. They put me in these classes that separated me from the other kids, which gave me less confidence in myself.” At Alameda, Judy, now in 11th grade, is thriving. “The help we get here is unlike any other school,” he said. “I feel confident asking for help. It’s okay to struggle in school, and now I can just be myself.” Sophomore Zila Bobian said she wasn’t diagnosed with dyslexia until 6th grade, and for years, no one knew what was wrong with her even though she sensed all along that reading was difficult.
Local governments and nonprofits are piecing together a plan to shelter unhoused people this winter after the nonprofit Severe Weather Shelter Network shut down permanently over the summer. The faith-based network, which coordinated emergency overnight shelter in churches during blizzards and cold snaps in Arapahoe and Jefferson counties, told supporters in an August email the organization no longer has “the financial means, and church involvement, to keep the shelters open.” “All SWSN staff are being released and the Board is in the process of fulfilling all outstanding obligations and shutting down responsibly,” the email read. Local governments and homelessness outreach agencies say shelter during severe winter weather is a matter of life and death for those living on the streets. In response to the void left by SWSN closing, Jefferson County and Arapahoe County are working on forming severe weather committees to coordinate sheltering services. The Tri-Cities Homeless Initiative, which serves Englewood, Littleton and Sheridan, has formed a severe weather subcommittee to review data from previous years and determine best practices for this year, City of Englewood Communications Director Chris Harguth said. That organization will be responsible for deciding temperature regulations for the area’s daytime shelters, which currently stand at 32 degrees with moist weather or 20 degrees with dry weather, but will be finalized by a Nov. 14 vote and acted on in “good faith” until then, Harguth said. Two nonprofits will be in charge of coordinating overnight shelters. In the Tri-Cities, Englewood-based Homelessness Awareness and Action Task Force will be the primary overnight shelter provider, and Movement 5280, also in Englewood, will serve as an overflow shelter. Jeffco is working on creating a Severe and Extreme Weather Action Plan, Jeffco Human Services Spokesperson Mallory Albi said. That plan will be reliant on support from local organizations willing to use their space to shelter unhoused people. One venue that has stepped up is Mission Arvada, the homeless ministry located in The Rising Church in Olde Town Arvada.
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From left, River Gallegos, Hudson Judy, Zila Bobian and Sami Rericha say they are more confident and self-assured thanks to the Bright PHOTO BY SUZIE GLASSMAN MINDS program.
Dyslexia Awareness Month shines light on unique needs BY SUZIE GLASSMAN SGLASSMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
At Alameda International Junior/Senior High School in Lakewood, Sophomore River Gallegos is finding his stride after years of struggling with dyslexia in a traditional school setting. Now in his fourth year in the Bright MINDS program, Gallegos describes the school as a place where he can truly fit in, and not just academically. Bright MINDS (the second part stands for Multisensory Intensive Dyslexia Support) provides specialized support for middle and high schoolers with dyslexia, ensuring they receive the tailored education they need to succeed. Through multisensory teaching techniques and a focus on self-advocacy, the program helps students like Gallegos and Hudson Judy — two of its first enrollees — navigate their academic challenges while fully integrating into school life.
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By fostering an environment of understanding and empowerment, Gallegos, Judy and their classmates are overcoming hurdles and gaining confidence while also breathing a sigh of relief. Earlier this year, parents and students were told Bright MINDS would be scaled back dramatically due to inadequate funding and a staffing shortage. Within a few weeks of the announcement, the Jefferson County School District reversed its position and said it was committed to keeping the program open. The district has lived up to its word. The program’s 23 students, who are a mix of 7th, 8th and high school grades, moved to a newly renovated area of the library and now occupy two large classrooms. There are no signs of slowing down. Andrea Arguello, assistant principal and program administrator, said her colleagues and students love the new space and are enthusiastic about recruiting more students to apply. “I would love to get the word out to all of Jefferson County and people around the state. Our mission is to
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