By Mary Wolbach Lopert 

When Silver Creek High School opens its doors next August, students will be greeted by a brand new, state-of-the-art facility.  According to Principal Chris Rugg, at the moment there are 220 middle schoolers and 400 high schoolers set to attend.  The district set the new boundaries for the school last January.  “With open enrollment we could see that number increase to 720 students total.”

For the next few years the school will house both middle and high school students.  When the school opens, the middle schoolers will be down stairs in their own wing that is close to the gymnasium.  They will have complete access to the gym, art rooms, music rooms and cafeteria.  High school students will occupy the second floor.  Eventually, Silver Creek will be a four year high school, with a capacity of 1200 to 1250 students.  Funding for the school was created in 1996, when voters passed a bond issue.  Rugg estimates the total cost for the building is $25.9 million.

Viewing The Facility

Accompanied by school counselor Tamara Brown, Rugg gave a comprehensive tour of the building.  The front of the school is built in a crescent shape and has a unique floor.  Done in cement, it is stained brown so it resembles leather.  In addition, 21 different areas in the building will have

Divided into six wings, the building offers each discipline its own unique area.  Most importantly Rugg stated, “In every one of the wings, there is a teacher work center.  What we expect teachers to do is to spend time in there when they are not teaching classes.  They will be talking about curriculum, … designing rubrics together and lessons so that there’s more meaning to what they are doing with the kids.” 

Rugg further stated that having teacher work areas “is also going to keep the teachers from being isolated.  So often they go back to their classroom and that’s were they do all their work.  They never see anybody else.  We’re trying to break out of that pattern.” 

The first wing has two art rooms, a computer, technology, a general class, consumer family, physics, science and photography rooms.  As far as technology is concerned, the school is making the switch to PCs instead of Apple computers.  Rugg said that most likely the computers will be from Dell Corporation and the bid is currently being put together.

Another innovation the school will have is a Smart Board.  Rugg explained that a Smart Board resembles a white board “and you use a projector with it.  You can do all sorts of manipulations with the computer on it.  You touch the screen and it is just like you are using your mouse.  You also have the ability to use color pens with it.”

In addition to the Smart Board, the multimedia lab will have high-end computers.  Students will be able to do 3D art, there will be a CAD program (Computer Aided Design) and multimedia presentations, which will help meet district standards.

Silver Creek is “equipped with 10 science rooms, “ Rugg continued.  “There are two in the technology wing…. In the academic area, there are another eight.  There’s two on each floor. We can set up small learning  communities in each one of those wings.  It is like a high school within a high school.  Everything is right there.  You can have math, language arts, foreign languages on every floor for every learning community.”

The chemistry and physics rooms have computer ports at every station.  “In every science room there will be eight computers,” Rugg said.  “(These computers) will be on tables with wheels.  Students can wheel their computers next to (a) sink and they can do their labs right there.  The physics room will have laptops, while the rest of the science rooms will have desk tops.”

Between each set of science rooms, there is a common prep area.  There are five of them in the building.  In addition, the chemistry room has a hooded work area so if students are working with chemicals, the fumes will be vented out of the building.  The chemistry and physics rooms have emergency showers and eye washes in case of accidents.

The art and music rooms are equally well equipped.  There are two art rooms.  The “3D” art room will have 10 computers, two pottery wheels as well as the equipment for making sculpture, jewelry and fibers.  The “2D” room will be equipped for drawing and painting.  The band and orchestra rooms have higher ceilings and acoustical tiles on the walls.  The lockers have been sized for all types of instruments. 

Each class room is equipped with a TV monitor.  There is a video distribution monitor in the IMC.  If a teacher needs a video, it can be called in and controlled from the IMC.

Staffing

As far as staffing is concerned, the front office will house three secretaries, an attendance clerk, a health clerk, two counselors, an athletic director, two assistant principals (AP), a principal and a school resource officer.  Rugg stated that for the fall, “Right now we are looking at 36 teachers and seven custodians, kitchen help and then the office staff.  At the moment there are 15 of us who are hired.  That’s nine teachers on the planning team, two counselors, both APs have been hired and an athletic director.

“Heads of departments have not been set yet.  We are going to be doing something a little bit different than other high schools and that’s going to be a rotating position.  We will do that for a couple of years and then the position will be passed off to someone else and let them have a turn at it.”

As far as athletics are concerned, no coaches have been assigned yet.  “We are still working on that with John Gordon, our athletic director.  He will be getting those positions in place.”

The school has three gyms, a weight room and four locker rooms.  The largest gym has a seating capacity of 1520 where games, assemblies and PE classes will be held.  There is also a room where referees can change and shower.

Even though Silver Creek will only have freshmen and sophomores next year, Rugg stated, “We are going to try and have every sport that’s offered in the district.  If we don’t have enough kids that are trying out for something, they can go back to the school they originally came from and try out for the team there. 

Rugg stressed that Silver Creek will have the same funding as other high schools.  “It is just a matter 
of where we choose to put our resources.” 

He also wants to put to rest the rumor “that this school will go in and take all the best teachers out of every other school, … that’s simply not going to happen.  We are looking for great teachers, but we are not going to devastate anyone else’s program.  We are going to be very cautious about that as we are hiring people.

“So far all the teachers who have been hired have been from within the district.  There is a reason for that and that’s their availability to come to the planning team and their understanding of the district and the standards-based education.  But we will start looking outside the district as well.  We did hire Jessica Overboe as an assistant principal from outside the district.  She is currently a principal in Blackhawk.”

Another rumor Rugg wants to put to rest is that Silver Creek will have an International Baccalaureate (IB) program.  Niwot High School is the magnet school for the district’s IB program.

Creating An Innovative Program

Rugg hopes to have some innovative programs at the school.  "If a kid can test out of a class, if the student has already met the standards for a class, we are going to let the student move on.  We don't want to hold them back.  We will also have the universal high school here.  So if a kid wants to create his own type of learning he can do that.  Debbie Hutchinson will be handling that."

He continued by stating, "We are only going to be giving credit for C work and above.  So if a kid has an incomplete or a D … we're going to ask him to go back and rework that.  It doesn't mean that they will have to take the whole class over.  But if they are missing certain standards in a class, we will ask them to go back and show us (that they have mastered the standard.) …  We want the kids to be able to show us, in their own way, that they have met the standards."

One of the main goals of the school is to offer classes that will help students to "get what they need."  Rugg explained that this process might be done through an on-line course, such as the Plato system which is an independent on-line course of study.   Students can also get high school credit through concurrent courses, internships, mentorships or independent study.

Another innovation Rugg is looking at is having a later school start time.  Studies have shown that high school students do better if they are allowed to sleep later in the morning.  One  possibility being studied is starting school after 9 a.m.  Nothing has been set yet, and there is a possibility that school will start at a more traditional 7:15 a.m.

Nothing Can Happen Without Parental Involvement And Support

"Anything parents are interested in doing, we are interested in having them come in," Rugg stated.  "I hope to get (parents involved) before school even starts.  We'd like to work with some parents on grand opening types of things.  I would like to have some parents come in who would like to mentor and help get kids around the building and make them feel at home.  I'm not sure how the PAC and the Booster Club will work together, but we will have these parent organization and we are looking for a lot of support there.  Rugg hopes that parents will help tutor, mentor or help teach a class. 

Tamara Brown also stated, "If there is anyone who would like to be a coordinator of mentoring or tutoring, they are welcome to volunteer.  Please call me at 720-494-1948."  She also stated that they have had some conversations with employees at Seagate and that they are interested in doing some tutoring in the math and science areas.

A School Within A School

Above all, Rugg stated that he wants students to feel at home and comfortable in school.  It is very important that the community view the school as a family place.  Each wing holds about 400 students.  He feels that each of the school's wings will help create a high school within a high school 

"What we've found is that at bigger high schools, kids just get lost, they just become a number and nobody knows who they are.  Kids can just drop out and nobody knows if they are showing up.  We want to change that here.  (Students) will come in here and  know their advisor is here and that the teachers know who they are.  The kids will know who they can turn to for some help."

Rugg is also looking at having each of the assistant principals take charge of a wing.  "Not that they would be principals of it, but that they would be more in charge of it.  They would get to know the kids in that wing a little bit better than they normally would."

Above all, Rugg wants to make this a welcoming place for kids.  "We want to make this a friendly environment for kids, one that they like to come to and feel welcomed at.  That's really our goal here." 

Registering For Silver Creek

Above all, Rugg stressed that none of this can happen without parental involvement.  This involvement started when a parent information night was held at Sunset Middle School on Feb. 28.  Tamara Brown stated, "Registration for Niwot High current ninth-graders is March 6 and 7.  Registration for Sunset eighth-graders is March 13 and 14."

Brown also wanted parents of students who are currently in private schools and in Silver Creek's attendance area, to feel free to contact her at 720-494-1948.

The Courier Needs Your Help Too
 
 If you are interested in reporting on classes and events at Silver Creek, contact the Left Hand Valley Courier at 303-654-4885 or by email at Lhvcourier-@aol.com

Photos by Anna Mahorski.