Left Hand Valley Courier - All Local, All The Time

This August marks the 36th annual Sunrise Stampede organized by the St.Vrain Valley Schools Education Foundation. Founded in 1986, the race was first organized by the Longmont Sunrise Lions Club and...

Boulder Valley's Impact on Education has been around for nearly 40 years, and the Crayons to Calculators program is one of their longest running programs. Since the Boulder Valley School District...

It's not an "extreme" makeover, but Niwot High is having a little work done before the 2021-22 school year begins. Last month, construction began on the final phase of the school's 2016 bond construct...

After a school year filled with upended routines, unprecedented challenges, and, above all, uncertainty, 270 students from Niwot High came together on May 29 to mark the end of their high school...

The following is text of Niwot High Student Council President Benjamin Goff's commencement address: In the years of 2002 or 2003, what would eventually be the Class of 2021 came into the world. We cam...

Carter Kruse didn't set out to get the top grade point average in Niwot High's International Baccalaureate programme this year, but his penchant for hard work and precocious talent for advanced math m...

Not many high school students relish the idea of delivering an important speech in front of a large crowd of strangers, but Victoria Isuani isn't like many high school students. When the Niwot senior...

When Niwot High School principal Eric Rauschkolb told senior Isobel Tuck she was salutatorian, it was a surprise. "I didn't expect it at all," she said. "It was a really big shock, but I was really...

Recent graduate Zoe Craven is the Arts Student of the Week. Writes her teacher Laura Collier: Zoe Craven is a very talented Visual Arts student. Her work is skillfully executed and well thought out....

Eighth grade graduation is already a celebratory occasion, but for the 93 members of Flagstaff Academy's class of 2021, the May 26 ceremony was also one last chance to celebrate together, after being...

Technical-minded Siddartha Bushan never gave much thought to his grades during his four years as a student in Niwot's competitive International Baccalaureate program, so he was mostly surprised but...

By his own admission, Niwot class of 2021 salutatorian James Magee doesn't have the best sense of time management, but he managed to overcome that shortcoming in high school with a good mindset...

Anna Enssle is a freshman at Niwot High, but has taken on some challenges that are normally confronted by older students. In an email, Niwot choir Director Laura Walters said that Enssle is an...

Dark clouds cleared just in time for last Friday's car parade honoring 2021 Niwot High School Graduates. Starting at 7 p.m. a fire truck escorted the lead car with principal Eric Rauschkolb and more t...

If a high school student were to look up the average cost of a four-year college in Colorado, they'd likely find a figure around $8,364 per year for tuition and fees, which works out to just more...

Cathy Carter is passionate about math. She also has a passion for empowering both students and teachers, especially when it comes to understanding it. "Everyone thinks about math slightly...

Flagstaff Academy's Elementary and Middle School Visual Arts program is an important component of the K-8th grade public charter school's Core Knowledge Curriculum and one that also provides much joy...

Alex Williams joined the Niwot High theater tech crew as a freshman, hoping to learn more about stage lighting and design. Four years later, not only has "Goose" become a lighting "wizard," according...

Nancy Pitz, (left) Niwot Elementary School, happily accepts coffees for the teachers that Pat Murphy of Niwot Real Estate brought to the school May 6. Old Oak Coffeehouse and wiNot Coffee made the...

For Niwot High band director Wade Hendricks, students like Jacob Pennington don't come around very often. Both a talented musician and gifted student, the junior is both a role model to his fellow...

The "Little Shop of Horrors" has been a big place of opportunity for performers at Niwot High this spring. Students are movie stars instead of theater stars for their grand finale, something they...

Junior Nguyen Pham is a talented student in Niwot High's IB art program who prefers to let her artistry do the talking. She is currently enrolled in a 3-D design course at the school, where she has...

Niwot Elementary's Jessica Easley says she has an amazing job. Her passion for teaching and dedication to her students earned her Teacher of the Year for her school, an award she's won multiple times...

It's not every teen who can find an emergency bandmate in their house, let alone one who can play Zimbabwean music. When Niwot High senior Noah Randall couldn't play in-person with his band during...

Niwot freshman Juliette Molina has been appearing on stage since age seven, but when the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled live performances in 2020, the accomplished singer and actor decided to broaden...

The Flagstaff Academy Board of Directors announced that following an extensive hiring process which included a review of feedback from stakeholders, Mrs. Katie Gustafson has officially been hired as...

It's always a great honor to be named a finalist for Teacher of the Year, but this year's group earned recognition in a pandemic year that brought unforeseen challenges to them, students and schools....

Thursday, April 22, is Earth Day, which is celebrated around the world as an opportunity to focus on taking care of our planet, and all of her inhabitants. The theme for this year's Earth Day is how...

Teyha Laughlin has excelled in Niwot High's visual arts classes, but was hoping to expand her creative horizons during her senior year. So under the mentorship of art teacher Beth Collier, she has pur...

Even when Niwot sophomore Audrey Asbury was a child, she loved music and would run around the house singing. At age five, her mother signed her up for a theater summer camp and she's been performing...

Niwot sophomore Morgan Lane was a curious kindergartener the first time she heard someone play the violin. "We had show-and-tell, and one of my friends brought their violin and played "Twinkle,...

Niwot senior Maya Beauvineau has a strong connection to the outdoors. From maintaining her chicken coop to participating with Nederland's Nordic Ski Team to being one of the leaders for Niwot High's...

By Jocelyn Rowley When it comes to art, Noah Randall doesn't limit himself to one mode of expression. "I really like exploring almost any way that I can express myself," the Niwot senior said. "I...

The Niwot High School Education Foundation is gearing up for its annual online auction, and thanks to robust support from sponsors, it should be an exciting one for potential bidders, according to...

Niwot students in the IB program are expected to spend 18 months on their CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) projects. That may seem daunting to future students, but according to senior Hannah Ferrer...

On April 6, Niwot Elementary School and the Mwebaza Foundation are hosting a fundraiser at Chipotle on Ken Pratt Boulevard in Longmont. From 4 - 8 p.m. Swing by and grab a burrito, bowl, or tacos and...

Niwot senior MacKenzie Demmel seems pleased to have participated in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program and her advice to those considering the program is to just try it. "I know that IB...

The Colorado State Legislature passed HB 19-1261 in 2019 to confront the global climate crisis. A year later, the governor's energy Office drafted a roadmap for how to confront greenhouse gas (GH...

Niwot senior Grable Howie is passionate about music. His advice to music students: "Take risks, never back down from a challenge, and surround yourself with people who will push you and help you...

As an already-established volunteer at Longmont United Hospital, when it came time to think about CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) projects to fulfill International Baccalaureate requirements,...

Niwot senior Autumn Baldwin is a talented trumpet player in the school's advanced jazz and symphonic bands, and also a member of the chamber singers choir group. Lately, she has also turned her talent...

The International Baccalaureate (IB) program was created in 1968 as part of an effort of "creating a better world through education." Nearly 30 years later in 2001, Niwot High School was authorized...

As COVID-19 averages over 1,000 new cases a day in Colorado, St. Vrain Valley School District (SVVSD) has provided hybrid modes of instruction during the school week — but a local parents’ group...

Many students initially enroll in forensics (speech and debate) to overcome their fear of public speaking, to improve those skills or even to simply fulfill an extracurricular requirement. But for...

In a year full of challenges, educators have gone above and beyond to support their students. Teachers have been placed in situations they didn't ask for and had to quickly build new skills to reach...

In 1925, the National Speech and Debate Association (formerly the National Forensic League) was created to "provide recognition and support for students participating in speech and debate...

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Program is typically defined by its accelerated and demanding academic level. But as it touts itself as a "world school," part of the curriculum extends beyond...

In 1928, Earl Blank, a Wyoming teacher, suggested that his school celebrate the achievements of high school theater students. One year and many meetings later, the first charter was granted to Mr....

On Wednesday, Dec. 16 the St. Vrain Valley School District Board of Education held a special meeting to discuss the return to school in 2021 and on Friday, Dec. 18, sent out an email to all parents,...

It almost seems that since COVID shook the nation in March, it has been an easy scapegoat for many shortcomings. Even if it's not the complete reason for some sort of decline, it does appear to be a...