Dear JA & Summit Families & Staff,

I want to start off the new year by saying Thank You! First semester was full of challenges, new opportunities and exciting events. From start to finish, the JA/Summit community focused on students and “..promoted a supportive environment for the safety and well-being of our community.”

Though this was a highly contentious election cycle full of diverse views and impassioned news stories, our staff and families did an excellent job in helping students learn how to discuss topics where a variety of viewpoints were involved. Leading up to the election I did not hear of a single complaint from students, staff, or parents about how these discussions were handled! This is an amazing feat that speaks to the quality of our community who focused on “...learning through growth.” Thank you for helping shape our students into confident, well rounded leaders of tomorrow. 

We also experienced many accomplishments: we celebrated with a ribbon cutting at our new JA Coal Creek Canyon School; the HS boys soccer team bounced back from a tough season last year to make it into overtime at the state championship game; we launched both a new aviation program for homeschoolers, and a PreK  program for our youngest learners. We were able to significantly increase staff salaries (again), secure a clear financial audit that indicated JA is quite financially stable, and implemented the 2024-27 Strategic Plan that will support our students long-term. Thank You for partnering with our leadership teams to make this possible!

Looking ahead, the new semester will be exciting. Mountain View Church, the property adjacent to JA Elementary that elementary families use every day during drop off and pick up, accepted our offer to purchase the property. Plans are to provide more space in our JagCare and PreK programs by moving into that facility in the fall of 2025. We also hope to expand the parking area for special events. The purchase should be complete within the next 60 days. Look for more information from the Foundation for JA in the coming weeks regarding how you can help with this project.

Our Secondary campus is in the process of securing drawings and permits needed to convert our gravel track to an all weather track and add a 480 seat grandstand to the turf field. Currently, plans are to have this completed in time for the start of school next year. As a result, we will experience some scheduling challenges this coming semester. We appreciate your patience in advance and anticipate it will be well worth the inconvenience once the project is completed. Again, look for more information from the Foundation for JA about how you can support this project as well. 

As we head into the second semester, I am excited to help our students “..invest in educational partnerships and intellectual curiosity”. Though we don't know what we may encounter, we do know that each twist and turn will help us “...embrace new ways to introduce, explore, and understand” the world around us. I wish you a wonderful start to the new year!

Charters remain supported by the Colorado State Board of Education

The Colorado State Board of Education (CDE BOE) has been teetering between a majority board who lean toward supporting charter schools or more traditional public schools. This is an incredibly important body for charter schools as the CDE BOE hears appeals between charter schools and their authorizers. In an article on the election, Dan Schaller, President of the Colorado League of Charter Schools, said:

“As you know, the State Board of Education serves a critical role when it comes to public charter schools, with the power to overturn the decisions of local school boards that reject the applications of new charter schools or refuse to renew existing charter schools. The winner of the CD8 race would determine whether the State Board of Education retained a bipartisan, pro-charter school majority or, for the first time in state history, flipped to more of an overt anti-charter posture.

In the end, the candidate who vowed to support charter schools when they proved effective at educating kids was the one who emerged victorious.”

That race was decided by 16,000 votes; a very large margin for this type of race. According to Mr. Schaller, “18,000 charter school parents” voted in that election. He said, “The outcome of the race made one thing clear: Charter school families are a political force to be reckoned with.”

Click here to learn more about how you can stay informed and potentially get involved with matters that directly impact charter schools. 

Charter schools positively impacting the educational landscape

Keeping with the theme of charter schools, a recent article points out how charter schools are  changing the landscape in effectively supporting all student learners. See below for some highlights and a link to the articles. 

CDE reports charter students continue raising the bar

• More than three-quarters (77 percent) of Colorado charter schools achieved a “Performance” rating on the SPF, nine points higher than non-charters. Performance is the top tier on a four-level scale (followed by Improvement, Priority, and Turnaround).

• 83 percent of charter students attended a Performance school. Non-charter schools were 14 points lower. 

• Charter schools educate more students of color and ELL students than non-charters.

• Data also suggests that parents know best which educational option fits their child’s educational needs.

If you’d like to stay informed on charter school matters, the Colorado League of Charter Schools has an Advocacy webpage where you review current matters or sign up for the ACT network.

The Safety and Security of our students and staff is of paramount importance to Jefferson Academy Charter schools. We are providing a Behind the Scenes look at some of our security protocols.

• The JA Board of Directors periodically hold an Executive Session with leadership where JA/Summit safety and security procedures are reviewed. Executive Session is used so BOD members can ask questions and learn about procedures that may not be common knowledge to the general public. This allows for oversight while keeping critical information confidential.

• Each Jefferson Academy and Summit Academy campuses have 2 types of radios:

  • Internal radios are used by staff to communicate on a regular basis as well as during emergencies. All JA/Summit campuses use the same frequency so radios can communicate with each other should an evacuation occur.

  • One First Responder radio is held at each campus. This allows school leaders to communicate directly with Jeffco’s Dispatch during fire drills and emergencies.   

• All Jefferson Academy and Summit Academy campuses follow the Standard Response Protocol for emergency training, the same protocol used by all 150 Jeffco schools.  

• Our campuses are fully supported by Jeffco Schools Dept of School Safety and local law enforcement who participate in our Lock Down Drills.

• Our campuses have controlled entry/access, cameras inside and outside our buildings, and break proof film on critical windows throughout each building. 

After the incident in Broomfield earlier this year where our secondary campus was “Secured”, several areas of improvement were identified:

• Families requested a faster process for communicating current situations and for keeping families informed and updated.

• Internal staff requested more information at the outset so they are able to support students by providing information around the status of the situation, ie... why the school may have been put in a secure and why classes are able to continue as normal.

• Leadership & office support staff at non-impacted campuses requested to be notified immediately so they could support the impacted campus.

As a result of the feedback mentioned above, we have developed “Emergency Communication Protocols” with built in redundancies in case a lead communicator is caught up in an emergency. Between this and our new communication platform which is scheduled to be fully functional early this semester, we expect significant improvement in our communication cycle for staff, families and supporting campuses.  

Review the difference between the terms:

Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, Shelter 

Review the Standard Response Protocol documents

We want to publicly give Jeffco Security, the Broomfield Police Department, and the Westminster Police Department a huge THANK YOU! During the incident in Broomfield first semester, Jeffco Security and Broomfield Police dispatched officers to our JA Secondary campus to ensure the safety of everyone in the building. Additionally, Westminster Police Dept. dispatched an officer to respond to both the Secondary Campus and the Elementary Campus even though neither are in Westminster's jurisdiction. These officers remained in a "stand by to prevent" status until the situation was declared to no longer pose a safety concern to the JA campuses. It is reassuring, and we are grateful, that they actively partner to ensure the safety of our students and staff.

As we embrace the spirit of the season, we are thrilled to share the heartwarming success of the 5th Annual Holiday Care Package program. A HUGE thank you to everyone who generously donated your time, resources, and support to make this initiative possible!

Program Highlights:

• Families Supported: 40 families

• Adults Benefited: 79

• Children Benefited: 100

  • 29 from JAE

  • 20 from JAS

  • 11 from SAW

  • 3 from Summit South Littleton

  • 27 siblings/relatives at other schools

  • 10 under school age

• Total Value of Donations:

  $34,309.45

A few words from Holiday Care Package recipients:

“Thank you SO much for your generous and thoughtful gifts! It means the world to be able to provide a wonderful Holiday season to our children. We’ll always treasure your kindness to our family! Thanks for being you, we appreciate all of you so much!”

“Thank you again… my kids had an amazing [Christmas] morning because of whoever donated to our family.”

“Many thanks to the donor family, this was a wonderful Christmas blessing, prayers answered!” 

Thanks to your incredible generosity, we were able to provide essential items and bring joy to numerous families during the holiday season. Your support ensured that everyone, from our youngest students to their siblings and relatives, felt the warmth and care of our community. If you were a donor, you will receive your donor letter in the coming weeks (thanks for your patience). 

View this YouTube short about this year’s program success!

Ongoing Support Opportunities:

Now that the holidays are behind us, we want to remind you about our ongoing needs program for families seeking support outside of the holiday season.

• Families in Need: If you are a family in need, you can submit an assistance request form here. While we cannot guarantee every request will be fulfilled, we will strive to connect you with resources and work to secure donations that can assist.

• Generous Donors: If you would like to contribute to this ongoing program, you can make a donation through the Zeffy Community Cares page here. Your support helps us respond to needs year-round and make a lasting impact.

• Support our Community Cares Program Fight Hunger bag program with King Soopers in January! Every time you purchase a $2.50 reusable Fight Hunger bag at the King Soopers on 10351 Federal Blvd in Westminster, $1 goes directly to support our school’s hunger relief efforts—right here in our community.

Thank you for your generosity not only during the holidays but throughout the year. Together, we are building a community of care and support that uplifts everyone.

We want to take a moment to recognize and celebrate the amazing support organizations that work tirelessly to enhance the experiences at each of our JA campuses: JAE PTO, JACCC PTO, and JAS Boosters!

Fun Run Collaboration:
This year, the JAE and JACCC PTOs partnered to make the Fun Run an unforgettable success! The JACCC students and staff joined the JAE campus for the actual event, fostering cross-campus collaboration and excitement. Both campuses not only had a blast but also surpassed their fundraising goals:

JAE PTO Raised: $88,000.00

JACCC PTO Raised (1st year!): $9,205.00

Great job, Jags & Eagles! Your hard work and community spirit truly shone through.

Supporting Our Staff & Students:
Our PTOs and Boosters go above and beyond to ensure our staff feel appreciated and cared for year-round:

• JAE PTO: Provided monthly breakfasts, lunches, and treats for staff, including a delightful Winter Treats spread in December. They also organize incredible events for students and families throughout the year, such as movie nights, Tears & Cheers, and more!

• JACCC PTO: Sponsored a staff lunch in December and supervised recess so staff could enjoy a meal together. They also support key events like Prospective Families Night and the all-school ice skating trip, as well as secure sponsorships to provide additional support for the school.

• JAS Boosters: Hosted a delicious cookie event for staff, offering an array of treats to take home and enjoy. Additionally, they continue to provide support for teams, clubs, scholarships, concessions, and the after-prom event.

We are immensely grateful for the dedication, creativity, and passion these organizations—and the parents who run them—bring to our schools. Your contributions make a significant difference in the lives of our students and staff.

Want to Get Involved?
If you’d like to learn more about these incredible organizations or find ways to get involved, visit their websites:

JAE PTO: https://sites.google.com/view/jeffersonacademypto/home

JACCC PTO: https://sites.google.com/view/jacccpto

JAS Boosters: https://boosters41.wixsite.com/jajags

Your participation, whether big or small, helps keep our JA community thriving. Thank you for all you do to make JA a vibrant, supportive community!

Did you know? We now have a listing of JA & Summit family-owned businesses on our website, where you can shop local and support the families in our community.

Check it out here to explore and connect with these businesses.

If you own a business and would like to be included on the list (at no cost), please contact Tiffany Blakley for details.

Additionally, we have opportunities for businesses to advertise on our campuses through banners, scoreboard ads, and more. These options go beyond the free website listing and provide a way to support our schools while showcasing your business. For advertising details, reach out to Tiffany as well.

Together, let’s continue building a community that uplifts both our schools and our families!

Did you attend Jefferson Academy for at least one full school year?

Please take a moment to complete our JA Alumni Survey so that we can add you to our database and update your communication preferences!

Visit the Alumni page on our website for any updates that may be posted, and be sure to share the link with other alumni so they can complete the survey too!