KIPP Northeast Denver Leadership Academy
KNDLA Updates - Safety, Schedule, and More
01/22/24, 3:06 PM
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Dear KNDLA Families,
My name is Leah Peters, and I have the privilege of serving as KIPP Colorado’s Chief Academic Officer and Acting Managing Director of High Schools. I spend about 50% of my time at KNDLA, and I deeply love our school community. Your students are the most brilliant, curious, hilarious, kind advocates I’ve had the privilege of working with in my almost 20 years of working in schools. I know that Friday was a challenging day to be a member of the KNDLA Community, as we faced a number of safety procedures on campus.
I want to take this opportunity to introduce myself, to provide key updates from Friday, January 19th, and to share important information regarding the remainder of Spring 2024 and our planning for 24-25. It is a privilege to serve the KNDLA and KIPP Colorado community. With a career spanning over a decade as a high school principal or principal manager, and as a parent to two children with learning differences, I deeply understand the importance of a nurturing and safe educational environment.
1. Recent Safety Measures and Incident Update
On January 19th, we initiated a secure perimeter and lockdown protocol. You received communication about both of these events, and it’s important to me to follow up and provide additional information.
The secure perimeter was a precautionary measure due to an incident involving families at RMP RISE. Rest assured, those involved are no longer permitted on the Groff campus. Our KNDLA team, in collaboration with RMP, Safety and Security, and DPD, is dedicated to maintaining a secure and focused learning environment.
The lockdown was inadvertently triggered by an old-style duress button at the KNDLA front desk. We're already coordinating with DPS and Safety and Security to update this system, ensuring such incidents do not recur, as we deeply understand how alarming a lockdown can be. I also know there were rumors of an active shooter, and I want to say unequivocally that those were inaccurate and untrue. We are following up directly with the community members that provided this false and alarming information.
2. Launching Off-Campus and Extended Lunch
We're thrilled to announce the introduction of off-campus and extended lunch, reflecting our students' remarkable improvements in attendance, punctuality, technology use, and adherence to the dress code.
Starting February 5th, 9th and 10th graders will enjoy extended lunch, while 11th and 12th graders will have the option of off-campus lunch. This privilege comes with responsibility, and family/caregiver permission is mandatory.
Note, this initiative is tied to continued collective progress. Attendance must stay above 90%, and infractions in tech use, dress code, and tardiness must remain minimal. Any significant deviation will lead to a temporary suspension of these privileges. Individual students may also lose this opportunity based on specific criteria, detailed in our upcoming communication.
3. Staffing Updates and SAT Supports
Staffing Updates
Beginning February 5th, we're making some staffing adjustments to ensure all core classes are taught by our dedicated KNDLA staff. This includes changes in who will teach PreCal, Algebra I, and PE. Additionally, we bid farewell to Mr. Howard, our Assistant Principal of Culture, due to health reasons. We respect his privacy, we are grateful for his contributions to the KNDLA team, and we wish him the best.
In the meantime, you can reach out to the following KNDLA team members for questions or concerns about specific courses, including instruction and grading:
Our most updated staff list can be found here: 23/24 KNDLA Employee Directory - Google Sheets
SAT Preparation
We are also thrilled to provide formal SAT Prep for ALL juniors at KIPP Colorado. Beginning in February, KIPP Colorado will provide SAT Prep and Tutoring through Academic Approach during our Junior Seminar Courses.
The program is free to students and their families, takes place DURING THE SCHOOL DAY in Junior Seminar, with live online sessions conducted by experienced teachers who offer guidance on the Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) sections of the SAT test, as well as test-taking strategies specific to the new digital administration of the test.
KIPP Colorado is a national leader in college and career counseling and preparation. ALL KIPP students have access to KIPP Forward programming, including a full-year course of Junior and Senior Seminar to support career exploration, engage in one-on-one college and career counseling, and college application and SAT preparation. We are one of the only schools in the country that continues to provide support for alumni as they transition into college and career. You can learn more about our KIPP Forward program here: KIPP Forward - KIPP Colorado Public Schools.
4. Looking Ahead to 2024-25
Your feedback is so valuable to us, and we're excited to announce schedule changes for the 2024-25 academic year.
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We will run a consistent daily schedule from 8:20am - 3:45pm.
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KIPP Colorado will have a unified calendar, meaning all campuses have the same no-contact days.
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Expect longer passing periods, shorter blocks, and an extended lunch/advisory period. This will facilitate off-campus lunch for juniors and seniors and provide more flexibility for clubs and student organizations.
You can share your insights and ideas for 24-25 in our student and family survey! This survey helps us improve our academic programming, including elective and club offerings.
If you’d prefer to take the survey in a language other than English, please contact our front office and we will provide you with a translated copy in the language of your choice.
5. Connect with Us!
We value our community’s input and involvement.
Family Town Hall
We will host a Family Town Hall on Monday, January 29th from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm in KNDLA’s Cafeteria to hear from our community about plans for 24-25 and any questions about the current school year.
Conferences
We look forward to connecting with you at Spring conferences to discuss your child’s individual progress. These will take place Tuesday, February 13th from 2-7pm, Wednesday, February 14th from 4-7pm, and Thursday, February 15th from 4-7pm.
Student and Family Hiring Team
I am looking for student leaders and families to participate in the Hiring Team!
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Why: Student and family voice, leadership, and engagement will improve the quality and consistency of our hiring practices.
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What: Student leaders and families to participate in KNDLA hiring.
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When: Ideally, I’d like a group of students and families who can commit to participating in sample lessons and a debrief / brief panel interview from 7:30am – 8:00am most Tuesday mornings and from 11:45am – 12:15pm (during lunch / advisory) most Thursdays beginning in February.
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How: Interested students and families should complete this form ASAP and no later than Friday, January 26th
We appreciate your support and understanding as we strive to enhance our school environment. I love KNDLA, and I know the best is yet to come. For any questions, ideas, comments, or concerns, please contact Ms. Peters at lpeters@kippcolorado.org or on my cell at 303-264-9370.
Warm regards,
Leah Peters
Chief Academic Officer
303-264-9370
