The Student Spotlight feature of each LPS Board meeting, new to the Board’s agenda this year, celebrates a student or a group of students who are living out the Portrait of an LPS Graduate. 

Portrait of an LPS Graduate
What is the Portrait of an LPS Graduate? Tomorrow’s workers will succeed by constantly adapting to the changing world around them. Today’s students must begin by learning new life skills. In response, about four years ago, more than 300 local industry leaders, teachers, community members, parents and students discussed what the new learning priorities should be. Focus groups of LPS high school students reviewed this feedback, shared their priorities and compiled the Portrait of an LPS Graduate, which outlines the attributes/skills of an LPS graduate:

• Well-adjusted, Thriving and Balanced
• Communication
• Global/Cultural Awareness
• Character
• Critical Thinking
• Problem Solving
• Adaptability
• Creativity
• Risk-Taking
• Resiliency
• Collaboration
• Self Advocacy
• All surrounding Rigorous and Relevant Academic Skills

January 12, 2023
Several students from Lenski Elementary School were recognized at the January 12, 2023 Board of Education meeting.

Emma Theis is a great example of the Portrait of a Graduate. She is adaptable, resilient, collaborative, and a great communicator. She continues to develop her skills in problem solving and self advocacy, and she is making progress towards these goals every day. 

Eleanor Walsh, who goes by Ellie, was nominated because of her overall character! She is very astute and presents herself well when listening and speaking to others. This serves her very well in her day-to-day tasks and interactions, as it will throughout life, and she sets a great example for her peers!

Tracen Gibson is a hard working student who shows perseverance, critical thinking and problem solving skills. He can solve a Rubik’s Cube in less than a minute. He is very mature and an excellent speaker. He's kind, and his peers look to him as a leader and role model. He's always willing to jump in and help others.

Reid Zwickl has always been a student who shows kindness, dedication to learning, and a willingness to work with anyone. He faces any challenges in his path, and he shows respect to both staff and classmates. He is a great example for his peers to follow!

Liam McMillan is creative, inventive and hard working. He's the kind of student that gets along well with peers and staff and has done so since he was a kindergartener. He is going to accomplish great things!

Lily Sieck is an outgoing, creative, risk-taking student. She faces adversity with perseverance and a positive attitude. You will always find an enthusiastic smile on her face!

Sofia Vaughn embodies the Portrait of a Graduate. She is kind and has worked to create a welcoming and inclusive environment in her classroom and at Lenski. She has great character and is always willing to help someone feel like they belong. 

All of these students are very special to Lenski Elementary School. LPS is so proud of them and the way they work to build a positive culture in their school. Thank you, students, for making your school a safe and welcoming place for your peers and the adults who work there! We look forward to watching your progress and successes in LPS in the coming years!

January 26, 2023

At the regularly scheduled Board of Education meeting on January 26, 2023, students from East and Ralph Moody elementary schools – future Little Raven peers – and Runyon Elementary School were recognized for living out the Portrait of an LPS Graduate.

East Elementary School students Cohen Barrett, Jacob Medina, Daniella Szychowski, Jada Wright, Milania Everts, and Erick Santos have shown tremendous leadership as well as kindness this year. They have had a positive influence on their peers. They were asked to consider how to encourage all East Elementary students to behave with Dragon HEART, and they jumped right in to creating a challenge that was engaging and supportive of students. They brainstormed ways to calm their bodies and minds down when they are feeling stressed or dysregulated. The students considered different age groups and what strategies might work best for each grade. Once strategies were determined for each grade level, these students created videos used to teach other students how to use each strategy. The videos were shown in classrooms throughout the school. The students also helped create visuals for each strategy, and these are taped to desks throughout the building. We love to see these students using their hearts, minds, and influence to create a positive impact at East!

Ralph Moody Elementary School fifth graders Elliot Hodorff, Ella Moody, Reece Nason, Jimmy Gaspar, Coy Thorburn, and Sidney Geist are exceptional leaders in the Ralph Moody community. They support other students and the school community in a variety of leadership roles including: promoting and modeling RAMs Pride with special theme days and videos; supporting and planning a local food drive to benefit Meals on Wheels; and supporting the school environment by running the recycling program. These fifth graders are important members of the community, and they bring their great skills to support the Ralph Moody student body! Thank you, Ralph Moody fifth graders, for the positive influence you bring to many parts of your school!

Runyon Elementary School fifth graders Anna Manske, Logan Kyle, Natalie Ryan, Alexis Brackins, Rylee Willmann, Vincent Cazarez, and Calvin Endyk were nominated by their teachers for their unique leadership skills. With the support of the district librarian, Nick Schuster, these students learned how to engage with and interact with VR headsets so they could lead an interactive station at Arapahoe High School’s Hour of Code event that took place in December for all district families. Not only did these students display such important Portrait of a Graduate skills as adaptability, problem solving, communication, risk-taking, collaborating, resilience, and self-advocacy, they were a model of working across schools and age groups with students and staff at Arapahoe. In fact, one high school volunteer who was stationed near this group repeatedly commented on how this group led by example and included everyone. LPS couldn’t be more proud of them and their willingness to step up to help others!

LPS is always amazed by the students nominated for this Student Spotlight segment, and we are so proud of their dedication to making LPS a great place for all.