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It's back to school for Denver

By Bill Scanlon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published August 18, 2008 at 8:23 a.m.
Updated August 18, 2008 at 10:48 a.m.

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Kindergartners listen to Thelma Hood read a story during the first day of school at Whittier K-7 School in Denver.

Preston Gannaway © The Rocky

Kindergartners listen to Thelma Hood read a story during the first day of school at Whittier K-7 School in Denver.

Superintendent Michael Bennet, Gov. Bill Ritter and Chief Academic Officer Jaime Aquino greet students during the first day of school at Whittier K-7 School on Monday, August 18, 2008 in Denver, Colo.

Photo by Preston Gannaway © The Rocky

Superintendent Michael Bennet, Gov. Bill Ritter and Chief Academic Officer Jaime Aquino greet students during the first day of school at Whittier K-7 School on Monday, August 18, 2008 in Denver, Colo.

Darnell Ward and his daughter, Joridan, 6, play hop-scotch while waiting for school to start at Whittier K-7 School on Monday, August 18, 2008 in Denver.

Photo by Preston Gannaway © The Rocky

Darnell Ward and his daughter, Joridan, 6, play hop-scotch while waiting for school to start at Whittier K-7 School on Monday, August 18, 2008 in Denver.

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Denver Public Schools welcomes more than 70,000 students today, as youngsters and adolescents wipe the sleep from their eyes and embark on the 2008-09 school year.

The students at Whittier, 2480 Downing St., are being treated to a visit from Gov. Bill Ritter, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and DPS Superintendent Michael Bennet.

Meantime, the city's 44 middle schools will try to match the achievement growth posted by Denver West Preparatory Charter School last academic year. Sixty-two percent of DWPCS's seventh-graders scored proficient or above in reading this spring, up from 49 percent the year before when they were sixth-graders.

Jefferson County students already are in the swing, having started their school year a week ago.

The students in the Cherry Creek school district get one more week of goofing off, working those summer jobs or sleeping in. Their year starts next Monday.

The older kids in Boulder Valley start today, while the elementary school kids start on Tuesday.

Comments

  • August 18, 2008

    6:56 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    BetterEducated writes:

    In another life, I will get to be a teacher (I hope).
    Looking at these lovely faces -- how can we doubt the eager spirits inside?
    The drive toward Knowledge is universal, it's a hunger. We just somehow have to figure out how to keep its fires burning hot as the years wear by toward adulthood.