Article Contributed on: 9/16/2009 11:28:19 AM
Charter school holds Oscar-themed event for facility upgrade
Sporting white gloves in addition to their crisp school uniforms, North Star Academy students led the dedication of their new school in an Oscar-themed awards ceremony held last week.
The dedication began with a flag ceremony conducted by Civil Air Patrol Cadets. A Sept. 11 remembrance flag was raised to honor those lost in the Sept. 11, 2001, tragedy.
Sixth-grader Mason Rausch was the Mistress of Ceremony and led the presenting of awards to key players who helped make the new building a reality.
"You must have worked fast and furious to get this done in just three months," she said.
North Star Academy, 16700 Keystone Blvd., Parker, is a K-7 public charter school that draws students from all over Douglas County. The school broke ground on an addition Feb. 5.
After students left for the summer, the building was gutted to remodel existing rooms and add 10 new classrooms to accommodate grades seven and eight. A new cafeteria, library and computer lab also were added. The cost for the expansion and renovation is about $10 million.
Rausch said her favorite part of the school is the library.
"It has a lot of new books, and it is just beautiful in there. It is very peaceful," she said.
Another highlight for North Star students is their new playground, a futuristic wonderland decked out in the school colors of blue and yellow. Features include a mini climbing wall, a slide, a zip line and spinning devices that twirl kids round and round.
North Star parent Dawn D'Amato, who helped head up a fundraising campaign that raised $37,000 toward the new playground, said it a much-deserved upgrade from the old, outdated playground.
"When the kids first saw it, they were in awe," she said. "It was so gratifying to see them have that reaction."
School principal Cynthia Haws said that she thinks the new school, from the colors on the walls to the small custom-made details, came together well to reflect North Star's tight-knit community.
"Our culture is one of smallness, and we wanted the school to reflect that," she said.
Erin Feese: 303-954-2953 or feesee@yourhub.com