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The last march of Skyview Senior High School

Contributed by: John Eisel/YourHub.com on 5/26/2007

In contrast to their previous four years, the last class of Skyview Senior High School walked confident and proud through George DiTirrio Stadium for their commencement on May 26. The weather was pristine as two lines walked around the track, waving and smiling to onlookers and well-wishers as the sun made everything sparkle on the Skyview campus.

On the same campus nine months before, as they started their final years, the seniors found a school building no longer bearing their school's name, instead looking to the future when Skyview Senior High School would not exist, and the Mapleton School District'stransition from one big high school into seven smaller high schools would be complete. (See list of new schools below)

"It no longer belonged to us," said Skyview High senior Janelle Vance during her valedictorian speech.

The seniors had gotten used to feeling forgotten.

When the district started transitioning three years ago, the concept of Skyview was reinvented. Many of Skyview's traditions fell by the wayside. Athletic teams still played as Skyview, but were comprised of teammates who would never see each other in the hallways, as schools within the building were kept totally separate. At prom, students met each other for the first time. Even when pep rallies were held, the students divided themselves by school.

"You can see where Mesa started and Academy ended," said senior Nicholas Martinez.

Valedictorian Justin Forbis described the situation as 'disorienting' during his speech at commencement.

Many of the students who started at Skyview High School transferred out of the district after their freshman year, rather than go through restructuring. This year's class had 163 students; last year's was 227.

Martinez understood their concern.

"I had an idea of how high school was supposed to be, and what they were going to do wasn't it," said Martinez, a winner of a Principal Award, which gives him a $2,500 scholarship.

This year they were also looking at their fifth principal in four years. Principal number four lasted three days. Senior Adriana Lujan said she had little to no conversation with any of the first three. Martinez didn't even know where the principal's office was at times. The students weren't sure who in the district was looking after them.

"That's how we felt. Practically invisible," said Vance during her valedictorian speech.

After principal number four left last May, some Skyview officials, including Athletics Director Jim Hamilton, were talking about what to do next.

"I feel really bad for those kids," Hamilton said in the meeting.

The administrators turned to Hamilton and gave him a look. That came on a Friday. The following Monday, he had accepted the position as principal.

In August, when the students had walked into a building that didn't have their school's name, Hamilton told them, "I promise at the end of the year everyone will know where you're at."

Hamilton talked with every student, especially those he hadn't met.

He also focused on advancing the students onto college. In November, the students took bus rides to eight college campuses in the region.

"That was bringing down the stigma of going to college, that they were not good enough," Hamilton said.

Many of the students filled out applications on the spot. By the end of the year, all of the students had applied for college, with 90 percent being accepted.
The students also took college classes in high school. Most of the staff at Skyview High School had their master's degrees, so they taught college courses through Front Range Community College and the University of Colorado. If the students passed the course, they not only got college credit, but the district paid for the class. Some students will enter college as sophomores.

The seniors also made a big push to earn scholarships. Last year, 227 Skyview Senior High School students earned $1 million. This year, 163 earned $1.2 million.

In addition, the students became very involved in the community and the school, organizing benefits, blood drives and activities. When a classmate died, they held a benefit for his family.

In the end, the trials and pitfalls, as well as the knowledge they are part of the last class of Skyview Senior High School, united them.

"At Skyview Senior High School, you can look at the senior picture and identify everyone. Can you do that at any other school?" Vance asked during her speech.

Next year, when Mapleton Prep, MESA, Skyview Academy, Global Leadership Academy, or any of the other remaining high schools receive their diplomas, "Skyview" will be written on top.

But they won't be Skyview High School.

"There's only one Skyview," Hamilton said. "And that's us."

2007 Skyview High School graduates
Nicholas Martinez' recount of his time at Skyview
Mapleton School District

Please share your thoughts about the Skyview Class of 2007

The Mapleton Public Schools high schools
Source: Mapleton Public Schools
York International (K-12)- This academically-focused school is inspired by the International Baccalaureate (IB) School network. As a candidate school, it embraces the philosophy of IB and will work toward receiving certification as an official IB school. In this school, students are encouraged to be active learners, well-rounded individuals, and engaged world citizens.

Global Leadership Academy (6-12)- Students at The Global Leadership Academy develop their leadership skills beginning with themselves, their classrooms and their school community. These skills quickly expand to include the local community, the state, our nation and then the global community. The Academy motivates students to meet or exceed high standards in the areas of science, social studies, math, reading and writing.

Mapleton Expeditionary School of the Arts (6-12) - Based on the Expeditionary Learning model of instruction, MESA students expand their knowledge through the use of art and creativity. Linked firmly with high-quality, college preparatory instruction, MESA students embark on in-depth learning expeditions that explore relevant topics.

Mapleton Prepatory (9-12)- Mapleton Preparatory approaches instruction "one student at a time." Students and parents are active participants in the design and assessment of the student's personalized learning plan, which starts with the student's own interests. Around these interests, the student's advisor, internship mentor and parents wrap a formal curriculum, internship learning goals, and community-focused learning opportunities.

Front Range Early College at Mapleton (9-12) - Early College students experience a college preparatory environment with access to community college courses supported by their advisor, teachers, and college coordinator. Students follow a rigorous formal curriculum and participate in learning internships and other community-focused learning opportunities.

Skyview Academy (9-12) - Teachers use modern but proven instructional methods to create an academic environment that maximizes deep relationships through student/teacher teams that personalize student learning. Students set high standards for their work through discussion-based, topic-directed learning for all core content areas.

Welby New Technology (9-12)- Welby New Technology prepares students for college through project-based learning with technology integrated into all course work. Interdisciplinary courses are supported through the Internet and other software applications as learning tools.


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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

John Eisel

Denver , COLORADO

John Eisel has posted 2865 stories and 12 comments since joining on 9/14/2005. John Eisel's average story rating is 4.39.
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