The 2022-2023 school year marked the end of an era for the JA Secondary school, and JA organization as a whole. Mrs. Heather Grantham announced she will be resigning as principal and moving on to different endeavors. Mrs. Grantham was with the JA organization for 17 years, and has been a staple in our organization during that time. We wanted to take some time to chat with her and reflect on her time at JA, and honor all that she has contributed to our organization.

At the June 2023 Board of Directors meeting, we presented certificates for Years of Service Milestones, as well as plaques and awards to our outgoing retirees, Principals, and Board members. Beginning this year, a recognition process has been put into place to recognize staff members for milestone years of service, starting at 5 years and every 5 years thereafter.

In our last newsletter in December, all of the support organizations at JA were highlighted- PTO, Boosters, & The Foundation. This month, we want to take a deeper look at The Foundation, and what they are up to!

On March 1st, The Colorado League of Charter Schools held their annual conference in our backyard at the Westin Westminster. One of our JA parents (also past Foundation President and current Communication Committee member) Kim Daly helped to organize the event with the League. Several JA staff presented at breakout sessions during the conference, including Mr. Tim Matlick, Ms. Heather Grantham, Ms. Stephanie Scarato, Ms. Allycia Tausig, and Mr. Chris Cloonan.

Earlier this month, JA Secondary sent two large groups of students and staff overseas on two separate trips- Portugal/Spain and France/Italy. I connected with Eric Thimsen, Kristin DeFiore, and Fia Kauffman to find out about their experiences and any tips they have for future travelers.

There are so many examples of our JA community giving to those in need, but this time of year there is an abundance! While giving is done to help others, and not for recognition, we felt it necessary to highlight this amazing community’s efforts. The response to need over the past couple of months has been incredible! We are blown away by this community! Thank you to our JA community and community partners for your generosity!

Jefferson Academy K-12 could not operate the way they do without the amazing efforts of our support organizations!

We have learned that many are not aware of the support organizations and/or what they each do.

So, in an effort to educate and involve the community, here are the basics from each!

Although Tiffany joined the team in September, she has not been formally introduced. You may have already seen her name in Messenger emails, Board meetings, or direct emails, but it’s nice to put a face to a name!

Ryan Stadler is no stranger to the Jefferson Academy community, having served here in several roles since 1999. In this week’s blog post, we ‘re-introduce’ Ryan to JA before he starts his new position this fall as Athletic Director.

Olivia Sewell is a senior at The Summit Academy, and had the opportunity to sing at Carnegie Hall this past spring with a large women’s choir. She details that experience in this guest blog.

Mathew Chichirico, now a JA 6th grader, traveled to La Costa Daurada, Spain this past spring to play a game he loves. In this summer blog, we talk to Mathew about his passion, and even get some insight from his 5th grade teacher, Ms. Brodie.

JA Elementary Librarian Ms. Tucker shares information on reading programs and school reading challenges this summer for our elementary students. We also included some picks for the teens and adults in your household, so take a look and head to the library this summer!

JA Elementary has a new garden project, and we asked the two masterminds behind it - Katie Seidel and Jenny Brown - to answer a few questions about how it all started and where they see it going.

In the spring of 2020, Jefferson Academy Secondary applied and was selected to participate in the Innovative Learning Opportunities Pilot Program (ILOP). This program allows JA to offer high school students learning experiences that usually occur outside of the classroom. Read what these students have learned on-the-job this semester.

Our students, parents, and teachers all pitched in to help their neighbors after the Marshall Fire devastated many area families in December. From coin drives to making soup, to dress-up days, our community did their part to support those who lost their homes.

JA Junior Sofia Hiller shares her love for her friends, her mom’s soup, and her heart for community service. Thanks for sharing with us this quarter, Sofia!

A recap of basketball season from the JAGS SPORTS UPDATE, sent weekly by Coach Mark Sharpley. Get updates from each team and sign up to receive the sports emails in your inbox.

This quarter, The Summit Academy Senior Madison Romero-Cruz shares her passions, her love for hot wings, and her proudest moment (it’s a good one). Thanks, Nicole, and best of luck after graduation!

JA Elementary 6th graders exercised their right to vote before heading to Young Ameritowne! Three candidates for Judge and three candidates for Mayor each gave speeches to their entire class, then the polls opened.

On Saturday, February 12, 2022, Jefferson Academy Charter School (JA) will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its historic 2002 Colorado 2A State Championship in Boys Basketball.