NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS
Whiz Kids at Foothills Elementary
Our Foothills Elementary is in need of more tutors for the after school WHIZ KIDS program.
What is it?
WHIZ KIDS began in 1990 through the collaborative efforts of church, community, school and business leaders in Denver. Their desire was to bring resources into neighborhoods where there was a need to bridge the achievement gap. WHIZ KIDS began a city-wide outreach by partnering suburban and urban churches with urban schools. This partnership led to one-on-one tutoring with elementary-age children. WHIZ KIDS is a 501 (c)3 non-profit with over 50 sites that serve more than 800 elementary and middle school students throughout the metro area. Our goal is to reach 1,000 kids annually by 2020.
Mission statement:
To reach children who fall below the literacy line and poverty line.
To serve them in the Spirit of Christ and to ensure that no child misses the grace of God.
Whiz Kids happens on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 3:45 to 5:30, from October to April. The main emphasis is usually reading and math. They have lots of learning resources and help with lessons. Books, exercise materials and learning games are all provided for the appropriate grade levels. There are also a couple of special events like a Sunday night at a Nuggets game and the Kids Rodeo at the Western Stock Show Arena.
If you like kids, like to see them smile and would like to help in a small but meaningful way to give them a boost in school and social achievement, then WHIZ KIDS could be for you.
Check out the program at: http://www.whizkidstutoring.com/
We are always in need of more volunteers! You would help a child one-on-one with prepared lessons in reading, writing and math Tuesday and/or Thursday afternoons from 3:45 to 5:30. Please contact Linda Rickstrew at 303-204-3263 or Diane Rhodus at 303-986-9400
Principal's Note
By Shannon Schneider, 2023
I hope this finds you well and enjoying a wonderful start to 2024. My name is Shannon Schneider and I am the principal of Foothills Elementary School. I have been with Jeffco Public Schools for the last 11 years in a variety of roles. Prior to joining Foothills, I was the assistant principal at Bear Creek K-8. I believe that a high-quality education, love and support set our students up for success in elementary school and beyond. I find joy in working with underserved, diverse and at-risk student populations. When I am not at school, I enjoy spending time with my husband of 25 years and my two college students. I am rejuvenated by spending time outside and exercising.
This has been an exciting year at Foothills- many changes and many new opportunities. At the beginning of the year, we welcomed 100 new students and families from Green Mountain Elementary School. Green Mountain closed at the end of the 2022/2023 school year and Foothills was designated as a receiving school for students needing a 'new home.' The consolidation process has gone smoothly, and we are lucky to have expanded our school family. With the addition of 100 new students came the addition of many new staff members. I consistently hear how welcoming the Foothills community has been and I am grateful that we have provided our new staff with the support they need to be successful.
Foothills implemented a new math resource this year called Illustrative Math (IM). As a staff we have spent quite a bit of time focusing on the successful adoption of Illustrative Math. This has involved professional development for our staff, learning walks with representatives from IM and district leadership. In addition, we continue to work on fine tuning our literacy resource, Into Reading.
Given that Foothills qualifies for Title I funding, we are fortunate to employ a full-time Family Engagement Liaison, Katje Steenrod. Katje works with all of the Foothills Families and spends the majority of her time looking for ways to support, engage, and connect our students and families to our school and our greater community. We are fortunate to have a resources hub (Foothills Foodies) in the building. The hub provides families in need with clothing, non-perishable food, school supplies, shoes and toiletries. We have seen quite a large number of families take a advantage of the hub this year. This holiday season, we received an unbelievable amount of support from the surrounding community. To say that I am grateful would be an understatement.
Foothills Elementary is blessed to have the support of Whiz Kids. Whiz Kids is a community program aimed at supporting students through one-on-one connection with a community member. We currently have 22 students that are served through the Whiz Kids program. Students receive weekly one on one tutoring, a spiritual lesson and personal connection with a tutor over the course of 5 months. Our classroom teachers work directly with the Whiz Kids director ensuring the tutors are working on needed skills for students in the program. Whiz Kids is a tremendous asset to Foothills and is a demonstration of the power of connection between the school and the community.
As I get ready to begin the budget process for the 2024/2025 school year, I am excited by the opportunity to look at the needs of our students and work with the staff, PTA and school accountability committee to develop a comprehensive plan for meeting the needs of our students.
Our Foothills Elementary is in need of more tutors for the after school WHIZ KIDS program.
What is it?
WHIZ KIDS began in 1990 through the collaborative efforts of church, community, school and business leaders in Denver. Their desire was to bring resources into neighborhoods where there was a need to bridge the achievement gap. WHIZ KIDS began a city-wide outreach by partnering suburban and urban churches with urban schools. This partnership led to one-on-one tutoring with elementary-age children. WHIZ KIDS is a 501 (c)3 non-profit with over 50 sites that serve more than 800 elementary and middle school students throughout the metro area. Our goal is to reach 1,000 kids annually by 2020.
Mission statement:
To reach children who fall below the literacy line and poverty line.
To serve them in the Spirit of Christ and to ensure that no child misses the grace of God.
Whiz Kids happens on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 3:45 to 5:30, from October to April. The main emphasis is usually reading and math. They have lots of learning resources and help with lessons. Books, exercise materials and learning games are all provided for the appropriate grade levels. There are also a couple of special events like a Sunday night at a Nuggets game and the Kids Rodeo at the Western Stock Show Arena.
If you like kids, like to see them smile and would like to help in a small but meaningful way to give them a boost in school and social achievement, then WHIZ KIDS could be for you.
Check out the program at: http://www.whizkidstutoring.com/
We are always in need of more volunteers! You would help a child one-on-one with prepared lessons in reading, writing and math Tuesday and/or Thursday afternoons from 3:45 to 5:30. Please contact Linda Rickstrew at 303-204-3263 or Diane Rhodus at 303-986-9400
Principal's Note
By Shannon Schneider, 2023
I hope this finds you well and enjoying a wonderful start to 2024. My name is Shannon Schneider and I am the principal of Foothills Elementary School. I have been with Jeffco Public Schools for the last 11 years in a variety of roles. Prior to joining Foothills, I was the assistant principal at Bear Creek K-8. I believe that a high-quality education, love and support set our students up for success in elementary school and beyond. I find joy in working with underserved, diverse and at-risk student populations. When I am not at school, I enjoy spending time with my husband of 25 years and my two college students. I am rejuvenated by spending time outside and exercising.
This has been an exciting year at Foothills- many changes and many new opportunities. At the beginning of the year, we welcomed 100 new students and families from Green Mountain Elementary School. Green Mountain closed at the end of the 2022/2023 school year and Foothills was designated as a receiving school for students needing a 'new home.' The consolidation process has gone smoothly, and we are lucky to have expanded our school family. With the addition of 100 new students came the addition of many new staff members. I consistently hear how welcoming the Foothills community has been and I am grateful that we have provided our new staff with the support they need to be successful.
Foothills implemented a new math resource this year called Illustrative Math (IM). As a staff we have spent quite a bit of time focusing on the successful adoption of Illustrative Math. This has involved professional development for our staff, learning walks with representatives from IM and district leadership. In addition, we continue to work on fine tuning our literacy resource, Into Reading.
Given that Foothills qualifies for Title I funding, we are fortunate to employ a full-time Family Engagement Liaison, Katje Steenrod. Katje works with all of the Foothills Families and spends the majority of her time looking for ways to support, engage, and connect our students and families to our school and our greater community. We are fortunate to have a resources hub (Foothills Foodies) in the building. The hub provides families in need with clothing, non-perishable food, school supplies, shoes and toiletries. We have seen quite a large number of families take a advantage of the hub this year. This holiday season, we received an unbelievable amount of support from the surrounding community. To say that I am grateful would be an understatement.
Foothills Elementary is blessed to have the support of Whiz Kids. Whiz Kids is a community program aimed at supporting students through one-on-one connection with a community member. We currently have 22 students that are served through the Whiz Kids program. Students receive weekly one on one tutoring, a spiritual lesson and personal connection with a tutor over the course of 5 months. Our classroom teachers work directly with the Whiz Kids director ensuring the tutors are working on needed skills for students in the program. Whiz Kids is a tremendous asset to Foothills and is a demonstration of the power of connection between the school and the community.
As I get ready to begin the budget process for the 2024/2025 school year, I am excited by the opportunity to look at the needs of our students and work with the staff, PTA and school accountability committee to develop a comprehensive plan for meeting the needs of our students.