D'Evelyn Junior/Senior High School

D'Evelyn Junior/Senior High School

Setting the Standard for Excellence
Address
10359 W Nassau Avenue
Denver, Colorado 80235
United States
Coordinates 39°38′35″N 105°06′52″W / 39.643057°N 105.114441°W / 39.643057; -105.114441Coordinates: 39°38′35″N 105°06′52″W / 39.643057°N 105.114441°W / 39.643057; -105.114441
Information
Type Public secondary school
Established 1994
School district Jefferson County Public Schools
CEEB code 060671
Principal Anthony Edwards
Staff 20[1]
Faculty 46[1]
Grades 7-12
Enrollment 1033[1]
Student to teacher ratio 22:1[1]
School color(s) Green, silver, and black             
Athletics 4A
Mascot Jaguar
Website D'evelyn Jr/Sr High School

David S. D'Evelyn Junior/Senior High School (known as D'Evelyn) is a public secondary school near Lakewood, Colorado, United States.[2] It is included in the Jefferson County R-1 public school district. While remaining an open public school without charter or magnet status, D'Evelyn consistently ranks among the top 100 high schools in the US,[3][4] and it is known for its unique educational standards and founding philosophy.[5] D’Evelyn’s academic tenets derive from the efforts of a volunteer council to create an "alternative educational environment" in the early 1990s.[6] D’Evelyn’s eponymous founder, David S. D’Evelyn, died in a plane crash before the council's efforts resulted in the successful enactment of the Colorado Charter Schools Act of 1993[7] and the nascent school secured the "option school" status required to pursue its own academic objectives with a high degree of freedom from the district.

History

David D'Evelyn was influential in helping the Colorado Charter Schools Act of 1993 become law. He died in a plane crash shortly before the act went into effect.[8]

At the same time the Colorado Charter Schools Act was going through the legislative process, the Dennison option school in Lakewood was straining at the limits of its site capacity providing a K-8 program. In response to the need to expand Dennison's program through high school, a group of parents proposed a combined junior and senior high school that would relocate the 7th and 8th grades from Dennison and add the high school at a rate of one grade level per year. Naming themselves the Initiating Committee, they submitted an application to the Jefferson County School Board to operate as an educational option school with a request to be considered for a charter school if the educational option request was denied on December 17, 1993.[9]

The charter school application was denied by the school board on March 17, 1994, citing that the concept set forth in the charter application had been approved as an educational option. A memorandum of understanding was signed on April 4, 1994 to establish the school as an extension of the Dennison program with Dr. Lloyd Carlton, principal of Dennison, as the principal overseeing both programs for the 1994-1995 school year.

In August 1994, the school commenced classes in the building formerly occupied by Manning Junior High School at 3200 West 32nd Avenue in Golden, Colorado with its first class of ninth graders and the seventh and eighth grade classes transferred to the school from the Dennison program. Succeeding years saw the first class advance in grade until the school served a full 7-12 program in the 1997-1998 school year.

A bond issue passed by Jefferson County voters in 1998 funded a new building for the school, which opened at the school's present location in 2001.

On September 23, 2012, the school was visited by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney during his campaign.

Governance

D'Evelyn is governed by a Steering Committee consisting of the principal, two teachers and five parents.[9] Committee members are elected by a majority vote of the parents, teachers and staff. Under the Steering Committee, the Accountability Committee is charged with monitoring, evaluating and improving school progress.

Campus

The Jefferson County school district acquired 40 acres (160,000 m2) of the historic Fehringer Ranch property during master planning for the area in the late 1990s. Funds to build the new campus were approved in a school bond election in 1998. A formal groundbreaking ceremony took place in early 2000 and the school's grand opening was on August 25, 2001.

The campus was designed by Slater Paull & Associates. A design advisory group that included Steering Committee members, teachers, and parents worked with the design team to develop the school's design concept and reflect classical academic architecture. The school's design was part of the 2002 Exhibition of School Planning & Architecture judged by the Council of Educational Facility Planners.[10]

Students

Seventh grade students matriculate from Dennison Elementary School, D'Evelyn's predecessor and feeder school. Seventh and ninth grades and transfer admission is by lottery. However, it is also possible to enroll if another sibling already attends.

D'Evelyn has a reputation for culling the top students from the district because it is supposedly a magnet program. Current and former students may disagree, as student Allison Schroeder '07 told the Denver Post, "All the people here aren't brilliant. They just care about what they learn."[11]

Demographics:

Faculty

100 percent of D'Evelyn teachers teach the subject in which they received their degree. The district average is 83 percent.[11]

History teacher Rich Mancuso ran against incumbent Mark Udall for the 2nd Congressional district of Colorado House seat in 2006,[12] winning 33% of voters to Udall's 67%.

Extracurricular activities

The school hosts chapters of academic organizations National Junior Classical League and Mu Alpha Theta and service organizations including Interact and the Red Cross Youth Corp. Clubs founded by D'Evelyn students include the D'Evelyn Disguise, an improvisational comedy troupe, and Shirley Praise,[13] a Christian worship group.

D'Evelyn teams primarily compete in Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) competition in the 4A Class, the class designated for mid-sized schools. Prior to 2004, the school was in the 3A class.

Athletics

Football

The football team made its first appearance in state playoff action in the 1997 quarterfinals. The Jaguars made another appearance at state quarterfinals in 2003.[14]

The 2005 season was record-setting for the Jaguars. In addition to winning league championships for the first time, the team and its players found several places in the state's all-time football records:

State football records held by D'Evelyn
Category Place Record holder Date Value
Passes completed (team) 2 D'Evelyn 2005 210
Yards passing (team) 7 D'Evelyn 2005 2,872
Passes attempted (individual) 2 Mark Schaffer, D'Evelyn 2005 394
Passes completed (individual) 2 Mark Schaffer, D'Evelyn 2005 210
Yards passing (individual) 7 Mark Schaffer, D'Evelyn 2005 2,872
Total offense 6 Mark Schaffer, D’Evelyn 2005 3,308
Pass receptions 6 Tom Kastens, D'Evelyn 2005 81
Pass reception yards (one game) 7 Tom Kastens, D'Evelyn (vs. Conifer) 11/5/05 262
Total offense (one game) 6 Mark Schaffer, D'Evelyn (Elizabeth) 9/17/05 504

Baseball

The team played in the state semifinals in 2000 and 2004 in 3A class play. In 2006, D'Evelyn made it to the quarterfinals in 4A class play. D'Evelyn won league back to back in 2012 and 2013. D'Evelyn finished sixth in state in 2012.[15]

Basketball

The boys' basketball team won the 2004 state championship under the coaching of Troy Pachner and assistant coach Darren Richie. They also placed third in 2003 in 3A play.[16] In 2011, the D'Evelyn Girls varsity team went to the state championship.

Soccer

The girls' soccer team most recently made a state appearance in 3A play in 2004, when they were the #2 seed and made it to the quarterfinals.[17] They were the #7 seed and made it to the semifinals in 2002.[18]

Cross country, track and field

The D'Evelyn boys' cross-country team won the 3A team state title in 2001, 2002 and 2003. They placed second in 1999.[19]

The boys' track and field team shared the 3A team state title with Eagle Valley in 2004. They hold the state records in the boys' 3200 meter relay in both the 3A (7:53.53, set in 2003) and 4A (7:48.60, set in 2006) categories.

Under the team name "Run Colorado", the 4 x 800 meter relay team placed fourth in the 2005 Nike Outdoor Nationals.[20]

The teams host the annual D'Evelyn Dash[21] 5k race.

Golf

The boys' golf team won the 4A state title in 2008.[22]

The team placed 3rd in the 2009 State Championship, and was the runner-up in 2010. The team has featured three First Team All State players: Brenden Beeg, Sam Phillips, and John Ahern.

Spirit

D'Evelyn cheerleading was founded in 1994 when the school began, followed by the formation of the pom squad in 1998. D'Evelyn's spirit teams have taken multiple state championships. The D'Evelyn cheerleaders won the 3A state cheerleading championship in 2002 [23] and placed second in the Jeffco Spirit Invitational in 2003. The D'Evelyn pom squad won the Jeffco Spirit Invitational in 2004 and took the 3A state Pom Pon title in 2002[23] and 2003. The poms also placed second in the 4A state championship in 2004.[24] In 2005 the pom squad made their first appearance at the UDA national competition in Orlando Florida, placing 14th in the nation.

Music, math, and science

Marching band

The marching band formed in the summer of 1996 under the direction of Alex Booth. The D'Evelyn marching band did not exist in the fall of 2004 due to low numbers; however, the following fall the program continued and competed in Jeffco competitions. In the 2007 season, the D'Evelyn Jaguar Marching Band placed fourth in 2A state finals;[25] in the 2008 season, the band placed third in 2A state finals.[26]

In 2010, the D'Evelyn Marching Band placed second in the 2A finals, after missing state the previous year. The show was titled "Deep Blue Sea". On the day of finals, held in Grand Junction, the two-performance day was shortened to one performance, due to poor weather. The show featured soloist Colin Coleman on trumpet.

In 2011, under the new director Stephen Martin, the band won its first 2A state championship. The band's show was entitled "Pandora," and featured three pieces: "Pandora", by Randall Standridge, "Into The Light", by Jay Bocook and Will Rapp, and "Primeval Storm Front", by Matt Conaway. The band won by the smaller margin possible in marching competitions, .05. The show featured a trumpet duet by Gabe Collet and Matt Kane, and a trumpet solo by Rosalie O'Brien. The show concluded with what would become known as the "shout" but is really a loud, intense scream by all members of the band.

In 2012, the D'Evelyn Marching Band won their second 2A State Championship, held in Pueblo. Their show was titled "Conflict". Its opening movement, titled "Rage" by Randall Standridge, featured the D'Evelyn Marching Band "shout" twice during the percussion break and at the end. The ballad, the beginning of which was the Halo theme, arranged by Ralph Ford, featured a trumpet and saxophone duet, performed by Rosalie O'Brien and Patrick LeJeune, and was accompanied by the marching band singing. The closer, titled "Spontaneous Combustion" by Robert Sheldon, was opened with a short drum feature arranged by Dean Hirschfield and concluded with the D'Evelyn Marching Band "shout" from the opening movement.

In 2013, the D'Evelyn Marching Band won their third 2A State Championship, held in Grand Junction. The show was titled "To Soar" and featured music from David Shaffer's "Andromeda", Samuel Barber's "Sure on This Shining Night", and Richard Saucedo's "Flight of the Thunderbird". The show featured Rosalie O'Brien on flugelhorn and Jacob Brannum on alto Sax. The voiceover work was recorded by retired Jeffco administrator Marc Bacon.

In 2014, the D'Evelyn Marching Band won their fourth 2A State Championship. The show, titled "All Souls' Night", was arranged by Key Poulan, and featured the music of Edvard Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King". This show had a clear theme of Halloween, where the band began the show by leaving the grave, and ended the show by returning to the grave. The students wore white makeup, and their shakos and the pit percussion were covered in cobwebs. The state championship was held in Parker, and it too, as in 2010, was shortened to one performance, with no finals or retreat. [27]

In 2015, with the show "Stained Glass", Steve Martin, supported by Becky Paschke and Marvin Alexander, led the D'Evelyn Marching Band to their fifth consecutive 2A State Championship win in his final year before retirement. Influenced greatly by Mr. Martin's strong personal conviction, "Stained Glass" puts into context the grandeur and wonder of religion, specifically Catholicism. The Opening piece, "Clouds that Sail in Heaven" by Todd Stalter, sets the tone for the rest of the show as uplifted and happy. To follow, Martin chose the iconic hymn "Ave Maria" as the distinct ballad featuring Thomas Hitchcock and Bree Florence on riveting solo vocals, performed atop a massive cloud situated in the pit as the center piece of the show. Concluding with "Cut to the Chase", also composed by Todd Stalter, the energy of the show was pushed to new heights and left the audience satisfied due to the piece's quick beat and heavy nature. That year the D'Evelyn Marching Band decisively won state in Pueblo with a score of 71.2 and a sweep of all categories!

After Steve Martin's retirement in the spring of 2016, Becky Paschke took over as band director.

High school band and orchestra

Both the high school band and the orchestra were selected by audition to perform in the statewide CMEA Clinic/Conference: the orchestra in 2013, and the band in 2014. Recorded auditions are submitted in the spring, and only two or three groups statewide are selected to perform.[28] The Orchestra won the "Outstanding Orchestra" award in class 3A at the 2015 Colorado West Music Performance Festival, held in Grand Junction.[29]

Mathematics

D'Evelyn students competing in mathematics were the first-place team in the state for Mathcounts in 2001 and 2002,[30] held places on the state's American Regions Mathematics League team,[31][32] and have been top individual winners at the state level on American Mathematics Competitions tests.[33]

Curriculum

D'Evelyn offers a liberal arts program with an emphasis on the classics. The district's Choice Enrollment: Option Schools][34] publication states:

"D'Evelyn is committed to the premise that mastery of the skills and knowledge acquired through the study of the core academic subjects is the foundation for all subsequent learning. Independent, analytical reasoning, based on objective knowledge, is an essential skill and is encouraged throughout the program."

D'Evelyn graduates must complete more courses than the basic district requirement, namely:

D'Evelyn has the highest average ACT score in the state, at 25.9.[35] The school held the top position with regard to CSAP scores for four years, but was knocked from the number-one position overall in December 2005 by Ridgeview Classical Charter Schools.[36]

A study released by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education revealed that D'Evelyn had the lowest percentage of graduates requiring remedial classes in state-funded colleges and universities in 2004, at 1.4%, compared to the district average of 31%.[37]

The school has been named a John Irwin School of Excellence annually since 2001, and was named a Blue Ribbon school in 2003 and 2004. D'Evelyn was named the high school state winner for Colorado in the 2006-07 Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement.[38]

Notable alumni

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Numbers were calculated from the separate Colorado Department of Education 2005-2006 school accountability reports for grades 7-8 and 9-12.
  2. ↑ The school is located in an unincorporated portion of Jefferson County that is locally considered as part of Lakewood but assigned Denver mailing addresses.
  3. ↑ Newsweek - America's Top High Schools 2014
  4. ↑ The Daily Beast—America's Top High Schools 2014
  5. ↑ The Jeffco Observer—editorial by co-founder Les Burch
  6. ↑ D'Evelyn founding document
  7. ↑ Colorado Charter Schools Act of 1993
  8. ↑ Harmon, Tracy (1993-05-27). "Sangres crash kills education officials". The Pueblo Chieftain.
  9. 1 2 3 Burch, Les; et al. (April 1994). "David S. D'Evelyn Junior & Senior High School Program" (PDF).
  10. ↑ "2002 Exhibition of School Planning & Architecture - D'Evelyn Jr/Sr High School".
  11. 1 2 Spencer, Jim (2005-12-19). "School's secret: It takes hard work, not genius, to excel". Denver Post. p. B-05.
  12. ↑ Lipsher, Steve (2006-10-27). "2nd CD 'David vs. Goliath?'". Denver Post.
  13. ↑ Tyree, Jenny (Winter 2001). "Shirley Praise". Brio.
  14. ↑ "2003 State Football Playoff Results" (PDF). Colorado High School Activities Association.
  15. ↑ "2006 Class 4A Championship Series" (PDF). Colorado High School Activities Association.
  16. ↑ "2004 State Basketball Championships" (PDF). Colorado High School Activities Association.
  17. ↑ "2004 3A Girls' Playoff State Bracket" (PDF). Colorado High School Activities Association.
  18. ↑ "2002 3A Girls' Soccer Playoffs State Bracket" (PDF). Colorado High School Activities Association.
  19. ↑ "FINAL 3A Results, Colorado State High School Cross Country Championships". BKB Ltd. 1999-10-30.
  20. ↑ "Nike Outdoor Nationals 2005 Boys Results" (PDF). National Scholastic Sports Foundation. 2005-06-18.
  21. ↑ D'Evelyn Dash
  22. ↑ Mincer, Kent (2008-10-08). "Beeg rallies to win by six as D'Evelyn gets first 4A title.". Rocky Mountain News.
  23. 1 2 "2002 Spirit State Competition" (PDF). Colorado High School Activities Association. 2002-12-13.
  24. ↑ "2004 Spirit State Competition". Colorado High School Activities Association. 2004-12-10.
  25. ↑ "2006 1A/2A/3A State Marching Band Championships" (PDF). Colorado Bandmasters Association.
  26. ↑ "2008 State Marching Band Championships 2A Semifinals" (PDF). Colorado Bandmasters Association.
  27. ↑ Martin, Steve. "Director". Colorado Bandmasters Association Marching Band Affairs. Colorado Bandmasters Association. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  28. ↑ Martin, Stephen. "Director". CMEA Online. Colorado Music Educator's Association. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  29. ↑ Martin, Stephen. "Director". Colorado West Music Performance Festival. School District 51, Mesa County Valley. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  30. ↑ "Past Colorado Winners". Colorado Mathcounts.
  31. ↑ "2008 Colorado Mathematics Awards".
  32. ↑ "2007 Colorado Mathematics Awards".
  33. ↑ "2005 Colorado Mathematics Awards".
  34. ↑ Choice Enrollment: Option Schools
  35. ↑ Burnett, Sara (2006-08-23). "ACT scores hold steady statewide". Rocky Mountain News.
  36. ↑ Morson, Berny (2005-12-14). "Charter school in Fort Collins best in state". Rocky Mountain News.
  37. ↑ Burnett, Sara and Mitchell, Nancy (2005-12-14). "Remediation newest of 3 R's". Rocky Mountain News.
  38. ↑ "2006-07 Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement" (PDF).
  39. ↑ "Player Bio: John McGuire: Cross Country". Stanford Cross Country Official Athletics Website.
  40. ↑ Adams, Sam (2007-04-01). "5 questions for Reed Saunders, Rockies' P.A. announcer". Rocky Mountain News.
  41. ↑ Stocker, Scott (2008-05-30). "It hasn't been just about sports for D'Evelyn's Williams". Rocky Mountain News.
  42. ↑ Monti, David (2008-03-20). "Athletics: Torres, Mcgregor Lead USA World Cross Squads". Race Results Weekly.

External links

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