The FESTIVAL

The Parker Days Festival seems to be woven into the fabric of our community. It is the most-attended event Parker has and rewrites our weekend plans, as well as the traffic patterns, every June. Whether you attend the festival or not, you know each year when it is happening. And it's been that way for years. An event with this type of impact, turnout, and community involvement would surely have a rich and interesting history. And I'm sure it does; it's just not preserved anywhere. The signature event of Parker is wrapped in mystery when it comes to its origin and historical developement.

Most people guess the festival started sometime in the early 70's, a simple parade with a few booths selling local wares and goods to celebrate the town's growth. Through the years there have been stories of its evolution; the year the big tent blew over so several men picked it up and carried it to the other side of Parker Road (back when the festival was mainly centered in the field where Home Depot now stands), the tractor pulls and toilet bowl races that took place up Main Street (I am advocating we bring those back!), and the tornado that hit in '91 that flooded downtown right in the middle of the festival.

The history of the festival hasn't been compiled yet, but it's out there. It lives in the memories of our long-time citizens. We want to hear those stories; we want to compile those memories. So if you have lived here for long enough to remember its origin, or even just some stories from "back in the day," reach out to us and let us know. Email us at contribute@tuellers.com.

Hats Off to an Incredible 2022-2023 School Year!

By Erin Kane, Superintendent, Douglas County School District

It truly felt like this school year flew by yet so much was accomplished and there is so much to celebrate. Let’s take a moment to reflect on some of the amazing accomplishments of our students, staff and schools over the past year.

Celebrating the Class of 2023

It is always a true honor to attend the commencement ceremonies at our high schools and hear the amazing things our students have planned for their future. We have graduates who are going on to college, directly entering the workforce, serving in the military, or taking a gap year to travel and see the world. The DCSD Class of 2023 has earned nearly $118 million in scholarships! See some of our Outstanding Graduate profiles, as well as individual scholarship recipients on our website at www.dcsdk12.org/graduation

Awards and AccoladesCastle Rock and Parker Schools

Below are just some of the amazing awards and accolades that our students, staff and schools received during this school year.

• 17 of our schools received the 2022 Governor’s Distinguished Improvement Award from the CDE.

• 28 of our schools received the 2022 John Irwin Schools of Excellence Award.

• Cimarron Middle School Counselor Jill Bull received the national LifeChanger of the Year Award.

• Castle Rock Middle School teacher Rocio Meli was named a finalist for 2023 Colorado Teacher of the Year.

• Northeast Elementary was recognized by Solution Tree as a Model Professional Learning Community (PLC) at Work® for its sustained success in raising student achievement.

• Sagewood Middle School received the 2022 Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) designation from the American School Counselor Association.

• Coach Tim Ottmann from Ponderosa High School and Highlands Ranch High School basketball standout Ann Strother Abromaitis were inducted into the CHSAA Hall of Fame.

• Delceter Goosby, Kitchen Manager at Legend High School received the Apple Award for Department Employee of the Year.

• Erin Gilbert, Professional Learning Specialist, Gifted & Talented Coordinator and IB Coordinator at Mesa Middle School received the Apple Award for Secondary Educator of the Year.

Career Technical Education Programs Expansion

The Douglas County School District continues to grow its career and technical education program - which provides students additional pathways to success after high school. Our school district currently offers 52 career and technical education (CTE) programs and 22 industry certifications. In the 2023-2024 school year DCSD will offer 14,229 CTE seats to students – the highest number to-date. Students can access CTE courses at high schools across our county and at the new DCSD Legacy Campus.

New Schools and Programs

Thanks to support from the 2018 bond that was approved by Douglas County residents, in August we will officially open the DCSD Legacy Campus for CTE programming, as well as our newest high school VALE (Venture Academy of Leadership and Entrepreneurship).

We hope you are able to unwind and recharge over the summer break and we look forward to having our students and staff back in August. Thank you for your ongoing dedication to our students.