August 23, 2021 was a special day in the Steamboat Springs School District. It marked the long-awaited return of in-person learning for all district students and the opening of the brand new Sleeping Giant School. That Monday afternoon, I looked on as a crowd of over 300 people gathered to participate in the grand opening of Sleeping Giant. It reminded me of the tremendous community effort it takes to be a top school district in the state.

We are so fortunate in Steamboat Springs to have a community that both values and invests in education. Projects made possible by the successful 2019 bond, which have impacted all of our schools, are entering their final phase. Students who are in our district now—and those who will attend our schools in the future—will be educated in high quality, adaptable facilities by the best educators in the state.

The circumstances under which we operated as a school district last year required us to work together in ways that no one had ever imagined. Meeting that challenge made us stronger as a district and rooted, in all of us, an instinct to jump in and lend a hand.

On the Friday before school started, Steamboat Springs Middle School staff spent the afternoon helping the Sleeping Giant staff get ready for their first day. Acts of kindness and gratitude like this are an everyday occurrence in our district. As another example, our struggle to fill more than five open mental health positions has been responded to with action by every counselor in our district. They are all pitching in, taking on additional responsibilities, and contributing creative ideas to ensure that all of our students’ mental health needs are supported.

Looking out for our neighbors is something we see a lot of in Steamboat, and we are proud that this sentiment extends to our schools. Even with the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, if we continue to work together and support each other, I am confident we will have a successful year and set the stage for continued success for future generations in our school district and our community.