Sara Sandstrom-Kobi, Gold Hill. Last Wednesday night I traveled the old dirt road to Gold Hill, Colorado. I was going to one of my favorite places, The Gold Hill Inn. As I drove into town and saw more cars parked along the road than I have ever seen I knew this was a very special event. Every fall The Gold Hill Inn hosts the Gold Hill School Fall Fiesta. A very special event, indeed.

The ambiance of The Gold Hill Inn always fills my senses. The dim warm lighting. The cozy feel of the old log structure. The creaky floors and squeaky doors. The smell of delicious food wafting in the air. 

As we walk in, we are immediately greeted by a welcoming parent. A buzz of excitement fills the restaurant. We are led to a table and our server for the evening is a third-grade student at Gold Hill School. Our waiter, Theo Shakespeare-Kern, says that the Fall Fiesta is fun and a lot of hard work. 

The student servers bring each guest beverages, appetizers and desserts. Community members and parents made desserts and the youngest Gold Hill students made Mexican wedding cookies. The guests lined up for the buffet of Mexican food. At the buffet line, Gold Hill School parents and community members helped fill the plates. One community member said, “It is the best night of the year.” Local volunteers donate their time to make the Fall Fiesta a huge success. 

You see this is not just a school fundraiser. It is a community that comes together to support their school. Gold Hill School graduates come back to support the event. Musicians donated their time and talent to provide music. Parents prepared food and asked businesses for donations. Students learned the menu, practiced how to serve the guests and sold raffle tickets. The Finn family (long-time owners of The Gold Hill Inn) has had two generations at the Gold Hill School and have supported the Fall Fiesta since the 1960s. 

The evening has a silent auction as well as a raffle to raise money for this school that has had its doors open since 1873. The items in the auction were donated by the local community and beyond to ensure the continued success of their school.

The funds raised are critical to the school’s operation. Boulder Valley School District pays for the necessities like teachers and building needs. Over $13,000 is raised during the Fall Fiesta and goes to the Parent Teacher Organization. The PTO uses the money to pay for a paraeducator to ensure that there is a third adult in the building from bell to bell. The PTO funds all outdoor education, fieldtrips and the all-school play. The students learn about bee keeping, they get to go ice skating, skiing and fishing.  

Gold Hill School is not your typical elementary school.  The school has two classrooms. This year there are 22 students, two teachers and a paraeducator. Sue Kidder teaches Kindergarten through second grade. Chrissy Maedke teaches third through fifth grades and Eli DeMoney is the paraeducator. The students come from Gold Hill, the Ward area, Sunshine Canyon and even Boulder. 

Ms. Maedke says, “Gold Hill School is the real thing. The learning is authentic, the relationships are genuine, and the effects are lasting.” She loves the family-like atmosphere of the school and the town. 

Gold Hill School parent Jen Kern says she loves how much time the kids spend outdoors, and it feels like the kids stay kids a little bit longer at Gold Hill School.

I believe Ms. Maedke put it best when she said that the town comes together to continue the legacy of the school. She is so thankful for the people who make Gold Hill a special, beautiful and one-of-a-kind place. 

I am completely impressed with the spirit of community and love that Gold Hill has for its school. Soon they will be celebrating the 150th year of the Gold Hill School. I hope they can celebrate many more years of education and community in this little mountain town.  

(Originally published in the November 21, 2019, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)