I was recently at a meeting of folks who came together to talk about ways to best support the Nederland community. The meeting included people who work for the Town of Nederland, Peak to Peak Housing and Human Services, as well as Nederland Elementary and Middle and Senior High School representatives, the school’s PTA reps and a representative from TEENS, Inc. Our goal was to start to gather and dialogue about how the town and schools can work together to support and add value to our local community.

As principal of the Nederland Middle-Senior High School, I often meet with Caleb Melamed, the Nederland Elementary School principal, and try to see how we can work together and collaborate to ensure that the students from our community can get an exceptional Pre-K through 12 experience.

Caleb grew up in Ned and went to Nederland schools. I grew up in Michigan and went to school in a one-high-school town. I also taught, coached and was a principal in similar one-high-school towns in Texas prior to coming to Colorado.

Both Caleb and I have experienced and know the value of a smaller community school setting. Our work together as schools, with the support of TEENS, Inc., can make a profound and lasting mark on our students here in Ned.

While we are a part of BVSD, our unique mountain environments sets us apart from the schools down the hill. We are continually trying to leverage our geography and environment to support our student’s experience. We know that having local schools can add great value to the business community and the families of Nederland, the people who live in Ward to the north, to Gilpin and Black Hawk in the south, and to the east in Coal Creek Canyon.

As we continue our work together as a group we hope to add the school’s voice in local conversations. We want others to know that we value the town of Nederland and the people who live and work here. We are your local school and want to do our part to make this a great community to live in and a place to send your kids to get an excellent education. We look forward to meeting, listening, and learning on how we can do our part.