DENVER — Some school districts are going with all-remote learning to start the year. Others are going in-person right away.
Then there are those hybrid models, learning pods, cohorts and even more terms that we flat-out didn't know about until the 2020 school year.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed virtually every aspect of daily life since it was first detected in Colorado in March, and our education system is no exception.
That's why Mile High Mornings asked a group of parents, students and teachers to blog about their experiences during a school year to remember. These are all volunteers, and they'll be checking in once a week.
Learn about our bloggers below. For all of our coverage, go to www.9news.com/backtolearning.
Julia Torres
Julia E. Torres is a veteran language arts teacher librarian in Denver, Colorado. Julia facilitates teacher development workshops rooted in the areas of anti-racist education, equity and access in literacy and librarianship, and education as a practice of liberation. Julia works with students and teachers locally and around the country with the goal of empowering them to use literacy to fuel resistance and positive social transformation. Julia also serves on several local and national boards and committees promoting educational equity and progressivism. She is the current NCTE Secondary Representative-at-large, a Book Love Foundation board member and Educator Collaborative Book Ambassador.
Julia Torres will be submitting blogs on a bi-weekly basis starting in September.
Amy Camenzind
Amy has lived in Colorado her whole life, and says the best job she's ever had is being a mom. She is the mother of a girl and two special needs boys. Her daughter and oldest sons are older and moved out of the house, but her youngest is still at home and will be doing 100% online schooling for the 2020-21 school year.
She also works as a substitute paraprofessional, who works with students with significant needs. She says her own children and the children she works with have made her a better person.
Amy Sarrazin
A Colorado native, Amy Sarrazin serves as the grants development manager for a local community mental health center. Amy holds a BA in Communication and is in the process of obtaining her Master of Public Policy. Amy’s professional background includes both non-profit and private sector professional experience. Her eclectic background of marketing, community outreach, and non-profit advancement allow her to have a diverse focus and 360 view of projects while leveraging her ability to think outside the box and find new and innovative ways of connecting people and communities. Amy is a mother to three kids: 24-year old who is in the Army, a 20-year-old who is amazingly navigating life and spreading his wings, and a 9-year-old daughter who embodies all the kindness this world has to offer. She likes to spend time outdoors with her family and is looking forward to appreciating and enjoying all Denver has to offer in a post-COVID world.
Matt Bell
Matt is a divorced single father with majority custody of my son, Aidan (12). He works full-time as a photojournalist for Mile High Mornings and because of the schedule he keeps there, he's been able to be the full-time at home teacher/enforcer for the last part of his son's sixth grade semester at Westminster Public Schools.
Margot Swetich
Margot Swetich is a rising senior at Northglenn High School. She is an involved member of her high school community, including being Drama Club President as well as one of four “Head Norse," a position at her school based on leadership and school spirit. She has been in the Adams 12 school district her whole life, and is currently in the processing of applying for college.
Michelle Pearson
Michelle Pearson is a middle school educator in the Adams 12 School District, technology geek and historic preservationist. She helped establish the Preserve America Youth Summit Program connecting students to historic places and public lands, and collaborates with the Library of Congress Teaching With Primary Sources program, History Colorado, the National Park Service and several museums to support the use of primary sources, historic artifacts and historic places in the classroom. She's the author of several books, numerous curriculum and lesson plans, and is half the team of Two Geeky Teachers ( @2geekyteachers, @tchpreservation) online. She is the 2011 Colorado Teacher of the Year. Most importantly she is a mom to Connor, Alex, and Drew, and ball thrower to three border collies along with her husband Kirk who is a better writer than she is most of the time.
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