Students at the Gilpin Montessori School have some unique music opportunities, and so do their parents.
Music teacher Camilia Schawel started teaching at Gilpin Montessori in Five Points this school year. She’s already worked to get grants for instruments and community programming that have parents coming to watch their children perform or take part in learning to play themselves.
“Parents have responded well to that, with almost 90 percent attendance,” Schawel said.
— a Denver public school serving students in early childhood education through sixth grade — has had its share of troubles in academics, but thanks to a new principal, staff and the music program, the school is working to change perceptions.
Schawel has been a big part of the start of the turnaround by getting help from the to obtain credits to buy instruments such as guitars, bass guitars, drums, a sound system and keyboards. The school previously got help from VH1’s Save the Music program and had some violins donated by the Colorado Youth Symphony Orchestra.
Students have the opportunity to earn time on the instruments during and after school. Little Kids Rock donates instruments and equipment to Title I schools. DPS Title I schools have 64 percent or more of the student population on free or reduced lunch.
“We’re fortunate to have instruments from all these grants,” Schawel said.
Schawel and others at the school have also started hosting community nights, some of which revolve around music. At some of those community nights, her students perform or they teach their parents how to play music.
Second-year principal Kimberly Riggins has noted the attendance at the community nights and said she feels it’s going a long way toward improving the school.
“The goal is to have a lot of parent engagement,” Riggins said. “You don’t always see that, but with community nights, the majority of parents have come out to participate.”
The school has also improved academically in the past year, improving from 14 percent to 31 percent proficient in the writing portion of the district’s rating system. That total keeps the school in the “probation” category but also shows great improvement.
“I think the staff and principal have been a big breath of fresh air,” said Darlene LeDoux, an instructional superintendent with Denver Public Schools who works directly with Gilpin Montessori. “We have a teacher in music who has gone above and beyond, reached out for grants and engaged parents in music.”
LeDoux added that the district is committed to keeping the school open next year as is and forming a multi-year plan to improve academic achievement.
The school has a mostly new staff with 75 percent of teachers being in their first year.
“I feel things have changed,” Riggins said. “Students are more engaged in extracurricular activities and academics. They’re excited about what they’re doing. Student and staff culture has really improved as well.”
Both Riggins and Schawel stressed the importance of building a sense of community and getting parents involved in activities as a way to continue the momentum the staff is creating.
Riggins said her goal is to have the students ready for the next level of education with the hope of seeing all of them go to college. She said last year she heard about students saying they likely would go to jail because they have siblings or parents there. That is already beginning to change.
She added: “Our long term goals are to grow our student population, have all families embrace college and career readiness, know they can all go to college and for that to be their goal.”
Joe Vaccarelli: 303-954-2396, jvaccarelli@denverpost.com or @joe_vacc
