🌟What Are Shining Stars?
🌟What Are Shining Stars?
Shining Stars are DCSD staff members and schools nominated for outstanding service by the parents and/or caregivers of students receiving special education services.
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🌟How Are Shining Stars Recognized?
🌟How Are Shining Stars Recognized?
All nominees will receive a notification of their nomination/s, a Shining Star certificate, and recognition via district communications, school communications (where possible), on the DCSEAC website, and DCSEAC Facebook page.
Staff: Staff nominations will be entered into a drawing for locally supported gift baskets
 (Sponsored by Developmental Pathways).
There is no limit to the number of staff members that you can nominate. Certificates and baskets will be delivered to staff members with your unique words. Â
🌟Congratulations to our 2025 - 2026 Shining Star Basket Winners
🌟Congratulations to our 2025 - 2026 Shining Star Basket Winners
Megan Hayes - Flagstone Elementary
Shannon Butler - World Compass Academy
Carolyn Bettner - Stone Mountain Elementary
Robert Eudaily - Legend High School
Nichole Vande Vusse - ThunderRidge High School
Ashley Howard -Â Cherokee Trail Elementary
Bastiaan Wolf - Highlands Ranch High School
Butch Bradley - Mesa Middle School
Kim Layton - Sagewood Middle School
Jeanie Lieberenz - Buffalo Ridge Elementary
Our Amazing Donors
💛 DCSEAC is deeply grateful to our many community partners who donated to our Shining Star baskets this year.Â
Thank you to all the companies and individuals who said "yes!" to supporting Special Education by recognizing and honoring our dedicated staff members.Â
💛 Altitude
💛 Bella Vista Salon (Castle Rock)
💛 Blue Island Oyster Bar & Seafood                     Â
💛 Burn Boot Camp (Highlands Ranch)
💛 Carmen Hanagriff Mortgages
💛 Club Pilates (Lone Tree)
💛 Developmental Pathways
💛 Dominoes (Highlands Ranch)
💛 Elements Massage (Lone Tree)
💛 Erin Melville
💛 Facial Aesthetics (Highlands Ranch)
💛 Glass Doctor Auto of Castle Rock
💛 Great Divide Brewery & Roadhouse (LoneÂ
     Tree)
💛 Jimmy John's (Highlands Ranch)
💛 LevelUp Ortho (Parker)
            💛 Magic Nails (Lone Tree)
💛 Newk's Eatery (Lone Tree)
💛 Obsidian Salon (Greenwood Village)
💛 Orange Theory (Lone Tree)
💛 Parry's Pizzeria & Taphouse (Lone Tree)
💛 Perfect Blend (Parker)
💛 PERSPIRE (Highlands Ranch)
💛 Phillip Lindsay (Host of the Drive onÂ
     DenverSports)
💛 Qdoba (Highlands Ranch)
💛 Sazon (Lone Tree)
💛 Smoothie King (Highlands Ranch)
💛 SNOOZE (Lone Tree)
💛 Sports Clips (Highlands Ranch)
💛 StretchLab (Lone Tree)
💛 Ulta (Highlands Ranch)
💛 US Bank
School Inclusion Award Winners
The School Inclusion Award is rooted in merit and nominations given by professional peers. We believe the insight of the Special Education Coordinators and Directors is an invaluable look into the character and culture of our schools! Thank you to the winners that demonstrate outstanding inclusion of special education students within the school-wide community.Â
Sand Creek Pre-School
Iron Horse Elementary
Mesa Middle School
Rock Canyon High SchoolÂ
2024/2025 Shining StarÂ
2024/2025 Shining StarÂ
There were 520 nominations!!Â
Because of generous donations and sponsor Developmental Pathways,
 baskets were delivered to:
Alfred Dawson - Sierra Middle School
Alfred Dawson - Sierra Middle School
Amy Bracken - Clear Sky Preschool
Amy Kaylor - Rock Canyon High School
Brittany Pennell - Cougar Run Elementary
Gina Stovall - Rock Ridge Elementary
Natalie Sendelbach - South Ridge Elementary
Nicole Grady - Wildcat Mountain Elementary
Ru Jennings - Frontier Valley Elementary
Taylor Risner - Cimarron Middle School
Trevor Jones - Cherokee Trail Elementary
Video of 2023/2024 basket deliveryÂ
Video of 2023/2024 basket deliveryÂ
2023/2024 Shining StarÂ
2023/2024 Shining StarÂ
There were 418 nominations!!Â
Because of generous donations and sponsor Developmental Pathways,
 baskets were delivered to:
Becky Archunde - Ben Franklin Academy
Becky Archunde - Ben Franklin Academy
Breanna Arnold - Castle Rock Elementary
Breanna Arnold - Castle Rock Elementary
Sharon Haworth - Castle Rock Middle School
Sharon Haworth - Castle Rock Middle School
Chuck Kramer - Castle Rock Middle School
Chuck Kramer - Castle Rock Middle School
Kimberly Hiebert - Castle Rock Middle School
Kimberly Hiebert - Castle Rock Middle School
Jennifer Dore - Cimarron Middle School
Jennifer Dore - Cimarron Middle School
Abbey Butcher - EDCSD/Vale
Abbey Butcher - EDCSD/Vale
Marcie Salter - Mammoth Heights Elementary
Marcie Salter - Mammoth Heights Elementary
Kris Hennig - Mesa Middle School
Kris Hennig - Mesa Middle School
Shawnette Maidens - Plum Creek Academy
Shawnette Maidens - Plum Creek Academy
Kristin Acker- Rock Canyon High School
Kristin Acker- Rock Canyon High School
Julie Pedersen - Rock Canyon High School
Julie Pedersen - Rock Canyon High School
Melissa Campbell - Sand Creek Elementary
Melissa Campbell - Sand Creek Elementary
Elizabeth (Liz) Smith - Sand Creek Elementary
Elizabeth (Liz) Smith - Sand Creek Elementary
Harold Anderson - Sedalia Elementary
Harold Anderson - Sedalia Elementary
2022/23 Shining StarÂ
2022/23 Shining StarÂ
There were 374 individual nominations
 and 52 school site nominations!!Â
Because of generous donations, 22 baskets were delivered to these 2022/23 Shining Stars:
 Breanna Arnold - Castle Rock Elementary
Dustin Pfeiffer - Chaparral High School
Rebecca Jones - Cherokee Trail Elementary
Katie Mitchell -Cresthill Middle School
Sunny Herron - Franktown Elementary
 Cassandra Bartlett - Flagstone Elementary
 Diane Green - Highlands Ranch Transportation
Jennifer Morris - Mammoth Heights Elementary
 Kim English - Northeast Elementary
Noelle Dennis - Pine Grove Elementary
Katie Kitselman - Ponderosa High School
Valerie Armstrong - Redstone Elementary
Tess Simpson - Renaissance Secondary
 Scott Karcz - Rock Canyon High School
Diana Ely - Saddle Ranch Elementary
Suzette Remy - Sagewood Middle School
Jenny Perricon - Skyview Academy
David Yetter - Skyview Academy
Kylee Duren - Stone Mountain Elementary
Kerry Pirk - Trailblazer Elementary
Anne Dawson - Trailblazer Elementary
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