7654 Umber Court
Arvada, CO 80007

The parking lot chaos here is very bad. That chronic public safety issue is a lingering problem. I fear for the middle schoolers and commuter safety and mental health in general. This chaos overshadows all of the good. Intermittent District or School Resource officer presence doesn't solve daily pickup and dropoff public safety risks and lingering effects.Guess it's too late with the budget shortfall and leadership taking their parting package from inflated six figure pay and running with it.We all deserve far better but so it appears we're too much and too heavy together.~Solemn in a Dystopia.

Overall the school is awesome. They lean into new technology and are always testing new teaching methodologies.The fifth grade teachers each have their own passion (eg one teacher teaches all 4 fifth grade classes science, a different one teaches all 4 history). Their passion then comes through in the material.The parents are highly involved which is great.

Ralston is a Jefferson County School. Jefferson County School District has systemic issues which permeate the district from the superintendent down to the school level. While the majority of teachers at Ralston Valley are caring, the admin tend to lack humanness. They tend to take a one-size-fits-all approach and don't seem to be willing (able?) to perspective-take and consider individual needs and circumstances. While it's necessary to be firm and consistent, there are always going to be nuances when dealing with students from all different backgrounds and walks of life, a concept RV would do well to acknowledge. Some RV educators don't value parents as invaluable advocates and supporters in their children's lives---if and when they feel justified in overriding parental authority. Concerns shared with admin about employee missteps should be taken seriously and addressed, not downplayed or ignored. Complacency when things are going smoothly at RV can turn into being blindsided by an onslaught of circumstances or events which can negatively impact students. Teachers are the highlight of RV, most of them genuinely caring about students and working to meet them where they are. Bravo, teachers!