Welcome to the 2008-09 school year here at James Irwin Charter Middle School! I count it a privilege to be a part of the educational reform demonstrated in James Irwin Schools – where the mission set before us embraces academic rigor and character development. With such a mission, ongoing evaluation is imperative as we are continually striving to do what is best for students.
Over the past five years, changes and improvements have occurred that have made James Irwin Charter Middle School stand out among its “peers.” This year, we received an award given to only 39 schools in the state of Colorado. The Commissioners Cup was awarded to schools that closed the achievement gap between poverty and race in a least two grade levels over a three-year period. This accomplishment owes much to the founders’ choice of Core Knowledge curriculum. The primary objective of Core Knowledge (a K-8 scope and sequence of academic content) is to put all students on “an even playing field” of foundational knowledge to adequately prepare them for a college preparatory program in high school.
As we look ahead to what this new school year holds, it is my goal that as we partner with parents to educate our students, growth will be the target—growth in academic achievement, growth in parent/teacher communications, growth in student character development, and growth in fine-tuning what can make this good school a great school where excellence will be the norm.
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle
Thank you for choosing James Irwin Charter Middle School for your student. I look forward to a great year of getting to know you both!
Holly Varnum has been in education for 21+ years serving in all aspects of instruction. She received her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education in 1987, followed 10 years later by a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction from CCU.
Mrs. Varnum brings extensive experience in teaching, instructional coaching, training, curriculum design, writing, and implementation. She has worked with a high-performing charter school and private schools both as a teacher and administrator. She has been a national consultant with schools in other states for a highly acclaimed Direct Instruction educational firm. She has taught a wide variety of subjects and grade levels throughout elementary, middle, and high school. Much of the diversity in her experience occurred during the last five years while her family lived in the Cincinnati, OH, area. It was here that she gained extensive experience with teaching and administrating at the middle school level.
Moving back to Colorado Springs after five years in Northern KY/Cincinnati, she and her family are acclimating to the higher altitude quite nicely. Holly and her husband, Paul, have been married for 19 years and have three daughters – Melissa, a senior; Aleya, a freshman; and Joanna, a seventh grader – all of which are attending James Irwin this year. Mrs. Varnum enjoys baking, crafts, reading, writing, Sudoku puzzles, hiking with her family, and attending her daughters’ and students’ athletic activities and performances. “It’s wonderful to be back in Colorado again! We missed the mountains, the dry air, and the great educational opportunities that schools such as James Irwin offer.”
