Student advisory members report on CASB conference; district students describe leadership and networking experience

Five members of the St. Vrain Valley School District student advisory council presented to the Board of Education on Jan. 22 about their experiences at the Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB) conference in Colorado Springs.

Students who spoke said the student‑leadership strand included networking with peers from across Colorado, role‑play exercises that simulated the perspectives of teachers, parents and superintendents, time‑management instruction, and a keynote focused on mental health and resilience.

Malia Jeffers, a senior at Frederick High School, and Tucker Beasley, a junior at Silver Creek High School, introduced the group and described activities they attended at the Broadmoor campus. "We were only there for the student leadership strand, which was actually a really wonderful experience with around 50 students from across the state," Beasley said.

Blake Baker, a junior at Skyline High School who served as the student ambassador at the meeting, described the value of meeting students from small and large districts and said the event broadened his perspective on course and program offerings across the state.

Students noted a variety of highlights: a Broadmoor campus scavenger hunt, a role‑play activity on school decision‑making, presentations on time management and leadership skills, and recognition of the district’s drone team at the CASB convention. They also described a student‑board breakfast where students sat with their local board representative.

Board members and district staff who attended CASB or accompanied students praised the students’ reflections and thanked them for representing the district. Board President Ragland and Superintendent Don Haddad echoed appreciation for the students’ work and the staff who supervised the trip.

The presentation was informational; no board action was taken.