News

The executive functioning gap after summer does not always show up on the first day of school. It often shows up a few weeks in. Homework that used to take twenty minutes now takes an hour. A backpack organized in June can look like a paper avalanche by September. Teachers start sending notes home about a child who needs more prompting than expected. If this sounds familiar, your child is not behind. They are still catching up, and that gap can close faster than you think.

At Denver Academy, we hear from families in exactly this spot every fall. The good news is simple. Once the gap is visible, it becomes much easier to close.

Our newly hired team of teachers spent three weeks (120+ hours!) learning the ins and outs of all things Denver Academy. Welcome to the following new faculty and staff:

Ms. Griffen brings 10 years of experience empowering students with diverse learning and medical needs. She served most recently as assistant camp director at Double H Ranch, a camp in upstate New York for children with serious illnesses, and previously as a science teacher and literacy tutor at Vertical Skills Academy, a school in Colorado for students with dyslexia. Ms. Griffen earned her B.S. in Agriculture Education and Environmental Science from Cornell University.

Our Partnership Model is the heart of everything we do at Denver Academy. It's one of the reasons families choose us over a traditional school. We believe that learning happens in relationships. Learning happens in relationships. The strongest relationships form when students, teachers, and families work from the same

playbook. 

DA senior Ian J. has been selected as a recipient of the Boettcher Foundation Scholarship! The scholarship includes $20,000 per year for four years to a Colorado post-secondary institution.

 

With a 4.0 GPA, Ian has taken 12 college classes in two years and is graduating from Denver Academy with 39 college credits – just six credits from being a second-semester sophomore when he attends the University of Colorado in Boulder. Ian was also selected as the Valedictorian for the Class of 2026.  

Last month, DA held its annual Middle and High School Juried Art Show. The show featured multiple forms of art, including metalworks, charcoal drawings, painting, ceramics, clothing, photography, and more.

Congratulations to the 2026 winners!

Best in Show: "Valkyrie" Metal Sculpture by Griffin H., grade 11

Viewer's Choice: "Inevitable" Ceramic Sculpture by Zoie B., grade 12

Best of Painting: "Free at Last" by Hal H., grade 9

Best of Drawing: "Jenna Ilawy" by Zoie B., grade 12

Best of Ceramics: "Citrus Ceramics" by Laura B., grade 12

Best of Fiber Art: "Goldfish Bag" by Audrey M., grade 7

Best of Photography: "Watercolor Storm" by Charlotte D., grade 11

Best of Digital Art: "Digital Portfolio" by Rory L., grade 10

Best of Mixed Media: "Mossfate" by Jillian F., grade 10

Best of Metal Arts: "Valkyrie" by Griffin H., grade 11

On May 29, Denver Academy held its annual commencement ceremony, graduating 43 students. In front of family and friends, along with DA faculty and staff, each student was celebrated individually as they received their diplomas. Students in the DA Class of 2026 will head to both in-state and out-of-state colleges and universities. Several graduates will be involved with the athletics programs of those institutions. 

This year’s graduating class included valedictorian Ian J., who was selected as a recipient of the Boettcher Foundation Scholarship. The scholarship includes $20,000 per year for four years to a Colorado post-secondary institution. Click here to watch Ian’s graduation speech.

Learn more about Denver Academy's fundraising endeavors and ways to give here. Questions? Contact DA Director of Development Michael McNeill.

The DA community recently came together for an inspiring adult-only evening at the 2026 DA Symposium: Flip the Script on Anxiety. Held in mid-March, the event featured Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, author of Future Tense: Why Anxiety Is Good For You (Even Though It Feels Bad). She explored the surprising benefits of anxiety and how to harness it for growth. Dr. Dennis-Tiwary also spoke to DA Middle School and DA High School students during the school day.

DA Parents and educators who attended gained fresh insights into guiding youth through today’s challenges with resilience and purpose, including: 

Thank you to the DA Parent Association (DAPA) for hosting a lively social hour prior to the event.

Did you know? Denver Academy has three Campos SmartLabs dedicated to elementary, sixth-grade, middle school, and high school students. These three labs ignite passions and create a learning pathway through progressively advanced skills and concepts, paving the way for a future in STEM.

In the words of Lower School Campos SmartLab Teacher Thomas Laird, “With the lower school SmartLab programming, we have made strides within our robotics team. Yes, you read that correctly, DA has a robotics team! We have been learning coding, engineering, mathematics, and problem-solving through SmartLab programming and have successfully competed in the LEGO First Robotics Challenge for our third season. Through our middle school robotics team, we have seen these students become leaders when they get into the high school level SmartLab classes and the high school robotics team, the Hurricane Nuts.” 

In mid-January 2026, more than a dozen DA educators attended the annual Courage to Risk Conference in Colorado Springs. Courage to Risk is a collaborative conference of organizations committed to the educational success of students with diverse learning needs. We’re proud to say that our educators led a whopping six presentations. 

Curious about what our educators discussed? Check out this summary of presentations.