Denver, Colo. (March 18, 2019) – Denver Academy (DA), an independent school serving diverse learners in grades 1 to 12, is proud to announce the reopening of its newly renovated Elementary/6th Grade Building which serves students in grades one through six.
A special ribbon-cutting and grand reopening event was held at Denver Academy on Thursday, February 21 for students, faculty/staff, friends and family of the school to celebrate and tour the new building. The celebration marked the completion of the building renovation which began in June of 2018 and was the first day that students returned to their newly renovated building. Elementary and 6th Grade students had previously been attending classes in the DA Middle School Building since the beginning of the 2018-19 School Year.
Remarks on the project and its importance were given at the Grand Reopening by Denver Academy Headmaster Mark Twarogowski and Denver Academy Head of Lower School Lori Hull. Denver Academy 6th-grade Student Andrew Simon also spoke at the Reopening. “The people you meet and the friends you have make you feel included and special at this school,” said Simon. “Another thing I love about DA is how the teachers know and understand the needs of the students here. Having this brand-new building will mean teachers will have more space to teach and students will have better learning environments that will accommodate their needs even more! We have a responsibility to keep this building as bright and shiny as it is now for us and for the students that will attend in the future.”
Watch a video of the DA Elementary/6th Grade Building Ribbon-Cutting and Grand Reopening here.
The new building provides right-sized classrooms and flexible learning spaces to help DA Faculty teach students in the way each student learns best, which is Denver Academy’s specialty. Previously used as a dormitory when the building was part of the Bethesda Hospital, the Elementary/6th Grade Building has been transformed into a space that supports learning in the 21st century. Denver Academy worked with architects Cuningham Group Architecture, Inc. and contractors JHL Constructors on the Elementary/6th Grade Building renovation project. Denver Academy extends its thanks to Bob and Liane Clasen for being the first donors to this building renovation and to the many more in the DA community and beyond who have donated to this project.
The new design increased classroom sizes from less than 400 square feet of limited-use space to approximately 650 square feet of multi-functional space designed for different arrangements depending upon lesson plans. The renovated building employs the latest state-of-the-art technology including a 75-inch SMART Board in every classroom, each with an ultra-high definition interactive flat panel with IQ that allows teachers to switch with a tap between showing videos to presenting a lesson and surfing the internet. This makes lesson transitions seamless and provides endless opportunities for student engagement. Community spaces provide an environment conducive to student collaboration and movement, as well as a stage that can be used for events and guest presentations. Denver Academy has also updated fire- and life-safety systems for the new building and made other security upgrades.
Denver Academy’s Building on Excellence 50th Anniversary Campaign
The renovation is part of Phase One of DA’s two-phased Building on Excellence 50th Anniversary construction project and capital campaign currently underway. Phase One also includes construction of a new Athletic Center on campus, also scheduled for completion this spring, as well as the growth of the DA Endowment Fund. Phase Two of the Building on Excellence project includes a new Performing Arts Center on campus. Find out more about the Elementary/6th Grade Building renovation and additional projects of the Building on Excellence campaign here. 
