Aurora Public Schools is on a journey to become THE Destination District in Colorado through our strategic plan, Destination APS. Central to that vision is ensuring that our educators are valued, seen, safe and thriving, while continuing to recruit, hire and retain the most talented staff.
This year, APS welcomes a number of outstanding educators who embody that commitment.
Building Connections at Jewell Elementary School
Simone Nieuwendam joins APS as a speech-language pathologist at Jewell Elementary School following eight years of experience working with kids. Originally from Florida, Nieuwendam was drawn to Colorado because of her overwhelmingly positive experience completing an internship with APS.
“During that internship, everyone at APS was very welcoming and made sure that I had a good start and had what I needed to be successful,” Nieuwendam said. “Everyone was really accommodating and helpful.”
Now in her first year as an SLP, Nieuwendam is most excited about getting to know her students.
“I’m looking forward to meeting all the kids and building meaningful relationships,” she said. “One of my personal goals is to continue making strong connections with the people here at Aurora Public Schools.”
A Creative Voice at Vista PEAK Preparatory
Andrew Fields is beginning his first year teaching 11th and 12th grade English and creative writing at Vista PEAK Preparatory. Originally from out West, Fields comes to Aurora after working as an educator in Virginia.
“I’m the most excited about the people,” Fields said. “The teamwork has been really amazing so far this year. It’s going to be really nice to be in a building like the one we have because it’s pretty brand new.”
Fields is passionate about developing a strong creative writing curriculum and building community within the school.
“I’d really like to work on developing community and connections between different departments and students,” Fields said. “My personal goals include developing a really strong creative writing curriculum and I want to have a successful year.”
A New Beginning at Vassar Elementary School
Chris Thomas brings 15 years of experience in education and begins her eighth year in the classroom as a kindergarten teacher at Vassar Elementary School. As a Pennsylvania native, Thomas most recently worked at Lewis-Palmer School District 38 in Monument, Colorado, before being drawn to APS by an opportunity she couldn’t pass up.
“This is a much more diverse community than the one I’m coming from,” Thomas said. “I’m looking forward to putting my education to use and seeing what I can do here!”
Thomas says the start of each school year feels a lot like being a student again, full of excitement and anticipation.
As we welcome Simone, Andrew, Chris and all the new educators who have joined APS this school year, we are reminded of the energy and passion they bring to our classrooms and community. Together, we look forward to building on that momentum and continuing our journey to make Aurora Public Schools THE Destination District in Colorado.