Big Sky PK-8 officially opened its doors to the community Monday evening, marking an exciting milestone for St. Vrain Valley Schools and the Mead community.
Hundreds of students, families, staff, and community members filled the new school, exploring beautifully prepared classrooms and state-of-the-art learning spaces ahead of the first day of school. Throughout the evening, smiles and plenty of “oohs” and “ahhs” reflected the excitement surrounding St. Vrain’s newest school.
The celebration began with remarks from Big Sky PK-8 Principal Joshua Barnett, Superintendent Dr. Jackie Kapushion, and Mead Mayor Colleen Whitlow, followed by a ceremonial ribbon cutting featuring some of Big Sky’s incoming students.
Following the ceremony, families toured the new building and participated in a passport scavenger hunt, while incoming students met their teachers and explored the school’s new playgrounds. The celebration continued into the evening with a drone show led by student pilots from the Innovation Center Drone Performance Team, providing students and families with a memorable start to their first year at Big Sky PK-8.
Made possible through the community’s support of St. Vrain’s 2024 Bond, the approximately 145,000-square-foot school was designed to serve up to 1,100 students and provide innovative, future-focused learning spaces for the growing Mead community. Big Sky opens this year serving students in preschool through sixth grade, with seventh and eighth grades being added in subsequent years.
More than the opening of a new building, the evening celebrated the beginning of a new school community — one that will serve generations of students and families in the years ahead.
The Times-Call also captured the excitement surrounding Big Sky’s opening and the school’s first day. Read their coverage of Big Sky PK-8.