Meet 5th Grade Teacher, Ms. Laura!

Laura Gray grew up living in multiple states until the age of 12.  Because of her Dad’s job they lived in Seattle, Arizona & Iowa.  They finally settled in Highlands Ranch back when it was still a very small town, it only had one stop sign and not a single grocery store! Laura graduated from ThunderRidge High School when it was still surrounded by nothing but prairie and the antelope still roamed near the school.  

After high school, she headed off to Chapman University to pursue an Arts Degree, but learned mostly that she loved the ocean and did not want to be an Art Major! She then transferred to CU Boulder to receive her BA in Psychology.  Laura has always been fascinated with the human brain and human interaction, and still very much is.  She planned on going to graduate school to hopefully work with teens but got burnt out.  She decided to take some time off of school and got a job at Pottery Barn part-time while also working in a design studio for a couple of years running their interior design program. Laura started to work on a Bachelor’s Degree from Rocky Mountain College of Art Design, leaving just shy of a few credits to get the degree.  She went to work for another design company but at the end of the day, she still could not find the thing that would fill her career bucket.  Later down the road after she became a mom she knew she wanted to be a better role model by choosing a career that was meaningful.  She did some deep soul searching for a year before she made the choice to begin her Masters in Elementary Education from Regis University.  What a crazy time that was! She worked full time while studying for her Master’s and was also pregnant with one of her sons. She worked hard and was able to graduate one year after her son was born. 

Laura may not have started out wanting to be a teacher, but after pursuing other things, she realized that her true calling was in education.  There she would be able to have a career that was built on making a difference in helping others, and that would allow her many interests and obsessions to become a reality.  Laura knew she would like teaching, and according to a characteristics profile she took she was destined to be a “lifelong learner.”  When Laura began working with kids she knew instantly that this was her passion and that she had finally found a way to help others foster a love for learning.  While student teaching she was trying to find a job and heard that Renaissance was looking for a long term sub.  She was so excited about the school she right away printed off her resume and dropped it off at the front office that day.  She could tell that REMS was doing something different.  She didn’t know what it was but had to find out!  After interviewing for the position, Deborah told her she had hired someone else for the substitute job, but wanted to know if she could come on board as a part-time Educational Assistant.  This was a tough choice for Laura but she decided to go with her gut and that taking the job to get her foot through the door was worth it. She soon received a text from Deborah saying that the long term sub in 5th grade had to leave and she was offered Laura the job!  Laura was both ecstatic and terrified, she would be the third teacher coming into the Crew that year and only a weekend to plan for it! Laura said, “It was one of the scariest and most rewarding things I have ever done.”  She still gets visits from her past students on a regular basis.  They all still relive the craziness of that first year. During Laura’s first year she started to know the “something different” she felt when she first arrived.  Laura said, “It’s hard to articulate it because I just feel it. It is what my first group of students instilled in me, that Crew is not just something we say but a way to live supporting one another through it all.”  

One of Laura’s favorite parts of 5th grade is the time spent on voyages.   Laura said, “One of the things I like best is when I get to talk with a colleague following a voyage. We ride the bus down the mountain and the whole time we are reflecting on how we just transcended with our kids. We talk about how hard the voyage was and what a sacred place it is. We take on all the challenges WITH our kids. We learn ALONGSIDE our kids. We have a parallel and shared experience that develops the kids and us.  Renaissance has redefined for me what it means to do hard things and what it means to be one’s true self.  This travels into the classroom as well, allowing a special place where we all are learning together.”  By just stepping inside Laura’s classroom you can tell that she has bonded with her students and that they love and respect her. Her classroom is a cozy environment where her students feel very comfortable. And it sounds like it is a very fun place to be too! What Laura says she loves about her students is that they laugh a LOT! She definitely makes learning fun and exciting for her Crew.  

Laura enjoys watching her students grow socially and emotionally in 5th grade. One of her favorite parts is what she sees happen on just about every voyage. Laura said “Some students will bring along a stuffy or a baby blanket and tuck it in their daypack, bed, or duffle bag, wherever it will fit and be unseen. They joke with friends, they make mildly (and wildly) inappropriate jokes and constantly try to one-up each other. In their hearts, they are still just children but on the outside, they are beginning to navigate growing up. Students enter 5th grade as children and leave the building as adolescents.  It never ceases to amaze me how much they grow and develop in just 9 months. 5th grade is a precious time, not to be taken lightly because it is when social pressures start to seep in deeper and these children need autonomy more than ever to withstand it all.  They need guidance far beyond academics so that they can learn to combat the pressures that come along with early adolescence. 5th grade was pivotal in my own life and one that I often wonder could have gone better if I’d had more people around me to help me stay true to myself.” 

In Laura’s free time, she loves being with her two young sons.  They enjoy being outside, playing legos, having movie nights, and reading.  They all like to bake cookies together and stargaze.  Her oldest loves trains and they have a goal to ride all of the steam engines that are still operating in Colorado.  They have plans to visit many state parks as the boys get older and hopefully go somewhere they can really get a good look at the stars.  After Laura’s boys go to bed she enjoys reading and binge-watching Netflix, like all us parents do when in need of a break! Laura is naturally a homebody, so give her a pair of slippers and a good book and she is content. Laura is always so grateful for the time to reconnect with family over breaks.  

Laura is a wonderful part of our school and we are so lucky to have her leading the way for our 5th graders.  Thank you, Laura, for sharing your passion for education with us all.  

“Where your talents and the world’s needs cross, there lies your vocation.” -Aristotle.  Our teachers and staff here at Renaissance have all traveled different paths but their values and their passions have, thankfully, led them all here to the Renaissance community.  This couldn’t be more true for our fourth grade teacher, Ms. Jenny.  Jenny knew from an early age that she wanted to be an advocate for children, and while she believed that would be through the legal system, Jenny discovered that her passions and her talents best served children in the classroom, specifically, in our classrooms at Renaissance.  We are so thankful for the path that led Ms. Jenny to our school and value the talents, worldwide wonder, and determination she brings to our students day in and day out … in the physical classroom and even now in her virtual classroom.  

Ms. Jenny is a Colorado native, born in Denver.  The daughter of a doctor and a nurse with a brother and a sister, Jenny attended the Graland Country Day School in Cherry Creek.  As a child and teenager, Jenny was always busy with sports whether it was gymnastics, diving, soccer, or lacrosse. Her summers were spent going away to gymnastics camps and competing when she could.  During her childhood Jenny’s parents got divorced and she moved to Montana with her mom.  Jenny commented that it was really difficult leaving the big city to live in a more rural area in Montana, so Jenny went to boarding school and graduated from the American School in Switzerland.  While at the American School, Jenny started their peer counseling program and was awarded the service award from her graduating class.  Jenny’s time abroad allowed her to travel all over the world with extended trips to Africa, Spain, Greece, and England.  From a young age, Jenny always knew she wanted to work with kids and be an advocate for them; she initially thought that advocacy would come from Psychology and Law.  At Pepperdine, her initial educational focus was in Psychology and Pre-Law but after her Psychology professor saw something special in her and encouraged her to take an education course she switched majors and graduated early with her teaching credentials.  Jenny started teaching right away, initially in California and then came back to teach in Colorado.  Jenny went back to her roots and taught a year at Graland Elementary then came to Douglas County where she opened and taught at Copper Mesa.  Jenny is in her twenty third year of teaching with the majority of that time spent in Douglas County.  Jenny received her Masters in Education Administration in 2007 with the hopes to one day lead an entire school.

We are thankful that Jenny’s Psychology professor led her to an education course that allowed her to volunteer in a classroom.  “As soon as I was in a classroom, as a volunteer, I felt like I could make a really big impact, it definitely felt right.  I have just always had the belief that kids can do more than we think they can.  Whatever area I would have worked in I knew I was going to be a voice for children.”  Working in the district at a few different schools Jenny learned more about the philosophy of Renaissance and knew that she would want to land here.  Jenny focused on innovative teaching practices and teaching students world experiences and these values aligned perfectly with the values at REMS.  When her daughter, Hayden (now a fifth grader at REMS), was born, Jenny contacted Ms. Deborah to put Hayden on the school waitlist.  Of course Ms. Deborah informed her that we don’t have a waitlist, but it was the start of her pursuit to become a part of the REMS teaching community.  Jenny was an awarded teacher before she came to Renaissance as a 2014 World Class Educator and had experience in the classroom as well as in professional development positions.  When a position opened up at the school when Hayden was in Kindergarten Jenny jumped at the opportunity to apply, interview for it, and accept the position!

Ms. Jenny’s favorite aspect of Renaissance are the experiences we give students.  “Growing up as a kid raised with worldly experiences and looking at the world through different eyes, we teach kids that they can make a difference, that they matter, and we give them authentic experiences … they can win or they can fail and we’re along the way with them.  We motivate them to change the world!”  In addition to the experiences we give students here at REMS, Ms. Jenny really enjoys teaching with Ms. Sami, "I adore Ms. Sami! She's a wonderful addition to our crew."  

If you’ve ever walked into the building you have most likely seen Ms. Jenny’s classroom.  Jenny loves that her classroom is at the very front of the building because the location allows her to see so many current and former students each and every day, and the ensuing visits and hugs that go along with that.  “It’s so great to start my day with their visits!”  In addition to rocking teaching fourth grade, Jenny has worked tirelessly at Renaissance on school sustainability as the leader of the Eco Warriors.  Jenny has made it her personal mission to get Renaissance a hydration station as well as working, as a school, on recycling, composting, and worm gardening. “I love to find unique ways that kids can reach out and be a part of something bigger than themselves.”  Even during the quarantine Jenny is finding ways to connect students with the community in creative ways. “We’re partnering with the Luvin Arms Sanctuary where students are reading to different-abled chickens!  These specific chickens can’t be in the general population but still need stimulation and attention, so the kids are providing that for them.  That speaks to who I am … I want kids to apply their learning in authentic situations, whether that is using sewing machines to make reusable snack bags or reading to chickens.  The big picture is for kids to feel like what they do matters.  All learning can be integrated with purposeful products.”  If your child has ever come home with a smile on their face after an inspiring or exciting Workshop Wednesday you can thank Ms. Jenny for being the driving force behind the implementation of a day, each week, where our children can explore their interests outside of the classroom.  

Ms. Jenny lives in alignment with the values she shares in her classroom … life is about experiences.  Jenny and Hayden do a lot of traveling whenever possible whether that’s to Mount Rushmore or Mesa Verde or Honduras, Jenny is always looking to broaden her worldview and gain the appreciation that comes from traveling the world.  Recently, Jenny and Hayden went on a cruise to Belize and Honduras and swam with dolphins and manatees.   When they’re not traveling the world, Jenny and Hayden love to spend time at the theater.

The Renaissance community is certainly richer for having Jenny on board.  Jenny’s passion for thinking beyond the individual and dreaming big has brought so many wonderful opportunities to our students whether that’s through the passions being sparked by Workshop Wednesdays or Eco Warriors or the inspiration created in her classroom; we are so thankful for all Ms. Jenny has done for our community and can’t wait to see how she continues to enrich our school community!