The Ellis Community is invited to attend our upcoming CSC meeting on Monday, November 17 at 3:00 p.m. in room 129! You can view the meeting's agenda here.
Please read the below letter about the Principal Selection Process at Ellis Elementary. This letter was sent home digitally and physically with students on Monday, November 10. The following document are also available in additional languages:
Dear Ellis School Community,
We hope this message finds you well and ready for the upcoming break in three weeks! As an essential partner in the school community, the purpose of this letter is to provide an update on the principal selection process at Ellis Elementary School.
After more than 32 years in education, Principal Jamie Roybal has announced her retirement and will not be returning to Ellis this year. She has been an inspiring leader, a passionate educator, and a dedicated advocate for our Ellis students, staff, families, and community. As she begins this exciting new chapter, we want to express our deepest gratitude for her years of service and leadership at Ellis. Please join us in thanking Principal Jamie Roybal for her incredible contributions to our school community and wishing her all the best on her next adventure.
Additionally, we would like to express our gratitude to Mr. Kurt Siebold for his continued leadership at Ellis. Mr. Siebold has been a gift to our school community and we are deeply thankful for his service. Mr. Siebold has agreed to continue to lead at Ellis until the next principal is hired.
As we look ahead, we are writing to explain how we will proceed with finding the next principal of Ellis Elementary School for the 2025-2026 school year and beyond. Our goal is to ensure each stage of the principal selection process reflects the values we uphold: inclusivity, accessibility, equity, collaboration, and integrity. Over time, we have refined our approach to ensure it is responsive to the voices and perspectives of our school communities.
To that end, we will continue to offer multiple opportunities for all members of the school community to engage in the principal selection process. The process will include the following:
A stakeholder survey (including students, school staff, families, Collaborative School Committee, and community members) will be offered to provide feedback on the qualities and priorities important to the school and the next leader.
Office of Schools leaders will meet with the school’s Collaborative School Committee (CSC) to use the results of the stakeholder surveys to finalize the principal candidate profile and confirm questions for the CSC panel interviews.
In alignment with our shared goals and values, the Office of Schools and district leaders will pre-screen applicants. The top qualified candidates will participate in an initial round of interviews with district personnel and CSC members.
In-person opportunities will be made available to meet the final candidates. These include drop-in opportunities for staff to meet the finalists, a moderated in-person community forum (using questions from the initial feedback survey), and an informal meet and greet event following the forum.
An additional survey will be offered for stakeholders to provide feedback on the final candidates.
The Superintendent will review feedback collected throughout the interview process and conduct an interview with the final candidates before making a final decision.
We believe a strong partnership with our students, staff, families, and community is essential in selecting the next long-term leader. To continue to honor this approach, we invite students, staff, families, CSC, and community members to complete the Principal Hiring Community Input survey below to list characteristics they would like to see in the next principal. Please complete this survey by Friday, November 24, 2025 by these methods below:
Complete the Community Input Survey (English/Spanish/Arabic): Google Form Link (https://forms.gle/xZWJMqt92gJojB2J9)
Drop off your completed PDF form to your school’s main office.
Below this letter is the tentative timeline of the community involvement steps of the process. We will also engage in rigorous reference and data collection on the final candidates.
Thank you for your ongoing support and engagement. Our focus will be to ensure we identify the best leader to lead Ellis Elementary School for the 2025-2026 school year and beyond.
Sincerely,
Liz TenCate, Director, Elementary Network 7
Yolanda Ortega, Operational Services Director
Eagle families, if you are in need of food assistance, there are resources available to you! The local organizations below may be able to help:
•The LoVVe Project: The LoVVe Project has additional Food Market distribution days during November and December. The LoVVe Project's Food Market is located at 1650 S Birch St and begins at 8:30 a.m. Come to the food markets on November 8, November 22, December 6 and December 20.
•Tasty Food Program: Afterschool meals for children will be offered at Denver recreation centers. Visit the Tasty Food website for locations and hours of operation.
•Food Bank of the Rockies: Find a food pantry near you using their Pantry Locator tool.
•Colorado 211: This confidential and multilingual service connects people to vital resources across Colorado. Call 2-1-1, 866-760-6489 or visit 211colorado.org. Note: The hotline is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, however, expect long wait times. To avoid waiting, use the call-back feature.
•Feeding Colorado: The collaborative effort of the 5 Feeding America food banks that serve Colorado and Wyoming to coordinate and enhance food resources, ensuring food insecure Coloradans have access to healthy, fresh foods. Visit feedingcolorado.org/find-food or email info@feedingcolorado.org.
•Hunger Free Colorado: Connects Colorado families and individuals to SNAP/food stamps, food pantries, free meal sites, WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) and other nutrition programs geared toward families, children and older adults. Call 855-855-4626 Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
⭐Monday: Crazy Sock and Hair Day
⭐Tuesday: Hat or Sombrero Day
⭐Wednesday: Spirit Day (Wear Ellis Gear!)
⭐Thursday: Game Day (Wear Yellow or Blue)
After school on Thursday, November 6, join us in cheering on our Ellis soccer players in their showdown match beginning at 3:15 p.m⚽
Read the Ellis Newsletter here: https://denverpsco.edurooms.com/engage/ellis-elementary/newsletters/ellis-elementary-newsletter-85381
Did you know Ellis Elementary has joined Instagram 💛📱? Give us a follow to stay updated on all the Eagle content. You can follow us at @ellis_eagles_dps!
4th and 5th graders can now sign up to join the Ellis soccer team! The team will begin practicing on Tuesday, September 16 from 2:40-4:20 p.m. Visit https://dps.arux.app/child-care/8/elcsports-access-plus to register your student athlete. Registration ends September 9.
Our first edition of the Ellis Newsletter is here! In case you missed it, you can check it out here: newsletter
I hope you’re enjoying a restful and fun-filled summer break!
It is our priority to keep you informed of events and happenings that impact our school. Principal Jamie Roybal will be out on leave until January 2026 due to personal matters. We fully support Principal Roybal during this time and look forward to welcoming her back in the new year. We are not able to share additional details and we ask that you respect her privacy.
In the meantime, we are excited to welcome Mr. Kurt Siebold as the interim leader. Mr. Siebold is a former DPS principal who brings a wealth of experience as an educator with a deep commitment to Ellis Elementary’s vision of inclusivity and academic rigor.
As you know, the well-being of our students is our top priority, and we will do everything possible to ensure that students, staff, and the school community continue to thrive into the upcoming school year. We appreciate your patience and ongoing support during this transitional time. We are looking forward to a strong start to the new school year!
Sincerely,
Michelle Wright
Executive Director, Elementary Network
&
Yolanda Ortega
Operational Services Director
We’re excited to invite the Ellis community to the DPS Family and Community Engagement 's Back to School events happening in August.
Attendees at these events can expect FREE backpacks, school supplies, food and shoes in addition to FUN family-friendly activities. (Please note, DPS students must be present to receive free items.)
Interested in attending one of the events? RSVP using this form.
Event Details:
Lincoln High School – August 9, 11:00 AM–2:00 PM
Manual HS – August 13, 3:00 PM–7:00 PM
Evie Dennis Campus – August 16, 11:00 AM–2:00 PM
See you there!
