Eagles students and staff are invited to wear their favorite football team’s colors to school this Friday! 💙🧡 Let’s show our spirit and get ready for Broncos football this weekend 🏈
Meet the Incoming Principal: Mr. Anthony Muñiz
Hello everyone! My name is Anthony Muñiz, and I am honored and excited to introduce myself as the incoming principal of Ellis Elementary School. I bring 18 years of experience in education across elementary, middle, and high school settings, including roles as a teacher, dean of students, assistant principal, and principal resident within Denver Public Schools. I am fully bilingual in English and Spanish, and my work has consistently focused on building strong school cultures, supporting multilingual learners, and strengthening instructional practices so all students can thrive. I am deeply aligned with Ellis’s belief that we are all learners and that growth comes from reflection, collaboration, and a commitment to the whole child.
On a personal note, I was born in New York, raised in Puerto Rico, and have been here in Colorado for the last 10 years. During my free time I enjoy playing video games, reading, hiking, going to the gym, and trying out new restaurants. I have a cat called Osman who is 3 years old and keeps me pretty busy around the house. I love traveling and getting to know different cultures. I have been to Australia, Spain, and Mexico, just to name a few countries I have visited.
I look forward to listening, learning, and working alongside you all as we build on the strong foundation already in place at Ellis!
Ellis Elementary has partnered with the Colorado Rapids to reward and incentivize attendance by giving Eagles with 95% attendance, from January 12th - February 13th, a complimentary ticket to a Colorado Rapids match. Students who qualify will receive a ticket link voucher to redeem their complimentary ticket. Additional tickets can be purchased at a discounted rate. Vouchers will be redeemable for qualifying Spring 2026 games.
Join Denver Public Libraries for Arabic Story Time in 2026! Students can enjoy books and songs and learn about animals and colors in Arabic! This opportunity is open to both Arabic and non-Arabic speaking students. Check out their flyer for more information.
An important announcement regarding the Principal Selection Process at Ellis Elementary has been sent to you via email. If you did not receive the email, you can read the announcement here.
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.