Principal's Message

Welcome to Birch Elementary!

Dear Students, Staff and Parents,

I am honored to be part of this dedicated community of learners. Birch is a neighborhood Preschool-5th grade school committed to meeting the needs of all of our students. Anchored by a committed, high-achieving staff, Birch continues to outpace Boulder Valley School district averages with outstanding growth and achievement scores. In 2017 and 2018, Birch won the Governor’s Distinguished Improvement Award for outstanding growth!  I encourage you to dig deep into our school data-- we are very proud of our students’ achievements. 

Birch serves all students, including those with special needs (including speech language, physical and occupational therapy, cognitive, behavioral, and emotional needs) by our talented special education team.  Gifted and talented students are served through a variety of enrichment opportunities. We offer both morning and afternoon preschool led by teachers with graduate degrees in Early Childhood Education. Free, full-day kindergarten is offered to all students. On-site after school care until 6pm (fee based), and a wealth of free and fee-based after school activities are offered including running club, art club, yearbook club, choir, ballet, Spanish classes, drawing, and math. 

We offer band and orchestra classes two days a week for our 5th-graders, 1:1 Chromebook use for all of our students, including age-appropriate technology access for students PreK-2. In the library each week, students explore literature and apply critical thinking while using makerspace and technology tools. For 50 minutes each day, students access either Physical Education, Art, or Music on a five-day rotational model. 

At the core of Birch, is our commitment to developing the whole child. As such, we have a full-time school counselor who implements a robust social and emotional curriculum, including an explicit anti-bullying unit, in every classroom. We believe strongly in building rapport with students by building relationships with each child. We spend significant amounts of time creating community within our classrooms and in our school. 

I trust you will find, as I have, that the Birch community is warm and welcoming, and a great place to call home. Our staff is truly exceptional and our commitment to excellence is evident in all we do. I look forward to partnering with you!

Sincerely,

Tanya Santee
Principal, Birch Elementary School
Tanya.Santee@bvsd.org