Breakfast will be available starting at 9:15 a.m. and classes will begin at 9:50 a.m.
If there is a need to close school, further announcement will be made prior to 7:15 a.m. tomorrow.
As we return from Thanksgiving break, our school community is navigating a difficult time following the unexpected loss of Mr. Hornung. Our hearts go out to his family, and we are grateful for the support of our La Veta community as we grieve together. A memorial is being planned in his honor, and we'll share details soon.
With 10.5 school days left before winter break, our students and staff are staying focused while supporting one another through this season.
This week's highlights:
🏀 Pep Fest Tuesday at 2:15 p.m. to kick off winter sports
🔬 Science Fair open to the public Thursday, 4:00–5:30 p.m.
🏀🤼 Basketball and wrestling events throughout the week; Follow @lavetaredhawks on Facebook for information
Mark your calendars:
🎬 Booster Club Family Movie Night – December 11
📅 Half-day for students – December 17
🎄 Winter break begins December 18
🏫 School resumes January 5
Student Shoutout: Congrats to our Construction Class on completing their new shed! Students will earn an Industry Certificate in Carpentry. Check it out near the pump house on campus. 🛠️
Full calendar and updates at www.lvk12.org
Since joining the District in 2007 as a school counselor, I’ve had the incredible privilege of growing alongside this amazing school community. I currently serve as the Director of Student Services and as Treasurer for the Colorado Council on High School and College Relations, a statewide organization dedicated to helping students bridge the path from high school to college. I’m also proud to serve on our Chronic Absenteeism Committee, working to support student success and engagement.
What I love most about this district is the true sense of community—it’s something special that includes every student, staff member, and family.
Outside of school, you’ll probably find me fly-fishing, making knives, working on European mounts, or spending time with my beautiful family.
Samantha Stonecipher is a proud La Veta School District alum who’s been part of the Redhawk family for the past four years. She brings her passion for learning and leadership to the classroom, where she teaches a mix of agriculture education and science courses. Beyond the classroom, Samantha wears many hats — she’s an FFA advisor, Junior High volleyball coach, and High School girls’ golf coach!
Her favorite part of being a Redhawk is seeing her students grow and succeed — whether it’s mastering a new skill in the shop, excelling on the court, or discovering their potential in the classroom.
When she’s not at school, you’ll find Samantha out ranching, camping, or spending quality time with her family.
🎄 FFA Operation Giving Tree 2025 is Here! 🎄
IF YOU WANT TO APPLY:
📝 Parent Applications: Sent Home Nov 6
⏰ Deadline: Return by Nov 20
IF YOU WANT TO BUY:
🎁 Pick a Tag in the Front Office: Starting Nov 17
📦 Return Gifts (Unwrapped): By Dec 10
🎀 Wrapped by FFA – thanks to our amazing chapter!
🎉 Family Gift Pick-Up: Dec 15 & 16
Let’s make this season magical for our students! ❤️✨
For more information:
Aubrey Fassiotto/Jim Montalbano Office: 719.742.6417
Samantha Stonecipher: 719.742.6415
🦅 LA VETA SCHOOL DISTRICT UPDATE 🦅
📅 This Week at La Veta Schools (Nov 10-15)
Veterans Day Assembly!
Monday, Nov 10 at 3:00 PM in the gym ALL FAMILIES WELCOME! Please check in at the main office.
📚 Special Events:
• Anti-Vaping Assembly (Grades 6-12) - Wed at 1 PM
• Mini Basketball Camp (Grades 1-8) - Friday
🦃 Mark Your Calendars:
• No school Friday, Nov 21 (Thanksgiving Break)
• Back to school Monday, Dec 1
• Dec 17 - Half day for students
Our students and staff continue working hard to show C.L.A.W.S.
Community, Leadership, Attitude, Work Ethic, and Safety! 💪
Go Redhawks! ❤️💛
#LaVetaSchools #CLAWS #CommunityStrong #GoRedhawks
📚 La Veta Schools Update - Week of Nov 3 - 7 📚
This Week:
📌 Tuesday - After-School Program for K-5! Contact tracy.mccay@lvk12.org or 719-742-6426
📌 Thursday - 11/6 - Knowledge Bowl team competes at ASU
📌 Friday - 11/7 - JH Boys Basketball @ Manzanola, 1 pm
Mark Your Calendars:
🎖️ Veterans Day Assembly - Mon 11/10, 3 pm - ALL families welcome!
🚭 Anti-Vaping Assembly - Wed 11/12, 1 pm (grades 6-12)
Community News:
🍎 Food resources list coming this week! Need help now? Call 211
🎉 HUGE thanks to La Veta School Foundation - $50K raised this fall!
🚶Coming soon: Safe walking/biking path to school - $850K funded through Safe Routes to Schools!
Stay Connected: 📱 Download: LV Schools app 💻 Visit: www.lvk12.org 👍 Follow: @lavetaschools
#LaVetaSchools #CommunityStrong #GoRedhawks
Get ready for a spooktacular day of fun! Here's what we have planned for Thursday, October 30:
Schedule of Events:
📍 2:00 p.m. - Parents welcome to help with costumes (non-participating families can pick up students at this time)
📍 2:30 p.m. - School-wide Halloween Parade (All visitors must sign in through the main office)
📍 3:15-4:00 p.m. - Elementary classroom parties / JH 7th hour practices / HS release
📍 4:15-6:00 p.m. - Trunk or Treat at Redhawks Field (hosted by our amazing Booster Club!)
Costume Reminders:
👻 Faces must be visible (save full masks for the parade only)
👻 No replica weapons
👻 Keep it school-appropriate
A huge thank you to our Booster Club for sponsoring the costume contest and Trunk or Treat!
SAVE THE DATE: Veterans Day Assembly - Monday, November 10 at 3:00 p.m. All families welcome!
See you tomorrow for all the Halloween fun! 🦇🕸️
#LaVetaSchools #HalloweenFun #SchoolEvents #CommunityStrong
My name is Cardell Hills, and I currently serve as a Life Skills Teacher and Head Varsity Basketball Coach for the Redhawks at La Veta High School. Although I’ve only been with the district for two months, I already feel a strong sense of pride and belonging within this community.
My favorite part of being a Redhawk is having the chance to make an impact while building meaningful relationships. I’m excited to embrace this new chapter with such an amazing school and incredible people who are all dedicated to helping students succeed.
In addition to teaching, I coach the varsity basketball team, where I focus on developing players’ skills, confidence, and teamwork. For me, basketball is more than just a sport—it’s a platform to teach discipline, perseverance, and leadership, both on and off the court.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family, working out outdoors, playing basketball, and listening to music.
Beyond the classroom and court, I’m also passionate about giving back to the community. I run an AAU basketball program where I train both boys and girls and host camps designed to strengthen their fundamentals while building confidence and character. It’s my way of investing in the next generation and helping set the foundation for a bright future.
Being part of the Redhawks team has been an exciting and rewarding experience, and I look forward to continuing to grow, lead, and make a lasting impact in this community.
🦅 LA VETA REDHAWKS UPDATE 🦅
🎃 Halloween Fun THIS Thursday, October 30!
Join us for our school-wide Halloween celebration: • 2:30 p.m. - Halloween Parade (public welcome!)
• 4:15-6:00 p.m. - Trunk or Treat hosted by our amazing Booster Club Come see our students in their creative costumes! 👻🎃
📅 THIS WEEK AT LA VETA SCHOOLS
Monday - Winter Sports Parent Meeting @ 6pm & School Board Meeting @ 7pm
Tuesday - Football makeup game @ Manzy, 4pm (Redhawks lead 20-0!)
Wednesday - FAFSA Night for Seniors @ 6pm (free pizza!)
Thursday - Halloween Celebration Day
🎖️ SAVE THE DATE
Monday, November 11 @ 3:00 p.m. - Veterans Day Assembly Community members welcome as we honor our local heroes!
💙 Community Support
Reminder: Free breakfast and lunch available to all students. Breakfast starts at 7:15 a.m. If your family needs additional food resources, call 211 or visit feedingcolorado.org
Don't forget - Daylight Saving ends this Sunday! Fall back! ⏰
📱 Stay connected with the LV Schools app - search "LV Schools" in your app store!
#LaVetaSchools #RedhawkPride #SmallSchoolBigHeart #RuralEducation #ColoradoSchools #CommunityStrong
Go Redhawks! ❤️🦅
Meet Joel Anderson!
Joel joined our district in August and has already been making a big impact! He’s an instructional paraprofessional working with our elementary and junior high students, and he also brings creativity to our youngest learners as the art teacher for kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade.
With experience teaching K–5 art since 2016, Joel brings tons of talent, enthusiasm, and color to our classrooms. We’re so glad he’s part of the team! His favorite part of being on the Redhawks team is getting to know students, staff and parents.
Joel and his wife own The La Veta Flower Company, a small cut flower farm located on Main street in La Veta. When not farming flowers, he enjoys golfing, printmaking, reading, and walking his two dogs, Artemis and Apollo.
The incomparable Jonathan Kellams:
This will be my 10th year with the district. I work in facilities and I also coach Junior High athletics football, wrestling, and track. My favorite part of being a part of the Redhawks team is working with great people and being able to watch our students grow from young kids into young adults.
My hobbies include playing disc golf and going on adventures with my amazing wife. Without her I wouldn’t be able to do the things I do.
Here's what's happening at school this week and beyond:
📸 **THIS THURSDAY, Oct 23** - Picture Re-Takes
🏐 **THIS SATURDAY, Oct 25** - JH Volleyball hosts Fisher's Peak League Tournament at 10:00 a.m. Come cheer on our team!
🎃 **HALLOWEEN CELEBRATION - Thursday, October 30**
- 2:00 PM: Parents welcome to help with costumes
- 2:30 PM: School-wide Halloween Parade 🎭
- 3:15-4:00 PM: Elementary parties, JH practices, HS released
- 4:15-6:00 PM: Trunk or Treat hosted by the Booster Club!
**Costume Reminders:**
✓ Faces must be visible (no full masks except during parade)
✓ No replica weapons
✓ Keep costumes school-appropriate
**SAVE THE DATE:** Veterans Day Assembly - November 10 at 3:00 PM (open to the public)
📱 **Stay Connected!** Download the LV Schools App from your app store for the latest updates!
Have a wonderful week! 🌟
#LVSchools #SchoolCommunity #HalloweenFun #VeteransDay
KD Northrup is an incredible ESS/ Special Education Para, and 6th-grade class sponsor who has been with the district since 2022.
Her favorite part about working on the Redhawks team is feeling that she is making a positive difference! She loves supporting students and contributing to the overall success of our school community, as well as witnessing their growth and the wonder they show when discovering new things.
KD's hobbies & interests outside of work include professional-level cat napping, hanging out with her pets and family (usually while they judge her cat naps), and enthusiastically starting home projects that may or may not ever see the finish line.
We're seeking enthusiastic assistant coaches for our Junior High and High School boys' basketball programs under the leadership of Coach Cardell Hills.
Positions Available:
• Assistant JH Boys' Basketball Coach – $2,050
• Assistant HS Boys' Basketball Coach – $2,850
Practice Schedule:
• JH: 2:30–4:30 PM (starts October 21)
• HS Varsity: 4:30–6:00/6:30 PM (starts November 3)
Help us build something special! Coach Hills is committed to developing skilled, confident players, and we need dedicated assistants to support this vision.
Interested? Contact Athletic Director Lon.Goemmer@lvk12.org to learn more and apply.
NOVEMBER 4, 2025
ERICA VIGIL
HUERFANO COUNTY CLERK & RECORDER
ELECTION DATE: Tuesday, November 4, 2025
ELECTION DAY HOURS: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
DROP OFF LOCATION: Clerk & Recorder’s Drop Box
401 Main Street
Walsenburg, CO 81089
DROP BOX LOCATION: Next to the Mining Museum
• Ballots will be mailed October 10, 2025
• The County Clerk & Recorder’s Office will be the designated polling place for the 2025 Coordinated Mail ballot Election. Courthouse hours are from 8:00am to 4:00pm, Monday through Friday beginning October 27, 2025. Saturday, November 1, 2025 the courthouse will be open from 8:00am to 12:00pm. On Election Day, the courthouse will be open from 7:00am to 7:00pm.
• The Clerk & Recorder’s Office will be open for elections only on Election Day. No Motor Vehicle transactions or recording will be conducted on that day.
HAPPY NATIONAL CUSTODIAN APPRECIATION DAY!
La Veta School District is celebrating our incredible Maintenance Team: Tim Gripka, Mark Lofgren, Jonathan Kellams, and Ben Ouellette. We are very grateful to each of them for all they do individually and as a team. We'd be a mess without these guys!
Redhawks Staff Feature:
Welcome to the Redhawks team, Roland Raybourn! Roland is a Student Nutritional Services Cook, who has been with us since August 8th, 2025 after moving from his home-state of Texas back in April 2025. His favorite part of working here: "There's such a strong sense of community amongst the staff and students that is so lovely and infectious."
His hobbies/interests outside of work are clowning (dressing up like a clown and doing clown stuff like making animal balloons), playing video games, and learning new things.
Roland is also a cat dad and has included pictures of them: Mango (orange and white boy), Dottie (black and white girl), and Taco (calico girl).
Parent Teacher Conferences October 14 - 17.
