KRDO13’s Josh Helmuth greets freshmen on first-day bus ride; D11 tradition carries on
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Colorado Springs School District 11 students are back in class, and this year every single one of them gets a hands-on learning experience outside the classroom tied directly to their grade level.
KRDO13 rode along on a D-11 school bus Tuesday morning for the first day of school, including a stop at Doherty High School, where an all-school welcome tradition greeted incoming freshmen.
It is called The Gauntlet. Hundreds of Doherty students and staff lined up to cheer every new freshman onto campus on the first day. The energy was loud and deliberate.
Hillary Hienton is the principal at Doherty High School. She says it is one of the best days of the year.
“We have freshmen coming in. They always look so nervous and scared, but we have older students who are super excited to see them,” she said.
One of those nervous freshmen was Brooke. She switched districts and did not know anyone walking in.
“I’m a little nervous because I don’t really know anybody at this school because I changed districts,” Brooke said.
When asked why upperclassmen show up so enthusiastically for The Gauntlet, one student kept it simple.
“Why not?” the student shouted with a smile.
Another said, “We build community. And welcome everybody so they can have a great time at Doherty.”
Beyond the first-day welcome, D-11 is launching a district-wide initiative called Peak Experiences. The program connects learning to life outside the classroom. The district says the goal is simple: every student, every school, every year.
Think of it like a “fancy field trip” where each grade level has its own assigned experience.
Preschoolers get Discovery Day.
Kindergartners take part in Kinderby.
First graders visit the planetarium.
Second graders participate in Nature Navigators.
Third graders connect with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic.
Fourth graders ride the Cog Railway.
Fifth graders take part in Rocket Day.
Sixth graders do Lunar Quest.
Seventh graders compete in the Soap Box Derby.
Eighth graders participate in Chalktober.
And ninth graders take part in the Junior Achievement Dream Accelerator.
The district says Peak Experiences are designed to build critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills while connecting students to the Colorado Springs community.
D-11 is also a sponsor for the Rocky Mountain 5K at America the Beautiful Park on Saturday, Aug. 29.
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