It takes a village to raise a child, and none know this better than our local educators. But despite the hardships they've encountered throughout the pandemic, many teachers still find inspiration and joy with their students, often going above and beyond to help Northern Colorado's students feel comfortable, safe, and encouraged. Chelsea Sanchez is one such teacher, and this month, she's getting recognized as February's Teacher Tuesday winner.

Nominated by the Pawelski family, Sanchez is is a beloved first-grade teacher at the Laurel Elementary School of Arts & Technology whose favorite part of this school year has been getting to return to full-time, in-person learning with her students. An avid outdoorswoman who loves Colorado's 300 days of sunshine, Sanchez received over 2,000 votes during the contest, making her February's Teacher Tuesday winner. When it came to her nomination, the Pawelskis described McDonnell as

... caring, goes above and beyond to make sure all students' needs are met, and she works collaboratively with other staff to help unite around children and support them across their school experience.

 

You can see our full interview with Chelsea Sanchez right here:

Sanchez took home a ton of outstanding prizes for all of her efforts this school year, and those prizes include:

  • $100 food delivery voucher from Nosh NoCo
  • 1 free $50 gift card to Breeze Thru Car Wash
  • $500 to her school

Not only that, but Sanchez also dropped the puck at the Teacher Appreciation Night Colorado Eagles game. She was recognized on the game's scoreboard along with our two runner-up teachers, Kyle Scharfenberg of Severance Middle School and Dr. Katie Leber of Front Range Community College.

Congratulations to Ms. Sanchez!

Do you think a teacher in your school deserves some recognition? If so, then you can nominate them on any of our sites.

Colorado's Safest Cities

Everyone wants to live in Colorado, and aside from our rising rent prices (tell me about it,) there's a lot of upsides to being here. For one, we're one of the most beautiful states in the country. For another, there's always something to do. And finally, according to a recent list by SafeWise, we've also got a long list of vibrant, safe cities to reside in. Check out the list below to see the top ten safest cities in Colorado in 2020.

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