FORT LUPTON - When Melanie Patterson walks around the halls, she knows there's something special going on at her school. Now, she says, everybody will know.
"I think some people will be surprised to find out what's happening inside the walls of Fort Lupton Middle School," said Patterson, who is principal at the middle school.
The National Association of Middle School Principals has named Fort Lupton National Middle School of the Year.
Patterson says personal attention is their trademark.
"Knowing our kids by name and knowing their stories and really taking that time and interest in them outside of the school day," said Patterson.
Michael Hall is the executive director of the NAMSP. Hall says personal attention is what set this Weld County school apart.
"That's what we're looking for," Michael Hall, executive director of the National Association of Middle School Principals said. "A continual effort to improve the school."
The NAMSP looked at schools from around the country on areas such as continual improvement, running flagship programs, and overall content.
Hall says Fort Lupton stood out because they wrote their application from the student's point-of-view, illustrating the personal attention teachers provide for students there.
"This is just such a great school, I like the programs here," said Alan Perez, 7th grader.
Diana Gomez is a math teacher at Fort Lupton. Gomez says teachers work hard to personalize lessons based on individual needs.
"We spend so much time making sure that we talk to every single student as much as possible," said Gomez.
She says teachers also make great sacrifices to cater to kids at this school with a high rate of kids enrolled in the federal free and reduced lunch program. That is a common measure of poverty within a school community.
"The teachers just volunteer their time all the time, just for everything," said Gomez.
Four times each week, teachers volunteer an hour of their own time after school for that they call "Power Hour." It's a time for struggling students to get one-on-one time.
"A lot of our students don't have a place at home to do their homework," said Gomez.
Patterson says it's that kind of spirit, that kind of sacrifice, that kind of commitment that put Fort Lupton over the top.
"I think what set us apart was just the heart that exists in the Fort Lupton Middle School community," said Patterson.
The NAMSP looked at 25 nominees from around the country before selecting Fort Lupton as Middle School of the Year.
Perez says the award should change people's minds about the image of his school.
"Because, they used to think of us as a bad school, bad influence," said Perez. "Look at us now."
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