It’s that bad break in good routines that lands you sick, sleepless and susceptible. Health and Beauty 360 targets the important routines that keep the whole family kicking when it’s cold outside. From pedicures to pet health, it’s a little something for every part of your person. The most important tip to take home this winter, however, isn’t to moisturize or wear the right shoes. It’s to give life a little one, two punch with a healthy dose of everyday essentials.

Exercise to prevent easy-come ice injuries. Eat normally. Don’t gorge (especially before bed), and don’t try to diet during the holidays. Crash diets not only destroy healthy bodies, but they wreak havoc on holiday happiness. We know it’s hard, but try to sleep on a schedule without the assistance of nightcaps.

After all, Health and Beauty 360 makes everything else too easy with tips for your:

Tummy
Hair and Nails
Face and Skin
Back
Feet
Pet’s Health

Plus, editor Andra Coberly underwent a renovation, Stairmaster, sadistic coach and all.

Like this photo? Check out more of Julia Vandenoever’s work at her website.

Out of all the masochistic machines that exist in the average gym, and there are many, The Stairmaster is the most malevolent of competitors. Its merciless potential for unending sorrow makes it the antagonist in my get-fit story. I bet Dante would’ve included the machine in his Inferno had such a torture device existed in 13th century Italy.

For months, The Stairmaster sat in the far reaches of the gym like a bad omen. It was the gun over the fireplace in the first act of a play; eventually, someone was gonna get shot. But then again, maybe my trainer Gina would forget about it. Maybe we’d stick to the other side of the training room, along with the muscle-padded men and tiny women with tiny shorts who filled the gym at RallySport Health and Fitness in Boulder.

But then, the proverbial gun fired.

It was my last session with Gina, after four months of weekly training, when she finally led me over to The Stairmaster. Gina is smart and tough, someone I’d totally hang out with in real life—if it weren’t for her tendency to cause me extreme amounts of pain. When I first met her, I expected some Boulderite version of my elementary school gym teacher. Instead, I got a mother of two who happily says things like, “Just call me Gina” whenever I’m able to form the word “Jesus” in between wheezing pants.

“This way,” she says, walking toward the looming apparatus.

“No way,” I say, realizing her plans.

“Yep,” Gina smiles. “Hop on.”

Three minutes later, I am a puddle. I could be wiped up with a sweat towel. Just 180 seconds of climbing, one step at a time, then every other step, then faster, slower. Three minutes to mush.

Gina says I did good. But I must sit, catch my breath, make sure I’m not having a heart attack.

Slowly, I realize I am alive. My heart rate slows, and my light-headedness is short-lived. I look in the mirror: red-faced and sweat-soaked. My workout clothes fit awkwardly, like they were meant for a different person, and my muscles burn and bulge. As much as I hate Gina at this particular moment, I kind of want to hug her.

As for The Stairmaster, it must die.

Not in all of my years of yo-yo dieting and exercise obsession have I ever been thin. I once lost 70 pounds in seven months, only to gain it back over a three-year period. I’ve counted calories. I’ve done boot camps and made myself ill from spinning. I’ve measured my salad dressing by the teaspoon and treated cheese like others might consider Mad Cow-tainted meat. And it’s all resulted in nothing but heartache, back pain and a cruddy relationship with food and my image in the mirror.

Then, I guess you could say, I gave up on health and wellbeing and, instead, enjoyed the luxury of personal chaos: I ate and drank without guilt or care; I parked in the spot closest to the door; I allowed nothing but the stress and adrenaline of my job to fuel me through late nights and long hours; and on the occasional visit to the gym, I’d put the elliptical on cruise control and mosey.

This summer, I faced the ultimate reality check: I prepared to turn 30. I had goals to prime myself for this milestone. I would climb a 14er. I would do the Bolder Boulder. I would learn to fly fish.

But then again, I could barely haul my butt up a flight of stairs. How could I haul it up a mountain? So, paralyzed by the realization of my own limitations, I accomplished nothing. I wanted control. I wanted my life back.

And then in August, I sat down with Erin Carson, general manager of RallySport Health and Fitness in Boulder, a three-story gym filled with the firm bodies and athletic exteriors the city is known for. Rally would take me on as—what I like to think of—a challenge. They’d give me a trainer, Gina, and introduce me to the emerging discipline of Biosignature Modulation with a specialist named Jed, as well as access to unbelievable fitness classes and stellar supplements. They’d create a plan for fitness, for diet, for stress, for life. They’d be my team.

Carson asked me, “On a scale of 1 to 10, how ready are you for change?”

There was no doubt: 10.

For four months, I shed blood, sweat and calories in the name of health and fitness. Much like my diets in the past, I hopped on board with full commitment. This time, however, it was not about yo-yo diets or fads. It was not about obsession or unrealistic expectations. My efforts were calculated and planned. I’ve been charted, pinched and plotted. I’ve been encouraged to eat food—the right food—and to—on occasion—cheat. I’ve been pushed physically, mentally, emotionally and psychologically, and for the first time in a long time, I’ve felt alive.

From the beginning, Jed’s word was law.

He had me start a food diary, put me on a heaping regimen of supplements (which I carried around in my purse, like a sock filled with rocks) and each week, he’d weigh and “pinch” me.

BioSignature Modulation is an assessment method and fat-loss technique developed by strength coach Charles Poliquin. It helps practitioners determine which hormones are out of balance and helps patients lose weight by correcting those hormonal imbalances.

Every Thursday morning, Jed would open up a thick black case and pull out shiny, metal skin calipers to pinch 12 spots on my body: the cheek, chin, armpit, triceps, back, rib cage, love handle, belly, knee, calf, quad and hamstring. He’d enter those numbers in his laptop, and we’d examined the results.

Each measurement corresponds to hormones in your body and shows how your body is storing fat. Stress influences your Cortisol which, according to Poliquin, causes you to store fat in your belly. Alcohol and lack of sleep affect your human growth hormone, which causes inflammation in your knee. Basically, by measuring 12 points on your body, someone like Jed ends up knowing more about you than you know about you.

“How are you sleeping?” he’d ask, after pinching my knee.

“Um, six or seven hours a night, I think.”

“How much did you drink last week?”

“Um, well, I had a few glasses of wine.”

“How much is a few?” he’d ask.

Jed asked lots of questions. Questions about my childhood, about my parents, about my day to day. After three months of weekly visits, I knew every question had its intentions and every answer meant something. Years of eating processed foods as a child (from being a lazy, gluttonous latch-key kid) had wreaked havoc on my body. More years of eating out often had developed into a lust for sweets and carbs. Lack of exercise was the icing on the cake; stress was the cherry on the top.

Jed had me cut out all processed carbohydrates—sugars, flours, breads, beers—as well as all other processed foods (we later opted to cheat: high-fiber cereal and fat-free milk every morning). I cut down on alcohol intake. He wanted me to focus on eating breakfast, lunch and dinner with snacks to speed up my metabolism. Each meal was a mix of protein, complex carbohydrates and lots and lots of veggies. The goal was to have meals and snacks that hit low on the glycemic index. Steak, Brussels sprouts and quinoa was an ideal dinner, gratifying while following all the rules. With the help of the “I” Diet by Susan Roberts, I overhauled my diet.

I began drinking 100 ounces of water a day and piled on the supplements: a multi-vitamin, zinc, magnesium, omega 3 fish oil, hydrochloric acid and a metabolism booster. He told me to get around 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night and to learn to control my stress levels through meditation, mantras and exercise.

I also met with Gina once a week, focusing on weights, resistance and core exercises. While I had purely done cardio in the past, she had me do two weight-lifting and four cardio sessions a week. A bulk of my cardio would focus on intervals—to push me and my heart to go, go, go. Basically, the less comfortable I was, the better.

At different points, the whole experience became overwhelming. Not because I missed pizza or pasta (though, I did). Not because I was physically exhausted (though, I was). Not because of the hangover feeling that comes with withdrawal from sugar and whatever else you find in deliciously processed goodies.

But because, at certain points, you realize the delicate balance of it all. One week I’d do too much cardio and not enough weights. The next week I’d eat too much red meat and not enough fish or chicken. Then I’d eat too little, then too much. One day, I did a long cardio workout and didn’t drink enough water, causing a severe migraine that ruined a night of sleep, causing me to suck wind at my training session the next morning. The dominoes of dieting!

But once I found a rhythm, refined with the help of the Poliquin pinching sessions and Gina’s expert advice, it all seemed to fit into place. I learned not to miss pizza and pasta. My body relearned the feeling of exertion and even began craving it. I became excited—I know, this is weird—to step on the scale, and I learned to appreciate small victories. If the scale showed no change, it was a temporary set back. I’d recover and spend the next couple weeks working my butt off.

Jed tells me I’ve already added years back on to my life. And I happily admit that I enjoyed the entire process: To see positive results week after week is the best motivation in the world. So are the baggy clothes and newfound confidence.

Four Months

Pounds lost: 20

Percentage of fat lost: 10

I can’t help but believe this is a small victory. I’m still so far from the ideal, even a long way from “average.” After months of sore muscles, daily weighing and even a little stair-mastering, I’ve learned that this is just the beginning. It’s a process, and I still have so much more to learn, to experience and to explore.

I have mountains to climb.

Give paws and tummies a quick wipe-down after a walk to remove salt, sand and ice balls that can dry and damage.

Stand outside with your pet during potty breaks. If you’re cold, any animal not designed for cold weather is probably cold too. Your husky might be OK for a bit, but a kitty shoulder-deep in snow won’t be.

Cats aren’t outdoor winter animals in Colorado, period. Beyond freezing, they could get trapped in small, warm spaces, or snuggle up to a car engine. Bang the hood a couple of times to scare off strays just in case.

Animals can be like children with hot objects, so be cautious with space heaters that have exposed coils or scalding metal surfaces.

Buy heated water dishes for outdoor pets or refill any water dishes with warm water no less than twice a day.

If your pet must be outside for extended periods of time during the winter, provide a warm bed, hay and/or a wrapped heating pad.

That sweater might help a bit, but pets lose most of their heat from their pads, ears and respiratory tract. Keep in mind that they, too, can get frostbite.

Have the furnace checked for carbon monoxide leakage. Pets are more susceptible to death in this way, especially in the winter, than humans because they spend more time at home.

Simple Steps

Eat 12–15mg of zinc daily to prevent stinky feet.

Have your feet measured. The majority of women wear shoes that are too small.

Limit your everyday shoe collection to those with support—from arch-friendly flip flops to over-the-counter orthotic inserts in work boots—to prevent heel pain from plantar fasciitis.

Skip polishes and shellacs with brown or red bases, which can yellow nails and make them look fungus-filled, even if they’re not.

High heels place feet in an unnatural position and inflame toe bones and nerves. Save the sexy stilettos for nights that don’t involve a lot of walking, uneven terrain or drinking. Keep other heels less than two inches high.

Opt for chunky heels (but not rigid platforms) instead of skinny stilettos to prevent wobble-walk sprains that increase your risk of osteoarthritis.

Soak your feet in dark tea, warm sage water, vinegar (or natural apple cider), vodka or diluted tea tree or calendula oil to cure stinky feet caused by excess bacteria.

Avoid shoes with low, rigid backs that can cause irreversible bony deformities on the back of your heel.

Pointy-toed shoes are trending for men as well as women and they can cause nerve damage, bunions, corns and hammertoe.

Consider your toe box (space in shoes for your digits) when buying shoes. Even if the shoe is pointy, the part holding your toes should not be.

Technology

Barefoot/Minimalist Shoes: Runners are more prone to injury today than they were before the 1970s introduction of the modern running shoe. Running on a platform of reverting back to the natural, minimalist running shoes spur the debate: Which came first: bad form or form-altering shoes? Minimalist shoes garner praise for encouraging better form because, frankly, it hurts to heel strike without an inch of high-tech cushion. Runners then have to work harder to retrain their bodies to move comfortably and properly during exercise. Criticism comes when unaccustomed runners take off minimalist-style without coaching or an adjustment period and damage the little bones and tendons in their feet. Any runner switching from a modern shoe to a minimalist shoe should have his or her form professionally assessed. To prevent injuries, try to have your foot strike below the center of your mass, not in front of it. Boulder Running Co., Newton Natural Running, Boulder Community Hospital and Radiant Running in Lafayette, among others, offer gait analyses.

Rocker Bottom Shoes: Unless your doctor has prescribed shoes with a rocker bottom, their dangers outweigh unsubstantiated toning claims. Experts agree these shoes can create dangerous instability, especially on stairs, and exacerbate existing foot problems. They’ve been blamed, in at least two lawsuits, for hip fractures following extended use.

Tips

“We recommend you pedicure once a month to keep nails trimmed, prevent ingrown nails, so you don’t end up with any kind of fungus, and so any damage to nails is maintained and checked. Older people especially, or anyone who’s had surgery or can’t reach their feet, have a tendency to wait too long.” —Tina Capaldi, cosmetologist, Longmont

Simple Steps

Stop straining. If toe touches and sit-ups cause even slight pain, switch to crunches and coached weight lifting.

Change your mattress every five to seven years. Use the floor or plywood to support a sagging mattress until you can replace it.

Use a pillow under your knees when sleeping on your back or between your knees when sleeping on your side to maintain the alignment in your spine. Avoid sleeping on your stomach.

Ice injuries for 48 hours afterward. Don’t stay in bed more than a day or two after an injury, and move regularly to avoid stiffness.

Pain or numbness in the arms, legs, chest and tummy can be the result of pinched, injured or irritated nerves in the back. If you haven’t had an injury, take notes throughout the day to help determine if you’ve overused or misused a muscle, ligament or disc. Try nixing high heels, back-pocket wallets and bags worn on one shoulder (sling messengers across the body).

Instead of posture-correcting by shoving your chest forward and chin up, rotate your pubic bone so it’s parallel to your seat and bring your chin down and throat back. Relax your shoulders down, keep both feet on the floor and position your seat to keep your knees and elbows bent at a 90-degree angle.

Technology

Vertebrae Repair: In vertebroplasty, bone cement is injected into crumbling and fractured vertebrae. Its success has been debatable, and leaked cement can press the spinal cord and require surgery. Researchers are testing new types of cement that may be less likely to leak and could include anti-tumor agents to prevent cancers that cause crumbling.

Stem Cell Therapy: Researchers in Manchester isolated adult stem cells from bone marrow to repair discs (the cushion between vertebrae), repairing their casings and replenishing their gel cores. The technique, RegenaDISC, is so new it’s exclusively offered at Celling Treatment Centers in Texas.

Disc Repair: Intradiscal Electrothermoplasty, a new approach to disc repair, involves the insertion of a needle into a damaged disc. A wire is threaded through the needle and then heated as it lies along the inner wall, destroying nerve fibers that grow into and invade degenerating discs. It also partially melts part of the disc, encouraging it to generate new reinforcing proteins in the disc fibers. Radiofrequency discal nucleoplasty uses radio frequencies instead of heat to decompress the disc and reduce pressure on the disc and surrounding nerve roots. Talk to your orthopedic surgeon about services offered at medical facilities throughout the North Metro area via Boulder Neurosurgical and Spine Associates.

Tips

“You have to have a strong core muscle. I always recommend an exercise ball versus sit-ups or normal types of (core exercises). The exercise ball is unstable and it forces your brain to control your muscles better. It’s way more functional. I’m not a huge fan of yoga  because it’s very slow and stretchy, and life is not that way. Life is unstable, it’s quick, it’s uncomfortable. You carry the groceries and the babies, and if you fall or slip on the ice, you have to be able to respond. If your body is not able to quickly respond, then you’re going to get hurt. …Get adjusted. You have 24 bones in your spine and if the bones are stuck or not moving properly, you might feel that more in the winter because you’re a little stiffer.” —Shane Fishbein, chiropractor, Boulder

“As someone who has aged while doing yoga, the important thing I’ve discovered about dealing with the stiffness that comes with aging is an overall, well-balanced movement program that keeps muscles strong and flexible. It seems that we can handle the kinds of arthritis and pain that comes to us as we age much better by keeping a strong muscular system around our skeleton. We can have serious damage from an osteoarthritis point of view, which in fact will not bother us if we’ve got a good balance of muscles in the body so we don’t feel bound by pain.” —Mukti Miller, yoga instructor, Boulder

Simple Steps

Avoid razor bumps by taking a hot shower before shaving with the grain and not stretching skin. Rinse with cold water and moisturize afterward.

Avoid moisturizers with paraben, alcohol or mineral oil. Look instead for humectants such as urea, glycerin, alpha hydroxy acids and dimethicone. Oily skin should be clean to avoid acne breakouts, but moisturized to prevent dryness and capillary damage caused by cold, sun and wind.

Vitamin A (no more than 10,000 IU/day) can help regulate skin cycles and prevent acne in men and women who are not pregnant or nursing. Food sources include sweet potatoes, carrots, broccoli, spinach and fortified cereals.

Hydrate by drinking roughly 13 cups of water a day if you’re male, nine cups if you’re female.

Invest in a bedroom humidifier; your central heating system dehydrates your skin.

Monitor your moles, or anything you think might be a mole. If moles change, have irregular borders, strange (black) or uneven coloration, bleeding or itching, visit a dermatologist. Remember the ABCs—asymmetry, border, color—when checking moles.

Technology

SPF: Learn the math. In simple theory, if 15 minutes in the sun is enough to burn you, SPF 10 would allow you to stay out in the sun for 10 times longer, or 150 minutes. Intensity (8 am vs 2 pm sun) and activity (swimming, sweating, etc.) make it nearly impossible for a 50-plus SPF to remain fully effective for 12 or more hours. Reapply every couple of hours.

Acne: Food technology may hurt your face. Processed, sugary foods spike insulin levels which causes a hormonal reaction that can lead to clogged pores. Some studies show hormone-filled dairy products can worsen some acne-sufferer’s breakouts. Foods with a high glycemic index including refined grains, sugary drinks and highly processed snacks can reduce the number and severity of breakouts.

Warts: Human papilloma virus vaccines are for both genders, sexually active or not. Most warts are caused by harmless strains of HPV, can be easily removed or go away on their own. Genital warts, however, can cause psychological damages related to anxiety and feelings of worthlessness. HPV vaccines last five years, protecting your 11-year-old in high school when even oral and protected sex pose an infection risk. Gardasil—approved for males and females ages 9 and older—is the only vaccine that prevents HPV strains 6 and 11, responsible for 90 percent of genital warts in both men and women.

Tips

“To keep your skin healthy, hydration is essential, and the best way to do that, in addition to drinking plenty of water, is to apply skin care products with a significant concentration of hyaluronic acid.” —Marianna, esthetician, Boulder

Like this photo? Check out more of Julia Vandenoever’s amazing photography at her website.

Simple Steps

Bring your own tools to the nail salon. Adolescent girls are seeing increased numbers of fungal infections from improperly sterilized instruments at salon parties. Don’t let nail technicians push back cuticles, which can create an entry for fungus.

Use shellac instead of polish. Shellac doesn’t chip off (it’s similar to a dental sealant), lasts up to six weeks and helps hydrate and reinforce nails.

Biotin, a B vitamin supplement, at 2.5 milligrams a day, can strengthen nails.

Don’t let salons buff or sand the surface of your nail before painting it. This can thin or weaken the nail bed.

Pay attention to changes in your nails, which can be signs of melanoma, diabetes, thyroid disease, liver disease, psoriasis and fungal infection.

Crash diets can kill your hair. Hair needs protein and iron, as well as omega-3s, zinc and vitamin A. Diets not recommended by a physician can lack nutrients and stunt hair growth or make it dull and limp.

Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in salmon and walnuts, as well as supplements that keep hair and nails healthy. Eat spinach and carrots for vitamin A, brazil nuts for selenium and cashews for zinc.

Protect hair from sun damage. Evenly distributing hair sunscreen can be incredibly difficult. Don’t fear a good hat or head scarf to protect your hair and scalp from sun damage.

Less is more: Blowdry, hot-style, wash and brush hair less, especially during the dry winter, to avoid drying out and breaking hair.

Technology

Hair Loss: Drugs that can cause hair loss include: anticlotting drugs, cholesterol-lowering drugs, antidepressants, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics and drugs for menopause and birth control. Talk to your doctor about risk factors and early signs.

Dandruff: Doctors still don’t know what causes it, but it’s not contagious or harmful. Leave dandruff shampoos on for five minutes and rinse well. Yellow, greasy dandruff may be seborrheic dermatitis, but can still be treated with dandruff shampoo. Severe cases may need prescription steroids or antifungal medications.

Hair Analysis: Companies claim to be able to detect health problems and vitamin deficiencies by performing a hair analysis, but they really only detect poisons such as lead and arsenic. Those test results are so easily influenced—even by shampoo—the American Medical Association says they can’t be trusted.

Tips

“A cuticle oil…hydrates and conditions cuticles and keeps them from drying out and cracking. Make (a sugar scrub) at home with brown sugar, regular sugar or salt, and coconut or grapeseed oil. Keep it by your sink and, after you wash them, scrub on and rinse off for a one-minute manicure.” —Amber Osborn, nail technician, Louisville

Simple Steps

Cocoa butter hasn’t proven effective at stretch mark reduction, but Vitamin E, panthenol, hyaluronic acid, elastin and menthol can aid in the prevention of stretch marks in muscly athletes and pregnant women.

Be diligent and patient with ointments or creams on stretch marks and scars. Pick ones that promise scar tissue reduction and collagen synthesis, such as retin A, retinol and vitamin A. Massage the area to encourage blood flow.

Dieters often ditch dairy. If you go that route, however, remember calcium is essential for healthy fat management.

Step off the scale and away from the crash diets. Your emotional stability and nutrition have a huge handle on healthy weight. Weigh yourself once a week, max, and consult a dietitian before cutting foods or calories.

Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. And a couple of healthy snacks.

If you don’t need it, your kids don’t need it. Don’t use children as an excuse to buy foods you shouldn’t, but will, eat an entire bag of on a bad day.

Track your nibbles, tastes and snacks, remembering to eat a healthy snack before indulging a craving. Eating healthy snacks first may ward off that Ben & Jerry’s craving, or at least leave room for less.

Don’t drink your calories. Fruit juices, even 100-percent juice, are high sugar and low fiber. Eating your fruit prevents sugary calorie pile-ups and is better for your digestive system. Sugary coffee drinks and syrupy cocktails aren’t ideal, either. Implement healthy, tasty options until they become your new norm.

Technology:

Stretch Marks: For people who don’t find creams and ointments effective, laser and/or light therapy can help, but often take several treatments. Laser therapy (fractional skin resurfacing) breaks down scar tissue and encourages collagen and epithelium production. Light therapy promotes normal melanin stores. Endermologie repairs damage by increasing circulation to effected areas. Check with your spa for endermologie options, or visit Boulder’s Mountain View Dermatology, Lafayette’s Aesthetic Solutions, or Longmont’s Institute of Aesthetic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery for laser treatments.

Toning: According to the American Council on Exercise, the bicycle exercise (on the floor, not a bike), the captain’s chair leg raise (at the gym), and any dozen variations of a crunch are the healthiest approaches to tummy toning. Think crunches with your arms outstretched, your legs overhead, a balance ball and heel digging. Add a little planking on your elbows and toes to the mix and count on a more toned belly.

Tips

“By resting and taking care of ourselves and eating when we are relaxed instead of when we’re on the run and in the car, we can actually somewhat avoid that holiday weight gain. That’s one of the ways to get rid of that stubborn belly fat is to get out of that fight or flight mode and relax and start digesting and resting and that belly fat’ll just melt away.” —Cathy Hayes-Daly, nutritionist, Boulder

“To be top-rated, a diet had to be relatively easy to follow, nutritious, safe and effective for weight loss and against diabetes and heart disease. The government-endorsed Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) snagged the top spot. … It’s heavy on produce and low in saturated fat and salt.” —U.S. News & World Report

Welcome to the new reality in education.

The olden days are over. And by old, we mean simple. Today, “choice” in education means that you no longer pick between public or private. You pick among Waldorf, Montessori, AP, IB, college-prep, core knowledge, charter, focus, strand and online…just to name a few. The options can be overwhelming, but the pressure is even more daunting. Among Colorado’s districts, rules, procedures and policies differ, and hearsay among fellow parents spreads like gossip through the cafeteria. So, Yellow Scene has put together a little manual to help parents navigate the wild world of open enrollment. It’s class time, and you will be graded.

(Facts)

Most requested non-charter BVSD school and number of requests: Fairview with 522 applications

Most requested BVSD school overall and number of requests: Peak-to-Peak with 2214 applications

SVVSD had nearly 3,000 transfers into district elementary schools in 2011, up from 2,250 in 2007. Transfers include open enrollment students and those transferring to academic or specialized programs in non-neighborhood schools.

(School Stats)

Number of open enrollment applications in BVSD in the past 5 years:

* 2007-2008: 3,998

* 2008-2009: 4,433

* 2009-2010: 4,427

* 2010-2011: 5,626

* 2011-2012: 6,085

Application Acceptance Dates

* SVVSD: Dec. 1–Jan. 17

* BVSD: Nov. 13– Jan. 13

(Numbers)

425

Students coming into BVSD from outside districts in 2011-2012

2,407

Students who received their first choice school in BVSD in 2011-2012

The Nitty Gritty: Get schooled with the basics of open enrollment.

Terms: Don’t get bogged down by the lingo. Know your stuff.

The Shift: A research-based look at the dynamic trends in the academic landscape.

The Fine Tuning: How to find the right school for your student.

For those of you who are new, open enrollment is a policy that allows parents to transfer their students from one public school to another.

How does it work?

Parents and students who want to attend a public school not in the “designated attendance area” can apply to open enroll into another school or schools. When you find the right school, you’ll fill out an open enrollment application on the district website. Submit the application within the deadline (see page 25). Depending on the district, you’ll either submit your application to the school (SVVSD) or to the district (BVSD). In SVVSD, you can apply to as many schools as you’d like. In BVSD, you’ll have three options. You will be informed by mail if your student is accepted.

(Types Of Schools)

* Neighborhood Schools

A public school that gives preference to students from the designated attendance area but is also an option for open enrolled students who apply to attend.

* Focus Schools

Schools with a specific curricular focus.

* Neighborhood Focus Schools

Focus schools that give preference to students in a certain neighborhood.

* Charter Schools

Semi-autonomous public schools whose attendance is largely based on open enrollment.

* Online Schools

Schools that allow kids to work from home on their computers. There are both single-district and multi-district online schools, which serve kids across the state.

(Numbers)

13

This year, the state added 13 new charter schools and enrolled more than 8,500 additional students in those charters schools.

(Intradistrict Versus Interdistrict)

Intradistrict open enrollment allows students to transfer among schools within a district. Interdistrict open enrollment allows students to open enroll into a school within a district different from the one in which they live.

* Colorado requires all districts to offer interdistrict and intradistrict open enrollment.

(Getting Turned Down)

According to the Colorado Public Schools of Choice Act, there are five reasons a school district can deny enrollment in their non-neighborhood school.

1) A lack of space or teachers.

2) The student needs a special program the school does not have.

3) The student does not meet the set standards for a specific program.

4) The school is implementing a desegregation plan, and the denial is in compliance with the plan.

5) The student has been expelled or is in the process of being expelled from another district.

(Getting Accepted)

When the number of applicants surpasses the open space, students will be selected in a lottery.

(Tip #1)

If you really, really want one particular school, put that as your No. 1 choice on your open-enrollment form. Most popular schools fill before they get to second and third choices. i.e. If you pick Peak to Peak Charter School as your No. 3 choice, you are wasting that slot.

(Tip #2)

Start early. Apply to your school of choice when your student is in preschool or kindergarten. It’ll promote consistency of academics, focus and peer group.

(Preferences)

Each district gives preference to certain students in the open-enrollment process. You want to take advantage of this system, as it can help your kids to stay in your neighborhood school even after you move across town. Here are BVSD’s preferences, in order of distinction:

1) Moving: Students who move out of their district-designated neighborhood school attendance area and wish to remain at the school they are attending.

2) Siblings: A new student, whether he or she lives inside or outside of the district, whose sibling has been in attendance and will be attending the requested school the following year; a sibling of a student accepting placement during the same open enrollment period; when siblings apply for open enrollment at one school, they will be linked as siblings in the lottery.

3) Employees: A student of an eligible employee, whether he or she lives inside or outside of the district. Eligible employees are at the benefit level for each of their respective employee groups.

4) Moving Back: BVSD students who want to return to their designated neighborhood school.

5) Inside Boundaries: Students who live within the boundaries of BVSD.

6) Commuters: Students who move outside the boundaries of the district and who want to stay at the school he or she is attending.

7) Outside Boundaries: Students who live outside the boundaries of Boulder Valley School District.

In St. Vrain School District, open enrollment will be approved for a younger sibling if the older sibling will be enrolled at the school for at least one more year. Check with the individual school for specific preferences.

(To Leave or Not to Leave)

In BVSD, if a student enrolls in a school other than his or her neighborhood school, that school becomes the student’s home school. If students want to go back to their neighborhood school, the parent must fill out another open enrollment application and the principal must accept the student before he or she can return to the school. In St. Vrain, this is not the case. Students can return to their neighborhood school without application.

(To Leave or Not to Leave)

Parent Perspective By Anna Fowles-Winkler, Pioneer Elementary parent

“We open enrolled our son in the preschool at Pioneer Elementary School in Lafayette last year, so he could attend elementary school there, which he now does in kindergarten. We were interested in Pioneer because of its bilingual program, the amazing principal, staff and teachers, and also its close proximity to our house; our son can ride his bicycle to school.”