Kelly Lubkeman has been named Longmont High School’s Teacher of the Year, a recognition of her dedication to students, her engaging teaching style, and her unwavering commitment to building strong relationships in the classroom.
The announcement took Lubkeman, a science and chemistry teacher, by surprise. “Principal Jeff McMurry came into my classroom in the middle of my class with our assistant principal, Deanna Dykstra, and they were smiling a little, and I was like, ‘What’s going on? You’re kind of acting funny,’” Lubkeman recalled. “And then he just asked for the class’s attention to stop for a second and announced to my students that I had been named the Teacher of the Year. It was really sweet — I had no idea it was coming.”
Lubkeman will be honored at the Celebration of Excellence on April 11, an annual event hosted by the St. Vrain Valley Schools Education Foundation at Byron R. White Stadium at Folsom Field, in Boulder. The event recognizes outstanding educators from each SVVSD school, with one ultimately being named the district-wide Educator of the Year.
Principal McMurry said the nomination process is community-driven. “A QR code and a link is provided to our entire community — our school, our students, our parents — and it’s really just nominations from folks who have a direct understanding of our teachers,” he said. “We had multiple teachers recommended, and Kelly’s [recommendations] came in incredibly strong, rightfully so. She’s an amazing teacher.”
For Lubkeman, teaching is about fostering relationships and creating a learning environment where students feel safe taking risks. “The most important thing for me is building strong relationships with students,” she said. “If they feel safe and comfortable in your classroom, they’re a lot more in a position to learn… because it’s hard to learn chemistry.”
Her approach involves learning about students beyond the classroom. “The more I do that at the beginning of the year, the more I see students share with me throughout the year — like, ‘Hey, we had a scrimmage this weekend,’ or ‘Oh, my little sibling was doing this this morning,’ she said. “They naturally want to share, and it kind of just sustains itself, which is awesome.”
Another key lesson Lubkeman instills in her students is the value of teamwork. “That’s the one thing I won’t let them talk me out of,” she said. “I make them sit in random groups and say, ‘You don’t have to hang out with these kids this weekend, but you do have to be able to effectively collaborate in the classroom.’”
Principal McMurry said that Lubkeman’s teaching goes beyond the classroom. “She is an amazing teacher who’s always at the cutting edge of the most impactful teaching skills and styles,” he said. “She engages her students in such a way that they are all set up for success with her. And then the community part really stems from her role as the medical and bioscience coordinator. She’s very much a visible member of our medical and bioscience community and is constantly making connections and partnerships with local industry leaders in the medical and allied health sciences.”
Now in her eleventh year of teaching — 10 of those years spent teaching at Longmont High — Lubkeman credits her department and colleagues for making her career so rewarding. “If everyone could be like my coworkers, they’d be successful in life,” she said. “I’m so thankful for the relationships I’ve built… it doesn’t even feel like an award for me. It feels like an award for all of my school, my department, my students, and my administration.”
McMurry noted how the school community rallied behind Lubkeman after her win. “Oh yeah, they were incredibly excited to hear it,” he said. “We did recognize Kelly in front of her grade 10 chemistry students, and they gave her a large round of applause and definitely reiterated what a great teacher she is. Then I shared with her department, and they have just praised her and recognized her since. Finally, I was able to share with our entire school over our P.A. system, right before we were leaving for spring break, asking everyone to help me recognize Kelly Lubkeman as our Teacher of the Year for Longmont High School. I know that students and staff were thrilled that it was Kelly.”
The Celebration of Excellence event will feature a mix of networking, video tributes, guest speakers, student performances, and storytelling to honor the educators’ work. “I think it really does highlight all of the great work that’s being done at Longmont High School and across the district,” McMurry said. “For Kelly to be recognized, I know her department is incredibly proud — and our school as a whole.”
Tickets for the Celebration of Excellence cost $38 and are available for purchase online until April 4. The event will include a cocktail hour from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and an award ceremony from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. It is an adults-only event, as alcohol will be on the premises.
