Elevation Facility School

After a week of celebrating our amazing teachers and staff, our students get to go home and celebrate their moms this weekend! How grateful we are for all the Elevation Mothers who entrust us with their amazing children!

Happy Paraprofessional Appreciation Day!

Our paraprofessionals are the backbone of EAS. They build trust, create consistency, and support our students through both the big moments and the small ones that matter most.

Because of them, our students grow, succeed, and feel safe. We couldn’t do this work without you.

Happy Thanksgiving, EAS Community!
We are so grateful for each of you and the incredible community we continue to build together. A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to our food drive—your generosity truly makes a difference. 💛
Wishing all of our students, families, and staff a warm, joyful, and restful holiday!

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Halloween from EAS!!!

✨ Staff Spotlight: Meet Margaret Gertzog, MA, BCBA! ✨

Next up in our Staff Spotlight Series is our amazing Director of Behavior Services, Margaret Gertzog! 🌟

Margaret has been supporting the neurodivergent community since 2013, with experience in homes, clinics, and schools. In 2016, she moved abroad to Australia and New Zealand, where she earned her graduate degree from the University of Auckland and became a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst in 2019.

💡 Margaret is especially passionate about working in a facility school setting alongside a multidisciplinary team. Her goal? To create a space where students consent to their education by experiencing joy throughout the school day. ❤️

When she’s not supporting students and staff, Margaret enjoys spending time with her daughter, hiking, and reading 📚🌲.

We’re so grateful for Margaret’s leadership and dedication—help us celebrate her in the comments below! 👏

✨ Staff Spotlight: Meet Lara Leonard, M.S., CCC-SLP! ✨

Today’s spotlight shines on our incredible Director of School Services and Speech-Language Pathologist, Lara Leonard! 🌟

Lara began her career in 2013 after earning her Master’s degree in Communication Disorders from Truman State University. Inspired by her close relationship with her younger brother, Danny, who has Down syndrome, Lara was drawn to the field of special education—a calling that has shaped her career ever since.

After moving from her hometown of St. Louis to Denver, Lara began working with children and families in home-based settings. Over the years, she has supported students ages 3–21 across public schools and specialized facility schools.

💡 Lara is especially passionate about supporting students with complex communication needs. Her expertise includes augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), gestalt language processing, expressive and pragmatic language, and literacy development. Her mission: to empower students to communicate to the best of their ability so they can connect with others and advocate for themselves.

Outside of work, Lara loves skiing, hiking, camping, traveling, and catching live music 🎿🏔️🎶✈️.

We are so thankful for Lara’s leadership, expertise, and passion—drop a ❤️ or 👏 in the comments to celebrate her!

✨ Staff Spotlight: Meet Hayden! ✨

We’re kicking off the school year by highlighting the amazing team that makes our school such a special place. First up is Hayden!

Hayden graduated with honors from CU Boulder’s Psychology program in 2020. Since then, he’s dedicated his career to working with neurodivergent learners in a variety of settings—clinic, home, school, and community. He recently received his alternative teaching license and is working toward his full teaching license in Special Education 🎓.

💡 Hayden is passionate about empowering students to reach their maximum potential. Whether it’s academics, daily living skills, or building independence, he believes every student deserves the tools and support to thrive.

When he’s not in the classroom, Hayden loves hiking, camping, reading, and spending time with his fiancée and their pets 🏔️📚🐾.

We are so lucky to have Hayden on our team this year—be sure to give him a warm welcome in the comments below! 👏

✨ Staff Spotlight: Meet Mary Forest! ✨

We’re excited to kick off our Staff Spotlight Series with one of our amazing Special Education Teachers, Mary Forest!

Mary began working with children with special needs in 2017 at Elevation Ability Services. It was there that she discovered her passion for helping students with unique needs thrive. While earning her degree, Mary gained valuable classroom experience as a paraprofessional in a significant support needs classroom. In 2021, she officially graduated with her Special Education teaching license from the University of Northern Colorado 🎓.

💡 Mary is dedicated to empowering students to build independence and develop the skills they need to succeed in an ever-changing world. Her heart for teaching shines in everything she does!

Outside the classroom, Mary loves spending time with friends and family, reading, heading to concerts, and escaping to the mountains 🏔️🎶📚.

We’re so grateful to have Mary on our team—drop a comment below to help us celebrate her! 👏

Hello from Elevation Ability Services! 👋

It’s been a little while since we’ve posted—but we’re still here, still growing, and more excited than ever for what’s ahead. As we kick off a new school year, we’re bringing our social media back to life so we can better connect with YOU—our amazing families, team members, and community supporters.

This space will be used to share:
✨ Behind-the-scenes glimpses of life at Elevation
🎉 Celebrations, events, and milestones
📣 Volunteer and fundraising opportunities
💡 Resources and tips for families of children with special needs
💙 And all the joy, progress, and stories that make Elevation so special.

If you're new here—welcome! If you’ve been with us for a while—thank you. We’re so glad you’re on this journey with us.

Stay tuned… lots of good things to come!