Charlotte Braud-Kern
Music and Art Teacher, Beach Court Elementary
Students First
"Charlotte Braud-Kern is an incredible example of always putting Students First at Beach Court Elementary. She will retire from DPS after serving our district for the last 30 years and she is truly an irreplaceable gem! In addition to providing all of our ECE through fifth-grade students a comprehensive and culturally responsive music and art curriculum, she also runs a phenomenal After School Art Program, which provides students an opportunity to sign up for classes once a week. Classes include: Band, choir, violin, guitar, shakespeare, gardening and DJing. Ms. Braud-Kern partners with many of the best professional artists in the city to come and teach our students to play instruments, sing, dance and much more. These groups include the Colorado Honor Band, Denver Young Artist Orchestra, Denver Children's Choir, Fiesta Colorado Dance Company, Creative Dance Kids and Swallow Hill Music.
Additionally, Charlotte organizes yearly school-wide and grade-level field trips such as traditional Beach Court trips to see the Symphony and the Nutcracker, which students, families and staff members look forward to every year. Our fourth- and fifth-graders produce a Nutcracker show each December, which is paired with a Winter Bazaar. At the end of every school year, each grade level performs for families and staff at the Spring Carnival. These are just a few of the many cherished traditions Ms. Braud-Kern has established in her eight years at Beach Court.
Charlotte is a quintessential music and art teacher. She is talented, resourceful, patient and 100% dedicated to her students. However, what sets her apart from other music and art teachers I have known throughout the years is her ability to teach both music and art, in addition to her unique After School Art Program. Charlotte works tirelessly, spending countless hours to provide Beach Court students with extraordinary opportunities in the arts, providing many of them with experiences they might not otherwise have access to. Our school will not be the same after Ms. Braud-Kern retires -- her replacement has some mighty big shoes to fill!"
-- Leslie Harvey, Beach Court Elementary
