In a ruling that could have profound consequences for Colorado’s budget, a Denver judge Friday said the state’s school-funding system is not “thorough and uniform” as mandated by the state constitution.
The state’s school-funding system “is not rationally related to the mandate to establish and maintain a thorough and uniform system of free public schools,” District [...]

Holiday revelers have plenty of options when it comes to finding the perfect Christmas tree. They can buy artificial timber preloaded with lights and ornaments. Or, they can opt for the real deal, selecting a Colorado spruce or Douglas fir from one of the many precut vendors who set up shop this time of year.
But [...]

In a recent interview with Dr. Jeffrey I. Dolgan, PhD, Senior Psychologist at Children’s Hospital Colorado, we asked how to manage children’s expectations during the holidays. Here’s what Dr. Dolgan had to say about how to deal with holiday let-downs if Santa, Mom or Dad come up short.
What do kids expect at Christmastime or Hanukkah?
Kids [...]

Once, Christmas cards represented a tradition so widespread that extra holiday mail required the U.S. Postal Service to hire seasonal help to sort through the annual paper blizzard.
Lately, that storm is decreasing into flurries.
“We only get about 20, 25 cards by Christmas,” says Elissa Auther of Denver.
“When I was growing up, we got dozens, and [...]

At one recent Denver middle-school open house, the principal greased visiting fifth-graders’ palms with chocolate. Another dangled international travel before visitors. And one captivated recruits with classroom chairs that actually bounce, to accommodate fidgeting pre-teens.
Practically every Denver middle school now invites fifth-graders and their parents to an open house. Many host fifth-graders as they “shadow” [...]

Through Saturday. The holidays are extra sweet at the Candy Cane Festival at Hammond’s Candies. The historic candy factory hosts the party for two days this year, beginning today with a miniature version of the annual festival—think of it as a sneak preview. Visit on Saturday for the full experience: cookie decorating, caroling, storytelling, trolley [...]

Make room in the toy box for the iPad.
Crayola allows tots to doodle on the iPad using its iMarker just as they would a crayon on a coloring book. Tweens are able to belt out their favorite Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez tunes on a Disney microphone that turns the tablet into a karaoke machine. [...]

Guest Post by Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition
As Coloradans, we often boast about residing in America’s leanest state, enjoying 300 days of sunshine and being one of the most educated states in the country. But a new Associated Press report issued last week puts Colorado at the top of another list – No. 2 for vaccine [...]

On first meeting, Sully Coronado exudes a warmth and confidence that suggest she’s comfortably on her way to, well, wherever she wants to go.
The University of Northern Colorado sophomore is majoring in special education with an emphasis in teaching English as a second language, bilingual/bicultural and Spanish. She is the first in her family to [...]

December Daily Calendar of Holiday Fun in Colorado
2 Lights on parade, Denver and Boulder
The 9News annual parade follows a 2-mile route in downtown Denver. 8 p.m. Dec. 2 (also on TV) and 6 p.m. Dec. 3. Free or purchase a grandstand seat. Visit denver paradeoflights.com. Downtown Boulder’s Lights of December Parade begins at 6 p.m. [...]