Meet the Principal

Dear Coronado Families and Community,

On behalf of the entire Coronado staff, I am thrilled to welcome you to the start of an exciting new school year! I hope your summer has been filled with rest, relaxation, and wonderful memories. As we prepare to open our doors, I want to express just how deeply honored and excited I am to step into the role of Principal at Coronado Elementary.

It was an absolute joy meeting so many of you during our "Meet the Principal" event at the end of the last school year. Reconnecting with familiar faces and greeting our new families has only heightened my enthusiasm for the journey ahead. We deeply value our school community and are fully dedicated to ensuring Coronado remains a warm, inclusive, and supportive home for everyone.

Our Shared Vision & Mission

Coronado’s mission—“Learn from yesterday, explore today, leave a legacy for tomorrow”—resonates at the very core of my educational philosophy. Every decision we make is guided by a simple principle: doing what is best for our students.

Together with our exceptional staff, our goal is to ensure your child experiences joy in a safe, predictable, and structured environment. We want our students to engage in creative, hands-on learning tasks while feeling empowered to take risks, face the future with confidence, and persevere through challenges.

Culture, Connection, and Partnership

We know that building strong, authentic relationships—among students, staff, and families—is fundamental to a thriving school. Coronado’s commitment to encouraging safe, responsible, and respectful behavior through positive support directly mirrors my core leadership values:

• Positivity & Joy: Cultivating an energetic environment where students are excited to walk through our doors each morning.
• Instructional Excellence & Support: Ensuring our passionate educators have the resources, structure, and personalized tools they need to inspire learning every day.
• Open Communication: Welcoming our families as true, essential partners in their child’s growth and success.

There is nothing that brings me greater joy than teaching, collaborating, and learning side-by-side with our students and staff. It is this shared sense of purpose and rich connection to our neighborhood that makes leading Coronado such a privilege.

Deeply Rooted in Our Community

This community is remarkably special to me because it is truly my home—both past and present. Growing up just down the road, attending Shaffer Elementary and Deer Creek Middle School, and graduating from Dakota Ridge High School gave me a firsthand appreciation for what an extraordinary place this is.

After experiencing such a wonderful upbringing here, I couldn't wait to return to Jeffco as an adult to raise my own family. Today, I live right here in the neighborhood, with an 8th grader at Falcon Bluffs Middle School and a junior at Chatfield Senior High! Having such deep, personal roots makes serving a school as cherished and renowned as Coronado a profound full-circle moment for me. I feel incredibly fortunate to lead and support the very community that shaped who I am.

Thank you for such a warm welcome into the Coronado family. I am eager to see the incredible impact we will make together this year!

Warmly,

Nikki Kneuer
Principal, Coronado Elementary School