Meet the Principal

August 2026

Dear Rooney Ranch Elementary Families and Community,

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the 2026-2027 school year. I am very excited to serve all of you in my 4th year as the proud principal at Rooney Ranch Elementary (10 years as a principal in total).  I would like to express how grateful I am to be leading such an amazing community of students, families and staff.  I am so proud of all of the achievements and accomplishments of our students here at Rooney Ranch, and couldn't brag enough about the amazing teachers and staff that work with such strong dedication, devotion, and passion to support this community.

At RR, we will continue to uphold the tradition of academic excellence, fostering a safe and inclusive environment where every child can flourish. I am committed to collaborating with our dedicated educators and staff to ensure that each student receives a well-rounded education that nurtures their unique talents and abilities, and where:

every student, every day feels connected, every student, every day feels challenged by new learnings and experiences, and every student, every day knows they have a caring adult at school they can turn to.

The beginning of a new school year, like the dawning of a new day, reminds us that the future holds infinite possibilities. I know that we are about to begin a great school year filled with hope, vision, and excitement. As we begin this new year, I wish everyone the greatest success. I do not need to remind you of how important our job is for all of our students at RR. Our students need our collective wisdom, care, and most importantly our relationship.  My hope is that through our professional learning community, both you and our students will think of our school as a place where we enhance the notion of a caring and thriving community of learners that come together to do interesting consequential work.  This year, together, we will continue to attempt new things and we will continue to build strong foundational skills for our students aligned to our mission and Jeffco’s strategic plan.

Our theme this year will be "Live a Great Story: One Team. Uniquely Together." By blending our individual strengths into a unified team, our entire community creates a powerful collective efficacy that ensures every student receives the support they need to succeed. When educators, families, and community members bring their unique talents together around this shared outcome, we prove that we are truly better together in writing a great story for our school. And it's up to each of us to be the hero of our story, which inspires other people to do the same.” Let’s be the hero of another great story in the year ahead! Thank you for entrusting me with the privilege of leading Rooney Ranch Elementary and I can't wait to embark on this new school year with all of you!

With deepest gratitude and love,

Thomas Gardner, Principal

Also, the PTA Coffee Talk with the Principal dates are October 23 8:00-8:45 and April 23 8:00-8:45.