Hello! 

I’m Karen Newton and I am honored to be the Principal at Midland Elementary.  This is my third year as Principal of this wonderful quality neighborhood school.  I am also the Principal at West Elementary and I am in my seventh year!  Before becoming a Principal, I have been an Assistant Principal, Dean of Students, and a teacher of Middle School Math, Science, Health and Elementary grades 1^st and 4^th.   I live in the Midland community and enjoy the culture of Old Colorado City and the Westside. 

I have three daughters all who are college graduates and live here in Colorado Springs.  I am also the proud “Grammie” to nine beautiful grandchildren!  Family is at the center of my life and I enjoy spending as much time with them as possible.  My daughters are what led me to my career in education.  When volunteering in their schools, I found myself wanting to become an educator.  There is nothing more exciting to me than seeing students learn!  I love the outdoor life and my favorite pastimes are reading mystery novels and camping.  I have two golden doodles, Jax and Ellie, who love to camp and play. 

I love working with teachers and students.  My goal at Midland is to provide students with a sense of safety and belonging as well as a rigorous and engaging education. 

Hello there, (said in the voice of Obi-Wan)

I’m Lori Lujan, the Dean of Students here at Midland Elementary School.  This is my 3^rd year at Midland and I look forward to growing and learning more in my role to provide better service to our students and their families.  My educational license is as a Professional School Counselor.  I am a National Dropout Prevention Center Trauma Skilled Specialist.  I also consider myself a pretty good yo-yo thrower.

I enjoy working with all of our students in building a safe and fun learning environment. My goal is to support families and students in having strong attendance and academic success.  I plan to do this by continuously monitoring each student’s attendance and being in regular communication with families whose students are struggling to attend on a regular basis.  I plan to support academic success by supporting students in making good choices that allow themselves and others to learn in a safe environment.  I also enjoy looking at how I can bring community members together with the Midland Community to form strong relationships.

When I am not at school, I enjoy photography, cheering on my Denver Broncos, visiting outdoor spaces around the city, and spending time with my family.  I would like to spend more time on my mountain bike.  My home away from home at our family cabin provides me with rest and rejuvenation.

I look forward to a fun and successful school year with my Midland family.