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Students balancing cookies on their eyes
Students playing games on the gym floor
Teachers holding up homemade ornaments
Students exploring a cave
Students gathered in a helicopter
Preschoolers shoveling at a ground breaking ceremony
Students holding a thank you sign for the army national guard
Teachers standing around a table stacked with pizza boxes
Young students looking at a clipboard with their dad
student giving a flower to resource officer

Wamsley Elementary School

Welcome to Wamsley!
WES logo graphic
Our school is focused on creating the best culture and climate for our staff, our students, and our families. We emphasize inclusion because if our students feel loved, our teachers feel supported, and our families feel welcomed, students feel free to learn and explore, teachers are creative, and families support their child's development.
Experiential Education
Student building a wooden deer
Experiential Education is a style of teaching where educators purposefully engage with learners in direct experience and focused reflection in order to increase knowledge, develop skills, and create community. Once a week for 3 hours, Wamsley Wildcats are immersed in experiences that encourage them to challenge themselves while allowing them to hone their strengths.
Overnight Field Trips
Elementary school students taking a group photo at a Mill

As a part of EE, students are given the opportunity to go on an overnight camping trip every year. These trips become our classrooms where we teach students skills like archery, fire safety, tent building, cooking, hiking, and overall camping skills/preparation.

Assemblies and the Spirit Stick
Students taping principal to the wall
Every Thursday morning, we have a pep rally style assembly for the entire school. Students volunteer to host the assembly and those students run the entire agenda. At these assemblies, we honor students and staff who have done extraordinary things from the past week. The grade with the most spirit during these assemblies earn the "Spirit Stick" based on student and staff judges. They earn the honor of putting a new symbol on the spirit stick for the next week by performing their chant well, having great enthusiasm, and great behavior during the assembly.
Cooking and Gardening
Students cooking chili
At Wamsley, we have a school garden that is taken care of by the students during EE. Students plant many different types of fruits and vegetables that are entered into the fair every year. Students also learn to cook in our kids' kitchen throughout the year. From learning to read and follow recipes to using a variety of different measurement and kitchen tools, students learn to cook new foods and even serve their finished products to staff and parents!

News & Events

Check out all the great things happening around WES!

Headshot of Cassie Haskell, Garfield Re-2 school board member

The Garfield Re-2 School Board held its regular meeting on Wednesday, June 25 at the district office. Thank you all who came to the meeting!

We began the evening by celebrating the outstanding accomplishments of our high school spring sports athletes. Heather Grumley and Lisa Pierce shared heartfelt and enthusiastic reports on the incredible success of our student-athletes. This meeting also marked their final presentation before retiring. We extend our deepest gratitude to both Heather and Lisa for their years of dedicated service to our students, schools, and community. We will miss you both! 

Read More about School Board Update June 25, 2025 - Cassie Haskell
Garfield Re-2 logo, a sun over mountains

The Garfield Re-2 School Board celebrated outgoing Board President Britton Fletchall at their June 25, 225 school board meeting and declared a vacancy in Director District A.

Fletchall submitted a letter of resignation on June 18 and shared that his decision is rooted in the growth of his business, which now requires more travel and extended time away from the area.

“Serving has never been a burden, but a true motivator,” he explained. “While I value the ability to participate remotely, I believe this level of board service is most effective when done in person.”

Read More about Garfield Re-2 Board Celebrates Outgoing Board President Declares Vacancy
Photo of Aaron Hermiller

If you hand Aaron Hermiller a 1,000-piece jigsaw, he’ll dive right in—because for this self-described “puzzle nerd,” he enjoys seeing every piece click into place. Beginning July 1, 2025 (pending Board approval on May 14), Hermiller will bring his talents for solving complex challenges to a brand-new puzzle: guiding the students and staff of Graham Mesa Elementary to even higher levels of success.

Mr. Hermiller will take the reins from the current Principal, Brian Sprenger, who resigned earlier this year.

Currently a fourth-grade teacher and instructional coach at Wamsley Elementary, Hermiller has spent 11 years in Garfield Re-2 in a variety of roles, including classroom teacher and academic coach. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Ohio State University, a Master of Science in Education from the University of Findlay, and his Principal Certification is from Western Colorado University.

Read More about Aaron Hermiller selected to be the next leader at Graham Mesa Elementary
Photo of Kirk Banghart

RIFLE, CO - The Garfield Re-2 School District is pleased to announce that Kirk Banghart will serve as the next Superintendent beginning July 1, 2025. His contract was unanimously approved at the April 9, 2025, School Board meeting. Mr. Banghart will take over for current Superintendent Heather Grumley, who is retiring at the end of the school year after five years in the superintendent role and over 30 years in the Garfield Re-2 School District.

Mr. Banghart brings a passion for continuous improvement, a deep respect for the great work happening in Garfield Re-2, and a commitment to listening and learning from the community. His contract will officially begin July 1, 2025, and he will begin spending time in Garfield Re-2 a few days a month, specifically to support critical hiring decisions and get to know the staff of the District. 

Read More about Kirk Banghart approved as next Garfield Re-2 Superintendent

Words of Kindness

See what our families are saying about Wamsley Elementry School!

Wamsley is a very welcoming school...

I love the Experiential Education part of the school. My children have made a lot of progress and are very happy there! The teachers and staff love each one of their students.

My kids love going to school!

EE is an amazing program and most of the staff are wonderful!

The teachers and staff love my children as their own...

I feel very lucky to have them teaching my children!

Best teachers...

in the valley!