DJDS Leaders Swap Offices to Fix Space Crunch

Over the past few years, Denver Jewish Day School has been growing in students and faculty. The growth has created a need for more classroom space. DJDS has found creative ways to use its limited space.

Over this past summer, two longtime DJDS administrators, Vice Principal Melanie Knowles and Upper Division Director of Operations Josh Lake, moved out of their longtime offices to make room for the growing school. Knowles had worked in her shared upstairs office since the current building was built, which she estimated was about 24 years ago. Lake had worked alone in his old office for 19 years before making the move.

Knowles moved into Director of Judaic Studies Benjamin Levy's office this past summer for a number of reasons. When Danielle Sapiens became interim principal, Knowles became the new Vice Principal. Sapiens wanted her downstairs, either in her office or Levy's office. Knowles thought that Sapiens needed her own space as principal, and she and Levy work well together, and she says that “Levy and I are both kind of like second in command.” 

During the second semester last year, Maxwell Muss was hired into the science department. This semester he needed a permanent office space, and without Knowles moving out, there wouldn’t have been space for him in the science office. 

For Knowles, moving offices meant adjusting to a very new environment. Her old office was a small, shared space at the end of the noisy upstairs hallway. Her new office is downstairs in a quieter faculty area. Knowles says, “I liked the greater access for students. I had a lot more students drop in, and we’d have good conversations upstairs.” Since her new office is quieter and less accessible to students, Knowles now tries to spend more time in the hallway during passing periods. 

But a new upside to her office is that it's now easier to communicate with Sapiens and more administrators since they work right next to each other. She says that it's a much quieter working environment where she gets work done more efficiently. 

Lake's move, however, was not connected to a change in his position. Instead, he moved because of the school's overcrowded classrooms and space concerns. Also having the role of Athletic Director, Lake moved into the athletic office adjacent to the gymnasium. His old office is now named Room 100, which can be used as a classroom, student space, and meeting area. 

Lake was first asked about moving offices in Nov. 2025. At first, he was hesitant to give up an office he had worked in for 19 years. However, he eventually saw how the space could benefit students and teachers. “If this gives another chance for students and teachers to meet in an area that's going to push the ball forward academically…I’m all for it,” he said.

When Lake was given his office 19 years ago, there were about 65 fewer students and staff in the upper division. According to Lake, it's just not possible for people to have their own space now.

“I think the school is in a better place because it happened, because teachers and students get to use that room,” Lake said. 

Mackenzie Bliek, an 8th grader at DJDS, adds, “I think it's a really smart idea because it's a lot easier for a smaller class to be in.”