Orton-Keiffer was recognized during a recent rotary club meeting. Joined by his family and North administrators, Orton-Keiffer addressed the audience about his achievement and what it took for him to get this far.

North received a $100 award on Orton-Keiffer’s behalf to be used by the student council or another club or organization at the school.

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Columbia Middle School recently hosted their second annual "Murder Mystery Night."  Designed to bring the community together, this year’s western "Cougar Bend" kept the audience guessing to the very end.  The evening included a chuck wagon dinner, cow chip throwing, a silent auction and a mystery for the audience to solve.  Attended by more than 120 people, Columbia is quickly making this a spring tradition for the whole family.

Written by Sarah Lebsack

Four Hinkley High School students will be participating in paid internships at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science this summer as part of the Teen Scholars program. Nathalie Alvarado, Edgar Botello, Salamasina Fifita and Victoria Ramirez-Solis will be doing research and field work in zoology, health sciences, anthropology and paleontology, respectively. The internships are incredibly competitive and Hinkley is proud to have four representatives participate!

We are proud of our T-Bird scientists!

Lucero Martinez Torres, left, and Vista PEAK Exploratory teacher Julie Palma.

Lucero Martinez Torres, a fourth grade student at Vista PEAK Exploratory, was recently honored by the Colorado Humanities & Center for the Book.  Lucero's work was entered into an annual competition called Letters About Literature.  She competed against fourth through sixth graders across the state and received an honorable mention.

Lucero wrote a letter to the author Barbara Shook Hazen about how her book, "Tight Times," touched and changed her life.  One of the lessons she took away was "that you will always struggle, but you will find your place where it will all be better."  Her piece can be found in the Student Literary Awards 2012 book published by the organization.

From left, APS Superintendent John Barry, Rangeview senior Nina De La Rosa, her mother, Joyce and brother, Joseph.

The Comcast Foundation has announced that a Rangeview High School student is one of just two students in Colorado who will receive a $10,000 college scholarship this year. The scholarship provides valuable support for Rangeview senior Nina De La Rosa as she prepares to attend the University of Colorado at Boulder this fall.

Aurora Mayor Pro Tem Barbara Cleland and Aurora City Councilman Bob Roth joined Rich Jennings, Vice President of Comcast’s Mile High Region, in presenting the scholarship award and a laptop computer to Nina. The presentation was made in front of an audience of approximately 600 government, education and business leaders at the annual Public Education & Business Coalition luncheon on May 4.

Through Comcast’s annual Leaders and Achievers® Scholarship Program, a total of $75,000 in scholarship funding will be awarded to 57 Colorado students this year, with 55 students receiving $1,000 each and two students each receiving $10,000.

Other Aurora students each will receive a $1,000 college scholarship: 

• Leslye Magallon, Gateway High School
• Tsion Shiferaw, Aurora Central High School

“Through this scholarship program, Comcast is proud to salute talented high school seniors who are leaders in their communities,” said Rich Jennings, Vice President of Comcast’s Mile High Region.  “For nearly 50 years, Comcast has been committed to making a positive impact on our local communities and helping them ‘Dream Big’ by providing innovative technology, encouraging volunteerism, providing financial support and partnering with great community organizations. We hope these scholarships will help these students reach their full potential and continue to dream big.”

The Comcast Leaders and Achievers® Scholarship Program provides $1,000 or $10,000 scholarships to students who strive to achieve their potential, are catalysts for positive change in their communities, are involved in their schools and who serve as models for their fellow students. The philosophy behind the program is to give young people every opportunity to prepare for the future and engage them in their communities. The program also demonstrates the importance of civic involvement and the value placed on civic involvement by the business community.

Since the program’s inception, more than 500 Colorado students have received a total of $594,000 in scholarship funding. To date, Comcast has awarded more than $17 million to more than 17,000 Leaders and Achievers Scholarship winners across the country.

“Each year, we are excited to provide scholarships for these talented students,” said Charisse R. Lillie, President of the Comcast Foundation and Vice President, Community Investment of Comcast Corp. “Comcast seeks students who demonstrate leadership abilities in school activities and who reflect a strong commitment to community service.  These students are our future leaders, and we hope these scholarships will help to power their dreams for success.”

About the Comcast Foundation
The Comcast Foundation was founded by Comcast Corporation in June 1999 to provide charitable support to qualified non-profit organizations. The Foundation primarily invests in programs intended to have a positive, sustainable impact on their communities.  The Foundation has three community investment priorities—promoting community service, expanding digital literacy and building tomorrow’s leaders.  Since its inception, the Comcast Foundation has donated more than $90 million to organizations in the communities nationwide that Comcast serves.  More information about the Foundation and its programs is available at www.comcast.com/community.

About Comcast Corporation
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq:  CMCSA, CMCSK) (www.comcast.com) is one of the world’s leading media, entertainment and communications companies.  Comcast is principally involved in the operation of cable systems through Comcast Cable and in the development, production and distribution of entertainment, news, sports and other content for global audiences through NBCUniversal.  Comcast Cable is one of the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone providers to residential and business customers.  Comcast is the majority owner and manager of NBCUniversal, which owns and operates entertainment and news cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, local television station groups, television production operations, a major motion picture company and theme parks.

Hauser and the class used Skype, the popular voice-over-Internet Protocol service, to meet and discuss the particulars about her book, "The New Kids: Big Dreams and Brave Journeys at a High School for Immigrant Teens." The students read her book prior to the chat session, and many of them were able to relate to the content. Hauser fielded questions about her inspiration to write the book and told the class of some of her own life experiences.

Some students also submitted some of their own writings to Hauser, and she offered feedback during the session.

I am forwarding a letter from Lt Gov Garcia that I would like you all to read.  Every staff member makes it possible for us to meet our vision of graduating every student with the choice to attend college without remediation.  This letter is for all our teammates and is an accolade for the noble work we do in APS.

JB

May 8, 2012

To District Leaders, Principals, Educators, School Staff and Volunteers,

It was just a few months ago when I had the pleasure of joining a small cadre of early childhood advocates on the Literacy Matters Tour across the state of Colorado.  During those few days, and in the months since, I have had the privilege of meeting some of our state’s finest and most dedicated teachers, principals, district administrators and countless others who provide staffing and volunteer support to school classrooms and early learning centers.

In honor of National Teacher Appreciation Week, I would like to thank those we met during our travels and the many thousands of other hard-working professionals who give of their time and talent to help ensure that every child in this state receives an exceptional education.

We know that great teachers, great principals, and great district leaders make a significant and positive difference in a child’s education.  In support of our educational professionals,

Colorado is leading an early literacy initiative as part of a statewide effort to help ensure all children are reading at grade level by the end of third grade.  Our office is working closely with the Colorado Department of Education as it develops a state literacy plan that will serve as a roadmap for the implementation of literacy related policies and programs, content standards and assessments.  Together, we will see a day when every child – regardless of zip code, race, ethnicity, or family income – will be a successful reader by third grade and a successful learner for a lifetime.

A student’s future should not be defined by his or her circumstances in life, but by his or her abilities. Effective teachers make connections with students and tap into their individual gifts and abilities, guiding them on a path to success.  Through a teacher’s patient instruction, students learn to read a book, solve a mathematical equation and question assumptions.  Teachers open doors to the mysteries of our past, ignite curiosity in the world around us and inspire students to envision a better world for tomorrow.

Thank you for your tireless commitment to the children in your communities and schools and best wishes for a successful end to the school year,

Joseph A. Garcia

Lieutenant Governor

The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 17 in the Professional Learning and Conference Center (PLCC) 15771 E. 1st Ave., Aurora, CO 80011. A representative from the Division of Finance will present the proposed budget.

The final budget will be presented to the APS Board of Education in June.

• Visit the Budget Reduction website.

Hinkley's Rachel Sogunle, left, and Aurora Central's Diana Morales were two of the scholarship recipients from the second semester.

APS students who participated in internships during the second semester this school year recently celebrated their success during the Sponsor Appreciation Ceremony at the Professional Learning & Conference Center.

Students from Aurora Central, Gateway, Hinkley and Rangeview high schools stood tall as they put a resounding exclamation point on their most recent professional development. Parents, staff and APS Board of Education members showed their support as the honorees reflected on their experiences and future plans. Pickens holds one appreciation ceremony per semester each year.

Students earned the Presidential Service Award and were presented with certificates and pins. Scholarship presentations were made to six students, including two that donated from Broadview Animal Clinic.

Congratulations to the following award and scholarship winners:

Aurora Central
Gold Presidential Service Award Winners (250+ hours of community service)

• Cynthia Duron

Silver Presidential Service Award Winners (175- 249 hours of community service)

• Leonel Enriquez
• Travis Hulme

Bronze Presidential Service Award Winners (100-174 hours of community service)

• Daniela Carrillo
• Vanessa Lopez-Rodriguez
• Tiana Bell

Executive Internship Scholarship Recipients 

• Diana Morales, $250
• Cynthia Duron, $250

 

Gateway
Gold Presidential Service Award Winners (250+ hours of community service)

• Sergio Duran
• Karen Rosas Torres
• Cynthia Torres

Silver Presidential Service Award Winners (175- 249 hours of community service)

• Helena Ton

Bronze Presidential Service Award Winners (100-174 hours of community service)

• Jessi Bost
• Ryan Griffith
• Kyle Johnson
• Dayla Stanley
• Monique Strider
• Clarissa Whited

Executive Internship Scholarship Recipient 

• Clarissa Whited, $250

Hinkley
Gold Presidential Service Award Winners (250+ hours of community service)

• Christian Currier
• Gissela Garcia
• Rachel Sogunle

Silver Presidential Service Award Winners (175- 249 hours of community service)

• Baradji Diallo
• Marcus Maes
• Jasmine Phouk

Bronze Presidential Service Award Winners (100-174 hours of community service)

• Sergio Almeda
• Jozlyn Hunter
• Katarina Lombard
• Oriana Miller
• Nancy Moreno
• Donovan Daniel
• Simon Feseha
• My Duyen Le
• Heather Werner
• Megan Yarmeak

Executive Internship Scholarship Recipients 

• Jasmine Phouk, $250
• Rachel Sogunle, $250

Rangeview

Gold Presidential Service Award (250+ hours of community service)

• One Luv Hull
• Elexxus Norman
• Rachel Warnel

Silver Presidential Service Award (175-249 hours of community service)

• DeAna Gomez
• Catherine Harris
• Yonatan Mekbib

Bronze Presidential Service Award (100-174 hours of community service)

• Prisca Akpai                                       
• Harman Bal
• Michelle Chung
• Brianna Fletcher
• Alexis Gotta
• Lindsey Heaston
• Lisah Malika
• Michelle Starkey

Executive Internship Scholarship Recipient 

• Catherine Harris, $300