APS Board of Education Special Open Meeting

NEWS RELEASE # 11
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 31, 2011

WHAT: APS Board of Education Special Open Meeting
WHEN: September 1, 2011
WHERE: 1085 Peoria Street, Aurora, CO 80011

APS Board of Education Special Open Meeting

On Thursday, September 1, the Aurora Public Schools Board of Education will hold a special open meeting pursuant to C.R.S. 22-32-108, to consider a resolution to cancel the 2011 School Director Election for Adams-Arapahoe 28J/Aurora Public School District.

The meeting will take place at 5:00 p.m. in the boardroom of Educational Services Center 4, located at 1085 Peoria Street, Aurora 80011.

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APS Students Collect 400,000 Pennies for Charity

NEWS RELEASE # 10
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 26, 2011

APS Students Collect 400,000 Pennies for Charity

APS students gathered hundreds of thousands of pennies to donate to their favorite local charities as part of the Penny Harvest program. The year-long service learning program is designed to teach kids about their value as contributors to society.

Students from Altura Elementary, Aurora Quest K-8, Clyde Miller P-8 and Peoria Elementary schools participated in the Penny Harvest. Students gathered pennies from friends and neighbors in their communities.

APS students collected $4,000 in pennies for organizations they researched, interviewed and ultimately chose out of the hundreds in Colorado. This year’s grant recipients included:

• A grant to a child in Mexico needing a Visa to come have an operation in the U.S. – $365
• Blessings in a Backpack – $139
• Brent’s Place – $139
• Freedom Service Dogs – $278
• Homes for Troops – $150
• Invisible Children – $150
• Make-A-Wish Colorado – $300
• Mile High United Way/Denver’s Road Home – $750
• Operation Smile – $250
• Ronald McDonald House – $138
• SAME Café – $278
• Service Project for Dumb Friends League – $100
• Service Project for Red Cross Mile High chapter – $300
• Service Project for Ronald McDonald House – $50
• Shelter Me Photography – $139
• St. Jude’s Research Hospital – $200
• Tennyson Center for Children – $165
• The Gathering Place – $139

About the Penny Harvest

Founded in 1991, the Penny Harvest is now the largest youth philanthropy program in the country, serving more than 500,000 students annually in more than 1,000 schools nationwide. In the past 20 years, children participating in the Penny Harvest have given away $8.6 million, awarded more than 20,000 grants and contributed over 40 million service hours to their local communities. For more information go to www.commoncents.org.

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Interested media may contact APS News Media Specialist
Paula Hans at 303-326-2755 for more information

 

 

 

 

 

Earn Cash for Your School Through October 21!

NEWS RELEASE # 9
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 26, 2011

Earn Cash for Your School Through October 21!

In partnership with Aurora Public Schools, the Town Center at Aurora is continuing the popular Cash for Class point redemption program. Families and friends can bring Town Center at Aurora shopping receipts, report cards, attendance records or college acceptance letters to Guest Services to earn points for the APS school of their choice. Nearly $10,000 in cash prizes will be awarded to the schools with the highest point totals.

While shopping at the Town Center at Aurora, parents can access the free APS computer kiosks to view their children’s Parent Portal accounts, find information on the APS website or browse mall shopping opportunities. The kiosks are located on the first level of the mall near Guest Services and on the second level in the food court.

Cash for Class continues through October 21. For more information on Cash for Class, call the Town Center at Aurora at 303-344-9764 or go to www.simon.com.

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Interested media may contact APS News Media Specialist
Paula Hans at 303-326-2755 for more information

 

 

 

 

 

APS Board of Education Executive Session

NEWS RELEASE # 8
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 19, 2011

WHAT: APS BOE Executive Session
WHEN: August 23, 5:00-5:45 p.m.
WHERE: 1085 Peoria Street, Aurora, CO 80011

APS Board of Education Executive Session

The Aurora Public Schools Board of Education is expected to recess into executive session on Tuesday, August 23 under the authority of C.R.S. 24-6-402(4)(b), to receive legal advice regarding a personnel matter.

This session will take place from 5:00-5:45 p.m. in Conference Room A of Educational Services Center 4, located at 1085 Peoria Street, Aurora 80011.

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It’s a Celebration! New Child Development Center

NEWS RELEASE # 7
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 16, 2011

WHAT: Meadowood Child Development Center Grand Opening
WHEN: August 18, 5:30 pm
WHERE: Meadowood CDC, 3333 South Norfolk Way 80013

It’s a Celebration! New Child Development Center

Aurora Public Schools will host a grand opening celebration for the new Meadowood Child Development Center on Thursday, August 18. Superintendent John L. Barry, the Board of Education and Early Childhood Education staff will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 5:30 p.m. The celebration will include building tours, free food and an open house.

The new preschool center will offer a solid educational foundation for more than 300 children ages 3-to-5. The project was funded with bond dollars approved by Aurora voters in 2008.

Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Colorado State Representative Nancy Todd will present school supplies to Meadowood students. The giveaway is sponsored by Colorado women legislators and the Office Depot Foundation.

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Interested media may contact APS News Media Specialist
Paula Hans at 303-326-2755 for more information

First Day of School Activities

NEWS RELEASE # 6
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 4, 2011

WHAT: First day activities – new breakfast program and news conference
WHEN: August 8
WHERE: All APS schools

 

First Day of School Activities

Monday, August 8 will be a busy day for APS Superintendent John L. Barry. He will begin his day by riding a school bus with students. Next, he will eat breakfast with staff and students as part of the new “Breakfast in the Classroom” program. Finally, Superintendent Barry will deliver his “kick-off” address. Expected attendees at the kick-off event include Hunger Free Colorado dignitaries, APS Health Sciences students and APS Leadership Team members.

 

Members of the media are welcome to attend any of the following activities:

 

• 5:30–6:30 a.m. – morning show live shots
• Superintendent Barry will be available for interviews at the APS Transportation Department, 160 Airport Boulevard, 80011

 

• 6:38 a.m. departure – school bus ride along
• Media can ride a school bus with Superintendent Barry from the APS Transportation Department, 160 Airport Boulevard, 80011

 

• 8:35 a.m. – breakfast with students
• Superintendent Barry will eat breakfast with students and staff as part of the new “Breakfast in the Classroom” program at Elkhart Elementary School, 1020 Eagle Street, 80011

 

• 10 a.m. – first day of school “kick-off” address – news conference
• Superintendent Barry, APS students and staff will speak at the new Aurora Central High School “Health Sciences Academy” addition, 11700 East 11^th Avenue, 80010

 

Studies show that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially for children. Eating school breakfast is proven to improve children’s educational performance, behavior and health. APS schools participating in the “Breakfast in the Classroom” program serve free breakfast to all students during the first class of the day.

 

Thanks to the generous support of Aurora voters, a portion of the 2008 bond funds were used to build the Health Sciences Academy at Aurora Central High School. This eight-classroom addition provides space for science instruction. It also serves students enrolled in the Aurora LIGHTS health sciences pathway.

 

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Interested media may contact APS News Media Specialist
Paula Hans at 303-326-2755 for more information

 

*** ON MORNING OF AUGUST 8, CALL 303.587.7301 ***

APS Names New Deputy Superintendent

NEWS RELEASE # 5
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1, 2011

 

APS Names New Deputy Superintendent

 

Aurora Public Schools is pleased to announce William Stuart as the new Deputy Superintendent.

 

Stuart has served APS for 25 years in a variety of capacities including classroom teacher, Dean of Students, Assistant Principal, Principal, Director of Student Achievement and most recently as Chief Academic Officer for the last five years.

 

Stuart’s experiences have provided great opportunities to know every aspect of Aurora Public Schools.

 

• As a member of the APS Leadership Team, Stuart helped write the last two strategic plans, Vista 2010 and Vista 2015. He knows well how each Division must function in order to implement successfully the actions contained in VISTA 2015.
• Stuart has also been intimately involved in the development of district budgets and knows the financial challenges that face APS.
• For the past eight years, Stuart has served on the district’s negotiation team. He is very familiar with developing effective relationships with the teacher’s association.

 

Stuart holds a Bachelor of Arts from Hobart College in New York, an MA from the University of Colorado, Boulder and is in a PhD program in Educational Administration at the University of Denver.

 

Stuart will begin his new role once a new Chief Academic Officer is hired.

 

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Interested media may contact APS News Media Specialist
Paula Hans at 303-326-2755 for more information

APS Names New Chief Financial Officer

NEWS RELEASE # 4
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1, 2011

 

APS Names New Chief Financial Officer

 

Aurora Public Schools is pleased to announce Darryl Foster as the new Chief Financial Officer.

 

Foster brings a distinguished career in corporate finance to APS. He has worked for AlliedSignal Aerospace Corporation as a Division Finance Manager/Senior Finance Analyst, Pepsi-Cola Company where he served as the Director of Finance for the Mid-America Region, Water Pik as the Vice President of Finance and Assistant Treasurer, and Policy Studies Incorporated where he served as the Corporate Controller and Assistant Treasurer. 

 

Foster has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Tuskegee University (Magna Cum Laude) and a Master of Science in Industrial Administration (MBA), with a concentration in Finance and Accounting from Carnegie Mellon University.  

 

In addition, Foster currently serves as the Treasurer and Membership Chairman for Financial Executives International, a non-profit organization focused on the development of financial executives.

 

Foster will join the APS team on August 15. 

 

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Interested media may contact APS News Media Specialist
Paula Hans at 303-326-2755 for more information

Community Invited to Back-to-School Event

NEWS RELEASE # 3
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1, 2011

WHAT: Back-to-School Community Event
WHEN: August 6, 8 a.m.
WHERE: Aurora Central High School, 11700 East 11^th Avenue 80010

 

Community Invited to Back-to-School Event

Enjoy free food and entertainment at the 4^th annual APS Back-to-School Kick-Off celebration. A host of community businesses and APS staff are partnering for a fun-filled event for the entire family.

 

Saturday, August 6
8 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Aurora Central High School
11700 East 11^th Avenue
Aurora, Colorado  80010

 

The event will include:

 

• Free food (while supplies last)
• Free school supplies (while supplies last)
• Immunizations (bring shot records)
• Backpacks distributed hourly (APS students must be present)

 

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Interested media may contact APS News Media Specialist
Paula Hans at 303-326-2755 for more information