Peter Yarrow Brings Operation Respect to Sable

NEWS RELEASE # 93
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 25, 2013 

WHAT: Peter Yarrow, “Operation Respect” Visit Sable Elementary
WHEN: April 26, 8:15 a.m.
WHERE: Sable Elementary School, 2601 Sable Boulevard 80011

 

Peter Yarrow Brings Operation Respect to Sable

Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul and Mary folk group fame) is bringing his “Operation Respect” message to students at Sable Elementary School. Operation Respect is a non-profit organization working to assure each child and youth a respectful, safe and compassionate climate of learning where their academic, social and emotional development can take place free of bullying, ridicule and violence.

Yarrow founded the organization as a way to establish a climate that reduces the emotional and physical cruelty some children inflict upon each other. Operation Respect developed the Don't Laugh at Me (DLAM) program, which utilizes inspiring music and video along with curriculum guides based on the well-tested, highly regarded conflict resolution curricula developed by the Resolving Conflict Creatively Program (RCCP) of Educators for Social Responsibility (ESR).

Operation Respect disseminates the DLAM programs free of charge. More than 150,000 copies of the program have been distributed to educators since Operation Respect's inception.

About Peter Yarrow

As a performer and social activist, Yarrow has used music as a way to bring people together to create a more just, peaceful, and compassionate society. Peter’s gift for songwriting has produced some of the most moving songs in the Peter, Paul & Mary repertoire including “Puff, the Magic Dragon,” “Day is Done,” “Light One Candle,” and “The Great Mandala.” 

 

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 Interested media may contact APS News Media Specialist 
Paula Hans at 303.326.2755

 

 

 

 

  

Pathways to Results Celebration

NEWS RELEASE # 92
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 23, 2013 

WHAT: Pathways to Results Celebration
WHEN: April 25, 10 a.m.
WHERE: APS Professional Learning and Conference Center, 15771 East 1^st Avenue 80011

 

Pathways to Results Celebration

Spine palpation, bioloid robots and aerospace engineering – just a few of the Aurora Public Schools student demonstrations headlining a special celebration on April 25.

APS Superintendent John L. Barry, APS Board of Education members and community partners will come together to see first-hand how APS Academic and Career Pathways are impacting student learning.

There are four Academic and Career Pathways in Aurora Public Schools:

• Arts and Communication
• Business
• Health Sciences
• Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)

Visual demonstrations from each pathway – plus other learning related to business/community/workforce partners – will give students the opportunity to showcase what they are learning in the classroom.

APS partners continue to significantly impact the development and hands-on learning opportunities related to Academic and Career Pathways and student success.

Pathways to Results Celebration
Thursday, April 25
10 a.m.
Professional Learning & Conference Center
15771 East 1^st Avenue
Aurora, Colorado 80011

Please join us at this special event to see the results of the community’s contributions to APS student learning.

 

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 Interested media may contact APS News Media Specialist 
Paula Hans at 303.326.2755

 

 

 

 

  

Comcast Awards APS Seniors with Scholarships

NEWS RELEASE # 91
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 18, 2013 

 

Comcast Awards APS Seniors with Scholarships

 

Four Aurora Public Schools students are recipients of the Comcast Foundation’s 2013-14 Leaders and Achievers® Scholarship Program.

“Each fall, we ask principals and guidance counselors to help us identify the best and the brightest high school seniors across Colorado for recognition as ‘Leaders and Achievers,’” said Rich Jennings, Senior Regional Vice President of Comcast’s Mile High Region. “Comcast is proud to honor these outstanding young leaders who are committed not only to their own academic and future success, but also are passionate about serving others in their communities.”

Congratulations to Michael Brungardt of Hinkley High School, Jonathan Delgado of Aurora Central High School, T'Hani Holt of William Smith High School, and Jasmine Koch of Rangeview High School. These students will receive their scholarship awards this summer as they prepare to begin college in the fall.

The Comcast Leaders and Achievers® Scholarship Program provides $1,000 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 to 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 550 Colorado students have received a total of $667,000 in scholarship funding. Nationally, Comcast has awarded nearly $19 million to nearly 19,000 Leaders and Achievers Scholarship winners across the country.

About the Comcast Foundation

The Comcast Foundation was founded by Comcast Corporation in June 1999 to provide charitable support to qualified nonprofit 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 $123 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.

 

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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 # 90
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 15, 2013

WHAT: APS Board of Education Executive Session
WHEN: April 16, 2013
WHERE: 1085 Peoria Street, Aurora, CO 80011

APS Board of Education Executive Session

On Tuesday, April 16, the Aurora Public Schools Board of Education is expected to recess into executive session under the authority of C.R.S. 24-6-402(4)(b), to receive legal advice regarding the superintendent’s contract negotiations.

The executive session will be held from 5:30-6:00 p.m. in conference room A at Educational Services Center 4, 1085 Peoria Street, Aurora, CO  80011.

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Students Receive Free Helmets, Learn Sports Safety

NEWS RELEASE # 89
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 10, 2013 

WHAT: Helmet Giveaway, Sports Safety Lesson
WHEN: April 12, 8:45 a.m.
WHERE: Fletcher Primary School, 10455 East 25^th Avenue 80010

 

Students Receive Free Helmets, Learn Sports Safety

Second grade students at Fletcher Primary School will get to choose a new helmet and learn about sports safety from University of Colorado Hospital emergency medicine doctors, nurses and staff. UCH and Dr. Bruce Evans, Senior Medical Director of the UCH Emergency Department, will give away about 500 new Bell helmets to second-graders at four elementary schools. Staff members will also teach the students about sports safety in a fun and visual way using a “coconut smasher.”

Friday, April 12
8:45 a.m.
Fletcher Primary School
10455 East 25^th Avenue
Aurora, Colorado 80010

“Emergency Department staff see first-hand how serious head injuries can be,” said Dr. Evans, who has been practicing emergency medicine at University of Colorado Hospital since 2001. “Many injuries can be prevented just by wearing a helmet, so we want to give helmets to as many kids as we can.”

The program expands this year from three schools to four, and Dr. Evans’ goal is to eventually give free helmets to students throughout Aurora and Denver.

 

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Interested media may contact 
Aurora Public Schools News Media Specialist Paula Hans at 303.326.2755
or
University of Colorado Hospital Media Relations Coordinator Dan Weaver at 720.441.7050

 

 

 

  

 

Tollgate Elementary – Early Dismissal

NEWS RELEASE # 88
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 10, 2013 

 

Tollgate Elementary – Early Dismissal

 

Due to a power outage at Tollgate Elementary, school will dismiss early today. Because of the cold weather, and for the safety and comfort of students, Tollgate will dismiss at 11:30 a.m.

If possible, parents are asked to pick up their children before 11:30 a.m. If parents are unable to come to Tollgate, they are asked to call the school before 11:30 a.m. to give permission to allow their children to walk home or ride the bus to their normal stops at the early dismissal time.

The outage was caused by construction in the area.

 

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

 

 

  

 

Board Names Top Choice for APS Superintendent

NEWS RELEASE # 87
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 8, 2013 

 

Board Names Top Choice for APS Superintendent

 

The Aurora Public Schools Board of Education is pleased to name D. Rico Munn as the top choice for Superintendent of Schools. The board will now begin contract negotiations with Munn. 

Munn brings a broad range of experiences to APS. He is a litigation partner at Baker and Hostetler, LLP, and an adjunct professor of law at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. Munn serves on the 15-member Board of Governors for the Colorado State University System, appointed by Governor John Hickenlooper. He was a member of Governor Bill Ritter’s cabinet as executive director of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies from 2007-2009 and then executive director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education from 2009-2011. Munn served on the Colorado State Board of Education from 2003-2007. He also was a member of the Strategic Planning Task Force for Amnesty International. Munn holds a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education and Social Sciences from Midland University in Fremont, Neb., and a law degree from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.

Before making its decision, the APS Board of Education gathered input from parent, staff, student and community groups through a survey, focus groups and interviews.

The board voted 6-1 to select Munn from a group of four finalists who visited Aurora last week. Jane Barber, Jeanette Carmany, Matthew Cook, Mary W. Lewis, JulieMarie A. Shepherd and Cathy Wildman voted yes. Dan Jorgensen voted no. “I want to emphasize that I will fully support Rico Munn,” Jorgensen said following the vote. 

Assuming contract negotiations are concluded in a satisfactory manner, Munn will begin his official duties on July 1.

 

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

 

 

  

 

 

Mayor Hogan, Reading Partners to Visit APS

NEWS RELEASE # 86
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 8, 2013 

WHAT: Mayor Hogan, Reading Partners Visit APS
WHEN: April 9, 1 p.m.
WHERE: Sable Elementary School, 2601 Sable Boulevard 80011

 

Mayor Hogan, Reading Partners to Visit APS

Sable Elementary School will host education nonprofit group Reading Partners and Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan at Sable Elementary School as part of the Mayor’s Day of Recognition for National Service. To honor the significant impact of community volunteers and national service programs sponsored by the Corporation for National Community Service, Mayor Hogan will spend the afternoon of Tuesday, April 9^th participating in Reading Partners one-on-one literacy tutoring program.

Reading Partners recruits and trains community volunteers to provide one-on-one literacy tutoring with a student reading six months to two and a half years behind grade level. During the 2012-13 school year, Reading Partners is providing volunteer-driven individualized instruction to 366 students in Colorado. Nationally, the organization operates in 103 schools, serving 5,500 students in kindergarten through fifth grade.

“We are delighted to have the honor of hosting Mayor Hogan on this special day of recognition for National Community Service,” said Reading Partners Regional Executive Director Mike Turner. “With the support of the United Way, the Corporation for National Community Service and the Social Innovation Fund, we are able to come to Colorado this year and work with so many students and community volunteers. We are excited to be a part of this day of recognition and look forward to continuing to build on our strong commitment to national service so that all of our students receive the literacy support to succeed.”

Reading Partners sees demonstrable results in the reading skills of students in its program. In the 2011-12 school year, 89 percent of students accelerated their progress in reading. Before enrollment last year, Reading Partners students gained an average of only 0.6 months of reading skills for every month in the classroom. By the end of the year with Reading Partners, students gained an average of 1.6 months of reading skills per month, more than doubling their rate of learning and catching up to their on-grade peers.

About Reading Partners

Reading Partners is a national nonprofit that provides volunteer-led, one-on-one literacy tutoring to K-5 students at low-income elementary schools. Reading Partners has an 89% success rate improving students' reading skills. At each school site, Reading Partners transforms a dedicated space into a reading center and recruits a corps of 40-100 community volunteers who work directly with students. Volunteers are trained and supported by site coordinators to use a highly structured and research-validated curriculum to work one-on-one with students who have fallen behind in reading. To learn more, visit www.readingpartners.org.

About the Mayor’s Day of Recognition for National Community Service

Every day, in cities across America, national service is tackling tough problems and strengthening communities. Whether supporting food banks and homeless shelters, restoring city parks, building homes, managing community volunteers, providing health services, or tutoring and mentoring students, national service members help mayors tackle tough problems.

To spotlight the impact of national service and thank those who serve, mayors across the country will participate in the first-ever Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service on April 9, 2013. On this day, mayors will hold public events and use traditional and social media to highlight the value and impact of national service to the nation’s cities.

This initiative is being led by Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors; the Corporation for National and Community Service; Cities of Service; the National League of Cities, and other organizations.

As the federal agency for service and volunteering, CNCS annually engages more than four million citizens in service at 70,000 sites across the country. CNCS leverages federal and private funds to support organizations that achieve measurable results where the need is greatest.

Last year, CNCS leveraged more than $1 billion in investments for organizations operating or based in 500 cities with a population of at least 30,000. National service also plays a key role in many smaller cities and towns and rural areas. To learn more visit www.nationalservice.gov/about/initiatives/mayorsforservice.asp.

 

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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 Special Meeting

NEWS RELEASE # 85
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 4, 2013 

WHAT: APS Board of Education Special Meeting
WHEN: April 8
WHERE: Dr. Edward and Mrs. Patricia Lord Boardroom of Educational Services Center 4, 1085 Peoria Street, Aurora, CO  80011.

 

APS Board of Education Special Meeting

On April 8, 2013, the Aurora Public Schools Board of Education will hold a special open meeting pursuant to C.R.S. 22-32-108, to discuss the superintendent search and to conduct deliberations.

The meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. in the Dr. Edward and Mrs. Patricia Lord Boardroom of Educational Services Center 4, 1085 Peoria Street, Aurora, CO  80011.

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

APS Board of Education Special Meeting

NEWS RELEASE # 84
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 3, 2013 

WHAT: APS Board of Education Special Meeting
WHEN: April 6
WHERE: Gateway High School, 1300 S. Sable Blvd., Aurora, CO  80012

 

APS Board of Education Special Meeting

On April 6, 2013, the Aurora Public Schools Board of Education will hold a special open meeting pursuant to C.R.S. 22-32-108, to conduct superintendent candidate interviews. 

The meeting will begin at 8:00 a.m. in Room 604 at Gateway High School, 1300 S. Sable Blvd., Aurora, CO  80012.  Additional rooms include 601 and 816, as needed.

A community forum shall be held afterward at 4:45 p.m. in the Gateway High School Commons. 

 

  

 

 

APS Superintendent Finalists – Media Availability

NEWS RELEASE # 83
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 2, 2013 

WHAT: APS Superintendent Finalists – Media Availability
WHEN: April 5, 10 a.m.
WHERE: ESC 1, 15701 East 1^st Avenue, Suite 206 80011

 

APS Superintendent Finalists – Media Availability

The search for the next APS Superintendent of Schools continues. On Friday, April 5, members of the media will meet the four finalists in person. The finalists include Tracy Ann Dorland, John Randal (Randy) Johnson, D. Rico Munn, and Thomas G. Seigel. The new APS superintendent will start on July 1, 2013.

During Friday’s event, each finalist will begin with an opening statement. Members of the media will then have the opportunity to ask questions of each finalist.

APS Superintendent of Schools finalists:

Tracy Ann Dorland 

Dorland is Deputy Chief Academic Officer for Teaching and Learning for Denver Public schools where she provides executive leadership for DPS academic departments, district-wide strategy for transition to the Common Core State Standards, and integration of the DPS educator effectiveness system. She was Executive Director, Educator Effectiveness for DPS from 2010-2012 and Instructional Superintendent for DPS from 2006-2010. She was principal of Smedley Elementary School and assistant principal of Oakland Elementary School, both in DPS, and has been a literacy coach and classroom teacher. She serves on the Colorado State Council for Educator Effectiveness. Dorland holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, both from the University of Colorado.

John Randal (Randy) Johnson 

Johnson is currently Instructional Superintendent, Secondary, for Denver Public Schools where he is responsible for the performance of secondary schools and supervises high school principals. He served as Deputy Director of Post-Secondary Readiness for DPS from 2009-2010 and high school principal of Career Education Center – Middle College of Denver, a career and technical magnet high school in DPS, from 2008-2009. His other experience includes Director of Secondary Education in Falcon School District 49 in Colorado Springs and several administrative and teaching positions in Colorado and New Mexico. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English/Religion, a Master of Education in Secondary Education/English, and a Master of Arts in English, all from Eastern New Mexico University.

D. Rico Munn 

Munn is a litigation partner at Baker and Hostetler, LLP, and is an adjunct professor of law at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. He serves on the 15-member Board of Governors for the Colorado State University System, appointed by Gov. John Hickenlooper. Munn was a member of Gov. Bill Ritter’s cabinet as executive director of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies from 2007-2009 and then executive director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education from 2009-2011. He served on the Colorado State Board of Education from 2003-2007. Munn also was a member of the Strategic Planning Task force for Amnesty International. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education and Social Sciences from Midland University in Fremont, Neb., and his law degree from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.

Thomas G. Seigel 

Seigel was superintendent of the Boulder Valley School District from 1997-2000, and has been superintendent of the 18,000-student Bethel School District #403, in Spanaway, Wash., since 2001. He has a long military career including Principle Engineer, Space Operations Division, SRS Technologies Colorado Springs, CO from 2000-2001, Deputy Chief, United States Space Command's Joint Space Support Team for U.S. European Command and U.S. Transportation Command, 1994-97, and Deputy Chief of U.S. Space Command's Joint Space Support Teams, 1993-94. Seigel holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Moorhead State College in Moorhead, Minn. He has earned masters degrees in National Security Affairs and Strategic Studies, International Relations and National Security Affairs, and he is a doctoral candidate in Public Administration at the University of Colorado at Denver.

 

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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 # 82
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 1, 2013

WHAT: APS Board of Education Executive Session & Special Open Meeting
WHEN: April 2, 2013
WHERE: 15771 E. 1^st Avenue, Aurora, CO  80011

APS Board of Education Executive Session

On Tuesday, April 2, the Aurora Public Schools Board of Education is expected to recess into executive session under the authority of C.R.S. 24-6-402(4)(f)(I), to discuss a personnel matter.

The executive session will be held from 5-6 p.m. in the Mount Harvard Conference Room at the Professional Learning and Conference Center, 15771 E. 1^st Avenue, Aurora, CO  80011.

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