Montview Math and Health Sciences Academy Recognized with Foundations for Great Schools Award

NEWS RELEASE # 40
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 11, 2014

WHAT: Montview Math and Health Sciences Academy Recognized with Foundations for Great Schools Award
WHERE: 2055 Moline St., Aurora, CO 80010

Montview Math and Health Sciences Academy Recognized by Foundations for Great Schools Award

Montview Math & Health Sciences Elementary has earned an award from Foundations for Great Schools, which recognizes and rewards outstanding success among metro-area public schools serving high proportions of students from low-income families. The school received a $35,000 grant award to support continued student achievement.

Montview is among nearly two dozen Denver metro-area public schools recognized in the Foundations for Great Schools 2014 Awards Program.  The foundation awarded a total of $500,000 in grants to schools.  Award recipients were selected from a 12-district area based on a variety of factors, including academic performance and growth, high percentage of students qualifying for the federal free and reduced lunch program, school leadership, culture, and instructional effectiveness. 

“We are pleased to recognize these schools, all of which are doing an excellent job for their students.  Each school can point to its own unique combination of success strategies that have not only helped the schools overcome a variety of challenges, but also to achieve very strong results in academic growth and performance,” said Tom Kaesemeyer, executive director of the Fox Family Foundation and spokesperson for Foundations for Great Schools. 

Foundations for Great Schools also gave an “honorable mention” grant to Aurora West College Preparatory Academy for showing strong progress and promise.

About Foundations for Great Schools

Foundations for Great Schools is a coalition of five private Colorado foundations who share a common commitment to supporting quality education in Colorado’s communities and a firm belief in learning from the successes. The foundation partners include The Anschutz Foundation, Daniels Fund, Fox Family Foundation, Gates Family Foundation, and Piton Foundation.  Learn more about Foundations for Great Schools at www.Foundationsforgreatschools.org.

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Interested media may contact the APS Communication Department
at 303-365-7805 for more information

Renowned Tibetan Flutist Will Deliver Keynote as Hinkley High School Participates in Season for Nonviolence

NEWS RELEASE # 39
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 11, 2014

WHAT: Renowned Tibetan Flutist Will Deliver Keynote at Hinkley High School Nonviolence Event
WHEN: February 14, 2014
WHERE: 1250 Chambers Rd., Aurora, CO  80011

Renowned Tibetan Flutist Will Deliver Keynote as Hinkley High School Participates in Season for Nonviolence

Nawang Khechog, a renowned Tibetan flutist and Tibet’s first Grammy Nominee, will deliver the keynote address at Hinkley High School on Friday, Feb. 14 as the school participates in the Gandhi King Season for Nonviolence, a global campaign now in its 17th year. The event is in partnership with New Dawn Center for Spiritual Living and the Aurora Police Department.

Nawang has won multiple awards from Tibet, India, Nepal and United States of America and is one of Tibet's foremost world music composers. Nawang was a monk for 11 years and studied Buddhist philosophy and meditation with the Dalai Lama and many other Tibetan masters. He also lived as hermit, meditating in the Himalayan foothills for several years.

The event at Hinkley High School (1250 Chambers Rd.) will begin at 8:30 a.m. and will include breakout sessions for students. 

The Gandhi King Season for Nonviolence is an annual 64-day campaign. It was co-founded in 1998 by Dr. Arun Gandhi and The Association for Global New Thought, an educational, media and grassroots awareness campaign spanning the Jan. 30 and April 4 memorial anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The purpose of the campaign is to focus educational and media attention on the philosophy of attaining peace through nonviolent action as demonstrated by legendary leaders Mohandas K. Gandhi, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., Cesar E. Chavez, and President Nelson Mandela and others.

Spiritually-guided citizen leaders in 900 cities in 67 countries have participated in the campaign since it began in 1998.

About Nawang Khechog

Nawang received the Tibetan Music Award “Special Recognition” (similar to “Life Time Achievement Award”). He also received Raasrang World Flute Festival Award of India, “The Multicultural Award” from Boulder and the Visionary Awards of Colorado, USA “Best Music of the Year” and “Best World Music.” More:  http://www.nawangkhechog.com/

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Interested media may contact the APS Communication Department
at 303-365-7805 for more information

APS Board of Education Executive Session

NEWS RELEASE # 38
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 29, 2014

WHAT: APS Board of Education Executive Session
WHEN: February 4, 2014
WHERE: 1085 Peoria Street, Aurora, CO  80011

APS Board of Education Executive Session

On February 4, 2014, 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.

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.

Aurora Quest K-8 Earns 3rd Place in America Recycles Day Challenge

NEWS RELEASE #38
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 10, 2014

WHAT: Aurora Quest K-8 Recycling Challenge Recognition
WHEN: January 13, 7:55 a.m.
WHERE: Aurora Quest K-8, 17315 E. 2nd Ave., Aurora, 80011

Aurora Quest K-8 Earns 3^rd Place in America Recycles Day Challenge

USAgain, a textile recycling company based in Denver, is proud to announce that Aurora Quest K-8 has earned a third-place prize in the America Recycles Day Challenge. Representatives from USAgain will present a $500 check to the school at an assembly on Monday, January 13 at 7:55 a.m.

America Recycles Day Challenge is USAgain’s recycling competition for schools across the U.S. Participating schools collected textiles throughout the month of November in a USAgain recycling bin located on school grounds. Aurora Quest recycled an impressive 3,144 pounds of clothing and textiles.

“Aurora Quest did a great job heeding the call of textile recycling,” said Mattias Wallander, CEO of USAgain. “Their commitment to recycling is a great example for the community. We’re pleased to award them third prize and look forward to a bright future of recycling at the school.”

In total, over 600 schools across the U.S. participated in the seventh annual America Recycles Day Challenge, recycling a total of 198,545 pounds of clothing, shoes and other textiles. This a truly significant amount of materials recycled, as it represents over 1.3 million pounds of climate-changing CO₂ saved from entering the atmosphere.

“Aurora Quest K-8 is proud to be one of the schools participating in this program.  We value the opportunity to contribute to our community by encouraging recycling and reducing our carbon footprint,” said Dave Schoenhals, Principal of Aurora Quest. “We want to thank the PTA for arranging to have the USAgain recycling bins placed in our parking lot and challenging the Quest community to recycle.”

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Interested media may contact the APS Communication
Department at 303.365.7805. 

About USAgain

USAgain – a leader in the textile recycling industry with corporate headquarters in West Chicago, IL. – is a for-profit company that recycles and resells reusable clothing and other textiles. Its mission is to provide consumers with a convenient and eco-friendly option to rid themselves of surplus clothing, which is diverted from landfills. In 2012, USAgain was awarded an “A” rating by the Better Business Bureau. It maintains more than 12,000 bins in 18 states.

APS Board of Education Retreat

NEWS RELEASE # 37
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 7, 2014

WHAT: APS Board of Education Retreat
WHEN: January 14, 2014
WHERE: 15701 E. 1^st Ave., Suite 206, Aurora, CO 80011

APS Board of Education Retreat

On Tuesday, January 14, 2013 the Aurora Public Schools Board of Education will be holding a retreat. The retreat will take place from 5:00-9:00 p.m. in the Superintendent’s Conference room at Educational Services Center 1, located at 15701 E. 1^st Ave., Suite 206, Aurora, CO 80011.

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APS Board of Education Retreat

NEWS RELEASE # 36
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 2, 2014

WHAT: APS Board of Education Retreat
WHEN: January 6, 2014
WHERE: 15771 East 1st Avenue, Aurora, CO  80011

APS Board of Education Retreat

On Monday, January 6, 2014, the Aurora Public Schools Board of Education will be holding a retreat. The retreat will take place from 5:00-9:00 p.m. in the Blanca Peak conference room of the Professional Learning and Conference Center, located at 15771 E. 1^st Avenue, Aurora, CO 80011.

 

APS Board of Education Approves Recommendation to Address School Capacity Challenges

NEWS RELEASE # 35
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 18, 2013

APS Board of Education Approves Recommendation to Address School Capacity Challenges

The APS Board of Education approved a recommendation to address facility challenges that the district is anticipating due to continued enrollment growth and overcrowding at elementary and P-8 schools at the December 17 meeting. Board members JulieMarie Shepherd, Dan Jorgensen, Mary Lewis, Amber Drevon, Eric Nelson and Barbara Yamrick voted in favor of the recommendation, and Board member Cathy Wildman voted against it.

As part of a detailed enrollment vs. capacity study, APS reviewed eight options to address capacity challenges. Options included utilizing more mobile classrooms, changing attendance area boundaries and adopting year-round calendars. The approved recommendation includes a combination of new construction, additional mobile classrooms and strategic boundary adjustments to alleviate overcrowding at several schools. Specific elements are:

• Design and construct a new large P-8 school on the APS Community Campus near 6^th Avenue and Buckley Road.
• Form an attendance area review committee that will develop and recommend boundary adjustments for the new P-8 school and other schools, as needed.
• Transfer approximately $2.2M of the remaining bond savings into the mobile account to address enrollment capacity challenges district-wide through 2016.
• Reallocate approximately $2.4 million in bond funds originally approved for the Mrachek Middle School kitchen/cafeteria addition to design a new middle school building.
• Purchase two 8-classroom mobiles with bathrooms for Mrachek Middle School and relocate the seven 2-classroom mobiles currently at Mrachek to overcrowded schools.

The new P-8 school will serve up to 926 P-8 students and will open in August 2015. The school will be funded with Certificate of Participation (COP) dollars, a lease financing mechanism that APS and several other metro school districts have used in the past to fund school construction.

Prior to the board’s decision, APS shared enrollment growth and capacity information with several stakeholder groups, including parents, staff and district committees. APS also held community meetings to present information and obtain feedback to incorporate into the decision-making process.

To view information about enrollment growth and school capacity, visit suppsvcs.aurorak12.org/capacity.

 

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