APS Community Connection
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Hinkley Senior Scarlett Jimenez earns the prestigious Boettcher Scholarship
April 11, 2013
In this issue. . .
Click each link or scroll to read the stories below.
- APS Pathways to Results Student Demos and Press Conference
- Join Us and Volunteer for Comcast Cares Day, April 27
- APS Adds $5 Million in Savings to Bond Program
- Hinkley Senior Earns Prestigious Boettcher Scholarship
- ACHS Student Headed to Med School
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APS Pathways to Results Student Demos and Press Conference
Aurora Public Schools cordially invites you to celebrate with APS Students and Partners!
APS Pathways to Results
April 25
10 a.m.
APS Professional Learning & Conference Center
15701 E. 1st Ave., Aurora 80011
APS partners continue to significantly impact the development and hands-on learning opportunities related to Academic and Career Pathways and student success.
Please join us for this special celebration to see the results of your contributions to APS student learning through student demonstrations and discussions.
For more information, please contact the APS Education Foundation at (303) 326-2042. Please RSVP to: aepayne@aps.k12.co.us
Join Us and Volunteer for Comcast Cares Day, April 27
For the third consecutive spring, Comcast will partner with Aurora Public Schools on national Comcast Cares Day, Saturday, April 27. This year, Comcast and APS volunteers will collaborate on a project to improve the school environment at Hinkley High School. The project will include painting classrooms and hallways and outdoor improvement projects (weather permitting).
The Comcast Cares Day project is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Hinkley High School, 1250 Chambers Rd., Aurora 80011. All volunteers will receive a free commemorative t-shirt, breakfast and lunch.
The event is open to APS staff, students, families and community members. To volunteer for the project, sign up atwww.comcastinthecommunity.com and choose the “Guest (Non-Employee) Volunteer” option, which allows secure sign-in with your Facebook credentials. Alternatively, you may complete the volunteer sign-up/waiver form at the link below. Please send completed waiver forms to Meghan Cowan in APS Support Services at mjcowan@aps.k12.co.us or 15701 East 1st Ave., Suite 206, Aurora, CO 80011.
Comcast will award Hinkley High School a grant based on the number of volunteer participants. Hinkley students are eligible to earn community service hours for their participation.
Please join us for this unique opportunity to improve the Hinkley High School environment and thank Comcast for their great community support!
APS Adds $5 Million in Savings to Bond Program
With the 2008 bond program nearing an end, APS has identified an additional savings of $5 million in the bond fund available for new projects.
During the last few months, several key district groups have reviewed and prioritized the district’s construction needs to determine the best use for these funds. The review process identified an urgent need for more classroom space to meet student enrollment and program growth. Nearly two-thirds of APS elementary and P-8/K-8 schools are more than 95 percent full, and many are expected to be over capacity in the next few years.
Based on the recommendations of the APS Citizens Bond Oversight Committee and Leadership Team, the Board of Education has approved the expenditure of the $5 million in bond savings to create capacity for additional students at schools throughout the district. The funds will be used to purchase or relocate classroom mobiles at schools with capacity needs over the next six years.
In spring 2010, the Board of Education authorized $29 million in bond savings for dozens of additional construction projects. The $5 million authorized by the board for capacity projects brings the total bond program savings to $34 million. For more information about bond projects, visit bond.aurorak12.org.
Hinkley Senior Earns Prestigious Boettcher Scholarship
Hinkley High School senior Scarlett Jimenez is well on her way to a successful college career, and she's proud of the fact that it won't cost her a dime.
Jimenez recently earned a 2013 Boettcher Foundation Scholarship, a "full-ride” merit-based financial award to attend any college or university in Colorado. More than 1,300 students apply each year. She is one of 40 statewide to receive the scholarship.
"I felt grateful and honored to be chosen," Jimenez said. "I don't have to worry about paying to continue my education, nor do i have to put that burden on my parents. I worked this hard to get to this point so that I can continue."
Jimenez, who attended Elkhart Elementary School and East Middle School, is currently Hinkley's Student Council and National Honor Society President. Upon graduation, she plans to pursue a degree in political science at the University of Denver.
"Scarlett really stood out for us with her accomplishments both in and out of the classroom," said scholarship program director Katy Craig. "We’re proud to have her representing the Boettcher family.”
Now in its 60th year, the Boettcher scholarship program has awarded more than 2,200 scholarships, with more than $3 million paid out each year, placing the program among the largest merit-based scholarship programs in the nation.
ACHS Student Headed to Med School
Aurora Central High School senior Vadessa Camack is on her way to medical school. Out of more than a hundred applicants, Camack was recently selected for the prestigious Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science-Doctor of Medicine (BA/BS-MD) program. Following her undergraduate studies at the University of Colorado Denver College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Camack will attend the University of Colorado School of Medicine. The Aurora LIGHTS student says she is dedicated to becoming a doctor.
Only a handful of students are selected to participate in the rigorous BA/BS-MD program. Camack says a high school counselor set her on the right path when she was a freshman.
“In eighth grade, I had a 1.0 GPA,” she said. “My counselor got me into harder classes.”
Camack quickly advanced and will graduate this May with a 4.0 (4.1 weighted) GPA. She is tied for eighth in her class out of nearly 400 students. Early in high school, Camack learned to set goals and heard about the Aurora LIGHTS program offered by Aurora Public Schools.
“I dove right in and started on the pathway,” she said. “Aurora LIGHTS steered me in the right direction.”
The Aurora LIGHTS program also prepared Camack for her postsecondary education and beyond. She says the workload has taught her how to manage her time, whether for homework or her duties as a member of the National Honor Society and the Air Force Junior ROTC program (AFJROTC).
“The coolest thing I have done in Aurora LIGHTS was when I learned how to isolate my own DNA,” she said.
Through the BA/BS-MD program, Camack will rely on a strong support system consisting of the nine other students selected for the program. The students will have access to special tutors and will work together as they make their way through undergraduate studies and eventually medical school.
“My ultimate goal is to help people,” said Camack. “You can’t just treat a patient. You heal them and you build a relationship.”
Si usted habla español y desea una explicación de esta conexión comunitaria, por favor comuníquese al número
303-344-8060 x28078.
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APS Community Connection is produced by the Aurora Public Schools' Communication Department. Content focuses on timely and important information about the school district. Please share this information with your community. For more information please call the APS Communication Department at 303-365-7805.
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Created on April 10th, 2013 | Last updated on April 11, 2013
