Puma Spotlight 2015-16
PUMA SPOTLIGHT 2015-16
May, 2016 |
The following Peak to Peak students were recognized as top track and field athletes in the region:
First Team All Region Honors: Tessa Anderson, Quinn McConnell, and Anna Shults
Honorable Mention Honors: Tiana Bradfield, Christina Hamerly, Alice Oveson, and Robin Peterson
Coach Kim McConnell was also recognized with First Team All Region Honors.
Quinn McConnell was named the BoCoPreps Athlete of the Year.
Peak to Peak Track and Field athletes had big wins at the state championship meet last weekend. Congratulations to the following students:
800 Meter Run - State Champion Quinn McConnell
1600 Meter Run - State Champion Anna Shults
4 x 800 Meter Relay Champions - Anna Shults, Alice Oveson, Christina Hamerly, Quinn McConnell
Tessa Anderson - 5th in state with discus, 2nd in shot
Jordan Reichers and Margaux De Onaindia, Peak to Peak 11th graders, won the Anti-Defamation League's Moral Courage Essay Competition.
To enter the competition, students write a piece that recognizes individuals throughout history who took a strong stand on a specific issue based on their personal beliefs or convictions, regardless of the danger or threat to their personal safety, using the Holocaust as a backdrop. Students capture not only how that person’s moral courage has had an impact on the world, but also how those actions have influenced the student's life.
Sixteen hundred people came together to join Governor Hickenlooper in honoring both our survivors and the memory of those who were murdered, to witness the presentation of a Righteous Among the Nations Award by the State of Israel to the family of Dr. Maria Madi, and to hear from the incredible Margit Meissner, a 94-year-old holocaust survivor, about her remarkable journey and support of people that currently share her experience as a refugee.
Individuals appearing in the photos include the student winners (both middle and high school), Mayor Hancock of Denver, Governor Hickenlooper, a representative from the ADL, and Margit Meissner. The students won cash prizes and their essays were published in a collection of the winning essays.
The Puma Girls Soccer Team reached the quarterfinal round in the state 3A tournament.
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Senior student-athletes Sarah Sparling and Tessa Anderson, have signed National Letters of Intent to compete and attend school at Western State Colorado University in Gunnison. Sarah will be playing volleyball, and Tessa will be competing for the track and field team.
Seventeen track athletes qualified for the state competition! Our girls' 4 x 800 meter relay team goes in with the fastest time of all classifications (1A - 5A) and is projected to win their 4th consecutive title. Of course they still have to execute on the day but they are heavily favored. They race Thursday at 4:15 pm.
Anna Shults, freshman, has a very good chance to win the 3200. Quinn McConnell, freshman, has a very good chance to win the 800. They are both entered in the 1600 along with other top talent in the state.
Brandon Ries, junior, qualifying is a true, "hard-work ethic", story. He raced the 3200 seven times in an 8 week period, taking his time from 10:56 to his state qualifying time of 10:13. Incredible.
Robin Peterson, sophomore, is tied for the lead in 3A for the state in pole vault and is only in her 2nd year with the event.
Janelle Taylor, senior, broke 13.00 seconds by running 12.99 in the 100 and qualifying in the top 10.
Tessa Anderson, senior, is ranked 7th in discus and 2nd in shot put. She also set a new league record at the Metro League meet two weeks ago; 39-5". (The previous record was set in 2010.)
Qualifying athletes:
GIRLS:
Janelle Taylor - 100, 4 x 100, 4 x 200
Tiana Bradfield - 800, 1600, (alternate for 4 x 800)
Anna Shults - 4 x 800, 1600, 3200
Christina Hamerly - 4 x 800, 800
Alice Oveson - 4 x 800, 3200
Elle Triem - 800
Quinn McConnell - 4 x 800, 800, 1600
Robin Peterson - PV, alternate for 4 x 100 and 4 x 200
Ashlyn Bostic - 4 x 100
Julia OBrien - 4 x 100, 4 x 200
Kiera ONeill - 4 x 100, 4 x 200
Mikaela Massie - 4 x 200
Tessa Anderson - shot, discus
Rachael Metzler - 800 meter.
BOYS:
Finn Smith - 200
Isaac Ruble - 800
Brandon Ries - 3200
It is also worth mentioning that one athlete was only ONE spot away from qualifying: Marco Scoma (Pole Vault).
World Language teachers presented awards for biliteracy. The following students are graduating seniors who have earned this distinction. They were each presented with a seal of biliteracy and, because they all have earned GPAs of 3.0 or higher, medals of biliteracy as well.
Spanish:
Maxwell Bogue
Jacqueline Campos
Monica Free
Samuel Giles
Kristine Guo
Michael Grodecki
Justin Kalloor
Jacob Kendrick
Monica Lewton
Elena Lopez Del Carril
Shannon McCallan
Regan McMahon
Raphael Preston
Alyssa Wengryn
French:
Megan Collins
Sara Crook
Ilse Meiler
Sarah Soloway
Peak to Peak second grader Jack Mueller-Scott won the gold medal in the Scholastic Fencing League Tournament #3 at the Denver Fencing Academy (May 7, 2016). He competed in the Y10 Mixed 2008 Saber group. He went undefeated in the tournament and beat the previous gold medalist.
He also competed in the Scholastic Fencing League Tournament #2 in February and scored a bronze medal.
Volunteer Spotlight: This week, we shine the volunteer spotlight on a person who is often in the back ground and behind the scenes working diligently to support the school. Jennifer Hughes was a pivotal support person ensuring the success of the gala. According to her fellow volunteers, "Her attention to detail is bar none." She coordinated the 4th grade Medieval Festival and has been active in her kids’ classrooms for several years. She also helps with the staff appreciation luncheons -- a favorite around here! Jennifer is one of those volunteers that you can always count on in a pinch. Thank you, Jennifer, for your support and volunteerism!
Peak to Peak's High School Girls Tennis Team placed 3rd out of thirteen teams in the regional finals. Trini Somasundaram, freshman, was the runner up in #2 Singles and will advance to the state tennis tournament in Pueblo.
In addition, two other students had noteworthy performances. Anjali Gill placed 4th in #3 Singles and Trisha Somasundaram placed 3rd in #1 Singles.
Pictured left to right: Anjali Gill #3 Singles 4th place; Trisha Somasundaram #1 Singles 3rd place; Coach Eric; Trini Somasundaram #2 Singles Runner Up
Peak to Peak's four Battle of the Books teams competed at District this weekend and had stunning literary success!
5th graders Andrew Plute, Zoe Trierweiler, Jessica Wilcox, Isaac Dupras, and Eva Locke placed 5th
6th graders Sydney Boonstra, Nevidita Prabhu, Nattie Jaraschatrkaew, Sierra Gilliam, and Caitlyn Dodson placed 1st
7th graders Jenna Plute, Madison Lin, Sophie Kiehl, Matthew Chen, and Paris Kiehl placed 1st
8th grader Lily Dunkin placed 3rd
Pictured (left to right)
Lana Hulse (sponsor); Nattie Jaraschatrkaew (6th); Caitlyn Dodson (6th); Nivedita Prabhu (6th); Sierra Gilliam (6th); Lily Dunkin (8th); Sophie Kiehl (7th); Paris Kiehl (7th); Sheena Thomas (sponsor); Jenna Plute (7th); Madison Lin (7th); Matthew Chen (7th)
America's Battle of the Books is a voluntary reading incentive program for students in grades 3-12. The purpose is simply to encourage students to read good books and have fun while competing with peers.
Christie French, first grade teacher at Peak to Peak, is one of 10 honorees who received a Jared Polis Foundation 2016 Teacher Recognition Award!
"The Jared Polis Foundation has been honoring Colorado public school teachers since 2002 through a program initially called Appreciating Educators (2002-2005) and then revised to the Teacher Recognition Awards (2006-ongoing). For the past nine years through the teacher recognition awards, the Jared Polis Foundation has honored 10 Colorado K-12 teachers each year who have demonstrated highly effective, results-oriented teaching and have proven to be compassionate, caring and dedicated to all of their students. Parents, peers, principals, students, and staff members have nominated teachers throughout the years. On average, JPF receives nearly 100 nominations each year, and the committee that reviews these nominations is impressed year after year by the hard work and ingenuity of the Colorado teacher nominees."
Ms. French received:
· $1,000 discretionary award
· $1,000 honoree-directed school grant
· A tablet of her choice
· A Glass Apple JPF Teacher Recognition 2016 Engraved Award
Volunteer Spotlight: Parent volunteer Treccie Wengryn has participated on the After Prom committee for several years and has taken the lead on this event the last two years. The purpose of the After Prom event is to provide our juniors and seniors with fun location and engaging activities where they can continue to enjoy time together following the formal Prom event. Treccie not only coordinates this event, she also contributes countless hours and a plethora of her own resources. She has a big heart, works tirelessly, and is driven by a desire to provide a safe way for students to continue their celebration.
Treccie regularly volunteers in the cafeteria and in many of other areas of the school. Her presence is always appreciated and she is a treasured asset to our community. Thank you, Treccie!
Click here to see the 2016 K-8 Art Show award winning compositions!
Preston Brantmeyer, Peak to Peak sophomore, was the 2016 National Level 2nd Place Winner of the Daughters of the American Revolution Junior American Citizens Contest for the best Tenth Grade Community Service Project. His contest entry won the 1st Place DAR Colorado State Society Award, was sent to the Southwest Division and finally up to National for judging. The Community Service Project focused on helping the Denver Fisher House and raised $3,406.25 in donations, $135 in gift cards and wish list items valued at $150. In 2016, Preston served as the National Patriotic Education Chairman for the National Society Children of the American Revolution.
Several world language students from Peak to Peak attained national recognition for excellent performance on the 2016 National Spanish Examinations.
Students from Sra. Meiler's Spanish 1B class earned a total of 4 silver and 2 bronze medals along with 9 honorable mentions. “Attaining a medal or honorable mention for any student on the National Spanish Examinations is very prestigious,” said Kevin Cessna-Buscemi, National Director of the Exams, “because the exams are the largest of their kind in the United States with over 160,000 students participating in 2016.”
The National Spanish Examinations are administered each year in many states in grades 6 through 12, and are sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese.
The following students won awards:
Silver medals: Julietta Rozin, Mana Setayesh, Ayush Shekhar, Zachary Smith
Bronze medals: Rory Baxter, Ethan Frank
Peak to Peak had five students win honorable mention awards in the Manningham Trust State-Wide Student Poetry Contest sponsored by the Columbine Poets of Colorado. The following students received recognition:
Robbie Singh
Sarah Reveley
Jacob Kendrick
Isabella Labriola
Aidan Cepulis
Peak to Peak students swept the statewide River of Words contest! Our poets read their works and received awards from Colorado's Poet Laureate at the Denver Library. In addition, their winning poems will be printed in Colorado Humanities & Center for the Book’s Student Literary Awards Anthology. The following students received awards:
1st place: Ilse Meiler for her poem, One H Two O
2nd: Mallory McKenna for No Space Between Them
3rd: Zhan Su for Moving On
Honorable Mention: Tara Mensch for Diving to the Bottom
April, 2016 |
Volunteer Spotlight: Parent volunteer, Jenny Doyle, has helped organize our staff appreciation luncheons for the last several years. In additional to other contributions of both time and materials, Jenny and her husband assembled the beautiful video that was showcased during this year's gala. With a graduating senior in their family, we wanted to make sure to thank this family for their years of generous support.
Peak to Peak's Chamber Orchestra won the 3A "Outstanding Chamber Orchestra" at the 91st annual Colorado West Invitational Music Performance Festival hosted by School District 51 and Colorado Mesa University.
"The festival highlighted more than 225 performances from middle school and high school ensembles from across Colorado and Utah."
Peak to Peak's Library Media Teacher, Sheena Thomas, was selected as one of 33 teacher grantees to receive a Jared Polis Foundation Technology Mini Grant! With these grant dollars, Peak to Peak purchased the requested technology: 2 Ipad Airs with protective cases; protective screens; and, wall mounted enclosure.
Quinn McConnell, Alice Oveson, Anna Shults, and Christina Hamerly (pictured left to right) set a new BOCO Track meet and school record in the 3200 M relay with a time of 9:27.67. Tessa Anderson also placed first in both the shot and discus with throws of 38'6" and 111'5" respectively.
Peak to Peak has twelve students (juniors) who have qualified for consideration in the 2017 National Merit Scholarship competition. Qualifying for this competition is based on PSAT scores from the fall of 2016. Congratulations to the following students:
Alex Bradfield
Mary Carroll
Nimish Garg
Nerys Huffman
Sai Kaushik Yeturu
Mayank Mishra
Vyas Muralidharan
Chelsea Pearson
Ben Peeples
Brandon Ries
William Struck
Sam Taylor
Peak to Peak Freshman, Trisha Somasundaram was the #1 Girls Singles Draw Champion at the 2016 Longmont Invitational this spring. Freshman, Trini Somasundaram took first place as well in the #2 Girls Singles Draw competition. Overall the Peak to Peak team finished 3rd out of twelve teams. (Pictured with the team coach, Trisha is in darker pink and Trini in lighter pink.)
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Spanish teacher Sra. Dunphy, French teacher Mme. Sachs, and Peak to Peak students attended and competed at the University of Northern Colorado's World Language Day. The following students received awards:
Cultural entertainment drama (French): 2nd place, Ash Hartnett, Gaia Malin & Claire Hankla
Non-native extemporaneous speaking (French): 3rd place, Emma Jensen
Native extemporaneous speaking (French): 1st place, Julien Sadlier
Spanish art: 1st place, Matthew Willetto and Aspen Bradley
Extemporaneous speaking, non-native (Spanish): 3rd place, Kaushik Yeturu
Paraphrased from the UNC website: For over 45 years, UNC has sponsored of one of the largest and longest running World Language Days in the nation. This event is held each spring and is attended by more than 1000 students and teachers. The goal is to provide high school students with a unique opportunity to experience world languages and cultures beyond a classroom setting in a fun and educational environment. The event includes competitions, workshops, and many other cultural activities.
Volunteer Spotlight: The Boonstra family joined the Peak to Peak community in 2014, and in that short time, Sarah Boonstra has made a significant impact as a parent volunteer. In addition to being the 2016 Peak Gala Chairperson, Sarah donates her time and talents in many different areas around the school. This year she has also been working on staff appreciation events and she serves on the Volunteer Committee. Sarah helps with the staff lunches, helped with the staff gift wrapping event, and has been working hard to develop a plan for improving the staff lounge space. It was Sarah's idea to create free babysitting nights for staff members, which has been much appreciated. In previous years, Sarah has also helped with the Golf Outing, and she learned the names and faces of students when she worked in the Cafeteria.
Seniors, Brianna Lund and Emmalee Harper, won second and third place respectively in the statewide Letters about Literature contest sponsored by the Library of Congress. Both will be honored in Denver and published in an anthology.
From the Library of Congress website about the contest: "Letters About Literature is a reading and writing contest for students in grades 4-12. Students are asked to read a book, poem or speech and write to the author (living or dead) about how the book affected them personally."
Peak to Peak seniors Nicholas Finan and Tara Mensch competed in the Colorado Science and Engineering Fair at CSU. Their project titled, "Sun Grown Polymers Using Bench Top Organocatalyzed Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization" took 4th place in the Senior Chemistry and Biochemistry Division. They received the 2016 American Chemical Society Award and a $500 Merit Scholarship for the 2016 Colorado College Summer Program.
Melissa Christensen, Elementary Principal, received recognition for her support of gifted elementary students at Peak to Peak from the Boulder Valley Gifted and Talented advocacy organization. Teachers, parents, and volunteers attended the event.
High school Spanish teacher, Keri Dunphy, was selected to receive the Outstanding Teacher of World Languages 2016 from the Departments of Modern Languages and Hispanic Studies at the University of Northern Colorado. The University of Northern Colorado recognizes teachers who are providing an exceptional foreign culture in a variety of dimensions and are dedicated to the important job of sensitizing people to cultural diversity and intercultural understanding.
March, 2016 |
Peak to Peak 8th grader, Keeli Finan and her Irish stepdancing team competed at the World Irish Dance Competition in Glasgow, Scotland. After a year of practicing six -and sometimes seven- days a week, her team placed 1st in the world! Not only that, Keeli was one of the top 1% of dancers who qualified to compete solo at the competition.
Quinn McConnell and Anna Shults competed in the Longmont Invitational in Lyons in March, 2016, running in the 800 meter run. Both girls ended up breaking the Peak to Peak school record! Quinn ran a personal best of 2:18 and Anna ran a personal best of 2:19.
The following students earned National Medals in the 2016 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, presented by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers:
- Fiona Freeman-Grundei, Silver Medal in Writing
- Rebecca Shu, Gold Medal in Art
- Ashlyn Stahly, Silver Medal in Writing
- Sai kaushik Yeturu, Gold Medal in Writing
Their work was selected by creative professionals as the most accomplished in the nation. Nearly 320,000 works of art and writing were submitted, and less than 1% were recognized at the national level. Students receiving top awards have been invited to attend a ceremony at Carnegie Hall on June 2 and to participate in showcase events at Parsons School for Design at The New School and Pratt Institute's Pratt Manhattan Gallery in New York City. We're proud to have these students represent our school in this year's Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.
Kaushik Yeturu, Peak to Peak junior, finished among the top 16 competitors in Lincoln-Douglas Debate at the 2016 State Speech & Debate Championships.
Peak to Peak seniors, Sam Giles, Kristine Guo, Justin Kalloor and Isaac Ruble, were named finalists for the 2016 National Merit Scholarship contest. They are eligible for a range of incredible scholarships from colleges, universities and corporations supporting achievement.
Peak to Peak senior, Tessa Anderson, was named the BoCo Preps athlete of the week for the week of March 15th. "Starting the spring season off with a bang, the Pumas senior won both the discus (110 feet, 1 inch) and the shot put (36-4) at the Boulder Snow Invitational."
John Morreale, Peak to Peak sophomore, won the State Championship Gymnastics meet on March 12th in Steamboat Springs. He also attended the Regional Championship in April.
Becki Shu was named a recipient of a Scholastic National Gold Key Award for her art submission.
In addition, the following students received awards for their submissions.
Portfolios:
Sara Crook |
Gold Key Portfolio |
“Jade” Photography |
Heather Bertarelli |
Fiona Freeman-Grundei |
Gold Key Portfolio |
“Sign/ Landscape” Photography |
Heather Bertarelli |
Eleanor Hightower |
Gold Key Portfolio |
“Tranquility” Photography |
Heather Bertarelli |
Mallory McKenna |
Silver Key Portfolio |
“Novelistless” Digital Art/ Drawing |
Heather Bertarelli |
Becki Shu |
Gold Key Portfolio |
“Spit- 7” Comic Art/ Digital Art |
Heather Bertarelli |
Individual Artworks:
Student Award Media and title Teacher
Ty Estler |
Gold Key |
“Self Portrait” Digital Art |
Heather Bertarelli |
Rachel Fitzsimmons |
Silver Key |
“Continuity” Drawing and Illustration |
Virginia Downey |
Isabella Labriola |
Silver Key |
“Enlightened” Fashion |
Heather Bertarelli |
Julia O’Brien |
Silver Key |
“Garden Life” Design |
Virginia Downey |
Darcy Rodriguez |
Silver Key |
“La Noche de los Recordados” Ceramics & Glass |
Virginia Downey |
Melissa Schirmer |
Honorable Mention |
“Psychedelic Connect” Drawing and Illustration |
Virginia Downey |
Becki Shu |
Silver Key |
“Arcidosso” Painting |
Virginia Downey |
Becki Shu |
Gold Key |
“Lonely” Digital Art |
Heather Bertarelli |
Becki Shu |
Gold Key |
“Wander” Comic Art |
Virginia Downey |
Becki Shu |
Gold Key |
“Runaround” Drawing and Illustration |
Virginia Downey |
Emma Tocci |
Gold Key |
“Self Portrait of a Teenage Girl” Digital Art |
Heather Bertarelli |
Two of our middle school and two high school educators earned "2016 Most Inspirational Teacher" awards as presented by the Colorado Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. John Steinbauer, Jen Jouzdani, Josh Benson, and Clara Quinlan, were honored by their students who shared their essays during the event.
Peak to Peak 7th grader, Jeffrey Chen, is on the Lifetime Swim Team and won 2nd place in the 100 meter individual medley at the University of Denver Colorado Silver State Swimming Meet. He has also competed in three additional events. Additionally, Jeffrey swam in five individual events and two relays at the Colorado State Championships.
Peak to Peak students participated in the 38th Broomfield Piano Festival, which was held on Saturday, March 5th. Forty-two young pianists participated the competition in four divisions.
From left to right:
Jacob Dong (9th), first place, Division III
Jeffery Li (7th), first place, Division II
Chandra Xu (11th), first place, Division IV
The forensics team competed at the 2016 National Qualifying speech and debate tournament in Greeley. Mayank Mishra placed 3rd in Domestic Extemporaneous speaking and Vyas Muralidharan placed 3rd in Original Oratory.
February, 2016 |
Peak to Peak seniors, Kristine Guo, Justin Kalloor, and Greg Miller, were each named as 2016 U.S. Presidential Scholars. Four thousand candidates were selected from nearly 3.3 million students expected to graduate from U.S. high schools in the year 2016. Inclusion in the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, now in its 52nd year, is one of the highest honors bestowed upon graduating high school seniors. Scholars are selected on the basis of superior academic and artistic achievements, leadership qualities, strong character, and involvement in the community and school activities.
Brady McCay, Peak to Peak 6th grader, swims on the Flatiron Swimming club team and competed at the State Championships in Thornton last weekend. The team placed 2nd overall. Brady's relay team placed 1st in the 11-12 boys 200 meter free style relay, breaking a 4-year-old Colorado state record, and 1st in the 200 meter medley relay. Additionally, Brady beat his personal best time in 10 of 13 races and finished 6th in the state in the 50 meter free style race. Brady is pictured on the left with his record-holding relay team.
The following students were winners from Peak to Peak in the American Math Competition 12. The AMC contests are designed to engage students and teachers in effective mathematical problem solving that is consistent with curricular goals, and to prepare students for future mathematical success. Ten Peak to Peak high school students participated, and three students received recognition for their high scores:
1st place Kristine Guo
2nd place Kaushik Yeturu
3rd place Divyam Mishra
The P2P community donated a total of 986 pounds of clothes with a value of $13,804 to the Precious Child Clothing Drive! Student leader, Divyam Mishra, and the entire National Honor Society led this K-12 service project.
A record number of Peak to Peak students qualified to compete in the 2016 State Championships for Speech & Debate. Congratulations to:
Delaney Cohn
Gaia Malin
Kassen Qian
Kaushik Yeturu
Ben Peeples
Navami Manangi
Sarah Soloway
Mayank Mishra &
Capprin Bass.
The Best-In-State title is March 18-19 at Fort Collins High School.
Peak to Peak counselor, Mary Campbell, received recognition as a community hero by the BVSD Parent Engagement Network. The award is a way to highlight the great work that extends throughout the schools and community in supporting a larger mission to engage, educate and empower youth and families.
Nine Peak to Peak students received awards at the The Corden Pharma Regional Science Fair.
Regional Category Winners Junior Level
Maja DeNiro
3rd Place - Animal Science
Christina Perez
3rd Place - Chemistry
Benjamin McCloskey
3rd Place - Engineering
Sohan Sur
2nd Place - Earth & Space Sciences
Keeli Finan
2nd Place - Environmental Sciences
Emilie Xu
2nd Place - Plant Science
Regional Category Winners Senior Level
Team:
Nicholas Finan and Tara Mensch
2nd Place - Chemistry
ISEF Special Awards
Sohan Sur
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Mayank Mishra
Office of Naval Research - U.S. Navy/Marine Corps
Mayank Mishra
Yale Science and Engineering Association
Keeli Finan
Office of Naval Research - U.S. Navy/Marine Corps
Keeli Finan
Ricoh Corporation Sustainable Development Award
Senior CSEF Qualifiers
(competing in state fair April 7-9)
Team:
Nicholas Finan and Tara Mensch
The following middle school students participated in the regional science fair at CU Boulder.
Amy D’Epagnier |
Clara Tracy |
Maja DeNiro |
Emilie Xu |
Isabelle Ruble |
Renesa Khanna |
Christina Perez |
Taryn McGinnis |
Julia Coates |
Dylan Hall |
Keeli Finan |
Sohan Sur |
Sukho Kisich |
Brandon Guo |
Ben McCloskey |
Jacob LeCarner |
Sixty-eight Peak to Peak students received 2016 Scholastic Writing Awards for the Western Region. The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are presented by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. The mission is to identify students with exceptional artistic and literary talent and present their remarkable work to the world through the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Through the Awards, students receive opportunities for recognition, exhibition, publication, and scholarships. Each year, students across America submit more than 300,000 original works across 28 different categories of art and writing.
Lucie Amidon |
Honorable Mention |
Critical Essay |
Prevention of Genocide Through the Lens of Perpetrator Psychology |
Keelie Bach |
Honorable Mention |
Poetry |
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Madison Baker |
Honorable Mention |
Writing Portfolio |
Everything I Do is Intentional |
Ashlyn Bostic |
Honorable Mention |
Poetry |
The Woods |
Jennifer Engel |
Honorable Mention |
Poetry |
Waiting |
Zachary Feigelson |
Silver Key |
Critical Essay |
A WAR on Stats |
Monica Free |
Honorable Mention Honorable Mention Silver Key Honorable Mention |
Personal Essay/Memoir Writing Portfolio Flash Fiction Short Story |
The City in the Sky Hero Melody Grey Sailor |
Fiona Freeman - Grundei |
Silver Key Honorable Mention Gold Key Honorable Mention Silver Key |
Flash Fiction Personal Essay/Memoir Short Story Flash Fiction Writing Portfolio |
Curiosity Protecting My Queen Justice Grief Happiness is a Choice |
Anjali Gill |
Silver Key |
Critical Essay |
Cyberbullying: Throwing Punches Online |
Kristine Guo |
Silver Key |
Dramatic Script |
Daffodil |
Emmalee Harper |
Honorable Mention Honorable Mention |
Poetry Poetry |
Absolute: Infrastructure, Partial Afflicted: Untitled, Untitled, Rewind |
Eleanor Hightower |
Honorable Mention Silver Key Silver Key Honorable Mention |
Poetry Poetry Flash Fiction Writing Portfolio |
I Want The Celestial House Lost Past, Present, and Future |
Carter Hilty |
Silver Key Honorable Mention Honorable Mention Honorable Mention |
Poetry Poetry Poetry Writing Portfolio |
Poems of the World Flaunt It Poems Poems with Vision Poetry Portfolio |
Daycen Hopkins |
Honorable Mention |
Critical Essay |
Make a Bet on Online Gambling |
Justin Kalloor |
Honorable Mention |
Poetry |
Talking Silently |
Emily Lee |
Honorable Mention Honorable Mention Honorable Mention Honorable Mention Honorable Mention |
Poetry Poetry Poetry Poetry Writing Portfolio |
Madness Speaks Through the Artist And to Death Itself Did Your Love Go Four Walls Letters from Ophelia Poems that Speak Lies and Truths |
Monica Lewton |
Honorable Mention Silver Key Silver Key Honorable Mention Silver Key |
Short Story Short Story Flash Fiction Writing Portfolio Personal Essay/Memoir |
The Hungry House Colored Pencils Diamond Claws Fantasies of Childhood Life is a Skein of Yarn |
Shannon McCallan |
Honorable Mention |
Poetry |
Ambition |
Ilse Meiler |
Silver Key Silver Key |
Critical Essay Dramatic Script |
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the new Rwanda The Debate: A Comedy in One Act |
Tara Mensch |
Honorable Mention |
Flash Fiction |
Red Lipstick |
Vyas Muralidharan |
Honorable Mention |
Science Fiction/Fantasy |
The Future Promise |
Elizabeth Pearson |
Honorable Mention Honorable Mention |
Writing Portfolio Writing Portfolio |
Love, First Sight, Gone, Alone Life vs. Death, (Im)Mortality, Night, The Phoenix |
James Ratzlaff |
Honorable Mention |
Dramatic Script |
Burn Room |
Jordan Reichers |
Honorable Mention |
Critical Essay |
A Commotion in the Ocean |
Isaac Ruble |
Honorable Mention |
Poetry |
Wild Hearts |
Hannah Scherr |
Silver Key Honorable Mention Honorable Mention |
Personal Essay/Memoir Writing Portfolio Poetry |
Mission Possible The Time my English Teacher Forced Me to Be Creative: An Adventure Ekphrastically |
Rebecca Shu |
Silver Key Gold Key Silver Key |
Poetry Poetry Writing Portfolio |
For Day Five For |
Ashlyn Stahly |
Gold Key Silver Key Silver Key Silver Key |
Short Story Short Story Personal Essay/Memoir Writing Portfolio |
Two Hundred and Sixty-Something Second Chances Sliding Doors This is real, This is me |
Sam Taylor |
Gold Key |
Critical Essay |
Outlawing Amateurism: Tackling the NCAA’s Monopoly Over Student Athletes |
Katherine Tomanek |
Honorable Mention Silver Key Honorable Mention |
Poetry Poetry Poetry |
Consummatus Tempus Sanat Iniuria |
Sai kaushik Yeturu |
Gold Key |
Critical Essay |
Campaign Conundrum |
Ashley Song and Chandra Xu performed with the Colorado All State Philharmonic Orchestra.
Junior, Mayank Mishra, took home the gold at Peak to Peak's Poetry Out Loud event. Senior, Fiona Freeman-Grundei received the silver medal, and senior, Emma Tocci, won the bronze. Peak to Peak staff members Clara Quinlan, Megan Freeman, and Josh Benson also read some of their own poetic works. Special thanks goes to Cambria Pilger who helped by directing the event.
Twelve students received 2016 Scholastic Art Awards featured in the following video and listed below:
Portfolios:
Sara Crook |
Gold Key Portfolio |
“Jade” Photography |
Heather Bertarelli |
Fiona Freeman-Grundei |
Gold Key Portfolio |
“Sign/ Landscape” Photography |
Heather Bertarelli |
Eleanor Hightower |
Gold Key Portfolio |
“Tranquility” Photography |
Heather Bertarelli |
Mallory McKenna |
Silver Key Portfolio |
“Novelistless” Digital Art/ Drawing |
Heather Bertarelli |
Becki Shu |
Gold Key Portfolio |
“Spit- 7” Comic Art/ Digital Art |
Heather Bertarelli |
Individual Artworks:
Ty Estler |
Gold Key |
“Self Portrait” Digital Art |
Heather Bertarelli |
Rachel Fitzsimmons |
Silver Key |
“Continuity” Drawing and Illustration |
Virginia Downey |
Isabella Labriola |
Silver Key |
“Enlightened” Fashion |
Heather Bertarelli |
Julia O’Brien |
Silver Key |
“Garden Life” Design |
Virginia Downey |
Darcy Rodriguez |
Silver Key |
“La Noche de los Recordados” Ceramics & Glass |
Virginia Downey |
Melissa Schirmer |
Honorable Mention |
“Psychedelic Connect” Drawing and Illustration |
Virginia Downey |
Becki Shu |
Silver Key |
“Arcidosso” Painting |
Virginia Downey |
Becki Shu |
Gold Key |
“Lonely” Digital Art |
Heather Bertarelli |
Becki Shu |
Gold Key |
“Wander” Comic Art |
Virginia Downey |
Becki Shu |
Gold Key |
“Runaround” Drawing and Illustration |
Virginia Downey |
Emma Tocci |
Gold Key |
“Self Portrait of a Teenage Girl” Digital Art |
Heather Bertarelli |
Peak to Peak math student Brandon Guo won first place in the Math Counts competition. Brandon, Madison Lin, and Emilie Xu qualified to participate in the state competition.
Brandon Guo received honorable mention in the 2nd round of the state UNC math competition.
Volunteer Spotlight: Peak to Peak volunteers, Raquel Hink, MSPH, CHA/PA-C (left) and Annie Sasseville, RD (right) have been integral in successfully landing three wonderful grants for the school. Each grant is targeted toward building a healthy environment for our students.
Here is a description of each of the awards:
1. Lowe’s Toolbox for Education grant, funded by Lowe’s: $5000— this grant money will be used towards building our new, beautiful K-12 Learning Garden in spring 2016. These funds will specifically go towards building 10 brand new raised garden beds!
2. Fuel Up to Play 60 grant, funded by National Dairy Council and NFL: ~$4000 — this grant money will be used to purchase two organic milk dispensers in the new cafeteria! Along with the milk dispensers, this grant allows the school to launch a nutrition and physical activity program to encourage increased physical activity and healthier food choices.
3. Salad Bars to School grant, funded by Let’s Move Salad Bars to School Foundation: ~ $3000 — this grant money will be used to purchase a second salad bar in the new cafeteria!
January, 2016 |
Peak to Peak junior, Jennifer D'Epagnier (on the right), was named as the 2016 Lady in Waiting by the Adam's County Fair.
Peak to Peak Senior, Ashlyn Stahly, has been named the Distinguished Young Woman of Colorado, 2016!
Distinguished Young Women is a unique program that combines the chance to win college scholarships with a program that offers Life Skills training to prepare young women for the world after high school.
She will participate at the national competition this June in Mobile, Alabama.
Ashlyn Stahly (center) is pictured here with Isabel Brown (right), the Distinguished Young Woman winner in 2015, and a national representative from Alabama (left).
Middle School World Language teacher, Tara Gilboa, received a New Educator Award from the Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers. This award is presented to a foreign language teacher in the first five years of service who shows uncommon potential for the development and implementation of ideas in the classroom.
Peak to Peak sophomore, Eliana Secunda. She and her skating partner are national champions! This photo, featured on Icenetwork.com, shows them celebrating their silver-medal finish in intermediate pairs at the 2016 US National Figure Skating Championships.
Traci Schoeneweis won the 2016 Impact Award! This program recognizes individuals in the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) who have an extraordinary impact on student learning through exceptional: teaching skills, job dedication, volunteering, and/or leadership.
We surprised Traci by celebrating with a student tunnel reminiscent of the Senior Tunnel which is one of Traci's favorite P2P traditions. To commemorate the event, Traci was presented with a photo of an Aspen grove representing the unseen roots of a single organism. Members of the community were invited to sign the picture frame and show support for this wonderful member of our P2P family.
Peak to Peak's 7th grade Brain Bowl Team advanced to the State Championship Tournament. Congratulations to “The Army Ants”: Fareed Ahamad, Ethan Frank, Kokila Gunasinghe, Ayush Shekhar, and Luke Wolsko!
The Army Ants came in 12th in the state at the 2016 Optimist Brain Bowl on Saturday, February 20th.
Senior basketball player, Jonathan Dee, was recently named as the Daily Camera's student athlete of the week.
"Entering last week with two 20-plus point games already this season, Dee climbed to new heights in two wins for the Pumas. He scored a school-record 40 points in a 78-73 thriller against Highland, then kept his hot shooting going with 28 in a win against Centaurus. Dee made 29 of 30 free throws in the two games."
High school counselor, Linda Bostic, has been elected to serve on the Colorado School Counselors Association (CSCA) Governing Board, representing Region 7. There are 12 regions in the state. The Colorado School Counselor Association represents school counselors at all levels in Colorado. Its purpose is to serve its members and the public through programs that advance guidance and counseling in all school work settings: elementary, middle/junior high, high school, and post-secondary. CSCA serves over 1,500 school counselors in the state of Colorado.
In its inaugural year, Peak to Peak's Ethics Bowl team reached the finals of the Utah Regional competition. The team finished 2nd (out of 17 teams) and won an award for most collegial, as voted by other participants.
Peak to Peak seniors, Kristine Guo and Jake Kendrick, were named as two of ten semifinalists in the Denver Center for the Performing Arts third annual statewide playwriting competition. The link included in this post will take you to Ms. Guo's profile on the DCPA website where Mr. Kendrick's profile will be posted soon.
The 2016 Regional Youth Playwriting Workshop and Competition, “Your Words Take the Stage,” is a one-act playwriting competition designed for area high schools.
A total of 212 submissions were judged blindly by DCPA artistic, literary and education professionals. That represents a 34 percent growth in submissions from 2014. Ten semifinalists are being identified through a rolling daily countdown.
Nicholas Dimond on Alto Sax and Emily Lee on clarinet were accepted into the 2016 Colorado All State Band. These students were selected by an audition process and competed against 900 other students in the State of Colorado for this prestigious opportunity. Only the best of best were chosen and we are very fortunate and proud to have representation on such a high level.
Peak to Peak middle and elementary students participated in the American Mathematics Competition (AMC) last November. The AMC contests are designed to engage students and teachers in effective mathematical problem solving that is consistent with curricular goals, and to prepare students for future mathematical success. Twenty-five Peak to Peak students participated, and five students received recognition for their high scores.
Brandon Guo (8th grade) and Madison Lee (7th grade) both received a Gold award for their scores which fell within the top 1% nationally. Jeffrey Chen (7th grade) received a Silver award, and Jeffrey Li (8th grade) a Bronze award. Caleb Harris (5th grade) was also recognized for his achievement, scoring one of the top scores among the participating Peak to Peak students.
December, 2015 |
Mr. Hettmansperger and students debuted the "Aduino Bell Choir" during a student assembly. Watch the videos to see both the performance and an explanation of how they did it.
The team was also featured on the homepage of the SparkFun website. Read more!
November, 2015 |
Katherine Schylling and the Key Club students volunteered with Habitat for Humanity ReStore, in Longmont, to help with Operation Christmas Child. Students filled shoe boxes with toys, socks, school supplies and candy. Those boxes have been dropped off regionally, and soon will be on their way to children in developing countries who are living in poverty.
Thirty-nine new members were inducted into the National Honor Society during the 2015-16 school year.
Congratulations to the following students who have qualified for the second round of UNC's math competition: Jeffrey Chen, Sophia Du, Brandon Guo and Kristine Guo. This is Kristine's third year year in a row to qualify.
Congratulations to our Speech and Debate team for their success at the first tournament of the season, held at Thompson Valley High School on Saturday.
- In Foreign extemporaneous Speaking, Mayank Mishra placed 2nd.
- In Creative Story Telling, Emma Jensen received a ribbon of excellence.
- In poetic interpretation, Shreeya Basrur received a ribbon of excellence and Angela McKelvey placed 5th.
- In Original Oratary, Divyam Mishra and Vyas Muralidharan both received ribbons of excellence. Navami Manangi placed 6th and Sarah Soloway took 3rd.
- In Duo Interpretation, the team of Tanner Richards And Ilse Meiler received a ribbon of excellence. The team of Delaney Cohn and Gaia Rose took 1st place.
- In Lincoln Douglas Debate, Ben Peeples, Kassen Qian, and Kaushik Yeturu received ribbons of superiority.
- In Public Forum Debate, the team of Capprin Bass and Mayank Mishra received a ribbon of excellence, and the team of Ben Peeples and Kaushik Yeturu took 1st place.
New members of Peak to Peak's Speech & Debate Team competed in their first tournament. Congratulations to the following students who won awards their first time out:
Emma Jensen in 3rd for Original Oratory
Chloe Hodgson in 5th for Original Oratory
Akriti Poudel in 6th for Original Oratory
Logan Hsia and Ian Mcdonald in 4th for Public Forum Debate
Melissa Schirmer with a Ribbon of excellence in Original Oratory
The boys soccer team advanced to the state quarter finals! On the road to the quarterfinals, the pumas have played several outstanding games. Against Sterling, Colin Short came up with the game winning goal in overtime to win it 3-2. Miguel Arriaga scored two goals against Faith Christian to secure the 2-0 win.
The girls cross country team took 2nd place in the state 3A meet and the boys team took 9th! Freshman, Anna Schultz came in second place, and freshman, Quinn McConnell won the individual 3A state championship!
October, 2015 |
Peak to Peak Elementary art students' beautiful artwork is being featured locally at Apeizza E Vino in Lafeyette.
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A number of Peak to Peak students received recognition for their participation in Lafayette’s 5th Annual Window Painting Contest. You can view the artwork until November 7th. Find a map of the window paintings HERE. The winners are as follows:
Grade Level |
Place |
Name |
Merchant |
School |
Grade |
K-2 |
1st |
Rowen Deane |
Cobalt Realty |
Pioneer |
1 |
K-2 |
2nd |
Arlo Gale |
WOW Children's Museum |
Ryan |
2 |
K-2 |
3rd |
Sophie Sims |
Excello Pet Pantry |
Peak to Peak |
1 |
3-4 |
1st |
Miles Bell |
Pinocchio's |
Peak to Peak |
3 |
3-4 |
2nd |
Maia Esquibel |
El Mercado |
Sanchez |
4 |
3-4 |
3rd |
Anais Castro |
Cannon Mine Coffee |
Home School |
4 |
5-6 |
1st |
Elijah Spradling |
Confluence SBC |
Peak to Peak |
5 |
5-6 |
2nd |
CJ Giseburt |
Physical Therapy of Boulder |
Monarch |
5 |
5-6 |
3rd |
Jessica Wilcox |
Apeizza e vino |
Peak to Peak |
5 |
7-10 |
1st |
Roxy Poppick |
Noble Treasures |
Peak to Peak |
8 |
7-10 |
2nd |
Dannica Sims |
Excello Pet Pantry |
Peak to Peak |
7 |
7-10 |
3rd |
Heather Peake |
Lafayette Florist |
Centaurus |
10 |
For the second year, eighth grader Kenna Sexton's free haunted house — which runs from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday at 2845 Odell Drive in Erie —will accept cash or non-perishable food donations. Proceeds will go to her school's food drive and eventually the Sister Carmen Community Center in Lafayette.
Kenna's philanthropic spirit runs strong. She recently was nominated for an Optimist Club Youth Appreciation Award for her volunteer work at Attention Homes at-risk youth facility in Boulder. Last week she lopped off 14 inches of her hair to donate to Locks of Love, a nonprofit organization that provides hairpieces to children suffering from hair loss. And during the past few years Sexton has spent the bulk of money earned babysitting to purchase canned food items for local food banks.
Read the full story about Kenna in the Colorado Hometown Weekly.
Chandra Xu, Nimish Garg, and Abby McKee are participating in LEAD Boulder, a 2 year program in conjunction with the YMCA and Education Center to train great leaders for our schools and the future.
The girls cross country team won the League Championship title! Here are the results:
1 Quinn McConnell 18:52
2 Anna Shults 19:12
9 Tatiana Bradfield 20:49
10 Alice Oveson 20:50
14 Christina Hamerly 21:28
(18) 19 Rachael Metzler 21:59
(21) 22 Elle Triem 22:01
Three Peak to Peak boy's tennis players have qualified to compete in the state competition. Congratulations to Brett Finan, Zhan Su, and MaxSherman!
Peak to Peak's Boy's Varsity Golf Team came home with the 3A State Championship, a first for Peak to Peak, and Sam Taylor, Peak to Peak junior, won the individual championship.
Peak to Peak's team ended the first day of the state tournament in the lead, with an good chance at coming away with the 3A championship on day two. Nashant Datta and Sam Taylor shared the top position in the individual scores in the first day.
Pictured from left to right are Ian Thorpe, Sam Taylor, Nishant Datta and Ethan Tartaglia, Peak to Peaks 2015 boys varsity golf team.
September, 2015 |
Peak to Peak freshman Tiana Bradfield appeared in the Colorado MileSplit publication highlighting this week's cross country rankings with this great byline and photo. Peak to Peak's team is having a great year with every member of the team contributing to the success.
The Colorado School Counselor Association (CSCA) 2015 School Counselor of the Year award honors the professionals who devote their careers to serving as advocates – and often lifesavers – for the state’s students. Kimberly Gannett was recognized as a finalist and Mary Campbell as a semifinalist. What an honor to have these two outstanding individuals at Peak to Peak!
The panel selected these individuals based on several criteria, including: school counseling innovations, effective counseling programs, leadership and advocacy skills, and contributions to student advancement.
“School counselors make significant contributions to the overall well being of students and their success,” said Richard Wong, Executive Director, American School Counselor Association. “They have unique qualifications and skills that allow them to address students’ academic achievement, social/emotional and career development needs.”
Anita Chakraborty-Spotts, middle school teacher at Peak to Peak, has received a 2015 Outstanding Secondary Mathematics Teacher award from the Colorado Council of Teachers of Mathematics (CCTM).
CCTM is an affiliate of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), the largest professional organization of mathematics teachers in the country.
Freshman Brett Finan and senior Zhan Su are two of the top players in the region and the state in the 2015 season. At the recent Longmont Invitational, Brett Finan won the singles championship, Zhan Su claimed the second place title. The Peak to Peak finished third in the team scoring.
Peak to Peak golfers qualified all four players for state finals based on their finishes at the 3A Northern Regionals Golf Tournament in Windsor! The team scored 225 and finished one stroke back of the two first place teams at 224, so it was a very thrilling finish down to the wire. Ethan Tartaglia had to resort to a three-man playoff to take the last available individual spot but won on the first playoff hole. Sam Taylor finished in third place with 73. Nishant Datta finished in a tie for fourth with 74. Ian Thorpe finished 9th with a score of 78. Congratulations to our golf team!
Diya Narasimhan, Peak to Peak fourth-grader, was a featured student in the Daily Camera Spotlight. She is pursuing a first-degree black belt in karate. She has overcome a number of medical challenges, making this accomplishment all the more outstanding. Read the full article.
Peak to Peak has four students who have been cast in the Northglenn Youth Theater's production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Ellie Gentry, Paige Burns, Emily Skinner and Matthew Reichen will perform November 13-22 at the DL Parsons Theatre, located inside the Northglenn Recreation Center. Northglenn Youth Theatre is a nationally recognized dynamic theatrical experience for children ages 8-18 operating since 1994.
Peak to Peak has four students in the class of 2016 who have qualified as National Merit Semi-Finalists. Congratulations to Samuel Giles, Kristine Guo, Justin Kalloor, and Isaac Ruble!
Peak to Peak's cross country team was featured in an article highlighting a recent meet in Lyons. Freshman, Quinn McConnell's fifth place finish with a time of 18 minutes, 57 seconds helped keep Peak to Peak in the mix with several much bigger schools.
Summer, 2015 |
Peak to Peak 10th grader, Anna Swarts, and other members of the band Shamwari Tamba!, successfully auditioned to perform among the best Zimbabwean-genre musicians in the country and visiting artists from Zimbabwe at a national festival called Zimfest. They wowed the audience on August 14th in Monmouth, Oregon.
Peak to Peak student Cole Beasley worked with Broomfield officials to create an airfield for remote-control fliers.
Jake Young, a 2015 graduate, was selected by the national Eye to Eye program to attend the "Beating the Odds" summit at The White House. The summit was a part of Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher Initiative, which encourages students to reach their full academic potential. Jake was selected among thousands of students nationwide. The White House asked Jake to submit his story about how he beat the odds and made it to a highly selective college (despite the fact that most kids with LD/ADHD don’t make it to a four-year college), and Peak to Peak’s supportive environment was a big part of that story.
"I am deeply honored to be a part of the Beating the Odds Summit at The White House and to be meeting First Lady Michelle Obama and all of the other remarkable people focused on youth like me who learn differently. Through my work as a mentor with Eye to Eye, I have had experiences I could never have imagined that have changed me, my future and the future of the kids I mentor. These are the kinds of opportunities that inspire all of us every day to 'Reach Higher'," said Young.
Kindergarten, middle, and high school members of the Peak to Peak Puma Space Program, with the help of Mr. Phil Mehalko (Ball Aerospace liaison), Mr. Brian Knox, and Mrs. Amy Moran, designed, built, and tested different rocket payloads. Members of the teams attended United Launch Alliance's (ULA) rocket launch in Pueblo, CO on July 18th, where they loaded their payloads into the rocket and watched the launch. The secondary teams had three payloads. One measured atmospheric chemistry, one used an iPhone to measure the motion of the rocket as it fell back to Earth, and one was a GoPro camera to film the fall.