Please meet the 2013 Achieve Gala Student Entertainment Groups

We are happy to present to you the 2013 Achieve Gala Student Entertainment Groups. Read their bios and make sure to purchase your ticket to see them live.

Noel Community Arts School Advanced Dance

Director: Jamie Miller

The Noel Community Arts School Advanced Dance, a class at Noel Community Arts School, prepares students for success in college and their career by ensuring high achievement and creative thinking through rigorous academics and meaningful application within the arts. This diverse group of ninth and tenth graders have only been performing dance since August 2011. They enjoy celebrating all forms of dance including Bollywood, African, Latin, Hip Hop, Jazz, Modern and Theatrical. In addition to performing at the Achieve Gala 2013, this group is most looking forward to their “Kinetic Energy” dance show on May 8. Please visit the school’s website to learn more.

Denver School of the Arts Sinfonia

Director: Thomas Goodrich

The Denver School of the Arts (DSA) Orchestra is an intensive program for string musicians seeking to develop their talent, understanding and passion for music. As the Rocky Mountain region’s only public 6-12 school for the arts, DSA welcomes promising young students who seek a challenging and inspiring environment in which to pursue their musical passion. It is Thomas Goodrich’s second year teaching this group of 24 sixth- through eighth-graders. In the coming months, the orchestra is preparing for a number of concerts including the Spring Orchestra Concert at DSA May 15. To learn more about the orchestra and their upcoming performance please visit their website at www.dsaorchestra.org.

Montbello High School Drum Line

Director: Edgar Chance

The Montbello High School Drum Line is always a favorite at the Achieve Gala. Created in 2004, the drum line has performed at hundreds of events including the 9News Parade of Lights, Denver Nuggets games. The 12 high school students of the Drum Line were invited by Mayor Michael Hancock to participate in the inaugural non-stop flight between Denver and Tokyo in May 2013. As a part of this event, they will perform at the U.S. Ambassador’s home in Tokyo. This will be a joint community concert with students from Takayama (sister city to Denver) who will perform Japanese Taiko Drums. Next school year, the drum line with move to be under the guidance of Noel Community Arts School and will become the Montbello LEGACY Drum Line.

Polaris at Ebert Honors Choir

Director: Corrilee Kielmeyer

The Polaris at Ebert Honors Choir is an elective course at the first and only independent site in Denver Public Schools dedicated to meeting the needs of Highly Gifted and High Achieving students. Corrilee Kielmeyer, the director for nine years, leads the 33 second through fifth-grade students in the Honors Choir. The sheet music that the students are performing at the Gala, as well as their choir t-shirts, were granted to the choir from DPS Foundation’s A to Z Fund. These elementary school students are also preparing to perform in their school concert May 16^th. To learn more about Polaris at Ebert please visit their website at polarisprogram.dpsk12.org/.

McMeen Mustang Technicians create digital resumes: “I Am…” thanks to Comcast!

Thanks to generous support from Comcast through the DPS Foundation’s Lights On After School initiative, students at McMeen Elementary School are learning valuable digital literacy skills through the after-school “McMeen Mustang Technicians” program. These skills will help prepare them for the 21^st century marketplace and will serve them throughout their entire education and long into the future.

One of the key projects students develop upon entering the program is a digital resume entitled: “I AM…”

For many students, using computers in a manner of self creation is quite a daunting challenge at first, but once they grasp the overall concept and begin to develop their project, the transformation is astonishing and full of self-pride.

The students begin by learning how to maneuver within the world of the computer. They must learn to navigate, find and open applications, use keyboard commands, develop and name their work folders.

Students outline their project, then take digital photos to manipulate and edit for other steps within their outline.

Meet Elicia Dennis – 2013 Achieve Gala student speaker

Elicia Dennis is an inspiring and accomplished senior at George Washington High School in the International Baccalaureate program. She spends her days focused on computer science and community service. Most notably, Dennis founded the STEM club, which works to provide students with the technology materials they need. Her program also helps the teachers at her school to better understand their classroom technology and to integrate the resources effectively. Dennis’s interests are not limited to technology; she enjoys particle physics, crochet and working with animals. Although Dennis first planned to be a veterinarian, she has now turned her attention to studying electrical engineering, and ultimately she would like to use her skills to facilitate further advancements in science and technology while also acting as a role model for other young women.

Don’t miss this great opportunity to see Dennis speak at the 11th Annual Achieve Gala, April 25.

We hope to see you there!

Barnes & Noble in downtown Denver donates 1,200 new books to Gilpin Montessori

Gilpin Student with Book

Friday, February 8th, DPS’s Gilpin Montessori Public School celebrated the extraordinary generosity of Barnes & Noble customers when representatives from the downtown Barnes & Noble store visited Gilpin and donated more than 1,200 new books as well as two Nook e-readers to the school. The books had been purchased for Gilpin students by charitable Barnes & Noble customers throughout the holiday season. The donation is valued at more than $10,000 and includes many hard-cover classics, Spanish language titles, non-fiction books as well as favorite series.

Barnes & Noble Books

“We are floored and thrilled by this donation,” said Gilpin Principal Frank Vincent, “as well as grateful for Barnes & Noble’s commitment to literacy in Denver’s public schools. These books will serve our students for years to come.” The books, many of which were specifically suggested by Gilpin teachers, will help build classroom libraries. A donation of this size will mean about 85 books for each of Gilpin’s 14 classrooms.

Barnes & Noble’s Matt Fisher says customers were eager to donate to the school, and some – namely neighborhood residents and even some school alumni – even upped the amount they donated when they learned the beneficiary was Gilpin. The store is about a mile from the school. “We and our customers really enjoy giving back to the community and sharing the joy of reading,” Fisher said. The book donation celebration included a special read-in at the school with two of Gilpin’s pre-school classes. Students were invited to select a book from the overflowing tables of newly donated materials and representatives from Barnes & Noble and Denver Public Schools read aloud with students. The students were delighted to have so many books from which to choose including old favorites as well as new titles to explore.

Joe Yurkovic and student

The Barnes & Noble partnership, among dozens of other business-school collaborations, are facilitated by the School Partners Program, an initiative of the DPS Foundation, which strives to cultivate, nurture and sustain meaningful relationships between DPS schools and the Denver community. Learn more about the School Partners Program – including information on how to become a School Partner and a list of existing Partners by visiting http://www.dpsfoundation.org/programs_partners.php.

Pictured from left: Jenny Fisher, Barnes & Noble Community Relations Manager; Nicole Brown, School Partners Program Manager, Denver Public Schools Foundation; Jessica Chapman, Communications Specialist, Gilpin Montessori; Tim Reynard, Barnes & Noble; Joe Yurkovic, Barnes & Noble Store Manager; Matt Fisher with Barnes & Noble; Frank Vincent, Principal of Gilpin Montessori; David Sanger, DPS Director of Library Services; and students from Gilpin Montessori.

Give the gift of hope and education this holiday season