Amendment 66 forum scheduled for today
Durango Foundation for Educational Excellence will host an Amendment 66 Forum from 5 to 7 p.m. today in the Pullman Room of the Strater Hotel, 699 Main Ave.
The forum will feature a panel of speakers including: state Rep. Mike McLachlan; Durango School District 9-R Superintendent Dan Snowberger; 9-R School Board Representative Stephanie Moran; Durango Education Association President Gretchen Wilson; and incoming Ignacio school board member Luke Kirk. There will be discussion both in favor and in opposition to the measure. The forum will be moderated by attorney and DFEE board president Robert Dawes.
The panel discussion will begin at 5:45 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.
To RSVP, email info@dfee.net or call 385-1491.
The Liberty School announces events
The Liberty School, 201 E. 12th St., No. 2, will host these events:
Students will visit Durango Community Recreation Center on Friday. Parents are welcome.
Tickets for the school’s fifth annual Dyslexic Hall of Fame Dinner are on sale and can be purchased at thelibertyschool.org. The event will be held Nov. 2 at the Strater Hotel. All proceeds will be used for scholarships or program enhancement.
For more information, call 385-4834.
Spaces available at Mountain Middle
Mountain Middle School has a few seats available in sixth-grade and one in eighth-grade for the 2013-14 school year.
People who are interested, should visit mountainmiddleschool.org and submit information under “Enroll Today.” A shadowing program also is available for any student or parent wanting to experience a day at the school.
For more information, call 828-5600.
Animas Valley school announces Huskies
Animas Valley Elementary School announces that these students were named Huskies of the Week for caring: Myla Glaser, Lucy Flores, Kayden Blueyes, Sergio Dominguez, Nora Olivier, Blake Buckwalter and Torin Aguilar.
Medical society scholarships awarded
The La Plata Medical Society awarded three $1,000 scholarships at its annual educational dinner Sept. 19 at the DoubleTree Hotel.
The recipients were: Ty Vaivoda of Pagosa Springs, junior at Colorado State University; Kathryn Lavengood of Durango, senior at Fort Lewis College; Neil Bourjaily of Durango, senior at Texas Tech University.
All winners are pursuing careers in medicine with a desire to practice in Southwest Colorado.
Durango Arts Center announces programs
Durango Arts Center, 802 East Second Ave., will host these programs:
The center announces its newly enhanced performing arts program DAC Applause. The center recently absorbed Durango Performing Arts Company to expand musical performing arts education through in-house class offerings for youths and teens. DAC Applause includes: Wee Glee for ages pre-kindergarten and kindergarten; Confetti for grades one to three; Sumthin’ Doin’ for grades four to five; Wildflower for grades eight to 12; Ovation for students in middle school (by invite only); Encore for ages 14 and older (by invite only) and Circus Arts for ages 9 to 13.
The center will host an open house for teachers to learn about its in-house and outreach programs from 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 2. The center invites local educators for wine and appetizers and to meet with staff members and in-house arts educators. Participants may RSVP or just show up.
For more information, visit www.DurangoArts.org or call 259-2606.
Mountain Middle earns top designation
Mountain Middle School, Durango’s free, public charter school for grades six to eight, has risen two levels in the Colorado Department of Education’s rating system to earn the state’s top designation as a “performance” school.
CDE rates schools in math, science, reading and writing at each grade level. Mountain Middle students exceeded state averages in every category but one, missing the state average for sixth-grade math by three percentage points.
The CDE rating system has four levels: turn-around, priority improvement, improvement and performance. To advance from a priority improvement school to the top-level performance rating, Mountain Middle earned above the minimum 59 percent of total points available for academic achievement, academic growth and academic growth gaps. As an independent charter school, Mountain Middle is subject to additional performance standards established by the Colorado Charter School Institute. In CSI’s ratings, Mountain Middle also improved by one level.
For more information, visit www.mountainmiddleschool.org, email info@mountainmiddleschool.org or call 828-5600.
LEAN Office workshop to be offered
The Southwest Colorado Small Business Development Center and Southwest Colorado Community College are cosponsoring a LEAN Office workshop from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 14 in the training room of First National Bank of Durango, 259 W. Ninth St.
The fee for the all day workshop is $189 per person. The workshop will provide a general overview of the LEAN principals and incorporates hands-on activities demonstrating how these strategies can improve workplace efficiency. Through a combination of lectures, videos and in-class activities attendees will learn LEAN concepts. The workshop is limited to 30 participants.
To register, call Alejandra de Anda at (866) 478-3256 or email Alejandra.deanda@pueblocc.edu.
Continuing education available at FLC
Fort Lewis College Continuing Education Program will offer these programs:
A wine-tasting series of four consecutive classes will be taught by Alan Cuenca on six Wednesday evenings from Oct. 2 to Nov. 6. Students will learn wine fundamentals, Old World/New World wines, South American wines and Italian wines. The cost is $199 for the series including wine. People may register for individual sessions.
“Discover Your Internet Niche and Create Your Own Automatic Cash Machine,” presented by Doc Roberts will be held Tuesday evenings from Oct. 6 to 22. This is a real-world, practical class about making money, fulfilling one’s passion and enjoying life. The cost is $149 for three classes, including a workbook.
Advance registration is required. To register or for more information, call 247-7385, visit www.fortlewis.edu/ContinuingEd, or Continuing Education – Fort Lewis College on Facebook.
Animas Valley to host farmers market
Animas Valley Elementary School has opened its farmers market and will sell vegetables from the Learning Garden before and after school Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Gala Gaines and her fifth-grade class opened the market as part of their economics unit.
College representatives to visit high school
Durango High School students can meet with these college admissions representatives:
Montana State University at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 8.
The University of Colorado, Boulder, at 9 a.m. Oct. 9.
Interested students should sign up in the DHS counseling center at least one week before the visit. Passes will be sent to students the day of the visit. All meetings will be held in the DHS counseling center.
9-R school board candidates announced
Here are the 2013 board candidates for the Durango School District 9-R School Board:
District B: Stephanie Moran and Steve Brittain.
District C: Andy Burns and Michael Wanger.
District E: Nancy A. Stubbs.
District F: Kim Martin and Erica Max.
District G: Mick Souder, DeeDee Kendall and Carolyn Smith.
The election will be conducted by mail-in ballot, which will be sent out in October.
Selling vehicles at DHS not permitted
Parking of vehicles for sale at Durango High School is not permitted.
Effective immediately, vehicles left in the DHS parking lot with signs indicating they are for sale will be towed at the owner’s expense.
IB program will be discussion Thursday
Atlas and Miller Middle School parents and community members are invited for “Coffee, Tea and IB (International Baccalaureate)” from 7:15 to 8 a.m. Thursday in the Atlas Hall at Durango High School (enter through the front doors and follow the signs).
People will have the opportunity to visit with the IB coordinator about authorization, next steps and any questions or concerns they may have about the implementation of IB at Miller and DHS. Light refreshments will be provided.
9-R superintendent’s round table to meet
The Durango School District 9-R Superintendent’s Round Table will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 3 at the district office, 201 E. 12th St.
Parking is available in the rear. Participants will discuss priorities, share detailed data about current spending and seek to gain community comment about deficit cutting.
A proposed school calendar will be presented at this time.
Grace Preparatory announces events
Grace Preparatory Academy of Durango, 1159 East Third Ave., announces these events:
The academy hosted the president of the National Association of University Model Schools on Sept. 21 to 22. Zach and Deborah Henry, from Fort Worth Texas, visited the local University Model School and facilitated Grace Preparatory’s board member training.
The academy will host its teacher and board member “Leadership Development Day” today. Leah Ouzts, former American Cancer Society income development director and training director, will lead the development day. The teachers and board members will participate in team building activities, leadership training and goal setting.
For more information, visit gpacademy.com.
College night to be held today at DHS
“The Road Ahead – The Next Four Years and How to Best Use Them” will be presented at 7 p.m. today in the Durango High School auditorium.
The program is for students in grades nine and 10.
For more information, visit Deb Medenwaldt in the counseling center.
Columbine Christian enrollment open
Columbine Christian School has a few spots left for students in kindergarten and third, seventh and eighth grades.
Columbine specializes in outdoor education, welcomes students from all faith backgrounds and is committed to no student being lost in the crowd.
To schedule a tour or for more information, call 259-1189 or visit www.columbinechristian.com.
Discovery museum announces programs
The Durango Discovery Museum, 1333 Camino del Rio, will host these programs:
Pint and Game Night will be held at 5 p.m. Wednesdays on the plaza.
Free trivia will take place at 6 p.m. Thursdays.
Sudden Science will be held from 4 to 5 p.m. Thursdays starting in October. The program provides after-school science, technology, engineering and math programming for students in third to sixth grades. The cost is $60 per month. For more information, email Jen Lokey at jen@durangodiscovery.org or call 403-1742.
The Pub Science lecture “The Psychology of Happiness: What Durangotangs Know” with Fort Lewis College professor Brian Burke will take place Oct. 4. Doors open at 6 p.m. Burke’s presentation will cover research about the variables that may affect human happiness.
The third annual Robot Rumpus will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. Oct. 5. Robot Rumpus 3.0 will feature interactive robotic stunts and demos, live music, specialty drinks and more. Tickets are $35 for people 21 and older. Robotic attire is encouraged.
For more information, visit www.durangodiscovery.org.
Animas High School announces events
Animas High School announces these events:
There are a limited number of openings for ninth, 10th and 11th grade. For more information, call 247-2474 or visit www.animashighschool.com.
AHS will host an open house from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at its new campus. No reservations are needed.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the school’s new Twin Buttes location. The entrance is 1.7 miles west of the DoubleTree Hotel on U.S. Highway 160.
AHS will host its 2013 fall blood drive from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Thursday in the commons. To donate, visit www.unitedbloodservices.org and enter Sponsor Code “animashs,” email Colleen Dunning at colleen.dunning@animashighschool.com or call (877) 827-4376.
The freshman humanities class will exhibit its “Socialization and Identity Mask Project” from 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 9 at La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave.
The freshman physics students will launch rockets at 5 p.m. Oct. 10 at the fairgrounds.
The 11th-grade humanities class will present “The Morality and Politics of Justice” from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Oct. 22 at Durango Joe’s, 1125 South Camino del Rio, and from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Oct. 22 at Durango Joe’s at 732 E. College Drive.
Aztec Ruins to host events
Aztec Ruins, 84 County Road 2900 in Aztec, will host these events Friday:
Archaeologist Florence Lister will share insights about the early years of Aztec Ruins and her work with Earl Morris at 11:30 a.m.
Theodore Frisbie of Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville will present “Salt of the Earth: Native American Tribes, Tribulations, Trials, Trails, Trade and More” at 7 p.m. This lecture is a discussion of Native American perceptions of salt and the sacred personage Old Salt Woman, as told from archaeological and Puebloan ethnographic angles.
For more information, call (505) 334-6174 or visit www.nps.gov/azru.
Herald Staff
