School News: Kemp Elementary Teacher Surprised with A Day Made Better

Students at Landmark academy at reunion celebrate first annual latin culture week

Landmark Academy at Reunion , a tuition-free public charter school, recently hosted their First Annual Latin Culture Week, a week focused on educating students on the various aspects of Latin culture, from music and art to sports and celebrities, through unique activities. During the week-long celebration, students were able to step into the lives of the Aztecs, Incas and Mayans with Latin culture lessons through piñata making, cultural crafts, songs, traditional foods and more. Students made maracas and learned a traditional Mexican Hat Dance; created Aztec suns working with metal tooling; and studied different countries in Mexico , Central America and South America . Aztec dancers from the Colorado Folk Arts Council also visited with students and educated them on the spiritual and traditional aspects of Aztec culture through dance. “We reside in a community with strong Latin and Hispanic roots,” said Matt Carlton, principal of Landmark Academy at Reunion . “Our community culture is important to us at Landmark. By providing unique ways for our students to learn the various backgrounds of our diverse community they are able to understand and appreciate different cultures.” For more information about Landmark Academy at Reunion , please visit www.landmarkacademy.org.

October 07, 2011

Kemp Elementary Teacher Surprised with A Day Made Better

Darlene Lopez, fourth-grade teacher at Kemp Elementary, was surprised today by OfficeMax’s annual A Day Made Better classroom event.

Each year, teachers spend approximately $1,000 out of their own pockets to purchase much-needed classroom resources to enhance student learning. OfficeMax’s A Day Made Better program, in partnership with Adopt-A-Classroom, aims to help end the need for teacher-funded classrooms.

Ms. Lopez was nominated by Nancy Cruz, Kemp Parent Liaison and Michelle Mascarenas, Kemp Secretary. “Ms. Lopez has made a tangible difference in the lives of her students, and she makes all her students feel important and successful at school,” said Nancy. “Ms. Lopez is just like a family member to her students. She does things to help with CSAP like singing, cheering and motivating her students. If a student doesn’t understand, she will put all her effort and time to help those students succeed. Mrs. Lopez is a wonderful person who cares for her students and goes above and beyond to put a smile on their faces.”

Ms. Lopez and her class were overwhelmingly surprised by local OfficeMax manager Mark DeLong, when he presented her with $1,000 worth of classroom supplies!

Thanks in large part to Ms. Lopez’s exemplary commitment to student success and academic excellence, her classroom is now stocked with supplies to support her instruction and her students’ learning.

Click here to view all the photos from today’s celebration.