We are heading into our last two weeks of school and what a year it has been. Looking back, I feel that we have accomplished quite a bit, despite all of the challenges that have come our way. We have been able to attend school, for the majority of the year, onsite. When we were not able to be here, we were able to continue to provide quality instruction for our students virtually, thanks to everybody’s efforts. These last couple of weeks will be busy, but I feel confident that we can end on a good note.
Our Fabulous Students
The high school awards ceremony was held on the evening of May 10th. CHS students were recognized for their hard work and accomplishments throughout the year. We are grateful for the partnerships that we have with the many families, local organizations, and institutes of higher learning that support our students and honor them with generous scholarships. The resources they provide for our students make it possible for them to continue their education at the next level. Thanks to everyone that pitched in to make the night a success. A special thanks to Adele Alfson, she did a fantastic job coordinating the evening and putting together a delicious meal for our presenters and families.
Ray and Colette Skeff awarded Ever Hernandez, Diego Velez, and Carlos Almeida the Skeff Scholarship.
Skip McClure and Richard Ramstetter presented the Kiwanis Scholarship to Zambria Traverse, Adrian Garcia, Briana Moreno, Mackayla Arellano, and Jacqueline Aguilar.
We were honored to have Joni Hemmerling and Kendra Durre present the Jeannie Leach Memorial Scholarship in memory of their mother.
Warren Weaver and Jerry Claire recognized our Outstanding Boy and Girl. Yamileth Trejo was our Outstanding Girl and Yayir Quintana was the Outstanding Boy.
Mike Roque from Adams State presented the Patricia Lucero Memorial Scholarship to Jazmynn Valadez Gonzalez.
A big thanks to Renae Hasslett and Kaylee Gomez who recognized a number of our students with the CAMP Scholarships and the Extended Studies and Concurrent Enrollment honors.
Our own Stephanie Archuleta honored our students who had been successful in the science fair this year. Cael Ruggles, Leonardo Carrillo, and Cristian Velez- Gonzales all competed successfully at this year's fair and were recognized for their efforts.
Western State, Trinidad State College, the Colorado School of Mines, and the University of Colorado, all presented awards to students. Other recognitions included the Principal’s Scholarship, the Viking Athletic Association Scholarship, Outstanding Academic Achievement, the McCormick Scholarship, Center Education Association, Make A Difference, and the Center Service Scholarship.
Katrina Ruggles presented the STARS Memorial Scholarship with a touching remembrance to our former student Will Weatherford. Jazmynn Valadez Gonzalez received this scholarship award.
Rewind
We finished up our end-of-year testing. Thanks to Stephanie’s organization and preparation we got through it, even with the electricity going out and all the excitement that created! A shout out to Leroy Torrez, who was such a good sport about the elevator incident. Thanks for your good attitude and handling that so well.
Our last ICAP of the year took place on Thursday, May 13th.
Students started the day with an enthusiastic guest presenter, Shaun Boothe. His presentation is a critically acclaimed musical project that celebrates the world's greatest cultural icons through biographical rap songs.
That was a great way to start the day. After the presentation, senior students took part in their senior exit interviews. This is an excellent, real-world experience that prepares our students with the skills that they will need to be successful in the 21st century. Junior students presented their Capstone projects to panelists. These projects require students to identify a need or problem, make plans to address that challenge, and follow through with the completion of the plan. Students did capstone projects as fundraisers, food collection and distribution, volunteer help at local community organizations, and one group even got the school a Center Viking mascot!
Forward Focus
We will have our last District Leadership meeting on Wednesday, May 19th. We will be looking at our end-of-year data and determining if the goals that were set mid-year were accomplished. We will use that data to identify strengths, areas of focus, and make specific plans for next year.
This Thursday will be our seniors' last day of school and they will head out for their senior trip to Texas!
Next week, we will have a special BOE meeting on the 25th to approve the preliminary budget for next school year. Wednesday, May 26th, will be the 8th-grade Continuation Ceremony in the main gym at 6:00 pm. The following evening, Kindergarten Graduation will take place. The last day of school for students will be May 27th. We will have an end-of-year staff breakfast at 8:00 am on the 28th. We will recognize our staff that will be retiring, and any other staff members that will be moving on to new opportunities. CHS graduation will be on Saturday, May 29th, @ 11:00 am on the football field. The ARC graduation will be on June 5th.
We are in the home stretch! Thanks to each of you for your tenacity and work ethic throughout the year. The finish line is in sight! #VikingStrong!