FRIDAY FOLDER: A roundup of regional school news

Springs student wins energy award

A Colorado Springs seventh grader recently won a bronze medal and $200 at the International Sustainable World (Energy, Engineering and Environment) Project Olympiad, I-SWEEEP, in Houston. Cellene Feathers, who attends The Classical Academy, studied rechargeable batteries and concluded that using them helps the environment and quickly saves money. Feathers competed at the Pikes Peak Regional Science Fair, where she won a $1,500 scholarship to compete April 15-20 in the junior environment division at the Houston event for middle and high school students. The students, from throughout the United States and more than 60 countries, also toured NASA's Johnson Space Center, the Houston Museum of Natural Science and Rice University.

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Buy a book to help Sabin Middle

A book fair to benefit Sabin Middle School will be 4 to 9 p.m. Monday at the Barnes & Noble Store, 795 Citadel Drive East. The Sabin Jazz Band will perform from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Student art and projects will be displayed. Vouchers are available from Sabin to use during the fair to ensure that a percentage of the net purchase goes to the school. Call Lorna Stiefvater at 328-7024.

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2 local institutions win innovation award

The Classical Academy and Pikes Peak Community College received the first Innovator of the Year Award from the Center for the Study of Government and the Individual. The award was presented to Mark Hyatt, TCA president, and Tony Kinkel, PPCC president, during the recent weeklong Limited Government Forum at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort. Kinkel and Hyatt were honored for integrating preschool-12th grade programs with early college courses. TCA's new East Campus will open this fall on nine acres of state-owned land at the PPCC Rampart Range Campus. PPCC will lease part of the TCA facility for its classes and TCA juniors and seniors will be able to concurrently enroll in high school and college courses.

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Info session on state online school

An information session for prospective students of Colorado Connections Academy (ColoCA), an online public school for grades K-12, will be 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Holiday Inn Colorado Springs Airport, 1855 Aeroplaza Drive. The school has been operating in Colorado since 2002 and has more than doubled in size this past school year. For more information call (800) 382-6010.

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Info about national online program

Insight School of Colorado, part of a national network of online public high schools, will host an information session 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday at Hillside Community Center, 925 S. Institute St. Parents and students are invited to to see how online education can benefit students for which traditional high school isn't a good fit. For more information, go to www.insightcohs.net.

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English language classes for adults in D-11

Colorado Springs School District 11 will hold adult English language summer classes from May 19 to June 25 at Galileo School of Math and Science, 1600 N. Union Blvd. Classes run 6 to 9 p.m. The cost for new and continuing students is $25. Registration will take place at 6 p.m. May 12 (please allow 2.5 hours for registration and testing).

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CC curator speaks at museum event

Jessica Hunter Larsen, curator of the Interdisciplinary Experimental Arts at Colorado College, will lead a session Sunday at the American Association of Museums conference in Philadelphia. She will present a paper and lead the discussion on "Beyond Interpretation: Engaging Audiences through Interdisciplinary Collaboration."

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UCCS lecturer wins 2 years' study in Rome

Lauren Kinnee, a guest lecturer in art history at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs who teaches at the New York University Institute of Fine Arts, is a winner in the 113th annual Rome Prize Competition. She will spend two years studying at the American Academy in Rome, beginning in September.

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Parent info on 21st Century program

The 21st Century Curriculum Program, offered in Harrison School District 2 at Carmel Middle School and Harrison High School, is hosting two parent information meetings. The first will be at 6 p.m. May 11 at Carmel to inform parents about the program for incoming sixth, seventh and eighth grade students. The Harrison High School meeting will be at 6 p.m. May 18 for incoming ninth grade students. For more information and to register for the 2009-10 school year, log onto http://carmel.hsd2.org/21st-century-program.

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Facts on yearlong elementary school

Chamberlin Year-Round Elementary School will host a parent information night at 6:30 p.m. May 14. Registration has begun and the first day of school is June 20. For information and registration for the 2009-2010 school year log onto http://chamberlin.hsd2.org.

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CC senior wins Fulbright award

Alex Weiss, a senior biology major at Colorado College, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study ethnobotany in China. He also received an award allowing U.S. Fulbright winners to receive intensive language instruction. Weiss will study Chinese in Beijing for four months, then, go to Yunnan for 10 months for his Fulbright research.

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Open house for Mann 6th-graders

At open house is set for 6 p.m. Thursday at Mann Middle School, 1001 E. Van Buren St., for incoming sixth graders and their parents as well as prospective students (and parents) of any grade level. The entire staff will be present to answer questions and conduct tours.

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6 D-11 teachers will be honored for Crystal Apples

Six Colorado Springs School District 11 teachers who are recipients of the 2009 Crystal Apples Awards will be honored Tuesday, National Teacher Appreciation Day, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. The program is sponsored by El Paso Council PTA and District 11 to recognize teacher excellence. Each teacher will receive $500 to be used in the classroom and a crystal apple mounted on a plaque. The award winners are: Erin Christopher Ahnfeldt, English, Doherty High School; Charlee Passig Archuleta, fifth grade, Rogers Elementary School; Leslie J. Barthlow, physical education, Holmes Middle School; Alan Combs, instrumental music, Coronado High School; Charlotte C. Hood, first grade, Penrose Elementary School; and Anita Waller, second grade, Fremont Elementary School.

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Literacy center's writing contest winners

The Children's Literacy Center recently held writing contests for its tutors and for children enrolled in the Peak Reader winter tutoring session. The winners were: Jennifer Freeman, a senior at Liberty High School, first place in the volunteer category (award includes $500 CollegeInvest scholarship); Devon Jacquez, 8 and a student at Sunrise Elementary School, first place in the Peak Reader contest (award includes $500 529-college savings account from CollegeInvest); Fabienne Young, 10 and a student at Grace Best Elementary School, second place in Peak Reader (award includes $100 savings bond from American National Bank), and Dalila Walker, 8 and a student at Buena Vista Elementary School, third place in Peak Reader (award includes $50 savings bond from American National). The recipients will be honored at 4 p.m. Monday at the Literacy Center offices.

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D-20 teacher wins $25,000 award

A master teacher at Discovery Canyon Campus in Academy School District 20 recently won a $25,000 Milken Educator Award, which was presented in April at a ceremony in Los Angeles. Trisha Brennan was among 70 elementary teachers nationwide who received the awards.