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Mark you calendars for the Tuesday back from holiday break: AHS Spring Musical Auditions.

Scan the code for details!

Aspen Middle School Principal Amy Kendziorski has announced she will retire at the end of this school year.

She has led AMS for the past four years. There was COVID, there was a new curriculum and there was a need for special attention to getting students resettled into school after home learning and a pandemic.

Now, Amy is sailing into her second act. In her first post-public education adventure, she will sail for two weeks in the waters off Croatia.

"After 35 years of dedicated service to education, Amy Kendziorski is embarking on a well-deserved retirement—both figuratively and literally,” stated Tharyn Mulberry, Superintendent of the Aspen School District. “Her remarkable career has exemplified passion, perseverance, and purpose. From championing inclusivity to leading students through some of the most challenging periods in modern history, her impact has been profound and enduring.

"As she transitions into this new chapter of her life, we hope the serene waters off Croatia serve as a fitting symbol of freedom, exploration, and fulfillment. We extend our heartfelt congratulations on her retirement and profound gratitude for her unwavering commitment to making school 'right for every kid.' May this next journey bring her boundless joy and well-earned relaxation," Mulberry said.

Amy said her team was likely not surprised by her announcement.

“I’ve been thinking about it: Is it this year, is it next year? This year it is.”

Amy wraps up an impressive 35-year career in public education. She majored in Special Education at the University of Wisconsin.

Her motivation: Make things right for kids with disabilities.

She taught special education for 11 years at elementary, middle and high school levels in Hawaii, California, Wyoming and Colorado.

“I’m kinda an inclusion freak when it comes to educating kids with disabilities and kids without disabilities,” she said. “School can be right for every kid.”

She attended San Diego State for her administrator’s licence and then went on to become assistant principal, principal and Director of Exceptional Student Services in both Hawaii and Colorado.

What is the biggest change for the better that you have seen in education in the past 35 years?

The biggest change for the better is student center learning as opposed to one system for all kids. That has been a good change – recognizing the individual strengths and talents of each kid and finding those strengths and talents has been fun from a middle school perspective. 

What are some of your favorite moments at AMS?

Outdoor Education. When I first got here, I thought people were crazy and then I went on my first outdoor trip two weeks into the school year. I thought this is the most crazy thing I've ever experienced at a school level. And it was also the most joyous experience. I hiked with kids and camped. That is amazing.

**What advice do you have for your successor?**AMS, and Aspen as a town, is a very unique place. There are some things that are so easy and so wonderful and some things that are so hard and challenging. But that whole picture of that amazing community support, family support, and school expertise is something to celebrate.

What will you miss the most?

Kids.

The amount of change that has happened post COVID  – taking the district from the COVID crazy time back to new normal has been amazing. But I will always remember outstanding moments with kids - the trauma and tragedy to fun and lightheartedness to adventures in outdoor ed – they've overcome challenges that really makes them believe in themselves in a bigger way.That part is amazing.

What’s next?

I look forward to travel and flexibility and playing not on a school schedule, but on my schedule. I like to vacation and I think I do it well.“Something I’m looking forward to in August – many of my colleagues and friends have retired, and they have a retirement breakfast. So I will finally have earned the right to join the retirement breakfast in Durango. That will be fun.

Happy Sailing Amy!

The phrase goes "Lightning never strikes twice" but it didn't take into account the Aspen Middle School robotics team!

On Saturday, the "Lightning Strikes Twice" robotics team did in fact strike again.

The team placed second overall at the Colorado state tournament and qualified for the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP in Houston in April. The team: Nicco DiMaria, Tamir Finesilver, Sam Gilmore, Ember LaPenna, Lorelei LaPenna, and Hailey Ward, competed in the FIRST LEGO League Challenge which introduces students 9 -14 years old to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) through fun, exciting hands-on learning.

Friendly competition is at the heart of Challenge, as teams of students engage in research, problem-solving, coding, and engineering - building and programming a LEGO robot that navigates the missions of a robot game.

An impressive 160 teams, representing all 50 states and 67 countries, are selected from 30,000, putting Lightning Strikes Twice in the top 0.5% world wide. Robotics throughout the Aspen School District is generously funded by Aspen Education Foundation.

Aspen Middle School 8th Grade student leaders have three very special holiday drives going on under the leadership of AMS Teacher Georgina Levey and AMS Counselor Andrea Williamson: Soles4 Souls, Holiday Baskets and the Lift-Up Food Drive.

A pair of new shoes can help a kid feel confident. The shoes might be the thing they need to participate in sports or athletic activities. 

Every kid should have a pair of new shoes, said Yukta Mehta, AMS 8th grader.

Yukta is leading a schoolwide shoe drive, collecting new and gently used shoes - all styles and sizes - in partnership with the Soles4Souls worldwide program. 

“For kids who experience homelessness, this helps take away one barrier so they can focus on education and physical activities,” Yukta said. 

“Soles for Souls is a great organization and helps people,” she said. 

Students are encouraged to bring new or gently used sneakers and drop them in the school’s lobby.

A neat thing, Yukta said, is that the shoes could be given to a local child or they could be sent to children in other parts of the world. 

“Your shoes could end up in another country,” she said. “When you give new shoes, it helps kids feel more comfortable.” 

Kate Essig, 8th grader working on the drive, added: “We want the shoes to be usable and in good quality. We want kids to feel good about themselves.”

Holiday Baskets

A small “Giving Tree” with big dreams attached stands in the AMS lobby.

The Giving Tree, with tags of "holiday wishes" filled out by local children, is part of the Holiday Baskets Program and Adopt a Family program.

Holding one of the tree tags, Alex Brands, 8th grader and member of Young Leaders of Aspen, said: “This helps give kids their wish,” she said. “This is an opportunity for kids to have the same amount of joy as other kids and have that feeling when you get to open a gift.”

The Holiday Baskets Program has supplied food and gifts to people in our valley for more than 40 years, according to the organization’s webpage. More than 250 families will receive help.

Alex, Dora Milinovic and Sloane Alexander, 8th graders working on the project, took some time before the holiday break to talk with their fellow students about the holiday drive.

They explained, a student can take a tag from the Giving Tree and buy a gift for the child or classrooms can adopt a family and contribute gifts-  from winter coats to toys - to their adopted family, she said. 

This holiday drive ends Wednesday Dec. 4.

“These are families in need,” Dora explained to one of the classes. “You are spreading holiday cheer.”

Donations also can be sent to: Holiday Baskets, P.O. Box 2192, Basalt, CO 81621

Lift Up Food Drive: Eighth-graders have put collection bins throughout the school where AMS students can donate nonperishable food items.

The AMS students are partnering with the Lift-Up organization, which aims to provide hope and empowerment in our community, said Sloane Alexander, 8th grader working on the food drive. 

And bonus, for every two food items a student donates, they will receive a ticket for a snack at the upcoming school dance.

The idea behind giving snack tickets for donated food is to try to help students understand what it feels like to be hungry and having the experience of giving and receiving food, said Augusta Berg, 8th grader working on the project.

The food drive culminates with the school dance, Dec. 6, which will have a tropical theme and a photo booth, Augusta said.

Lift-Up saw an increase in the number of meals served in the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys of more than 128 percent in 2023, according to the Lift-Up organization. 

• 1 in 10 Coloradans experience food insecurity

• 1 in 6 children experience food insecurity

• 1 in 3 Coloradans lack access to nutritious foods

• 2 in 5 adults cutback or skip meals to ensure their children can eat

Collection bins are located throughout the school and in the school’s lobby.

“All of the donated food will go to one of the Lift-Up pantries,” Augusta said. “People can go get food without feeling bad.”

Photo: 8th grade Leaders: Back row, Left to Right: Dalia Muresan and Augusta Berg.

Front row, Left to Right: Mercer Margjeka, Elijah Knight, and Hayden Bailey.

• 5:30 - 5:30 PM WEDNESDAY, NOV. 20. YELLOW BRICK CONFERENCE ROOM, 215 N. GARMISCH ST

This parent workshop is to help develop literacy skills through story book reading. 

Read-alouds have academic benefits and promote emotional literacy. This is something we all can do and can have an impact across a lifespan.

Interactive workshop by Literacy Expert Lynn Kuhn, M.A. CCC SLP

Dinner, Childcare and Storybooks Provided

Spanish Interpretation and books in Spanish.

Members of Aspen High School's Hope Squad have activities planned for Hope Week - Nov, 10-15.

The Hope Squad's purpose and mission is to foster human connections, community and hope.

Learn more about the AHS Hope Squad here.

Aspen Middle School Robotics Teams came home from a weekend of competition with Champion Trophies in hand.

The students competed in the FIRST Lego League Challenge, a friendly competition for teams of students grades 4 - 8 using skills in research, problem-solving, coding, and engineering - they built and programmed a LEGO robot that navigates the missions of a robot game.

They also participated in a research project to identify and solve a relevant real-world problem utilizing the design cycle.

The team is coached by George Helfenstine and mentored by Will Gilmore and sponsored by the Aspen Education Foundation (AEF). (photos by Molly Gilmore)

Here are the results

Lightning Strikes Twice Team:

• 1st place in the Robot Game (out of 40 teams)

• 1st place Champions (that is overall for the whole competition)

• Invitation to the State Championship on December 7 in Denver
• Team Members: Nicco DiMaria, Tamir Finesilver, Sam Gilmore, Ember LaPenna, Lorelei LaPenna, and Hailey Ward

Steep 'n Deep Team:

• 4th place in the Robot Game (out of 40 teams)

• Judges Award recognizing their hard work, core values, and talent as a 1st year team
• Team Members: Isla Gilmore, Beck Dorr, Felix Garfield, Evelyn Van Arsdale

Poached Gears Team:

• 2nd Place Core Value Award
• Team Members: Teodora Milinovic, Sunny Guthre, Liam Daniels, Annabella Maupin, Finn Zubrod, Marcel Miracle, Macsen Hembury