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Arvada Press 5
May 16, 2013
Graduation
2013
Wildcats marks 50th class to walk By Sara Van Cleve svancleve@ourcoloradonews. com
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rvada West seniors will celebrate their graduation from high school on May 22 and along with their collective achievements, the Class of 2013 also has a unique distinction. “We’ve been calling this year the ‘50th Celebration’ and we’ve been celebrating all year long,” said Arvada West High School Principal Robert Bishop. “The up of50th class graduating is a said. big deal.” real- Arvada West seniors omewill walk across the stage work-marking the 50th time for d. “Ia class commencement in hinkthe school’s history. hool And it won’t just be a zingday of celebration for stuhesedents and their families. It’ll Many of Arvada West’s hereformer principals are exeful-pected to attend the cero Ar-emony as well as some of the original faculty from when the doors opened in 1963. Bishop said there will be an alumni section in the stands with representatives from every graduating class from 1963 through 2012.
“I think it’s a time to bring as many people back and invite them to reflect on everything Arvada West has become and accomplished over its 50 years,” Bishop said. And the class of 2013 is helping add to those accomplishments. “So many people tell us how nice these kids are and how fun they are,” Bishop said. “They’re an involved group and they take their studies real serious. We’ve had success in a lot of areas. They’re very wellrounded and very well accomplished in a lot of facets.” This year’s graduating class of 364 students has 12 valedictorians, two championship athletic teams and members of All-State choirs, orchestras and bands. “It’s a smart class,” Bishop said. About 40 percent of the graduating class was engaged in Advanced Placement or Honors classes, Bishop said. The boys’ soccer team won back-to-back league champions and girls’ softball won the league championship. In addition to individual students joining All-
State performing groups, senior-led choirs and orchestras performed at the Colorado Music Educators Association and Colorado Bandmasters Association State Competition, and a jazz band with several seniors in it received a superior rating at the Colorado Jazz Festival. “They go out and work hard at whatever they do,” Bishop said. “I get a lot of compliments about what great kids they are. “We prepare the world’s future leaders and doctors and lawyers and the future of the workforce,” he said. “I’m very, very confident that in this group of kids there will be great contributors to our society.”
CommenCement Details ArvAdA West HigH scHool WHen: 2 p.m., Wednesday, May 22 WHere: Coors Event Center, 950 Regent Drive in Boulder totAl enrollment: 1,726 grAduAting clAss size: 364 vAledictoriAns: Jennifer Baer, Bradley Becker, McKenzie Bradley, Natasha Hoskins, Tyler Houston, Ryan Howard, Lydia Kellogg, Kristin O’Neill, Rachel Schauer, Veronica Stark, Alexander Tzinov and Nicholas VanderKolk mAscot: Wildcats
Congratulations 2012–2013 Graduates On May 18, 2013 ~ Red Rocks Community College will award over 1,400 degrees and certificates. Good Luck, Graduates! We wish you the best as you pursue your futures.
www.rrcc.edu