Westside schools:
CHS: 1st double win at x-country regionals

       For the first time in Coronado High School history, both the Cougar boys and girls teams have won cross-country regional championships.
       The victories in Pueblo Oct. 20 qualified both squads for the state meet Oct. 29 at Arapahoe County Fairgrounds in Aurora.
       It was the third regional title in four years for the boys, who have also finished in the top 10 at state each of the last three years. The girls' last regional win was in 2005, coach Doug Hugill said.
       Dan Egger led the boys with a 16:52 second-place finish in the 5,000-meter race, trailed closely by Quin Ralston, fifth; Schuyler Vanderslius, sixth; and Ryan Mott, seventh. The final Cougar scorer was Michael Tompkins, 16th.
       For the Coronado girls, Rileigh Darby-McClure was 4th in 20:08, followed by Alexis Work, 7th; Shannon Young, 9th; Kristen Hernandez, 11th; and Lauren Akers, 12th.
       In both races, defending boys and girls state champion Cheyenne Mountain finished second.
      

Holmes Middle School students (from left) Cullen Shepherd, Taylor Dutton and Tyler Portillo enjoy a wolf visit to their classroom.
Courtesy of Josh Tomberlin

       Wolf visits classroom
       A baby wolf recently visited Holmes Middle School sixth-grade students in the Pyramid Peak core taught by Josh Tomberlin and Kylene Riggen, culminating a three-week, multi-discipline course for which each student also did a report.
       The wolf was brought to the school by the Rocky Mountain Wildlife Foundation of Guffey. The $250 cost for the visit was covered by the families of the 61 students in the core, Tomberlin said.
       It was the second time a wolf has paid a visit to a Tomberlin classroom. His mother, Lori Yoshimiya, who volunteers at the foundation, also helped arrange an encounter for his sixth-graders in fall 2009.
      
       New festival at Coronado
       Coronado High School will transform into a spooky locale Saturday, Oct. 29 from 6 to 8 p.m.
       The first-time Fall Festival is free, although a donation of canned food is welcome, according to Student President Drew MacMillan, who is organizing the event with other members of the school's Student Cabinet.
       While the Halloween-themed event is especially targeted for Coronado's feeder schools, the community at large is welcome, he said.
       Events will include a haunted house in the basement and trick-or-treating by knocking on classroom doors on the first floor of the main building. Also planned are several game booths run by school clubs in the cafeteria.
       “It's a good way to promote our school and help our clubs a little bit,” MacMillan said. “We'd like to make it a fun event for the middle school and elementary kids.”
       He added that the canned-food donation will go toward Coronado's Harvest of Love collection effort for Care and Share, continuing through Nov. 18. Anyone wishing to donate after the festival can leave their offerings in a box in the school office.
      
       Drive Smart at Coronado
       Also coming up at Coronado will be the annual Drive Smart campaign, with related demonstrations and activities for students throughout the week of Oct. 31-Nov. 4. A prominent highlight will be a simulated accident including a Flight for Life helicopter in the parking lot Thursday, Nov. 3 during lunch.
       According to Sophia Assila, student body vice president, the main Drive Smart goal for students is to prevent “distracted driving, especially texting.”
       Coronado tied for first among area high schools last year in judging of Drive Smart presentations.
      
       Bijou breakfast a success
       The Bijou School earned $427 from the pancake breakfast in the school gym that Pikes Peak United Methodist Church Men's Club volunteers held on their behalf Oct. 22.
       Part of the money will go to the school's Art Club, but most of the money from the fundraiser will go to buy bus passes for students, according to Bijou Principal Kathryn Presnal.
       The church's Men's Club provided the servers, set-up and clean-up, and also donated some of the food. The pancakes and fixings were provided by a local restaurant chain through the efforts of the school's community relations team, Presnal said.
      
       Choice 'window' opens
       A chance for parents to enroll their children in District 11 schools other than those in their attendance area will begin Nov. 1 and continue through Feb. 15.
       A Choice Open Enroll-ment form needs to be filled out, and there must be room at the desired school.
       The option is also open to people who don't live in District 11, a press release states.
       For more information, call 520-2297.

Westside Pioneer/press releases