Elks give 6 students college scholarships
Six graduating high school students from Oro Valley will have an easier time paying their college tuition this year, thanks to scholarships they received through Catalina Mountain Elks Lodge No. 2815 and the Elks National Foundation's Most Valuable Student program.
Jenna Johnson and Tyler Sasse of Pusch Ridge Christian Academy received $4,000 scholarships.
Kimberlee Jensen, Adrianna Pulver, Joshua Petersen and Tyler Worden from Ironwood Ridge High School took home $1,200 state scholarships.
The students were chosen in part for their academic achievements and leadership skills.
They were honored at an awards dinner held at the lodge on May 6.
The Most Valuable Student program has awarded scholarships to 25 local students over the past seven years.
People are also reading…
Flowing Wells FFA takes top honors
Students from the Flowing Wells High School chapter of Future Farmers of America won top spots for their goats at this year's Pima County Fair.
Ali Greaber received reserve grand champion honors in the dairy goat breed category and a blue ribbon for showmanship. Marcus Railsback won the same honors in the Nigerian goat category.
Nick Nicloay received reserve senior doe honors in the dairy goat category.
Beyond goats, Kayla O'Connor, Hailey Pierce, Jasmin Cooper and Kory Dusenberry all ranked high in the market swine category.
Dominic Francis came in second for lamb.
The Pima County Fair was April 19-29.
Mt. View singers earn accolades
Several singers from Mountain View High School have received a series of high honors for their golden voices.
Junior Silke Schoch and sophomore Brianna Barnhart were recently selected to participate in the 42nd Annual Oregon Bach Festival, which will take place in cities throughout Oregon, including Portland, Eugene and Astoria, in June and July.
Junior Laura Whitney performed as part of the elite Arizona High School All-State Choir, while sophomore Hannah Mount and junior Kayleigh Mathews received scholarships after competing in the 2012 Arizona Christian Music Showcase in Phoenix earlier this month.
Mount received $5,000 and Mathews received $1,000.
Laguna Elementary gets bike trail, bikes
Laguna Elementary School is home to a brand-new bike trail, courtesy of Communities Putting Prevention to Work and the University of Arizona College of Architecture.
The trail, on the west end of the school grounds, is meant to promote fitness and wellness among students, but also is designed to teach rider safety and skill-building, according to press materials.
Helmets for the trail have been provided by the Pima County Department of Transportation.
Bikes were purchased with money from a district wellness grant.
Laguna Elementary School is at 5001 N. Shannon Road.
OV Police will hold academy for teens
The Oro Valley Police Department will hold a teen academy for the town's high school students June 25-27.
The classes, for students ages 13-17, will include demonstrations relating to SWAT, DUI stops, the police-dog unit and crime-scene processing.
The academy is free, but space is limited.
Call 229-2900 to register.
MUSD hands out employee awards
Marana Unified School District named Marana High School educator Sarah Ross teacher of the year during its regular Governing Board meeting May 10.
Ross started at Marana in 2007 as the choir teacher. Today, she teaches choir, musical theater and Freshman Foundations classes.
She is the lead of the Fine and Performing Arts Academy and represents the school at a district level as a Performance Based Pay coordinator.
Outside of the school, Ross is the chairwoman for the Arizona Music Educators Association, South-Central Region, and a member of the Arizona Choral Directors Association.
Two MUSD support staff members, special education aide Jill Craghead from Roadrunner Elementary School and counseling secretary Lois Sims from Mountain View High School were also recognized for their efforts.
Rotary Club gives $26k in scholarships
The Casas Adobes Rotary Club awarded $26,000 in scholarships this year to Tucson-area high school seniors.
The greatest amounts were given to Jessica Garza and Miguel Marquez from Marana High School. They received $5,000 each through the club's Michael J. Harris Memorial Scholarship fund.
Other Rotary Club scholarship recipients include Sara Ditmanson and Violet Skilsky from Ironwood Ridge High School; Briana Dohogne from Canyon del Oro High School; Chrisa Whitmore from Flowing Wells High School; Jacob Rochester from Marana High School; Eleanor Burgess from Catalina Foothills High School; and Surbhi Patel from Amphitheater High School.
Email School Notes to reporter Gerald M. Gay at ggay@azstarnet.com
