Friday, January 27, 2012

Enough Ice for Climbing


Shaun Galvez, 10th grader, at Pikes Peak Prep enjoys ice climbing when he is not at school.  Shaun recently was ice climbing at Helen Hunt Falls in North Cheyenne Canyon. Shaun became interested in ice climbing through the Pikes Peak Prep Rock Climbing Club that is held every Wednesday at City Rock located in downtown Colorado Springs. The climbing club is only one of the many clubs that is offered at Pikes Peak Prep. Students meet on a weekly basis to participate in experiences that include yoga, gardening, science, photography, and of course climbing. These clubs are lead be the dedicated staff.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Ice Cream, You Scream, We all Scream for Ice Cream!


Some of our students spent time with Ms. Murray learning how to make ice cream.  The best part of the entire experience was the toppings and the taste test!

Check out how much fun they had!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Sophomores Create Books to Honor Veterans

This past November, Ms. Perez's Sophomore classes did a very unqiue project in honor of Veteran's day.The students were given the assignment to research and create a book using the following website: studentpublishing.com  On the website, the students can choose the color of the cover of their book, create a title page, dedication page, and author’s page.  The dedication pages were as diverse as the students.  Some dedicated the books to family members, others to famous people, some to their heritage, and still others to the veteran that they had written about.  Some students wrote about famous people, such as Colin Powell.  Others wrote about family and friends and because they have such a wide diversity of students, they also had some students write about veterans from other countries such as Japan and Russia. Ms. Perez, their teacher, was very pleased with the jobs that they did.
Scroll down for some pictures of their awesome books!

Friday, January 13, 2012

Dress Code

We are mid-way through the year. Here is a friendly reminder about our dress code policy at Pikes Peak Prep!

DRESS CODE WEAR GUIDANCE
Students are expected to be dressed neatly, be well groomed and give a general good appearance.  Approved dress code clothing needs to be of appropriate size/fit, with no holes and in good repair, and must be worn as intended by the policy, and by the standard of fit discussed elsewhere in this policy. A student can be out of compliance for wearing non-approved items, or by wearing approved items in a manner that is sloppy, immodest or otherwise inappropriate.
þ  SHIRTS: A Pikes Peak Prep polo shirt or a solid colored polo style shirt (collar with three buttons; long or short sleeve) is to be tucked in at all times.  Appropriate business attire shirts are allowed in lieu of polo shirts and must be tucked in.
þ  PANTS/SHORTS: Pants and shorts for both boys and girls must be tan, black, grey or navy blue and worn at the waist with a belt.  Acceptable pants are a cotton blend: Chinos, Khakis, or Dockers. The length of shorts will not be shorter than two inches above the knee and cannot go below the knee.  Appropriate business pants (i.e. dress, suit) are allowed as well. 
Not permitted: Trendy styles, Jeggins, Capri’s, pant sagging, tight pants, cargos, flairs, carpenters, sweats/warm-ups, zip offs or leggings. Denim material or jeans of any kind may not be worn.
þ  SKIRTS/ SKORTS/JUMPERS: Skirts, skorts and jumpers must be tan, black, grey or navy blue and must be no shorter than two inches above the knee. 
þ  SOCKS/ TIGHTS: Girls must wear solid-colored, navy blue, red, white, or black socks or tights. Nylons/pantyhose must be flesh colored.  Leggings and footless tights are not allowed.  Boys must wear solid-colored, navy blue, white, or black socks.
þ  BELTS: Belts in basic colors of navy blue, brown or black, must be worn by both girls and boys with garments that have loops. Buckles should be plain and conservative in style and size.  Belts must be worn even if they do not show, such as with a college sweatshirt, vest, or a sweater.
Not permitted: embellishments, spikes, metal protrusions, beaded or painted designs.  
þ  SHOES: Shoes must be worn at all times. For safety reasons, all footwear must be tied/buckled/zipped, etc. at all times and heels/soles must not be more than 1 inch.  All shoes must be closed-toed and have a closed heel.
Not permitted: sandals, Crocks, “heelies”, flip flops or slippers are permitted.
þ  GYM SHOES: Every student will need a pair of non-marking, limited logoed tennis shoes for P.E.
þ  SWEATERS: Sweaters, cardigans and sweater vests may be worn as part of the uniform provided a uniform shirt is underneath and the collar is showing.  They must be solid in color and free of logos, designs and hoods. 
þ  COLLEGE SWEATSHIRTS: Hoodless college sweatshirts may be worn as part of the regular uniform provided a uniform shirt is underneath and the collar is showing. 
þ  JACKETS/OUTERWEAR: Students may wear their choice of outerwear to and from school and during recess, but outerwear will not be worn in the classrooms. Students may wear a winter jacket or raincoat while walking in and out of the school building. Once inside any classroom all outerwear must be removed.
ADDITIONAL DRESS GUIDANCE
þ  BACKPACKS: Students backpacks must be limited to academic style and content and remain in the lockers or cubbies.
þ  HAIR: All students shall maintain their hair in a clean, well-groomed manner. Hairstyles must comply with the general dress code guidelines (neatness, avoidance of showiness, etc.). Hair must not interfere with student’s vision and/or cover the eyes.
þ  HAIR ACCESSORIES-GIRLS/HATS: Girls may wear hair accessories that are not distracting.
No hats of any kind, including baseball caps, may be worn in the building. 
þ  JEWELRY: All jewelry must be conservative, non-offensive, and not draw undue attention. Excessive jewelry such as dog collars, large neck chains, pocket chains, safety pins, key or wallet chains, and large amounts or numbers of jewelry items are not permitted for safety reasons and for lack of compliance with the overall intent for student appearance.  
þ  PIERCING: Girls and boys may wear one set of small (no larger than a dime) discreet earrings.   Large dangling or large hoop-style earrings are not allowed for safety reasons.  
No other pierced jewelry will be allowed for boys or girls. 
þ  TATTOOS: Visible tattoos are prohibited for all students.  
þ  TIES: May be worn with dress shirts only and must be “business” appropriate.

Dress Code Infraction Consequences
First Infraction: Reminder.  Teacher contacts parent/ guardian and informs them that they must bring proper dress attire.

Second Infraction: Referral. Teacher contacts parent/guardian and informs them that this is the second infraction; a third is grounds for disciplinary action. Proper dress must be delivered.

Third and Final Infraction: Disciplinary Action. The teacher contacts parent and informs them that this is the student’s third infraction and that they must bring proper dress attire.  Disciplinary action is at the discretion of the Principal and Dean.

Frequent dress code violations, beginning at the total of three, are considered to be habitually defiant and disruptive behavior.

Medal of Honor Recipient Visits PPP


Pikes Peak Prep was honored to receive a visit from Peter C. Lemon who spent time with our young elementary students.  Mr. Lemon is one of the youngest surviving recipients of America's highest award: The 'Congressional Medal of Honor'.  Vastly outnumbered in a fierce enemy attack in Vietnam, Mr. Lemon assisted in saving the lives of his team.  Although wounded numerous times, he refused to be evacuated until the enemy had retreated and his injured comrades were airlifted to safety. He is an inductee in the elite Ranger Hall of Fame.




Peter C. Lemon is a dynamic motivational speaker. He is an Ambassador of courage, determination and triumph, and through his visit to our school he profoundly enriches the lives of our youth.
Acclaimed author of Beyond the Medal, A Journey from Their Hearts and Executive Producer of the Emmy winning PBS Documentary Beyond the Medal of Honor, Mr. Lemon donated his book to the 32,000 secondary schools in the United States and the television documentary, with curriculum, to 17,000 public and private high schools to inspire our youth to become worthy citizens.

On May 1, 2009 Mr. Lemon was presented the coveted Outstanding American by Choice Award by President Barack Obama at The White House, recognizing his life of professional and civic contribution.
Mr. Lemon talked about being brave and having courage. Our students were able to look closely at the “Congressional Medal of Honor”.  He presented our students with his book and two photos, one with himself and President Obama.  He autographed his picture with the following “Pikes Peak Prep Students: Respect and protect your freedoms. Make the right choice and live your dreams!  Peter C. Lemon”. We can’t wait for his return visit to talk to our upper classes!!




Pikes Peak Prep Families enjoy a Holiday Concert

Zoriyah Keyes, Ambassador student leader for Pikes Peak Prep, welcomed the families to the Pikes Peak Prep holiday concert that was held on December 16. Over four hundred friends and families attended the concert.  The music department is led by Thomas Willmann who spent endless hours putting together this event. The Youth Choir (Kindergarten – 6th) sang some favorites: “Deck the Halls", "Winter Wonderland" and "Sleigh Ride”.   

We were entertained with true harmony from the Glee Club and  PJ Gage, Community Outreach Director.  These girls spend every Wednesday after school working on their songs.  Their music included “Jingle Bells", "Deck the Rooftop" and "You’re a Mean one, Mr. Grinch!”
Our audience was stunned by the talent of James Duckery, 9th grade, who played “Metroplis” on his Tenor Saxaphone.  Lastly, our symphonic band, 5th – 8th grade, provided magic with “It’s Holiday Time", "Jingle Bells Fantasy" and "Carol of the Bells”.

Before the concert began there were eight craft vendors that set up holiday booths for our families to accommodate some last minute shopping.  Many people were recognized for their hard work and commitment.  A personal thanks was given to the staff and parents for giving up their time to organize and set up the reception after the concert.