In the News!
In the News!
Embedded Files
Round 1 of magnet school applications is currently closed. Round 2 will reopen on March 2. Check back for more information.
Below are recent accolades from our Magnet School and Special Admissions Programs students!
Below are recent accolades from our Magnet School and Special Admissions Programs students!
Community is at the Center of Changes at Bluff Lake
Community is at the Center of Changes at Bluff Lake
About 100,000 people a year visit Bluff Lake Nature Center, and those visitors were at the center of the campus improvements unveiled February 14: restrooms, water stations, an accessible ramp, and stairs.
Burrell Arts Student Earns National Awards
Posted on 05/28/2025Burrell Arts Student Earns National Awards
An incredibly talented student from the Burrell Arts Campus has plenty to look forward to this summer. Jessica Alvarado Campos is getting ready for a trip to New York City where she'll be honored at the world-famous Carnegie Hall.
The junior student competed in the national Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, the country's most prestigious recognition program for creative teens.
Jessica won a gold medal in the Ceramic & Glass category and a gold medal in Mixed Media which is a visual art form where the artist combines two or more different mediums or materials into a single piece of artwork.
And if that wasn't enough accolades, Jessica also earned the American Visions Medal for her work in Mixed Media. Scholastic will honor her during an award ceremony at Carnegie Hall on June 11.
Congratulations Jessica on your incredible achievements!
The Burrell Arts Campus is the artistic flagship of Aurora Public Schools. It's a magnet program for aspiring young creators and creatives who want an arts-integrated education in grades K-12. Students attend Burrell Arts K-8 or the neighboring Burrell Arts Pathway at Aurora Central High School.
Sawdust Flies at Gateway High School as Students Showcase Their Cabinet-Making Skills
Posted on 02/28/2025Sawdust Flies at Gateway High School as Students Showcase Their Cabinet-Making Skills
Pop quiz time. If you want to straighten out a piece of lumber that is warped or twisted, would you use a miter chop saw, a boring machine or a service planer and jointer? If you guessed a service planer and jointer, congratulations! You’re on your way to becoming a cabinet making expert.
Knowing the answers to questions like this was a must for students who competed in the recent SkillsUSA regional competition for cabinet manufacturing. The competition was held at Gateway High School and featured three Gateway students going up against students from the Cherry Creek Innovation Campus and Riverdale Ridge High School in Thornton.
First, the students were given a set of blueprints for a cabinet they needed to make. Then, they inspected a demonstration cabinet in the middle of Gateway’s woodworking shop. Finally, they sawed, glued and crafted multiple pieces of lumber together into a finished cabinet.
Gateway instructor Andrew Woods likened it to his students’ Super Bowl. “How many of the sports teams get to go to a state championship? Well, here we have a chance for students to go to a state championship for cabinet making.”
It’s exciting to see the sawdust fly inside Gateway’s shop. With each cut, the students got closer to achieving their goal of advancing to the state competition. Aurora Public Schools is proud to participate in SkillsUSA, which is a national organization that champions career and technical education (CTE) skills for students.
February is CTE Month and Woods said it’s important for his students to have opportunities to showcase their skills. “I’m always proud to see what our students can do,” he said. “Some of the woodworking programs like this have been lost over the years. We’re really fighting hard to keep them growing strong and producing skilled workers.”
Gateway invited professional industry partners to serve as judges for the competition. Students from Cherry Creek and Riverdale Ridge took the top two spots and qualified for state. And while the Gateway students didn’t win the competition, Woods said they gained valuable experience and connections with the industry partners who could become their future employers.
“That’s the whole point of these types of elective classes,” said Woods. “It’s to give students a taste of what these careers are so they can start making that decision of, ‘Is this what I want to do for my career?’”
Page updated
Report abuse