Ram Page

Did you know that the Akron School District has a very committed and active District Accountability Committee? This committee is considered to be an advisory committee to our school’s Board of Education. They also serve the District as our “1338 Council”, holding the school district administration accountable to ensuring the state required Educator Effectiveness, or teacher evaluation, rules are followed. The District Accountability Committee (DAC) advises the Board with school calendar adoption decisions, is integral in providing input for the Student-Centered Accountability Project, analyzing school needs while advising administration and accomplishes any other school district related work that the Board of Education asks of them.

It is required that membership represents all areas of our school and community. This year’s DAC is led by Chairman, Will McFadden. Elected student members are Lluvia Arteaga (Senior), Chloe Farmer (Junior), Zach Bowin (Sophomore) and Kyle Cline (Freshman). Community members and parent representatives are Anne Mason, Dan Jensen, Jay Mullison, Will McFadden, Michelle Dracon, and Kristin Crumley. Teacher members include Megan Reid, Hannah Krening and Bethany Brent.

The District Accountability Committee is required to meet 4 times annually. Ours meets 5 times and additionally, as needed. The membership and calendar of topics covered is approved annually by our School Board.

Mrs. Anita Poss has been selected as this year's Akron Outstanding Teacher Award winner. Mrs. Poss is in her 10th year as a kindergarten teacher in the Akron School District and served as a substitute teacher before taking the full-time job. In addition to being a fabulous teacher, she has coached Brain Bowl and jumped in where needed to serve and support our students and school. Her caring and positive nature has significantly impacted her students and so many of us as staff members.

An anonymous donor donates to recognize an outstanding teacher at the Akron School each year. The hope is to acknowledge the great work of teachers and the impact they make in students’ daily lives. The Akron School District is blessed to have an excellent team of teachers and staff members who deserve recognition.

Congratulations Mrs. Poss! We are proud of you and this honor is well-deserved!

We are fortunate to have an outstanding group of board members who are proactive and supportive of our students, staff, and school district.

Thank you, Andy Molt, Fred Raish, Megan Bower, Barney Filla, and Pat O’Neil for your dedication to our school and staff.

The Spelling Bee was held on Tuesday! We had 26 rounds of spelling, eight of which were with our top two spellers. Elijah Ewell was declared the champion after spelling Tlingit correctly! His sister, Abigail Ewell was the runner up. Izzy Hill and Marret Caraway also qualified to represent Akron at the Regional Spelling Bee in Brush. Congratulations to all of the spellers who participated.

Thank you to Mrs Smith for organizing the event, Mrs. Filla for reading, and Mrs. Krening and Mrs. Randel for judging.

The Knowledge Bowl teams competed in Kersey on Saturday January 11th. They did great, competing against 3A and 4A schools; they were the only 1A school present. Overall, our varsity team came in 6th, with 2 points separating 2nd place from 6th place. The JV team came in 4th place in their division.

Students who are planning on attending college, career school, or graduate school can apply for financial aid by completing FAFSA. Some states and schools use information from the FAFSA form to determine eligibility for their grants, scholarships, and loans.

The Concurrent Enrollment (CE) program provides high school students with the opportunity to enroll in postsecondary courses and earn college credit at no tuition cost to them or their families.

Colorado data shows that students in Concurrent Enrollment programs are more likely to:

• enroll in college within one year following high school graduation
• complete their postsecondary education
• have higher workforce earnings after postsecondary completion.

Mrs. Houston will be hosting another FAFSA workshop on Monday, January 20th from 6-7pm.

Thank you to Mrs. Houston for helping our students and families navigate FAFSA and concurrent enrollment.

Just before winter break, Mr. Schoenecker accompanied multimedia production student Kolten Randel and Caleb Poss to Northeastern Junior College (NJC), where they provided live commentary for the girls’ basketball game against Prairie.

While Mr. Schoenecker has long hoped to involve students in game commentary during live streams, the close proximity of most games to students' own commitments has made this challenging. This tournament, however, provided a perfect opportunity for Kolten and Caleb to step into the commentator’s role without the pressure of preparing for their own games.

Both students did a phenomenal job, showcasing their talents, having fun, and gaining valuable experience in sports media production. Looking ahead, we are excited to further involve students in delivering live commentary for games on Stormy Sports this semester. Stay tuned!

Valentines order forms were sent home with students today!!

Family Affordability Tax Credit Reminder

It's tax time! Many residents of Colorado are eligible for thousands of dollars in tax credits, including the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). However, nearly a quarter of those eligible miss out on these benefits. You don't need to earn a high income to qualify for the CTC or EITC, but it is necessary to file a state of Colorado tax return for this credit. Starting in 2025, Colorado families with children will be able to access the Family Affordability Tax Credit (FATC).

Here’s how it works:

• Up to $3,200 for each eligible child aged 5 years old and younger as of Dec 31, 2024
• Up to $2,400 for each eligible child ages 6 to 16 as of Dec 31, 2024

Additionally, parents with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) can qualify for the credit if their children have a Social Security Number (SSN), which can also be up to $3,200 per young child. To receive this credit, you must file a State of Colorado tax return. File your taxes securely and for free at GetAheadColorado.org.

If your student is participating in MS wrestling or MS girls basketball, please make sure you have paid the $30 sports fee.

If you are unsure if you still owe, contact Mrs. Woods at 970-345-2266.

Thank you.

This past Monday evening, the MS Lady Rams faced off against the Yuma Outlaws. All four teams—A, B, C, and D—came away with impressive victories, showcasing their hard work and teamwork.

The excitement continued on Tuesday as the girls traveled to Wiggins to take on the Tigers. The B and D teams put up great effort, but ultimately fell short against their opponents. The A team demonstred excellent teamwork to secure a well-deserved win.

On Monday, the MS wrestlers had their first tournament in Wiggins.

The MS Rams will be hosting a dual vs Wiggins on Thursday at 4pm.

The Rams had a busy weekend on the road. On Friday night, the Rams traveled to Yuma to face off against the Outlaws. The Lady Rams put in a tremendous effort, but they ultimately fell short, losing 34-36. The boys' teams—C, JV, and Varsity—also showcased their skills, putting forth strong performances.

The action continued on Saturday as Stratton hosted the Rams. The JV Boys team celebrated a victory, and the Varsity Boys followed suit with a win of their own. However, the Varsity Girls faced a tough match and were unable to secure a win.

The Rams will host Burlington on Friday, January 17th, and then travel to Wiggins on Saturday.

Go Rams!

The Rams wrestling team continues shine. Last weekend they placed 3rd overall as a team at the Wiggins Wrestling Tournament.

Individual results for the tournament were as follows:

Merek Charney-1st

Tayshaun Thomas-1st

Kaleb Grauer-2nd

Raegan Torres-2nd

Mason Porteus-3rd

Eli Hart-4th

The Rams will dual with Wiggins on Thursday night at 6pm.

Friday, January 17

10 am MS Wrestling at Stratton

• Leave at 7 am

4 pm HS Basketball vs Burlington

• Parents Night
• Boys C (2 quarters), JV Boys, Girls V, Boys V

TBK Hoop Shoot - 4th Grade

Saturday, January 18

9 am HS Wrestling at Greeley West

• Leave at 5:15 am

1 pm HS Basketball at Wiggins

• Leave at 11:20 am
• Main Ct Girl V then Boys V
• Aux Ct Boys JV them Boys C

Monday, January 20

8 am Knowledge Bowl – Briggsdale

11 am MS Wrestling at Yuma

• Dismiss at 9:15 am Leave at 9:30 am

4 pm MS Girls BKB vs Haxtun

• Main Ct: B then A Blue Ct: Open then C

Tuesday, January 21

6:15 am Pom Pictures with Jim Powell

4 pm HS Basketball at Fleming

• Dismiss at 2:15 pm Leave at 2:30 pm Boys C, JV, G V then B V

6 pm District Accountability Meeting

Wednesday, January 22

FFA to National Western Stock Show

Thursday, January 23

4 pm MS Girls BKB vs Sterling

• Main Ct: C, B then A Blue Ct: F, E D

5 pm HS Wrestling Quad at Byers

• Dismiss at 2:15 pm Leave at 2:30 pm

Friday, January 24

4 pm HS Basketball at Holyoke

5:30 pm HS Wrestling Dual vs Yuma

Saturday, January 25

9 am Knowledge Bowl in Sterling

9 am HS Wrestling at Limon

• Leave at 5:30 am

6 pm Community Knowledge Bowl