French students go abroad
Eight Como French students were awarded the Xperitas (www.xperitas.org) Global Scholarship to experience immersion travel in Belgium and France in June. The scholarships cover 80 percent of the cost for the international field trip, and students will work to raise funds for the remainder. The students will travel to Brussels, Belgium, where they will explore the capital city and visit the European Union Headquarters and the European Parliament. From there, the students will travel to Paris and spend several days in the “City of Light” discovering cultural attractions. The experience will culminate with a weeklong stay in the city of Nantes in the French region of Brittany, where the Como students will be hosted by French families.
Government, up close
Como students Sumaya Mohamed, Kari Gurney, Josafen Sanchez, Annalaura Mendez, PaNhia Vang and Lay Lay Thoo participated in the Youth in Government Model Assembly program at the newly refurbished State Capitol in early January. The program gives high school students from across the state opportunities to serve as legislators, judges, attorneys, lobbyists, government officials and media representatives in sessions that are conducted by the youth themselves.
Senior Sumaya Mohamed served as a press secretary for the assembly, which in total had more than 1,400 participants. “It was such an amazing opportunity,” Mohamed said. “I was able to network and learn so much. I connected with NBC news correspondent Jo Ling Kent, who was an alum from Youth in Government and was covering parts of the event for NBC.”
Academy of Finance news
Academy of Finance (AOF) students volunteered at Feed My Starving Children before winter break alongside Como students from the Work-Based Learning Program. Students packed more than 44,000 meals for children in needy parts of the world and built new relationships with classmates in the process. In other AOF news, TopLine Federal Credit Union has partnered with Como with a student internship program for AOF students. TopLine is the latest community business to create internships with finance programs. Others include the BrandLab, 3M, Ecolab, Xcel Energy, the Federal Reserve, Grant Thornton LLP and The Travelers.
Music news
Freshman Amelia Schucker earned a violin seat in the Minnesota Opera’s Project Opera program. This year’s production, “The Nightingale,” will be staged at the Minnesota Opera Center in Minneapolis on Friday, Feb. 10, and Saturday, Feb. 11. The Como Park Winter Instrumental Concert was held on Jan. 23 in the Como Auditorium. The concert featured the intermediate band, concert band, jazz band and orchestra under the direction of Dr. Philip Fried.
Como’s Chamber Singers added spirit to Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis with a pre-concert performance for patrons of Handel’s Messiah in December. All five of the Como Park choirs presented the annual Pops Concert in December in the Como Auditorium and then took the show on the road to sing for students at Hamline, Galtier and Como elementary schools on Dec. 20 before winter break.
There’s still time to tour Como
Prospective students for the 2017-18 school year visited Como throughout January and attended Como’s Showcase Night Jan. 19. Shadowing opportunities are still available for prospective students through the first week of February. Interested students can spend a day in school with a current Como student. Online registration is available at comosr.spps.org under the link “Register Now: Como Park Shadow Visits 2017-18.” Tours for parents and students are also available upon request through Jill van Koolwijk, parent coordinator, 651-744-3997.
