AOF teacher honored
The Minnesota Council on Economic Education (MCEE) gave the 2017 Personal Finance Leadership Award to Como Academy of Finance (AOF) coordinator and teacher Kris Somerville for her commitment to personal finance education and professional growth. Thrivent Financial supports the annual award. Somerville will be honored at the MCEE’s EconFest celebration Thursday, Nov. 2, at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska, where she will also receive a $1,000 check as part of the award.
An award-winning essay
Como senior Keleenah Yang wrote an award-winning essay in a statewide contest sponsored by the BestPrep Program. Keleenah presented her essay at the BestPrep Educational Forum on Oct. 24 at the St. Paul RiverCentre. The event’s keynote speaker was retired Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Alan Page.
Yang’s essay was based on Justice Page’s theme of “Tomorrow’s Leaders” and the prompt was “Why Character Matters.” Yang met with Justice Page at a reception prior to the evening program. BestPrep has a 40-year history of support and programming as a non-profit organization with a mission to prepare students with business, career and financial literacy skills through hands-on experiences that inspire success in work and life.
ELL students raise money for Mogadishu
Level 2 and 3 ELL students at Como collected $480 in relief money for victimized families of the bombings in Mogadishu. Hussein Mohamed, a former Como ELL student, who now provides educational support at Como through the Sanneh Foundation, will be wiring the money directly to an aid agency in Somalia. Many Como students had family members directly impacted by the bombing. The outpouring of support from all students, regardless of religion or race, was inspirational.
“No matter how bleak the world looks some days, we teachers are so fortunate to be surrounded by such great examples of what it really means to be human,” said ELL teacher Suzanne Susens.
Students will serve as election judges
A dozen Como seniors in AP Government and Politics classes will be serving as Ramsey County Election Judges in the Nov. 7 election. The nonpartisan service to the community is a wonderful opportunity to promote the democratic process and ensure fairness in the administration of elections. Students received training from Ramsey County officials at Como in October and were assigned to their local precincts along with a team of judges.
Fall musical is Nov. 9 and 10
Como’s Theatre and Music Department will present the annual fall musical in the Como Auditorium on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 9 and 10, at 7 p.m. This year’s show is “Monte Cristo,” a modern adaptation of the classic novel set in an English class film competition during a school lockdown. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students, and can be purchased at the door.
Give to the max in November
Give to the Max is back and will run from Nov. 1-16. The Como Park Booster Club is encouraging the community to boost the wide array of extracurricular activities, athletics and clubs that expand student opportunities and experiences at Como by giving generously at givemn.org/organization/comoparkboosterclub.
Thanks to previous donations, the Booster Club has supported a variety of activities in the last year, including 19 grants to the school band, Technovation Apps Club, ELL, boys’ soccer, Soccer Stars, Dare2BeReal advisors, student council, AVID, choir, Big Brother Big Sister, the Cougar Journal, girls’ soccer, culinary arts, the health office, counseling, prom and the senior class barbecue.
