On a recent Saturday morning, a group of about 20 educators from Flagstaff, Williams and Pinetop-Lakeside met in the gymnasium of Kinsey Elementary School for a special orientation and training session.
Typically, rising early to sacrifice your day off for mandatory training doesn’t generate a lot of enthusiasm, but in this case the excitement was palpable. Why?
Because KinderCamp™ is coming back.
“There was just a buzz in the room,” said Sara Owen, the coordinator for the program that helps preschoolers with the foundational, social and academic skills needed to successfully transition into kindergarten. “People are really looking forward to being part of this again – and having it in person.”
Congratulations to Coconino High School (CHS) art students Lorelei Tessmer and Amber Kelly for advancing to the top 50 in this year’s Vans Custom Culture competition out of over 500 applicants.
Voting is now open to the public at vans.com/customculture and individuals can cast one vote per day until Friday, May 7th, 2021.
Amber Kelly, a freshman at CHS, loves drawing and painting to help her relax. The freshman is inspired by her own thoughts and experiences to create beautiful pieces. Amber states, “I wanted to capture the beauty of my Native American culture on my Vans shoes. I’m Navajo and I wanted to show you what I see on the Navajo Nation. It may be different but it is beautiful to see. I incorporated many aspects; the subtle mesas, the connection, the feeling of being in nature, and just being at home. To create texture I used some sand from the Navajo Nation. The back of my shoe, which represents my future, maybe in disarray (paint splatters) but I’m determined to make a masterpiece out of my life.”
