Colorado Governor Bill Owens, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and Denver Public Schools Superintendent Jerry Wartgow will be among approximately 100 tutors tomorrow (Saturday, Jan. 31) helping Cole Middle School students prepare for upcoming Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) tests.

Please note: Cole Middle School principal Nicole Veltzé is granting classroom access to interested TV cameras and newspaper photographers for the last 10 minutes of the tutoring session. Reporters and photographers should meet in the school lobby at 10:45 a.m. and will be escorted to the tutoring sessions at 10:50 a.m.

Tomorrow is the fourth in a series of eight consecutive voluntary Saturday tutoring sessions for Cole Middle School students. The sessions are part of the school’s efforts to boost student achievement.

Last month, Cole was the only DPS school to be rated “unsatisfactory” by the state for three straight years. Cole’s improvement rating is “stable.”

Principal Nicole Veltzé is in her second year at Cole Middle School. “The district needs more principals and teachers to accept the most challenging positions, and Nicole should be commended specifically for doing just that at Cole,” said Superintendent Wartgow earlier this school year. “She has set high expectations for Cole Middle School, and we have every confidence that under her leadership - and with the hard work of dedicated teachers and students - results at Cole will yield continued improvement in student achievement. All indications are that Cole Middle School is making significant academic progress. There is a long way to go, but the trend at Cole is positive.”

Cole Middle School is located at 3240 Humboldt St. For more information, contact Mark Stevens, DPS Public Information Office, at 720-423-3402.