News Release
Nov. 9, 2004
Principal Of Polaris Program At Ebert Elementary School Receives One Of Only Two "Wright Way Awards" From The Colorado Principals' Center At UCD Following Lifetime Achievement Award From Colorado Association For Gifted And Talented
The Colorado Principals' Center will present Diana Howard with one of two Wright Way Awards at 1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 19 at its Annual Leadership Institute at the Red Lion Hotel Conference Center, 4040 Quebec St. Howard is the principal of the Polaris Program at Ebert Elementary School.
Last month, Howard received a lifetime achievement award from the Colorado Association for Gifted and Talented.
"It is a delight and a privilege to work with the children, parents and staff of this exciting school," said Howard. "These creative, highly sensitive children may well transform our earth into a more compassionate place in future!"
The Wright Way Award honors the legacy of Lance Wright, founder of the Colorado Principals' Center at the University of Colorado at Denver. There are just two awards given per year, one for elementary and the other for secondary schools. Nominations are accepted from district administrators, fellow principals or school staff and parents.
The second award will be given to John Vidal, retired principal of Heritage High School.
The Polaris Program was designed to meet the needs of highly-gifted and high-achieving students in Northeast Denver. The school offers rigorous challenges designed to nurture curiosity and knowledge. Students are exposed to topics such as Japanese cooking, rocketry, robotics, poetry, foreign languages the arts and much more. Currently there are 295 students enrolled in the Polaris Program.
Teacher Linda Keller wrote a letter nominating Dr. Howard for the award. Keller commented on Howard's numerous creative ideas and her gentle but firm ways.
"Never before have I met a principal with such a clear vision," she said. "Dr. Howard lives and breathes for the Polaris Program she created, a model for inner-city gifted education."
To understand Howard's passion for education, one can read the quote that closes every email message she sends: "It falls to those of us in education to try to design situations in which children's efforts become increasingly more sophisticated, sensitive, imaginative and skilled."
The Colorado Principals' Center is supported through a partnership among the following organizations: University of Colorado at Denver (UCD), Colorado Association of School Executives (CASE) and the Denver Area School Superintendents Council (DASSC).
The mission of the Colorado Principals' Center is to inspire and develop courageous leadership in principals and other educational leaders.
The Polaris program at Ebert Elementary School, a magnet school for highly gifted and talented students, is located at 410 Park Ave. West.
For more information, contact Frank Bingham, Colorado Principals' Center, 303-556-2190.