Have you ever wanted to learn a foreign language like Chinese? Well, good thing you go to Mountain Range. We have an excellent Chinese class with an amazing teacher. A teacher who loves to see her students succeed in not only learning the laungage but learning the culture. Mrs. Han, with a degree in Chinese language and literature, started off in China teaching Chinese at a college for two years. Han loves being able to teach her culture and language, but also has a love for learning other cultures outside of her own. So, now she lives in Colorado doing what she loves. When asked about the environment of her classes, she responds with a heart warming reply.

“I often told my students, we are a family here. I care about all of them. I appreciate them loving and enjoying learning Chinese. They could have other options to learn something else, but they trust me and choose me. For me, I try my best to teach them as much as I can. I hope they can enjoy my class, and feel comfortable here.”

What Mrs.Han enjoys the most about her job is seeing how much her students are able to accomplish and learn. She understands how hard but amazing learning a new language is.

Mrs.Hans level 4 class has the utmost respect for her. They say she is the most caring and so supportive. They are excited and always ready to learn. One of her students, Ariel Gomez,says that she is excited about going to class everyday because the environment of the class is full of excitement, happiness, and laughter.

You are probably asking yourself why you should take Chinese? Well, if I haven’t convinced you by telling you about how fun the environment of the class is or by telling you have fantastic the teacher is, here are some more reasons. First, the Chinese culture is absolutely unique and so interesting. There are so many legends and stories to learn about, so many new foods to try, and new music to hear. Secondly, it’s just the excitement and fulfillment that you get from learning something new.

Bollman Technical Education Center is a career and college readiness school. It has various programs from Prostart and Graphic Design to Automotive Technology and Welding. Bollman even has its own English class.

High school students in the Adams 12 School District can attend Bollman as a year round program. Sophomores to seniors can take classes here to get credits in place as an elective. Most of the classes can be taken as a sophomore but in some special cases, like Prostart, you have to be a junior to start. Over 20 teachers who have worked in the professional field work there and educate kids many skills. Everything from how to weld or how to film a video in Video Production; the choices at Bollman are endless.

For over 30 years Bollman has been located on Thornton Parkway and Grant right next to Thornton High School. So, it can be a problem for a student who goes to schools that are located more north like Legacy, Mountain Range, and Horizon. The district thought of it all and have about 8 busses throughout a day at every school for those students that can’t afford gas or don't drive yet. As of spring 2019 to present, they have been remodeling the building so it’s more up to date and on par with what shops would potentially look like in the actual work force. But since late 2018, Cummins Motor Company decided to help expand Bollman as a whole and provide the funds to build a brand new facility off of 126th and Washington, which will relocate Diesel Technology and Welding. They will also be adding more programs to Bollman's selection. Rumor has it that the new facility will be finished by the 2020-2021 school year.

Throughout life, you do at least 12 years of schooling and more than 12 years is not for everyone. Bollman Tech works with students who are more mechanically inclined than academically gifted. No matter what your situation is, Bollman can help you use your knowledge to gain a job or even certificates to get jobs in the future. Bollman even teaches you how to be successful in an actual job related to the class you are in.

“Bollman is an opportunity of a lifetime,” says Mr. Lucas Garcia, the campus security guard. “I knew nothing about cars until I started working here and Mr. Mac Parsons helped me learn.” Even if you aren't a student at Bollman, the beyond fantastic staff will help you learn more every day.

“I started Bollman when I was in high school and got a job here 10 years after I graduated. In September of 2019, I will be celebrating my 30th year of teaching students at Bollman,” said Mac Parsons, one of 3 Automotive Technology teachers. Parsons explained how teaching high school students trades is one of his favorite things to do, especially if they don't want to go to college. “I always took stuff apart with my dad as a kid and fell in love with trades,” he continued.

If you’re interested in joining Bollman, ask your teachers or counselors about Bollman during registration. Then, get ready for some of the most fun school years of your life.

Seniors! It’s senior season! Along with senior pictures and your final homecoming comes college applications. Make sure to get all of your college applications and supplemental materials in on time, it will save you a lot more stress in the long run. Applying for college can be extremely stressful, especially when asking for letters of recommendation and writing a personal statement to support your application. As seniors start to get closer to their application date, you need to make sure to thoroughly consider what schools you want to apply to and whether you will enjoy your time there.

“Make sure it’s a place you can go live.” Mr. Riccio, one of our Mountain Range counselors, advises. Students need to consider whether the schools they are applying to will have an environment that they will be comfortable with. Mr. Riccio advises seniors not to apply to any schools they think they will only be miserable staying there. Most importantly, consider the programs they have available as a school, and determine whether what you want to study will be available at that university. Don’t apply there if that school doesn’t supply what you are looking for.

The most important things you need to have ready to go before you apply are your transcript, your personal essay, and letters of recommendation. Determine how many schools you want to apply to as well, this will help determine whether you want to fill out the common application that allows you to apply to several colleges at once, or whether you want to apply with each college’s own personal application. Other items that are important to have close while filling out your applications are your social security number, and a driver’s license. This way you have easy access to these items while applying. When applying, it is important to make yourself stand out. Simply listing your achievements won’t allow colleges to understand, and “get a feel”, as Mrs. Wimmer our DECA and Marketing teacher describes, for who you are as a student.

Your personal statement allows the colleges to see you away from your test scores. It is important to focus on your personality within your personal statement, and be creative. Make it descriptive and have fun while writing it. Most colleges have the prompts they desire to see on their websites so make sure to keep watch for those prompts. Compiling all of these elements will allow the college application process to go much smoother for you, and will help you hit submit on your applications much faster.

Most schools require applicants to pay an Application Fee to process the paperwork. All application prices can be found on that specific college’s website. Mrs. Wimmer, having gone through this application process with previous students and even with her own son, advises students to call the colleges and ask for a fee waiver, as often colleges will do that for you because they want you to apply and attend their school. “Apply sooner rather than later, this way you can get your decisions sooner,” Mr. Riccio suggests to all seniors, even if they missed Free Application Day.

If you procrastinate on your applications and miss the actual college application deadline talk to your counselor and discuss a plan of action. You can still figure out extensions and even find a new school to apply to with your counselor. There are currently 12 colleges in Colorado still accepting applications with 1 having admission deadlines closing within the next thirty days. Find specifics on deadlines here.