A few optimists toured the Elephant Toyota Passage on Friday after the meeting. Harry Fegley was the tour guide. Joining were Karl Geil and Lesley Meyer, Bryce and Sue Slaby, Dick Nickoloff, Bill Litchfield, Ed Leuty, Kent Gloor, and Tom and Joie Mauro.
Mark Metevia introduced today’s speaker, the Principal of Holm Elementary, April Mylow.
April has been at Holm for 24 years. She started as a paraprofessional, then a 5th grade classroom teacher, and has been principal since 2020. All four of her kids attended Holm and were Super Citizens, and one of her daughters won the Charlie Korsoski award and still has her plaque.
She was born in Virginia on April 1st. Her mother’s due date wasn’t until May, so the nurse told her that since she had “fooled” her mother and was born on April 1st, her name should be April. Her nickname in her family is April May. Her father died in a car accident on the day she was born, leaving her mother with four young kids. April had a speech impediment and didn’t talk to anyone outside her family until she was 7 years old. When she was in school, she was identified as gifted and talented but also placed in special education due to her speech. She graduated high school, started college, and became a mom at age 17. She attended Virginia Tech and got three degrees before moving to Colorado in 1999.
2020 was her first year as principal, and also the start of the pandemic and when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had surgery and radiation and was back at school as soon as possible.
She has one of our mugs and is a big fan of the Optimist creed, especially “to talk health happiness and prosperity to every person you meet”. She feels her optimism and positive attitude have allowed her to meet and defeat the challenges she has faced, as well as to be successful as an educator.April says that Holm started the school year at the maximum enrollment of 430 students, but they now have 475, making class sizes grow beyond what she feels are reasonable limits, and also severely stretching their resources. April worries also about burnout among their talented teachers. Holm works hard at treating all of the kids equally and making it a loving and safe place for everyone.
She took questions from the crowd on homeless students, the school’s needs for clothing and school supplies, the impact of COVID (she feels the Kindergarten students suffered the most, since they need to learn how to socialize), and her thoughts on the ideal class size. Zabih Danesh has a daughter in Kindergarten at Holm, and he thanked April for the great experience his daughter is having, despite not knowing any English at the start of the year.
DRAWING
We had a Drawing! Overseen by the distinguished Dr. Robert Finkelmeier as usual, $40 was lurking in the pot for the Optimist lucky enough to find the King of Spades.
Styrofoam cups of cold hard cash went to:
Bill Litchfield
Ken Jeung
Ed Collins
Kent Gloor
Matt Dollarhide
Karl Geil
Matt Dollarhide had a second bit of luck and passed his opportunity for the big money drawing to our speaker. Principal Mylow came up empty, however.
Pat Bush also took a shot - alas, no luck.
FROM STEVE KADY
Greeters Phil Perington and Robert Wardlaw brightened what was already a beautiful Colorado spring Friday by warmly welcoming each and every attendee of today’s meeting. (Shown her greeting Zabih Danesh) It was a particularly boisterous crowd, full of solar eclipse and opening day tongue-wagging, on this Friday, April 5th, 2024. 
President Casey Funk, sporting stylish eclipse glasses, asked Ed Collins to deliver our invocation. Ed shared a message on making our optimism come true by living it every day. Through our actions and deeds, we have the opportunity to make optimism contagious. He then led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. April 8th, this coming Monday, the monthly board meeting will be held. 6:30 is the time, and the American Legion is the place. All club members are welcome.
day, April 20th at 3:00 pm the American Legion will be having their 40&8 awards ceremony. The ceremony is dedicated to the men in WWI that rode in train cars that had capacity for 40 men or 8 horses. Our club bought two tables for the event, which will including the honoring of Michael Chavez as a community volunteer. If you’d like to attend, sign up or let Casey know.
Tom Mauro read off the names on the slate of candidates for board positions next year. There is still time to raise your hand prior to the voting on April 26th, so reach out to Tom if you are interested. In particular, there is an opening for vice president Tom is looking to fill.
