With more than 200 submissions from students and staff from across the district, the Westminster Public Schools Celebrating Excellence! awards ceremony proved just how talented the WPS community is.

The in-person awards ceremony and watch party was held on May 10th at the Joanna Ramsey Theater in Westminster High School. The animated Virtual Ceremony is full of humor and creativity with co-host avatars Justin Davis and Kara Myers sharing the winning submissions from students across a wide range of categories.

The event is the work of the WPS PEDAL (Programming for Every Driven and Accelerated Learner) department. Students from across the district submitted their entries online, which were judged by WPS staff.

“In three short years, this virtual event has quickly become a staple at WPS, particularly for its ability to pull out both the more extroverted and introverted students who have talents in many areas including creative writing, community service, CTE, and others,” said Steve Sandoval, Executive Director of Special Services.

Five Grand Prize winners were recognized for their amazing work.

• Taavi Troup (You Teach Us) - Sherrelwood Elementary
• Sophia Vang (You Teach Us) - Colorado STEM Academy
• Diana Martinez and Priya Martinez (Visual Arts) - John E. Flynn A Marzano Academy
• Shayla Paz (Creative Writing) - Westminster High School
• Shane Bryant (Visual Arts) - Staff winner- Sherrelwood Elementary