Spokane teacher of Year honors go to three
Three teachers in Spokane Public Schools have been honored as Teacher of the Year.
Dorene Brown, a teacher at Rogers High School, was named the Washington State ProStart Teacher of the Year; Paula Korus, a teacher at North Central High School, received the Teacher of the Year honor from the Washington State Council for the Social Studies; and NC’s band and orchestra teacher, Collins Loupe, was awarded Teacher of the Year for the Spokane Falls region.
According to a Spokane Public Schools press release, Brown said: “It gives me such pleasure to watch students grow and become passionate about what they are doing. I am inspired each day. And now I am thrilled to be honored by the Washington Restaurant Association Education Foundation for doing the work I love.”
Korus said: “The effort I put into my classroom and the learning I experience with my students is rewarding to me. I’m flattered and humbled that my peers see and appreciate this.”
And, when Loupe was asked about the award he said: “It is a great honor indeed to receive such an award when I know of the very fine and talented music educators in the area that I get to call colleagues and friends. Without their help and support, teaching music well would be impossible.”
Food drive competition
Students, staff and parents of Meadow Ridge Elementary School in the Mead School District had a friendly competition in February to raise food and toiletries for the Mead Food Bank.
The individual classrooms kept their totals a secret. The class with the largest total was competing to win a pizza party, provided by Yoke’s Fresh Market.
Teachers also used the drive for classroom lessons, assigning points to the food collected, according to value and need, and having students keep track of the points. Students also studied nutrition and created promotional materials, such as collection boxes and posters.
By March 1, Meadow Ridge students collected 6,011 pounds of food and two classrooms won pizza partiesin the competition.
Students present ‘Figments’
Drama students at St. George’s School will perform the comedy “Figments” on Friday at 1 and 7 p.m. and again on Saturday at 7 p.m. The show will be held in Founders Theater at St. George’s.
The cast includes: Stephen Burgess, in the lead role of Rick the playwright; along with Brandon Johnson, Mackee Moland, Tammany Ogden, Megan Hatheway, Chessie Thomas, Trevor Lewis, Emily Guinn, Rachael Walker, Nik Ostersmith, Jacob Withers and Brandon Valle.
As a special feature to the show, St. George’s students Justin Heftel and Nick Lynch will perform Woody Allen’s one-act comedy “Death Knocks” immediately prior to the performances.
The play is free and open to the public.
For more information, call (509) 466-1636.
SPRINT program explained
Parents and families interested in the SPRINT program, one of Spokane Public Schools’ alternative learning options, are invited to an orientation meeting on Monday at Shaw Middle School, 4106 N. Cook St., beginning at 6 p.m.
The program relies on strong family involvement; parents or guardians work with teachers to enrich the learning environment and the rigorous, project-based curriculum. According to a press release from Spokane Public Schools, students belong to and work in a community and are expected to have independent learning skills.
Monday’s meeting will help parents and families begin the application process.
For more information, call Shaw Principal Christine Lynch at (509) 354-5800.
Dallas Brass Band visits Ferris
Ferris High School will host the Dallas Brass musical ensemble on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the school auditorium.
Tickets are $5 per person.
For tickets, contact Ben Brueggemeier at (509) 354-6034 or e-mail benbr@spokaneschools.org. Tickets may also be purchased from Ferris band students.
To learn more about Dallas Brass, visit www.dallasbrass.com/ensemble.html.
Open house at Cataldo
Cataldo Catholic School, 455 W. 18th Ave., will hold an open house on March 19 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Participants will have an opportunity to tour the school, learn about Cataldo’s specialized programs, including Math is Cool, drama, music and strings, meet the school’s teachers, and sit for lunch.
Cataldo Catholic School offers preschool through eighth grade, with a flexible preschool schedule and after-school care.
To make reservations and for more information, call (509) 624-8759, Ext. 304.