Education Notes: St. George’s staging ’50s-theme musicals
’50s nostalgia onstage with ‘Taffetas,’ ‘Forever Plaid’
St. George’s School drama students will kick off the school year with two musicals that will take audiences back to the 1950s.
The performance season will begin Wednesday with “The Taffetas,” starring Hailey Hyde as Kaye; Natalie Johnson as Peggy; Stephanie Hammett as Donna; Alaina Jacobsen as Cheryl; and Kyler Hayes as Gus Gunderson. A second show will be Sept. 14.
The musical is about four sisters in Muncie, Ind., making their television debut on “Spotlight on Music,” singing the hottest tunes from 1953.
The school’s performances continue on Sept. 13 and Sept. 15 with “Forever Plaid,” a story about four guys who bring harmony back to life. The cast is Jack Morrow as Frankie; Justin Heftel as Sparky; Jacob Withers as Jinx; and Cade Martin as Smudge.
Tickets are $5 for general admission and $3 for students and seniors, age 65 and older. Tickets for both shows cost $8 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. All tickets may be purchased at the door.
All shows will be performed in the St. George’s School Founders Theater at 7 p.m.
Two school groups to get STEM grants
Spokane Public Schools has been awarded two grants by Washington STEM, a statewide nonprofit devoted to improving education in science, technology, engineering and math. The funds will allow teachers to try new ideas to improve STEM education.
The Community School received an $18,000 “Surviving the Cut” grant. The money will support a project designed to work with about 100 students at the project-based high school. The idea behind the program is to spark the students’ interest in STEM through authentic lab investigations focused on human anatomy and physiology. It will also provide internships and job shadowing with STEM professionals.
The Enrichment Cooperative, a parent partnership program of Spokane Public Schools, received a $20,300 grant. The group plans to use the funding to team with Mobius Science Center and Invent Washington to offer students opportunities to research major inventions, collaborate with STEM professionals through online conferencing and design a prototype that tackles a societal issue of their choice. The student projects would then be showcased at Mobius Science Center.
For more information about Washington STEM visit washingtonstem.org/ investments.asp.