Rainey Coffin

Students from Central Valley and University high schools recently earned AP Scholar status for their academic excellence on their Advanced Placement exams. National AP Scholars, awarded to students who receive an average grade of at least 4.0 on all AP exams taken and grades of 4.0 or higher on eight or more of the exams, were awarded to Jacob Conant, Karl Ellingson, Philip Howard, Donggyun Kim, Joshua Ross, Curtis Schmitz, and David Yuan, all of CVHS.

Helen Forman, a sophomore at Freeman High School and member of the Freeman FFA Chapter of Washington, recently placed among the top 47 participants at the National FFA Creed Speaking Career Development Event. The event was held in conjunction with the 87th annual National FFA Convention and Expo held in Louisville, Kentucky, in October. Forman was awarded a silver emblem for her achievements at the national convention. She won the state competition in May.

Drama students at Gonzaga Prep will bring Ray Bradbury’s classic novel, “Fahrenheit 451,” to the stage Friday and Saturday and Nov. 21-22 at 7 p.m. in the Kubiak Theater, 1224 E. Euclid Ave. The show is about Guy Montag, played by Alec Bell, a fireman of the future, whose job is to burn the possessions of people who read outlawed books. Clarisse, played by Sophia Nickoloff, and Faber, played by Isaiah Daniels, help Montag realize the heinousness that is happening in this miserable, controlling society, where free thinking is offensive and behavior is controlled. Determined to stand in his way, are Fire Capt. Beatty, played by Canyon O’Neil, and Montag’s wife, played by Jennifer Phan.

The University High School Drama Department opens the musical “Godspell” tonight. U-Hi’s version of the shows adds rap, hip-hop and contemporary references.

The Central Valley High School Theatre Department will continue its production of “The Haunting of Hill House” at 7:30 p.m. today in the school theater. Other performances will be Friday through Saturday and Wednesday through Nov. 8.

Central Valley School District will host a series of Community Connections meetings to discuss the programs being used in CV’s schools to support their students’ academic success. All events will be from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Meeting locations and dates are: Wednesday, University, 12420 E. 32nd Ave.; Oct. 21, Sunrise Elementary, 14603 E. 24th Ave.; Oct. 22, Central Valley, 821 S. Sullivan Road; Oct. 24, Adams Elementary, 14707 E. Eighth Ave.; Oct. 28, Horizon Middle School, 3915 S. Pines Road; Oct. 29, Spokane Valley Tech, 115 S. University Road; and Nov. 4, Ponderosa Elementary, 10105 E. Cimmaron Road.

Spokane Teachers Credit Union recently surprised four area teachers with $500 classroom grants, providing them with a little extra funding to purchase new classroom equipment, books, and supplies. The four winners are Garfield Elementary School third-grade teacher Jill Leary; Coeur d’Alene High School English teacher Bryan Smidt; Sandpoint High School math teacher Nanette Brothers; and Kelli Aiken, a counselor at Lakes Middle School in Coeur d’Alene.

Ferris High School is celebrating its grand reopening Saturday. The day will begin with a ribbon cutting at 10:30 a.m. in the main entrance. Visitors can enjoy a picnic lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and a dedication ceremony will be in the main gymnasium at 1:30. At 3 p.m., there will be a Ham on Regal performance.

Spokane Public Schools recently honored outstanding volunteers for the 2013-14 academic year. The recipients were chosen from about 13,000 volunteers. The volunteers chosen are:

Elisha Allred is driven. The East Valley High School senior said always wanting to make her parents and coaches proud is her motivation. “It’s kind of a commitment to excellence sort of thing.”

Joshua Jacholkowski is not your typical senior – he’s 20 years old. High school wasn’t always a priority for Jacholkowski, and the road to graduation has been a long and challenging one.