Rainey Coffin

Students at St. George’s School will take audience members back to the small town of Grover’s Corners, tonight and on Saturday at 7 p.m. in their production of “Our Town.” The classic drama, written by American playwright Thornton Wilder, tells a story of daily life in the small New Hampshire town. The cast of “Our Town” includes Justin Heftel, as the preacher; Trevor Lewis, as Dr. Gibbs; Dani Miller, as Mrs. Gibbs; Bruce Culbertson, as Editor Webb; Emily Guinn, as Mrs. Webb; Kyler Hayes, as George Gibbs; Megan Hatheway, as Emily Webb; and Adithya Shekhar, as Simon Stimson. Other cast members, taking on the roles of multiple characters, include Myra Ahmad, Ethan Guinn, Alec Ogden, Nik Ostersmith, Kira Renfro and Jemima Wynn.

For the third time in the past four years, the Ferris High School varsity cheerleaders have been honored as Washington State Academic Champions. The girls earned an overall grade-point average of 3.70 for the 2010-’11 winter quarter.

The Mt. Spokane High School Theatre Department will perform the classic musical “Fiddler on the Roof,” a tale of a father’s love for his family and his attempt to maintain their Jewish traditions among severe oppression and changing times. The musical is set in the small village of Anatevka, and Tevye, a milkman, must cope with his strong-willed daughters while instilling the importance of tradition in their Jewish community during the growing anti-Semitism of Czarist Russia.

Student athletes at Mt. Spokane High School were recently honored, not only for their talent on the field or the court, but also for their success in the classroom. Mt. Spokane athletes in each sport were given the Wildcat Award for their academic achievement, commitment, team support and sportsmanship.

Joseph Mitchell, a senior at Coeur d’Alene High School, was recently recognized for his commitment and service to his community with a Congressional Silver Medal Award by Congressman Walt Minnick’s office. According to a press release from the Coeur d’Alene School District, Mitchell received the award because of his dedication to the community and discipline toward achieving the goals he has set. In a letter to Mitchell, Minnick said, “These are all attributes which will serve you well in whatever you pursue in the future.”

With the holidays in full swing, the second-graders at Northwest Christian School recently displayed thespirit of the season when the students made fleece hats for children at Olive Crest, a local nonprofit committed to preventing child abuse and treating and educating at-risk kids. Second-grade teacher Michelle Gibson said in an e-mail the students worked on the project as part of their wants versus needs social studies curriculum and provided them with a hands-on opportunity to connect with a child in need. The students, along with parent volunteers, cut and sewed 25 fleece hats. Gibson said of the project, “It is a tangible way to meet a need instead of just raising money or awareness.”

The students at Fernan Elementary School in the Coeur d’Alene School District recently took a camping trip at the school’s second annual Camp Read-A-Lot! Campers had two special visitors at their campground, located in Fernan’s gym, when Curious George and The Man in the Yellow Hat stopped by to listen to one of George’s favorite stories, “Curious George Goes Camping,” read by fifth-grade teacher Teri Burch.

Otis, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s in-training rescue dog, recently spent time with Anita Dahmen’s second-grade students at Holy Family Catholic School. The 1-year-old black Lab is being trained by Coeur d’Alene firefighter Jeff Sells, who began the Idaho Disaster Dogs after 9/11 with his wife, Janelle.