Mountain View Students Do Famously At Notables Night

Two queens sat enthroned in a corner of the Mountain View Middle School gymnasium, surrounded by a crowd of admirers.

“I’ve heard scandalous things about thee,” Mary Queen of Scots told Anne Boleyn.

Krystine Jolstead played a convincing Mary, with flaming red hair, jewels and lavish costume. Erin Bourgeous portrayed a demure and well-dressed Anne Boleyn. Quick witted, too.

At the end of their dialogue, Anne Boleyn asked for questions but offered this disclaimer:

“Please forgive us if we do not know the answers. For after 400 years, our memory fails us.”

The two queens were actually sixth graders. The admirers - parents - leaned forward to catch every word. Around the gym and throughout the school halls other famous figures gave reports on their lives. This was Night of the Notables, a Mountain View tradition.

Each sixth grader researched a person of accomplishment, first writing a report, then memorizing a speech. Come the big evening, the students wore costumes and, stationed around the school, gave their report to parents and siblings.

Ariel Murch, with a blonde bob and a sincere smile, made a touching Princess Diana.

“When I got married to Prince Charles I thought I was the luckiest girl in the world,” Ariel said. She summed up the evening as both fun and embarassing.

Joey Ackerman was an earnest Neil Armstrong. Mark Malakowsky, in handcuffs and slicked-back curls, had a hint of Harry Houdini’s self-confidence. Ricky Monroe, in tie-dyed shirt and a natural Lennon-look-alike haircut, created a convincing John Lennon.

Jake Mahoney wore camouflage as Davy Crockett - because he didn’t have any buckskin, he said.

“I’m just out here to get a good grade,” he admitted.

Shawn Potter, in a black velvet coat and white curled wig, filled his report on George Washington with detail.

“He was one of the guys I really admire,” Shawn said. Like some of the other students, Shawn said he was nervous to start with. But each time he gave his speech, it was easier. And after nine times, his nervousness was gone.

Janelle Rettig was Helen Keller, complete with a letter in Braille. And Nikolas Weiler, aka Thomas Jefferson, claimed the Declaration of Independence as his proudest accomplishment and noted, “If I was still alive today, I’d be 256 years old.”

Mary Queen of Scots and Anne Boleyn delivered such a clever performance that their audience begged them to continue even while other students were pulling down their posters and packing up their props.

The two girls became friends this year as classmates in Patty Markofski’s room. As they finished out their last rendition, they found one thing to agree upon: their opinion of Henry VIII. “He was rather a pig, wasn’t he, Mary?” asked Anne Boleyn.

Food drives award to CV

The Spokane Valley Food Bank presented an award of appreciation to Central Valley High School’s leadership class for the successful food drive held in December at the high school

Students collected 25,000 pounds of food. Tara LaShaw, director of community service for the student body, accepted the award at last week’s Central Valley School Board meeting.

A separate award went to Central Valley school bus drivers who organized an all-Valley food drive, resulting in 9,000 pounds of food.

G-Prep and jazz honors

Gonzaga Prep’s jazz band won the AA Division at the recent Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival at the University of Idaho. Valley members of the group include senior Todd Engstrom and sophomores Andrew Inks and Peter Moe.

Prep’s jazz choir, Jazz Connection, took second place in the AA division. Jazz Connection members from the Valley are senior Erin Bartlett, juniors Nicholas Antich, Mary Mealey and sophomore Chandler Winningham-Swank.

Child today, career tomorrow

Pathways, a business-education consortium, invites middle school parents to hear how to help students create a path to a good-paying job.

Susan Quattrociocchi, head of the Northeast Tech Prep Consortium at Bellevue Community College, will speak at 7 p.m., Tuesday, at Horizon Junior High School. Her talk is free.

She will focus on ways parents can help their students with early career planning.