Program Eases Move To Middle School

Middle school can be a scary place when you’re 12.

School officials say that the move from sixth to seventh grade is the most difficult transition for young students, who worry that at their new school they won’t be able to find classes, that older students will pick on them and that the principal is mean.

To dispel those fears, Sheridan Elementary held a Chase Middle School orientation March 16 for parents and their graduating sixth-graders. Sheridan is one of seven elementary schools that promote students into Chase.

Sheridan Principal Brian Melody said he initiated the orientation program to help get Sheridan kids over the initial “hump.”

The middle school’s principal, John Andes, talked with the audience briefly before introducing his senior staff, who explained the intricacies of course selection, class changes and lunch.

Parent Kathy Miller said she appreciated the schools’ efforts.

“I know just from my own experience that we never had anything like this when I was a kid,” she said. Her daughter, she explained, was feeling particularly apprehensive.

“It’s a big school, and it’s scary, and I was afraid someone was going to pick on me,” said daughter Rachel Gullick, 12.

After the meeting, Rachel said she wasn’t scared anymore. The principal seems nice, she said, and she can’t wait to make new friends.

LC plans `Hello Dolly’

A determined Lewis and Clark High School music department has not let a lack of facilities hold back its newest production, “Hello Dolly,” opening tonight.

Because LC’s building and auditorium are being remodeled, the show will be performed at the North Central High School auditorium at Maxwell and Howard.

The student cast of 60 will perform through Saturday. Curtain time is 7 p.m. each night.

The two-hour musical comedy, written by Thornton Wilder, is about a woman who matches couples. It’s a basic boy-meets-girl story, said LC Music Director Kathleen Blair.

“There’s a lot of singing and dancing. It’s a very physical show,” she said.

Tickets cost $7 at the door, or $5 from both schools’ business offices, and families from both schools are welcome and invited, Blair said.

Washington Scholars named

State leaders have designated 147 Washington high school students, including five from the South side, as Washington Scholars.

Those from the South Side are:

Marian Ahn Thorpe, Ferris High School.

Rachel B. Frazier, Ferris.

Joel Pierce, Lewis and Clark High School.

Moira Idso Gresham, Cheney High School.

Jeremiah Matthew Johnson, Medical Lake High School.

The students were selected on their academic achievement, leadership ability and community service.

Washington Scholars receive state grants equivalent to four years of tuition that can be used at Washington colleges or universities.

The students will be honored at a recognition luncheon in Olympia May 3.