Spokane Symphony honors two schools

The Spokane Symphony awarded its Arts Administrator Awards to Bob Crabb, assistant principal for activities at Ferris High School and Mallory Thomas, principal at Regal Elementary School at the Feb. 10 symphony performance.

The award honors the two administrators for their support of teaching music and the arts in school.

Last year Thomas purchased extra music textbooks, chorus shirts, 100 recorders for classroom use, a sound system and a new public announcement system.

This year she gave the band and strings teachers funds to purchase used instruments that students can use.

Thomas believes that music and the arts are important to a child’s education.

“The brain works in mysterious ways. We know there is a strong link between music and math. Music helps students with their working memory, allows them to ‘chunk’ information which increases brain capacity, and it also allows the brain to function with more flexibility,” said Thomas.

Crabb’s nominator said he attends almost every choral and instrumental concert at Ferris and is a regular cast member in many school musical theater productions. He has worked hard to make music classes available to more students by scheduling them so they don’t conflict with academic classes.

Kindergarten, first grade registration under way

Pre-registration for kindergarten and new first-grade students attending Spokane Public school will be from 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 28 to March 10 at any neighborhood elementary school.

Student records for Lincoln Heights Elementary, which is under construction, will be transferred to the new school in August.

A birth certificate or other verification of age is required for students who have not previously enrolled in school.

Kindergarten students must be 5 on or before Aug. 31; first-graders must be 6.

On the day of registration, a Washington State Certification of Immunization must be completed with the month, day and year of inoculation.

Information about medical, religious, philosophical or personal exemptions from immunizations is available from the school district’s Health Services department at 354-7298.

APPLE and Montessori orientation meetings

“Orientation meetings for Spokane Public School’s Alternate Parent Participation Learning Experience Program, will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, or 7 p.m. Feb. 27 at the SPS Administration Building, 200 N. Bernard St.

The APPLE program is available at no extra charge and is open to children of all abilities, grades one through six, who reside within Spokane Public Schools boundaries. The program is child, teacher and parent directed.

Classrooms are multiage; grades one and two, three and four, five and six are paired in three classrooms.

Families are chosen by lottery when numbers of children exceed space in classes.

The two sites available are Franklin Elementary, 2627 E. 17th Ave., and Garfield Elementary, 222 W. Knox Ave.

Parents, either individually or by carpooling, provide transportation. Parent participation in the program is expected. Parents can volunteer in classrooms and serve on numerous committees. Teachers are hired by the school district with parent input. For more information, call 354-5972.

“The Montessori approach for the elementary-age child has a unique set of procedures, materials and curriculum goals that are designed to enhance the child’s life beyond the classroom.

Spokane Public Schools will hold an open house explaining this approach at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Balboa Elementary, 3010 W. Holyoke Ave. or at 7 p.m. Feb. 28 at Jefferson Elementary, 3612 S. Grand Blvd. For more information, call 354-5972.

Skills Center summer session sign-ups begin

The Spokane Skills Center is registering students for its Summer Academy.

The center offers high school students the opportunity to attend career and technical education courses not available at their high schools.

The Skills Center serves students from Central Valley, Cheney, Deer Park, East Valley, Mead, Medical Lake, Nine Mile Falls, Spokane Public Schools and West Valley school districts.

To be eligible for the Summer Academy, students must have completed the eighth grade and be enrolled in grades 9-12 for the 2006-07 school year. 2006 graduates may also attend.

The June and July sessions offer classes in automotive repair; automotive technology; broadcast media production; computer programming; computer graphics; cosmetology; criminal justice; medical science; hospitality and culinary arts; veterinary technology and welding and metal fabrication.

The 12-day June session is from 7:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. June 19 to 30 and July 5 and 6.

The 12-day July session is from 7:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. July 10 to 25.

There’s a $25 nonrefundable registration fee per session, due at time of enrollment.

Registration will be from 7:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Skills Center, 4141 N. Regal St. or send a registration form and a check made out to the Skills Center to: Summer Skills Academy, 4141 N. Regal St., Spokane, WA 99207.

Registration forms are available online at www.skillscenter.com/summer.stm. For more information, call 354-7440.