Education Notebook: Orchestra concert, fashion show at Mead
The Mead High School Orchestra will celebrate friendship and love at the second annual Musical Heart Strings event on Friday at Mead High School from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The occasion will feature orchestral selections from “Beauty and the Beast,” “West Side Story,” “Aladdin” and “Titanic.” While guests are entertained by the orchestra, they will also have an opportunity to enjoy a fashion show, with Mead students modeling clothes by local retailers. There also will be desserts and a silent auction. Items up for bid include wines, pet items, gift certificates to restaurants and for massages, and a movie-themed basket.
Mead’s orchestra includes Eun-Song Koh, Christianne Petty, Tyler Templeton and Aleisha Smith, on Violin I; Emma Voigtlaender, Laura Coffey, Maddie LaVoie, Caitlin Henderson, Sarah Sheikh, D.J. Bryant, and Derien Kraus, on Violin II; Aaron Bolton, Jeremy Alder and Callie Corkrum, on Viola; Andrew Wray and Ashley Kang, on Cello; and Sarah Davies, Hannah Miller and Annie Hoch on bass.
Proceeds from the event will be used to purchase instruments and fund trips to festivals outside of Spokane.
APPLE orientation planned
Parents interested in enrolling their children in Spokane Public Schools’ Montessori or APPLE (Alternative Parent Participation Learning Experience) programs will have an opportunity to attend an orientation meeting beginning next week. Parents are required to attend an orientation meeting for the program they would like their child to participate in.
According to a news release from Spokane Public Schools, students must live within the boundaries of the Spokane Public Schools, but they are not required to live within the attendance boundaries of Balboa, Jefferson, Garfield or Franklin elementary schools to be eligible.
The Montessori program observes and supports the natural development of children. The curriculum, designed to enhance the child’s learning and life experience beyond the conventional classroom, uses a unique set of procedures and materials.
The APPLE program was developed for families who would like to be more involved in their child’s education. Parents have a consistent presence in the classroom, providing children with an opportunity to build confidence with adults. The program includes multi-age groupings, which allows for more individuality and encourages cooperative learning between children of different ages. The APPLE program is offered at Garfield Elementary School, 222 W. Knox Ave., and Franklin Elementary School, 2627 E. 17th Ave.
Both programs are for first through sixth graders.
The Montessori meetings will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Jefferson Elementary School, 3612 S. Grand Blvd., and at 7 p.m. Feb. 23 at Balboa Elementary School, 3010 W. Holyoke Ave.
The APPLE meetings will be 7 p.m. Feb. 28 and March 7 in the first floor boardrooms of the administrative office, 200 N. Bernard St.
For more information, call (509) 354-7365.
Spokane Public Schools has recognized the first semester Distinguished Educator Team of 2012.
Rogers High School’s Reading Incentive Team was honored for working collaboratively to improve student learning. The team members are Joe Phipps, Mike Dewey, Pat Gibbons, Carol Blake, Steve Burns and Tyler Ham.
According to a news release from Spokane Public Schools, Rogers Principal Lori Wyborney nominated the team because “the effectiveness of the team is driven by their passion for their curriculum and a willingness to do whatever it takes to see an idea through,” she said.
The Reading Incentive Team offers quarterly reading celebrations for every student who achieves a reading goal. Fundraising, plus a grant from Wal-Mart, has made it possible for the Rogers team to have drawings for gift cards and recognize the top readers at each grade level.
Wyborney said after the first year of the program, reading scores on the state test jumped 14 percent. “The bottom line is this team has created a culture of readers at John R. Rogers High School. First quarter numbers have already surpassed last year’s numbers, which tells me the program is further embedding itself into our culture, and promoting literacy across our entire student body,” she said.
Local high school music students competed Saturday at the Spokane Falls Music Educators Association Regional Festival at Rogers High School. The winning musicians will advance to the state competition in April at Central Washington University.
Saturday’s winners are Allison Grefsrud, Claire Organick, Julia Viherlahti, Elizabeth Scott, Madison Bertis, the Ferris Trombone Quartet, the Ferris Chamber Orchestra, the Advanced Percussion Ensemble, the Mo’Money, Mo’Mallets, Deranged, the Canterbury Belles, the Belles Trio, and the Saxon Knight’s, all of Ferris High School; Aaron Dentro, Lydia Blaine, Gabriel Soileau and the Ledger Lines Winds, all of Lewis and Clark; Theresa Sievert, Taylor Krieg, Eun-Song Koh, and Morgan Keene, all of Mead; Patrick Moeller, Ryan Stewart, Josh Nay, Derek Morgan, Peter Fulmer, the Mt. Spokane Sax Quartet, and the Mt. Spokane Brass Quintet, all of Mt. Spokane; Caleb Landron, Elsa Anderson, Alyssa Chamberlain, Theo Olson, and the NC Men’s Quartet, all of North Central; Ricky Wang, Jacob Withers, Justin Heftel and Hailey Hyde (duet), Jacob Lee, SGS Chamber Choir, all of St. George’s School; Knight Travis, of Rogers; and Thomas Mealey, of Gonzaga Prep.