Good News
June 20 , 2007 |
WAKE COUNTY STUDENTS TO PERFORM IN LES MISERABLES
More than 70 students from 22 WCPSS elementary, middle and high schools will be performing the musical, Les Miserables – School Edition, at Memorial Auditorium in Raleigh on Sept. 28 and 29.
The production is directed by Broadway star and WCPSS graduate Lauren Kennedy and Wakefield High Theatre teacher Paul Orsett. Performances are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 28 and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 29. The performances will include a full student orchestra and student technicians will assist with all aspects of the production.
Les Miserables – School Edition is a student version of the famous Broadway musical Les Miserables, the 2nd longest running Broadway musical. This theatrical masterpiece is based on Victor Hugo’s novel and has been developed into an extraordinary opera-inspired work unfolding a tale of man against man and the difficult decisions made surrounding war, poverty and desperation.
Les Miserables – School Edition is a cooperative effort of the Wake County Public School System and Broadway Series South. For more information on the WCPSS production, contact Elizabeth Grimes-Droessler, WCPSS Senior Director for Arts Education, at 850-1788.
More information is available at http://www.wcpss.net/school_to_career/lesmiz/
ENLOE CHOIR INVITED TO PERFORM AT CARNEGIE HALL
In March, the Enloe Choral Program was invited to participate in a nation-wide blind audition to participate in the 2008 Carnegie Hall National High School Choral Festival. Enloe was one of four schools selected to participate in this program which is scheduled for March 2008. The 2008 Festival is sponsored by Carnegie Hall, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Weill Music Institute. Ann Huff, Enloe High Choral Director, will spend four days in Utah studying scores and rehearsing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir during the fall. The directors of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir will also visit Enloe for rehearsals with the school choir in January or February. At Carnegie Hall, the Enloe Choir will perform a stand-alone concert, as well as join the other choirs in a combined performance of Johannes Brahm's Eine Deutsche Requiem. The performance is scheduled for March 10, 2008, at Carnegie Hall. Tickets will be available beginning September 17, 2007, and may be purchased on-line at www.carnegiehall.org or over the phone by calling Carnegie Charge at 212-247-7800.
This Festival is a once a year event and the competition to participate is overwhelming. Mark Burford, of Carnegie Hall, stated: "I would like to congratulate you and your choir for being selected to participate in the 2008 Festival. This year's applicant pool was extremely competitive. Evaluation of the applicants was conducted entirely through a blind assessment process, and the quality of the applicants presented our selection committee with some very difficult decisions." The other 3 participating schools are from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and California.
HIGH SCHOOL BAND DIRECTORS EARN HONORS
Two WCPSS band directors were awarded the North Carolina Central District Bandmasters' Association highest honors this year. The association named Jerry Markoch of Athens Drive High the Band Director of the Year Award and presented Joshua Potter of Wakefield High the Award of Excellence.
Dr. Jerry Markoch is currently in his 21st year of teaching and his 13th year as Director of Bands at Athens Drive High School. During his tenure at Athens Drive, the band program has earned many significant honors, including consistent “Superior” ratings at the NC Concert Band Festival and numerous “Grand Champion” and “First Place” awards at local and regional marching band events. In November, 2006, the Wind Ensemble performed at the NCMEA State Convention. During the same year, the marching band commissioned Richard Saucedo to write an original composition for their field show. The Athens Drive Band has traveled extensively, performing in New York City; Hershey, PA; Washington D.C.; and Orlando, FL. Students in the band have received much praise for their enthusiasm, fine character, and outstanding musicianship. In 2003, he was selected by his colleagues as “Teacher of the Year” at Athens Drive High School. “Doc”--as he is affectionately known by his students and colleagues--resides in Fuquay-Varina with his wife, Susan, and his children, Ben and Caroline.
Joshua K Potter was a drum major, business and operations manager and an undergraduate assistant for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Bands. In 2000, Potter was hired to be the first band director at Wakefield High School. During his short time there, the band program has quickly found success in each of the different areas of the program. The Concert Band earned a Superior rating at its first district band festival. The indoor band program has since grown into two different bands, the Concert Band and the Wind Ensemble. Both groups consistently earn high marks, including a current string of four straight years of Superior Ratings, from the adjudicators.
The Marching Band was begun in year two of the school with 40 students. Since that time the group has grown to more than 100 performers and consistently earns caption awards, class and grand championships while performing across North Carolina and traveling to national events. It is a Bands of America Regional Championship Finalist.
The Winter Guard program includes four different ensembles, two at Wakefield High, one at Wakefield Middle and one Independent Guard (Wakefield Independent). The Maroon Guard is a Winter Guard International World Championships finalist and has earned several medals at circuit championships. The Silver Guard and Independent Guards are Winter Guard International Regional Finalists and circuit medalists.
The program has also been very active in the district by hosting the district’s Middle School Band Festival for two years, the district’s High School Band Festival for three years, a Marching Band competition and a Winter Guard and Winter Percussion Contest. Potter also chaired the High School Band Festival in 2007 when it was hosted at Athens Drive High School. He is a board member for the Central District and serves as its representative to the NCBA Marching Band Committee.
In 2006, Potter was awarded the NC Central District Bandmasters’ Associations Band Director of the Year Award.
WAKE FOREST-ROLESVILLE MIDDLE RAISES MONEY FOR HOSPITALS
Wake Forest-Rolesville Middle School held its Celebrate America Fun Fair, Laser Show, and Dance Marathon on June 1. The three events raised $13,659.25 for Duke and NC Children's Hospitals. This brings their two-year total with this charity event to $22,369.33.
Eighth-grade counselor and event chairperson Michael Meyer runs an after-school program called the Social-Organization and Service Club. This club organized the entire charity project. The club obtains business sponsorship, advertises in the school, plans the budget, and physically sets up the event. Over the last seven years, this project has raised more than $60,000 at three different middle schools.
Students had to raise $10 for the two hospitals in order to attend the late night dance, which went until midnight. Students were given incentives to raise $50 or more, including a full modeling scholarship, a team-autographed Carolina Hurricanes hockey stick, and basketballs signed by Roy Williams and Mike Krzyzewski. The day started with a fun fair, which included hot air balloon rides, inflatable games, a dunk tank, and even a pie in the face and slime time game!
The event has high hopes for the future. The UNC Dance Marathon has adopted the middle school project and plans to involve the middle school students in their own dance marathon in Chapel Hill next school year.
For more information, call Mike Meyer at 554-8451 or e-mail at mmeyer1@wcpss.net.
BRIER CREEK ELEMENTARY TO HELP FIGHT HUNGER
Students at Brier Creek Elementary School in Raleigh are partnering with Operation ShareHouse to make approximately 30,000 meals to help feed undernourished children and their families across the world. Over three days in June, every kindergartner through fifth grader will learn about the causes of world hunger, and then get the opportunity to help stop it.
Principal Gig Harris said this event reflects the school's commitment to community service. "Our teachers and staff are excited about being involved in this event. It's such a great way to teach our students about the issues of world hunger and the importance of giving back to the community. We are grateful to our PTA for organizing this event."
Each meal is a dehydrated, fortified rice-soy mixture that contains over 20 vitamins and minerals especially formulated for the undernourished. The Legacy Project contributed $6,000 to Operation ShareHouse to cover the cost of ingredients.
Operation ShareHouse is a project of Stop Hunger Now, an international non-profit relief organization that is headquartered in Raleigh. Established in 1998, Stop Hunger Now has provided over $100 million of aid in over 55 countries.
COUNSELING GRANT AIDS STUDENT TRANSITIONS
WCPSS Counseling and Student Services recently received a grant from the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program. The grant provides for four counselors to support areas such as kindergarten transition, transition to middle school, and family and community outreach.
The four counselors will be placed at Creech Road Elementary, Hodge Road Elementary, Millbrook Elementary and Wildwood Forest Elementary.
CENTENNIAL MIDDLE DISPLAYS USE OF TECHNOLOGY
Representatives from the Office of Educational Technology with the U.S. Department of Education visited Centennial Middle School on May 22 to see how the Centennial staff is using technology in the classroom. The federal education administrators indicated they would share the ideas they found with other schools across the country. WCPSS educators were able to learn many new ideas from the visitors and the visitors were very impressed with the work at Centennial. Superintendent Del Burns commended Principal Edye Morris-Bryant and the staff at Centennial for their outstanding work.
NATIONAL HISTORY CLUB HONORS MILLBROOK TEACHER
In the Spring 2007 issue of the National History Club newsletter, the club honors Millbrook High teacher Lindy Poling as one of five History Club Advisors of the Year. Poling will receive a copy of Churchill, written by Winston Churchill’s granddaughter Celia Sandys, and a certificate of appreciation from the NHC for her exceptional commitment to history education and the mission of the National History Club. The newsletter includes an article from Poling about Millbrook High School’s Bridges Newsletter Club which is a member of the National History Club. The Millbrook club includes students in Poling’s Lessons of Vietnam class. You can find more information at http://mhs.wcpss.net/academics/poling/index.htm
STUDENTS TO RECEIVE COMPUTER SKILLS HELP
WCPSS Instructional Services Department will provide four days of remediation for rising ninth grade students or current students who have not passed the Computer Skills Test again this summer. The dates for this program will be July 23, 24, 25, and July 26. The program is completely voluntary. The success of this program last year allowed many students to meet the graduation requirements who may not have otherwise. This is the second year of this program.
MAGNET STUDENTS TAKE PART IN SCHOLASTIC PURSUIT
The WCPSS Magnet Programs Department held its annual elementary Scholastic Pursuit Tournament May 29 at Peace College . Scholastic Pursuit is an interscholastic academic competition for elementary magnet students at several of the magnet schools. Powell Elementary and Fuller Elementary teams competed in the final round, and at the end of the day Fuller, a gifted and talented magnet school, took home the championship trophy to display in the school for the year.
STUDENTS HONORED FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS
African American students with the highest academic grade point average from each WCPSS high school were recognized at a banquet sponsored by the Capital City Sertoma Club near the end of the school year. The celebration was made possible through the efforts of Progress Energy, WCPSS and several other businesses. The graduating seniors gave motivational speeches to encourage the younger students and to share their own success stories.