Seattle Schools Arts Achievements

Madison teacher to receive 2007 Middle Level Art Educator of the Year award
The Washington Art Education Association (WAEA) announced that Lisa Baker, an art teacher at Madison Middle School, is the award recipient of the association’s 2007 Middle Level Art Educator of the Year. Baker will receive the achievement award on Oct. 12 at the association’s annual convention in Tukwila. These annual awards are WAEA’s way of recognizing outstanding professionalism, service, promotion and support of the arts by individual art educators in Washington state.  Baker now becomes eligible for a future nomination for regional and national recognition.

Two teachers win Golden Apple Award for excellence in education
KCTS Television announced that Scott Brown, a music teacher at Roosevelt High School, and Masako Davison, a reading teacher at Beacon Hill Elementary School, are winners of the 2007 Golden Apple Awards for excellence in education. The two teachers were among seven individuals across the state selected for making a positive difference in Washington state education for students in Pre-kindergarten to Grade 12.  The Golden Apple Award winners will be honored in ceremonies to be held January 2008 in Seattle. Elected officials and education leaders will be among the invited guests.

Northwest High School Film Festival honors Ballard producers
Students from the Ballard High School Video Production Program won 15 awards and honors at the 9th annual Northwest High School Film Festival on May 5. For the third year in a row, Ballard High students walked away with more awards than students from any other school: seven top prizes (Awards of Excellence) and eight Honorable Mentions. A list of Ballard winners:

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE
Anti-Ad
“Anti-Steroids,” Taylor Halbett, Steven Nansel, Tommy Nast
“Anti-Tag,” Lars Kaldestad, Doyle McCarthy, Marissa Neroutsos
Commercial
“Crash Landing Pizza,” Justin Amorratanasuchad, Sami Kubo, Cedar Scarlett-Lyon
Dramatic Narrative
“Bittersweet,” Coburn Erskine, Becca Rice, Devon Sizemore, George Westberg
“Nice Touch,” Alec Maclurg, Ben Steiner, Kevin Vitz-Wong
Documentary
“Belize: The Potential of a Nation in Need,” Riley Heckel, Cedar Scarlett-Lyon
Music Video
“Hey, You!” Michael Gore, Sami Kubo, Kyle Seago, Jordan Stead

HONORABLE MENTIONS
Commercial
“Don’t Waste Your Life at the Bus Stop,” Michael Gore, Mike Hipp, Evangeline Spracklin
Comedic Narrative
“Chasing Game,” Matt Hess, Graham Milgate, Jordan Stead
“A Good Knight’s Sleep,” Marina Bambans, Elizabeth McCallum, Marissa Neroutsos
Dramatic Narrative
“Blindside,” Dylan Pharoah-Whitney, Kyle Seago, Jordan Stead
“Like Father, Like Son,” Justin Amorratanasuchad, Mike Hipp, Cedar Scarlett-Lyon
Music Video
“Frontier Psychiatrist,” Riley Heckel, Audra McCafferty, Ben Steiner
News Feature
“The Gymnast,” Audra McCafferty, Scott Miller
“Sean Daley: Male Cheerleader,” Hannah Kreimer, Lena Takamori, Paul Wilson

Many of the awarded productions can be seen Friday, June 8 at The Showing, a screening of work by students in the BHS Video Production Program. The event begins at 7 p.m. in the BHS auditorium with a suggested donation of $5.

Broadview-Thompson fifth-graders are published poets

Several fifth-grade students from Broadview-Thompson Elementary School will have their poems published in the National Anthology of Poetry. Students whose poetry were honored include: Taylor Sherman, Ryan Smith, Zachary Geer, Duncan Greeley, Connie Si, Shannon Horst, Alejandro Ramirez-Velasquez, Daniel Rhee, Katrina Kuo, Jacob Etelamaki, Anna Von Ravensberg, Emma Fillingham, Nathanial Solum, and Ross Allan from Ms. Solberg’s class.

Adobe Youth Voices first-year sites named in Seattle

Adobe Youth Voices – a nonprofit organization that helps youth comment on their world – is providing students access to multimedia programs, digital tools and training at several Seattle Public Schools, including Aki Kurose Middle School, Hamilton International Middle School, James A. Garfield High School, McClure Middle School, and Nathan Hale High School. The program empowers students to use video, audio, digital photography, animation, and web design to explore, comment and take an active role in their communities.

John Rogers classroom wins ‘Junk is Good’ contest

John Rogers Elementary School students in the first-grade classroom of Lair Showalter won the classroom division of the "Junk is Good" contest sponsored by All for Kids Bookstore. Students brought in junk from home, then brainstormed and collaborated to build a land/water vehicle, using an old baby seat, foam packing blocks, corks and wheels. The first-place prize is a classroom visit in June by children's author, Janet Wong, whose new book, "The Dumpster Diver," inspired the contest.

Essentially Ellington top prize goes to Roosevelt High jazz band

For the second time in five years, the Roosevelt High School Jazz Band has won first place and a $1,000 prize at the prestigious Essentially Ellington jazz competition in New York.

Other outstanding soloist acknowledgements from Seattle Public School students:
Carl Majeau (Garfield), clarinet;
John Cheadle (Garfield) and Logan Strosahl (Roosevelt), alto saxophone;
Joel Gombiner and Devin Mooers (both of Garfield), tenor saxophone;
Benjamin Hamaji (Garfield) and Scotty Bemis (Roosevelt), piano; and
Reed Ferris (Roosevelt), banjo.

Roosevelt also picked up four "outstanding" acknowledgments for its reed, trombone, trumpet and rhythm sections. Roosevelt student Alex Dugdale won this year's Essentially Ellington writing contest, in which students were asked to submit a 500-word essay describing an experience that led to their love of jazz.

Stevens Elementary students produce Spanish-English music CD

As part of Stevens Elementary’s centennial celebration this year, teacher Justin Maggart led a musical CD project called, "La Escuela Stevens canta asi! A Celebration of Songs in Spanish and
English." The CD release party will be held at the Stevens Centennial Celebration and Birdhouse Auction on Saturday, May 12.

The CD features original and traditional music from Mexico, Cuba, Venezuela, and the United States. Local professional musicians recorded the instrumental tracks and all of Stevens’ K-5 students sang on the CD's 12 songs. This project primarily was made possible through the donation of studio time from Holy Names Academy, a neighboring school.

For more information about this special all-school, language and culture project, contact Justin Maggart at jtmaggart@seattleschools.org.

Staff Celebrations

Roosevelt High theater director to receive achievement award

Theatre Puget Sound will honor Roosevelt High School Theatre Director Ruben Van Kempen with the 2007 Gregory A. Falls Sustained Achievement Award in a ceremony June 4 at the Seattle Center. The award honors those who have devoted time, energy and talent to Seattle’s theater community, and whose careers have had an influence on theater locally and beyond. Van Kempen will share the award with Karen Gjelsteen, a professor and scenic design area head, who has taught at Cornish College of the Arts since 1981.

Theatre Puget Sound selected Van Kempen for his work as an outstanding theater director and educator. Van Kempen has garnered many theater and education awards throughout his career, including the Christa McAuliffe Washington Award for Excellence in Education Award and the Seattle Excellence in Education Award. He has directed numerous plays and has seen former students perform on Broadway.

2006 Gregory A. Falls Achievement Award Reception
5:30-7 p.m., June 4
Seattle Center, Alki NW Room
305 Harrison St.
Admission: $30
Reservations required; call Theatre Puget Sound at 770-0370

Two Seattle Public Schools students win top prize in Seattle Aquarium Art Contest

Two Seattle Public Schools second-graders were the top winners among hundreds of local elementary students who participated in the annual Seattle Aquarium “Your Ocean – Our Home” Art Contest. The theme was on the conservation of Puget Sound’s aquatic resources and Washington state's giant Pacific octopus.

The winners are:
■ First place - Lilianne Stevens, a second-grader at Lawton Elementary School. Lilianne completed the art project at her after-school art club with teacher Genya Parks. Lilianne will receive a $2,500 T. Rowe Price College Savings Plan, offered by the Education Trust of Alaska.
■ Second place - Xavier Mallett, a second-grader at Dunlap Elementary School. His art teacher is Donna Amira. Xavier will receive a $1,500 college savings account.
Both students will receive a family pass to the Seattle Aquarium; and have their art on display at the aquarium and at the aquarium's Web site.
Nathan Hale student wins Special Achievement Award for stage management

Shane Goldbaum-Unger, a Nathan Hale High School student, was awarded the Special Honors-Special Achievement Award for his stage management of the spring musical, “Urinetown" during ceremonies June 4 at the 5th Avenue High School Musical Theatre Awards. Nathan Hale students presented “Urinetown" in May.

Bands, orchestras bring home awards in Music in the Parks Festival

Seattle Public Schools band and concert students were well represented in the Music in the Parks Festival in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, on June 2. Students won numerous first-place and outstanding awards.
Denny Middle School - Marcus Pimpleton, band director; Jorge Morales, orchestra director
■ First Place - Division 1A Concert Band - Excellent Rating
■ First Place - Division 1A Parade Band - Excellent Rating
■ First Place - Division 1A Jazz Ensemble - Excellent Rating
■ Second Place - Division 1A String Orchestra - Good Rating
■ Best Overall Junior High/Middle School Jazz Ensemble
■ Outstanding Junior High/Middle School Jazz Soloist, Elizabeth Hiner
Eckstein Middle School - Moc Escobedo, director
■ First Place - Division 2A Concert Band - Superior Rating
■ Best Overall Junior High/Middle School Concert Band
■ Espirit De Corps Award, for overall participation and sportsmanship
Mercer Middle School - Aaron Hennings, director
■ First Place - Division 1A String Orchestra - Excellent Rating
■ Fourth Place - Division 1A Concert Band - Good Rating
Madison Middle School - Clark Bathum, director
■ First Place - Division 2A Jazz Ensemble - Good Rating
■ First Place - Division 2A String Orchestra - Good Rating
■ Second Place - Division 2A Concert Band - Good Rating