Newspaper Page Text
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
The Braselton News
Page 7B
REED WINS FIRST
Lisa Reed, a sixth grade student at Osborne Middle School won first place in photography and will
advance to the state finals. Her winning entry was titled: “I can make a difference by keeping our
water clean.” Lisa was also a county finalist in the video production and visual arts categories.
MCHS dance presents ‘The Magic Toy Shop’
BY KRISTI REED
The Mill Creek High School
dance department will perform
“The Magic Toy Shop” on Saturday,
November 17, at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
and on Sunday, November 18, at 4
p.m. in the school’s theatre.
“The Magic Toy Shop” is
based on the ballet “La Boutique
Fantastique.” In the story, toys
come to life after closing hours in
an effort to save two of their bal
lerina friends.
Suzanne Kross, director of dance
at Mill Creek, said this is the dance
department’s third annual perfor
mance of the show. Kross said
preparations for the performance
have been underway for months.
“It takes 10-12 weeks of prepa
ration just for the choreography,”
Kross said. “That does not include
the time involved for props and
costumes.”
Seniors Gina Privett and Baxter
Smith play the toy keepers in the
show. Baxter Smith, place kicker
on Mill Creek’s football team and
this year’s homecoming king, said
he has enjoyed participating in the
dance program.
“I was a little skeptical at first,”
Smith said. “It felt like [the girls]
had so much more experience.”
Being the only male in a class
with 99 girls does have its advan
tages though, he said. He said his
friends are envious and he gets
plenty of attention and help from
his female classmates.
“I like it a lot,” he said. Smith
said dancing has also helped his
kicking performance. “I’ve gotten
a lot more flexible. We do a lot of
stretches.”
Gina Privett has been dancing
since she was 5-years-old. Privett
transferred to Mill Creek so that
she could participate in the school’s
dance program.
Privett said she has enjoyed
working on “The Magic Toy
Shop.”
“It’s very fun,” Privett said. “It
tells a story and it has several dif
ferent genres of music.”
Over 100 dancers will take
part in this weekend’s perfor
mance. Dancers include students
in the beginner, intermediate and
advanced dance classes at Mill
Creek.
Dance is a fine arts elective at
Mill Creek. Students learn ballet,
jazz and modem dance, as well as
dance history. The intermediate
and advanced classes are audition-
based.
The advanced class is comprised
of students who would like to pur
sue a career in dance, according
to Kross. Most of the advanced
dancers also take classes at night
to further their training, she said.
Kross said approximately 20 of
the dancers in Saturday’s perfor
mance are in the advanced class.
Tickets for the performance
are $5 at the door and may be
purchased in advance by calling
678-376-8658. Proceeds from this
weekend’s performance go to sup
port future dance department pro
ductions.
Mill Creek students advance to state art competition
ATTAWAY IS A FINALIST
Tori Attaway, a third grade student at Duncan Creek, was a county
finalist with her entry titled, “Here’s what I can do!”
BY KRISTI REED
Gwinnett County winners of the
2007-2008 Reflections Contest
were announced Saturday at the
Hudgens Center for the Arts in
Duluth. A total of 15 students
from Duncan Creek Elementary,
Osborne Middle School and Mill
Creek High School won at the
county level and will advance to
the state competition.
“Reflections” is an art recogni
tion program sponsored by the
National PTA. Each year, children
are given a theme to interpret
artistically. This year’s theme was
“I can make a difference by...”
Entries are judged in six catego
ries: literature, visual arts, photog
raphy, musical composition, dance
choreography and video produc
tion. Judges in each category are
selected for their expertise in the
subject matter. Entries are evalu
ated based on originality, creativ
ity, artistic merit and interpretation
of the theme.
Each school selects winners
for each category at each grade
level. The winners advance to the
county competition. This year, 903
school-level winners competed in
the Gwinnett County Council of
PTAs competition as county final
ists. Of these, 138 county winners
will advance to the state level
competition. State winners will be
announced in early 2008.
Lisa Fanczi, Reflections chair
for Osborne Middle School, said
the competition is important to
students.
“I think it is important because
it gives the students a special way
to get recognized,” Fanczi said. “It
gives them a chance to show off
their talent.”
Seven students from Duncan
Creek Elementary advanced to
the state finals. Adreanne Nelson
(2nd grade), Hayden Schneeloch
(3rd grade), and Hannah Morris
(4th grade) won in the literature
category.
In the musical composition cate
gory, Justin Thongsouk (4th grade)
and Paul Molinari (5th grade)
advanced to the state competition.
Caroline Whitehurst (5th grade)
placed first in dance choreography
and Abigail Adkins (Kindergarten)
won in the visual arts category.
Osborne Middle School had
six students win at the county
level. Lisa Reed (6th grade) will
advance to state in the photog
raphy category. Kaitlyn Schulte
(8th grade) placed first in liter
ature. Camilia Liao (6th grade)
won for her musical composition.
Alec Padgette (8th grade) won
in the video production category.
Caitlyn Markwalter (6th grade)
and Kristen Huggins (7th grade)
were first place winners for their
grade levels in dance choreogra
phy.
Mill Creek High School pro
duced two county winners.
Freshman Graham Robson won for
his photography entry and senior
Steven Melin won first place in
musical composition.
Six area students received hon
orable mention: Diana Kim (1st
grade, Duncan Creek), Chesney
Jensen (3rd grade, Duncan Creek),
Sara Harkness (8th grade, Osborne
MS), Matthew Abraham (8th
grade Osborne MS), Brian Abbott
(9th grade, MCHS) and Lauren
Grainger (12th grade, MCHS).
Other county finalists from
Duncan Creek included: Colin
Eblen, Nancy Burkett, Wyatt
Peek, Mina Cruise, Tori Attaway,
Megan Welch, Emily Harrell,
Hallie Hardin, Ashleigh Jordon,
Amiya Walton, Lily Gerald, Anna
Williams, Will Cain, Sarah Stacks,
Anna Gerald and Adam Sanders.
Osborne Middle School county
finalists were: Amanda Brewer ,
Adrienne Osorio, James Tweedy,
Omama Rahmany and Viktoria
Mikita.
Mill Creek High School county
finalists included: Jason Chang,
Jasmine Compton-Smith, Grace
Bowers, Jordan Spurtin and
Lauren Ashley.
Now in its 38th year, the
Reflections program is designed
to enhance art education pro
grams in the classroom. Winners
at the state level will advance to
a national competition to be held
next spring.
y • ‘fw .''ll
■ ■, - , T
, \ i mt
l * O
iHa -i |Ti,
L — w ■ - -v'
P i ■fct'
* '
'■f Ir Sr p ■ . >7
V El. '
J ■ 1 h _
,r.' : tir
, j |'
j g r
k -
-■jjHf c _ V
f
1" ’’Tj Ip
/ ^
\ ' m i
%
_ M
WJMS CHORUS PERFORMS
Students selected from the West Jackson Middle School chorus recently performed in Athens, at the
Classic Center with the District 13 Honors Chorus. Stephen Greene is the chorus director.
WJPS BUSINESS PARTNERS
West Jackson Primary School business partners include: (front row, L-R) Martha Martin with Phil-Mart
Transportation, Hal Taylor with Promise Keepers, Stanley Patrick with Little Hooties Ice Cream Parlor;
(back row, L-R) Barbara Rinker WJPS Business Partner’s Committee, Karen Taylor-WJPS Business
Partner’s Commitee, Denny Turner-Pricipal WJPS and Wendy Clifton with Heritage Makers.
Photo by Cariel Lancaster
WJPS hosts breakfast workshop for business partners
BY KRISTI REED
West Jackson Primary School
staff and faculty members host
ed a breakfast and workshop on
November 8 for the school’s busi
ness partners. Representatives
from several local businesses
were on hand to discuss ways in
which they could contribute to the
school.
Barbara Rinker, chairperson of
the Business Partners Committee,
said the program is part of West
Jackson Primary’s school improve
ment plan.
“We’re just trying to find ways
to help our children,” Rinker said.
Rinker said the businesses
involved in the program have sev
eral options to choose from in
deciding how they want to help
the school. These options include
working directly with students,
supporting staff and faculty, par
ticipating in community service
events or planning school and pro
gram activities.
“It’s just finding what fits their
business,” Rinker said. “They
decide how they want to help.
We want them to help us and we
will help them. There are ways
the school will give back to the
business.”
Thursday’s workshop was the
first Business Partners event host
ed by the school. Businesses rep
resented at the workshop included
Phil-Mart Transportation, Promise
Keepers, Little Hooties Ice Cream
Parlor and Heritage Makers.
Rinker said the participants pro
vided great feedback.
“We want to get the community
involved in educating our chil
dren,” Rinker explained. “There
are lots of things we offered.
Hopefully, one of those ways will
help them get involved with the
school.”
Rinker said the Business Partners
program is based on the idea that
children and adults benefit from
role models, support systems and
relationships. The program is
designed to provide all three while
building a strong relationship with
the community.
“There are so many people that
affect a child’s life,” Rinker said.
“We want to provide positive role
models for our students.”
For more information on becom
ing a West Jackson Primary School
business partner, contact Barbara
Rinker at 706-654-2243.
■
: -i ■ 1 — L'.-'
■V L*- L" -
|r * |-*I IT*
1
Hurry!
Limited Time Offer
FREE
Mbiwv Tallu Catlutar
HIKlkatoHvf Soli ■«
Artwn.SJUtoH
704177 Tm
mrl on-. «o
\x tai Vi J P, d rvwn h mt mom
■rinKBH mut - H IK -Bit pniriVKi
la-rir DiHPf lw m a IT 4r*i
■nm.rii.ijn mn mm m fmmr hp. U-| E <m- mpn h * I'M nm ■
ih«in I |i prl imm la hmh r «i W «■. Vn ! ma ■ nM ipln ten I i
wp h mw *4* pi kS4 w $4. to I Irk. ■ mm am CMH W
20% Off on featured phone oueuoriei!
r mi H, • Ifh ■ jm M *r
Please Recycle
This Newspaper!