Samantha Del Sordo, fourth grader, Emily Freeman, sixth grader and Paige Schoultz, seventh grader placed in this year’s Duck Stamp Poster Contest sponsored by the Wetlands Institute. Emily placed third and her poster is currently on display at the Wetlands Institute. Samantha and Paige’s posters captured them Honorable Mention.
Hannah Grimes and Shawna Barry, both third graders, placed in this year’s “Water is Life” poster contest sponsored by the New Jersey Natural Resources Conservation Program. Shawna placed first and Hannah’s poster earned her second place.
On March 13 to 16 Bethany Desmond, one of our eighth-graders, participated in the Junior Olympic Swimming Championships. Bethany achieved qualifying times in six events. These were the 500, 1000 and 1650 yard Freestyle events; 100 and 200 yard Backstroke and the challenging 400 yard Individual Medley. She begins her quest for qualifying times in the long course (50 meter pool) Junior Olympics held in July with a meet in Lancaster, Pa. at Franklin and Marshall University in May.
“My County” Poster Contest Winner
We are happy to announce that Austin Shortall from Mrs. Hendee’s Homeroom and Mrs. Walls’ Social Studies Class has won Honorable Mention in the 16th Annual “My County” Poster Contest. Austin’s poster about the Coast Guard was one of 12 winners chosen from 522 entries in Cape May County. The Contest is sponsored by the Constitutional Officers of Cape May County. Congratulations also goes to Maria Oslar and Leah Yost, both seventh graders, for their participation in the Ancient Order of Hibernians Essay Contest. Maria placed Third in the county and Leah received Honorable Mention.
Sixth Grade Students had the ultimate music class experience..
By HEATHER HOLTZAPFEL
Sixth grade music students at Bishop McHugh Regional Catholic School had the ultimate music class experience last week. They had the rare opportunity to work with a well-known composer to write a song to be performed in the annual Young People’s Concert at Lower Cape May Regional High School this spring. The Cape May Music Festival, along with the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts sponsors an annual educational outreach project each year. This year’s program is “Songs to Symphony,” the brainchild of composer Eliot Bailen, who met with Bishop McHugh students last week to begin the program.
The Bay-Atlantic Symphony, under the baton of Jed Gaylin, introduced the collaborative music project along with Bailen. They, along with several hundred Cape May County school children in the area, are in the process of developing a world premiere of a piece to debut on May 28.
Bailen is a Yale-trained classical cellist who resides in Manhattan, New York. He is the founder of the Sherman Chamber Ensemble in Connecticut, along with his wife, flutist Susan Rotholz.
Bailen began teaching songwriting workshops in elementary schools in Connecticut in 1999. He was also performing with the Stamford Symphony Orchestra at that time. His conductor, Roger Nierenberg, asked him to orchestrate the songs he created with his students. After his first collaboration, “Song to Symphony” was born.
Bailen worked with the sixth graders at Bishop McHugh three days last week to write a song based on the book, The Giver by Lois Lowry. Other schools such as Sandman Consolidated, Our Lady Star of the Sea, Richard M. Teitelman and Lower Cape May Regional High School are also involved. Each school plays a significant part in the concert.
The sixth graders brainstormed lyrics and melodies under the direction of Bailen with the help of Music Director Beth Walls and Social Studies teacher Lori Larkins. The students worked with Bailen for an hour each day and wrote a song based on the book’s theme which focuses on a perfect world. Bailen will spend the next few months fine-tuning the lyrics, music and title the students created as a basis.
In the end, the students will get to experience the live performance and see how a creative, collaborative project comes together. “It was an amazing experience,” said Walls. “The students have benefited by being part of this process and have come to appreciate the arts and music. It was a wonderful creative collaboration.”
Sixth grader Tom Lonergan said, “It was really fun to work with a well-known person and to be involved in writing a song.”
The workshop wrapped up Thursday and the students were excited about their creation and are in anticipation of their final composition. The students will end their experience by singing their song at the May 28th Young People’s Concert at Lower Cape May Regional at 10:30 a.m.
For more information, call the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts at 884-5404.
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