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District 16 News

Sandy Hanson

The sweet sound of success echoes through the halls of L.W. St John Middle School. Where have those sounds been emanating from lately? None other then the SMS band room. Band students are still reeling after their success at the annual Solo and Ensemble Music Festival in Kremmling. The competition involved all high schools and middle schools in northwest Colorado.Performing a variety of classical and contemporary band music in the form of solos, duets and trios, students were able to strut their stuff. Those efforts paid off as SMS students’ garnered 50 awards, including 25 first-place medals, 23 second-place honors and two third-place medals. Grand Valley High School also made their mark as they brought home two first place medals, six second place medals and one third place.”This was an educational experience as well as a competition,” said band director Van Merritt. Students were scored as to how well they performed using the criteria based upon the national and state music education standards. Critiques were based according to the level of proficiency the students demonstrated.”I have found that the solo and ensemble festival jump-starts and accelerates our middle schoolers’ degree of learning to the point that when they come out of this event, they can play 85-90 percent of their current year’s lesson book. The individual learning that each student experiences is absolutely invaluable,” said Merritt. No students from District 16 finished lower than third. First-place SMS students: Katelyn Munyer, French Horn Solo; Oscar Diaz, Trumpet Solo; Chelsey Fowler, Baritone Horn Solo; Ryan Parmenter, Bass Clarinet Solo; Jacquelyn Lee, Flute Solo; Brooke Gardner, Jacquelyn Lee, Alisha Sisemore, Flute Trio; Jacquelyn Lee and Brooke Gardner, Flute Duet; Samantha James, Flute Solo; Amanda Jablonsky, Clarinet Solo; Emilio Ruelas, Clarinet Solo; Samantha James and Kirsten Mower, Flute Duet; Michelle Kelly and Oscar Diaz, Clarinet/Trumpet Duet; Oscar Diaz and Emilio Ruelas, Trumpet/Clarinet Duet; and Amber Greeson, Jenna Swindell and Bryanna Emmons, Flute/Clarinet Trio. Second-place SMS students: Jackson Smith, Snare Drum Solo; Oscar Diaz and Michelle Kelly, Trumpet and Clarinet Duet; Taylor Dillon, French Horn Solo; Katelyn Munyer and Bryanna Emmons, French Horn and Clarinet Duet; Jonathan Ladd, Clarinet Solo; Amanda Jablonsky and Michelle Kelly, Clarinet Duet; Abby Axelson and Karmen Steimel, Clarinet Duet; Alisha Sisemore and Cody Parmenter, Flute and Clarinet Duet; Amber Greesen and Amanda Jablonsky, Flute and Clarinet Duet; Jacquelyn Janicek, Flute Solo; Jacquelyn Lee and Jacquelyn Janicek, Flute Duet; Michelle Kelly, Clarinet Solo; Kirsten Mower, Flute Solo; Trevor Stubbs, Taylor Dillon, Chelsey Fowler and Steafen Wolff, Brass Quartet; and Robert Jones, Bells Solo. Third-place SMS students: Bryanna Emmons, Clarinet Solo; and Katelyn Maxey and Ashley Sharrar, Clarinet Duet. First-place GVHS students: Shannon DeVrieze, Flute Solo; and Lindsay Levine, Clarinet Solo. Second-place GVHS students: Lindsey Levine, Bass Clarinet Solo; William Hendricks, Trumpet Solo; Shannon DeVrieze, Flute/Clarinet Solo; Shannon DeVrieze, Lindsey Levine and Shari Heikkila, Flute/Clarinet Trio. Third-place GVHS students: Shari Heikkila, Clarinet Solo.GVHS CSAP National Co2 DragsSmall Co2 dragsters raced across the Grand Valley High School gym floor last week as math students hosted their first GVHS CSAP National Co2 Drag race. The math department thought that the project was a good way to give students a break during CSAP testing. With car kits in hand students began the task of designing their racecars. That process meant that students had to put to work mathematical concepts that they have learned throughout the year. What design would work best? What is the probability of one style being faster then the other? Using math standards that incorporated measurement, scale factor, ratio, graphing, dimensional analysis, odds, averages, probability and average speed, students worked in teams of three or four to construct the fastest car. Teams also had to go out and find sponsorships for their cars.For the two weeks of CSAP testing students busily worked at fine-tuning their cars. Starting from a simple kit that included a block of basswood, axles, tires, washers and eyehooks, a variety of cars took shape. There were no specific instructions on how to design their cars. The only rule they had to follow was not changing axle placement or width and not changing the placement of the Co2 cartridge.”The project creates excitement about math and actually has students asking mathematical questions that lead to different explorations of new topics,” said math instructor Scott Carpenter.Sandy Hanson is the public information director for Garfield County School District No. 16.


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