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Photos and Stories from Around the MMSD
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Allis Elementary -- In this year's 2007 Federal Junior Duck Stamp two 5th graders were winners in the state contest. Erin Burkard took 2nd Place and Nicholas Carman received Honorable Mention in the state contest. Competition was very keen as Erin and Nicholas went up against thousands of other students in the Group II age category of 4th to 6th grades. The artwork was submitted by art teacher Steven Hurst. Erin's drake and hen mallard drawing and Nicholas's drake and hen ringbill drawing will be part of a traveling art exhibit that will be on display in various cities throughout the State of Wisconsin for a one year tour. The conservation message to the students was valuable in that they saw how artists can help protect wetlands by the creation and selling of artwork to raise money to buy and set aside land and habitat.
Sarah Koenig, Early Childhood Teacher at Schenk Elementary, has been awarded the "Awesome School Personnel Award" given by the Autism Society of Greater Madison. Sarah was nominated by Schenk parents Jim Ray and Lisa Lietz-Ray. In their nomination letter, they stated, "...Sarah has brought so much joy, enthusiasm, talent and support to the class, that children are improving and assistants clamor to work with her. Sarah works hard to make the class a place where all children are valued, no matter their circumstance. Our little Tony has made so much progress under her tutelage...Sarah and the staff there work very hard at evaluating my son's skills, targeting those that need improving and helping him grow...(this letter) should serve as proof that success with special children is possible, hope for the more success in the future, and motivation to do a better job ourselves." Congratulations, Sarah! The Madison Metropolitan School District WSMA Large Group Ensemble Festival was held on May 1st and 2nd, 2007 at East High School. The event was hosted by the East High School music staff. Students in grades 6-12 participated in the event, performing within ensemble events. Performances were judged and presented awards based on a set of criteria including: overall musical performance, technique, and expression. Congratulations to the performers for their work and efforts sharing the music.
MATC invited MMSD students to celebrate Cinco de Mayo at a performance on Friday, May 4th in the Mitby Theater. The celebration included performances of Grupo Folklorico Puebla "Corazon de Mexico," Mariachi Real Azteca, poetry from Orgullo Latino, Brisas del Peru, Boliviamanta, "Olin" Mexican Dance Kids Troope, Hip Hop, and many more artists. Special thanks goes to MATC for sponsoring this event in association with Club Hola, Orgullo Latino and the Educational Programming Board.
Well over 100 guardians and relatives attended the Sandburg School Grand Person's Day put on by the Sandburg PTA. Students enjoyed breakfast and good company with a special "Grand" person in their life. After the breakfast, the special guests were invited into the classrooms to help get the day started at Sandburg.
East HS: On May 14th at 7 p.m. the students of East High School hosted The Access Hour, a one hour radio program on WORT FM (89.9). Barrisha Richards (pictured), a sophomore at East, was the MC for the show. She introduced 15 East HS students who gave presentations on a variety of subjects. Each student provided a unique opportunity for the listening audience to appreciate the full diversity of students at East. One student used his Dynavox MT 4 voice output computer to communicate his message. Two other students performed original rap songs. Listeners were treated to an update on the West African country of Liberia, a highly amusing lesson on the correct usage of slang words and phrases, a poignant analysis of the struggles facing some African-American learners, a cooking segment and much, much more. One of the many highlights was an interview by two East basketball players with their hero UW Men's Basketball star Michael Flowers. The program was a huge success and gave roughly 4,000 community radio listeners a chance to discover the many talents and insights of East High's students.
Sennett MS: One of our Sennett's Spanish classrooms was converted into a restaurant when the school hosted Pelayo's Restaurant for the day. One hundred seventy-five 7th and 8th grade students from Señorita Batesky, Señora Bryan, Señora Dunn and Señorita Wennlund's classes participated in this catered lunch. Students feasted on chicken fajitas, arroz y frijoles, chips and salsa and horchata, a typical Mexican drink. This special day afforded students the chance to try newly learned Spanish phrases such as "¡Qúe rico!" and "Quisiera más, por favor." It also gave them an opportunity to learn about authentic Mexican food. They learned that horchata is a refreshing, sweet drink made from rice and flavored with cinnamon and vanilla. Some students dared to try the spicier hot sauce on their foods. Others inquired about how the rice was prepared. Many students opted for second helpings. Student Reviews: What did you like about the food we ate in class last week? "The rice. It was different than how my mom cooks it." "The chicken. It was delicious. Tasted great with the chips." Muchísimas gracias to Pelayo's Restaurant for catering our meal. Pelayo's is located on Stoughton Rd. across from Farm and Fleet.
The Hamilton MS Wellness Team sponsored the School Walk for Diabetes at Hamilton on May 10. Over 100 students participated and the event raised over $1,000.00. Two 8th grade homerooms and two of our 8th grade students with Type 1 diabetes provided student leadership for the event. They partnered with Van Hise Elementary and two elementary classrooms participated. The team provided classroom education on the prevention of Type 2 Diabetes and also hosted students from the UW School of Pharmacy to address the issues of fitness and healthy eating in 7th and 8th grade phy ed classes.
Thoreau ES held their annual one mile Fun Run on May 25. Thoreau students and staff were very fortunate to have former Badger and three time Olympian, Suzy Favor Hamilton (pictured) join in the run. She spoke to Thoreau students and staff at both pep rallies and then ran with both age groups. It was a memorable experience for the Thoreau community. She stated that she hopes to participate every year!
Wright MS: On April 21st, James C. Wright Middle School took home first place in the1st annual Dean Michael H. Hall Middle School Mock Trial Competition hosted by the Student Bar Association of the University of Wisconsin Law School. Both teams (Team 1: India Anderson-Carter, Veronica Cox, Corean Donaldson and Timaira Green and Team 2: Terrance Carey, Enrique Olivas, Jerry Hoffman and Troy Dicks) put in many after school hours, practiced at each other's homes, took time out of class and stayed in for lunch/recess in preparation for the event. During the competition, their courtroom presence was impressive, as was their performance. The students of both teams participated for over 10 hours on that Saturday. Although eliminated after the first two trials, Team 2 stayed the rest of the day to support their other JCW teammates. After some very intense trials and serious competition, Team 1 was declared victorious! The team garnered a $500 prize and decided to put these funds into future Mock Trial groups at JCW. Special thanks to The Urban League of Greater Madison, MATC-MYCAP and MSCR for sponsorship of the two teams.
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