CLAYTON HEIGHTS SHINES
Six months ago, music teacher Paulina Pekova was contacted by the Committee for the American High School Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall, asking her to nominate her top students to audition for their performance series.
Carnegie Hall in New York City is the stage every musician aspires to play on.
She selected six students, who then went through an arduous process to put together audition tapes.
This year, 6,000 students auditioned from all over North America, and only 60 were chosen, including two Clayton Heights students.
Grade 12 student Tyler Carmont was a runner up on alto saxophone and Damian Chudzinski, in Grade 11, was a finalist on drums.
Their acceptance to this elite group is a direct result of the talent, dedication and achievement in their application.
The two teens are among just 60 chosen from more than 6,000 students to rehearse and perform at prestigious Carnegie Hall under renowned music conductors. The performance is Saturday, Feb. 19.
CLIMATE CARE AT LTSS
The Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary Climate Challenge Team has launched a tree planting project.
It’s one of the club’s initiatives aimed at reducing the school’s carbon footprint.
The goal is to plant more than 100 trees around the school and in the Cloverdale community.
Planting trees will reduce the school’s carbon footprint by helping provide cleaner air, benefiting the school – and the community as a whole.
Students have been caring for the seedlings and saplings at the school’s greenhouse. A local supplier offered 100 seedlings. The rest have come from teachers and students at the school.
AJ McLELLAN ELEMENTARY
The AJ McLellan Intermediate Choir is fundraising for a choir trip to Disneyland. They will be performing in the Magic Music Days Festival in the spring.
The choir is selling tickets to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows on Nov. 26 at the Clova Theatre. The show starts at 3:15 pm. Tickets are available at the door for only $5.
AJ McLellan will be having a Jingle Bell Walk around the AJ community to collect non-perishable food items for the Surrey Food Bank. The staff, parent volunteers and students will sing carols as they collect. Bags will be distributed to houses on Dec. 10 and food items will be collected on Dec. 14. Please add items to your bags and leave them on the front steps or porch. The staff and students at AJ McLellan would like to thank you in advance for helping out in this cause.
CLOVERDALE TRADITIONAL
Many exciting events have taken place at CTS since our smooth September startup.
We held our annual Terry Fox Run on Sept. 24 and Cloverdale Traditional School families generously donated over $1,500 to the Terry Fox Foundation.
Our students also participated in the Cross Country season held at Fleetwood Park.
Many intermediate students are currently participating in the school soccer team.
We have already enjoyed two very entertaining performances by Green Thumb Theatre and the Canadiana Musical Theatre this term.
Two of our classes recently visited the Reifel Bird Santuary. They were fortunate to enjoy beautiful, sunny weather both days.
Last week our Remembrance Day was awe-inspiring.
The school choir led as others joined to sing, “A Song of Peace” and “Al Shlosha D’Varim”.
Ms. Ewart’s Grade 4s sang “If I Had a Hammer”.
The audience was very thoughtful and solemn throughout as each division placed a wreath on our cenotaph and read a message of peace.
Our PAC and school community continues to very busy fundraising for a new playground to replace the old wooden structure that will be removed in July 2011.
In October PAC had a pie and cookie dough sale and this month we are having a poinsettia sale.
Our CTS Marketplace was held in the gym on the evening of Nov. 11.
Parents, teachers and students got an early start on holiday shopping, had pictures taken with Santa and got into the Christmas spirit.
To date PAC has raised over $15,000, but has a long way to go in order to reach their $50,000 goal!
–Contributed