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Fine Arts Department

Here's Why We're Proud in the GISD Fine Arts Department

2007-2008

Six GISD Art Students Advance to State VASE. Click here for details.

On Fri. April 4, the Naaman Forest High School Honors Band competed in the Lone Star Showcase of Music Festival at the Eisemann Performance Center in Richardson. The Band received a unanimous 1st Division Rating from the judging panel and was named Runner-Up in Class 5A.

The Sachse High School Choirs completed their Spring Tour to Chicago, Illinois over Spring Break in March. Among the sight seeing was also competition in the Heritage Music Festival "Chicago Classic." Among all of the different performing choral groups in attendance, the Varsity Treble Choir received a Silver rating in the large school division; the Madrigal Singers received a Silver rating and second place in the large school division; the A Cappella Choir received a Gold rating, first place in the large school division, and invitation to the Festival of Gold in 2009. Over all, the choirs at SHS had the most cumulative points of any choral program represented and earned the Sweepstakes Award and trophy.

Austin Academy had 25 piano lab students participate in the GISD Middle School Piano Solo & Ensemble contest on Saturday, March 8.  22 students received a 1st division rating and 3 students received a 2nd division rating.  6 students were nominated for outstanding soloist and 8th grader Karena Taylor was named Outstanding Soloist for the day.

Several GISD High School campuses participated in VASE this year. [Visual Art Scholastic Event -this is the equivalent of UIL in art] Each artist is interviewed with their piece by a juror who evaluates them on the visual aspects of their work as well as their ability to discuss it. Students are given a score 1 - 4.

Of the works receiving a 4, they are judged a second time and 10 - 15% are selected to go to state. A special congratulations to the students who participated and their teachers!!!!!!!!!

RHS sent 15 entries to VASE this year.Thirteenentries were rated 4. One is advancing to state:
Jacob Simmons.
Kristine Hamidou, art teacher

GHS sent 74 entires.Forty five piecesreceived a 4. Five are advancing to state:
Sun Paek, Aaron Hernandez, Morgan Hallmark, Angelo Ko, and Katie Yager.
Jessica Thompson, art teacher

Congratultions to the 2008 GISD TMEA All State Members

Omar McClung SHS Band
Dorian Scott SHS Band
Groff Dylan SHS Band
Brittany Dye SGHS Choir
Logan Chavez SGHS Choir
Meagan Stewart SGHS Choir
Justin Womack SGHS Choir
Brooke Johnson RHS Band
Charles Stokes RHS Band
Josh Lee RHS Band
Alexandria Harris RHS Band
Tyler Gilray RHS Band
David Mitchell RHS Band
Jackie Olson GHS Choir
Jessica Humphrey GHS Choir
Billy Lowrimore GHS Choir
Scott Bryan GHS Choir
Sam Baker GHS Choir
Lee Henry GHS Choir
Adam Combiths NGHS Choir
Ethan Dunn NFHS Choir
Jacob Lofland NFHS Choir
Edward Fretheim GHS Orchestra
Marcus Pyle GHS Orchestra
Mindy Knight RHS Choir
Yvette Ellis NFHS Band
Andy Zapata SHS Choir

John May published an article entitled "Authentic Bossa Nova" in the November 2007 issue of The Instrumentalist. In addition, he published an article in the January 2008 issue of Newslink, an online-only publication owned by MENC. The title of the article was "Improving Student Practice: A Look at Quantity and Quality."

Lakeview Centennial senior Art students, Matt Gonzales and Luis Sandoval; and teacher, Karen Jacobi had artwork included in the exhibit “Till We Meet Again” at the Bath House Cultural Center. The exhibit runs through February 2nd. The Bath House Cultural Center is a visual and performing arts venue under the umbrella of the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs and is located at 521 East Lawther.

Christina Ritter (Choir) and Heather McHenry (Band) were voted Bussey Middle School's "Teacher of the Month" for November and December.

The kindergartners at Abbett Elementary created and/or decorated Veteran's Day cards last week.  This weekend, their music teacher, Mrs. Ross hand delivered them to veterans receiving care at the VA Hospital in South Dallas.  The veterans were so thankful and a few said they would like to come visit the students.  These kindergartners are to be congratulated for their thoughtfulness.

Michael DurhamKimmy Winnubst, art teacher at Bussey Middle School and her Advanced Art class created a booth at the first annual Special Arts Festival in Garland. The booth was done for Michael Durham, a L.I.F.E. student at Bussey and an excellent artist also in the Advanced Art class. Michael had t-shirts, buttons, stickers and notecards all made with his personally designed monsters on them. His booth was one of the best ones at the festival and it brought in $275.00 for his artwork. This money was partially donated to the art department at Bussey and part of it went into a scholarship fund for Michael. The booth was a huge success because of all the teachers who helped work the booth too. Way to Go Bussey!

The Coyle Middle School Pop Group, "SPIRIT" , led by director Kimber Rodriguez will be  performing once again at the Rowlett Community Tree Lighting Ceremony on Monday, November 26th in downtown Rowlett. Festivities begin at 6 pm.

A special congratulations to two outstanding South Garland High School Choir Students! Brittany Dye and Natalie Osbourne were selected among many applicants in the Metroplex to participate in the Opera Scholars program through the Dallas Opera. They will attend workshops, master classes, special tours, and performances throughout the 2007-2008 Dallas Opera Season. At the end of the season, they will graduate as Dallas Opera Scholars and attend a dinner in their honor with many Opera "VIP's". Way to go Brittany and Natalie!

The Naaman Forest High School Ranger Band earned it's 17th consecutive UIL 1st Division rating at the UIL Region 3 Marching Contest on October 24, 2007!

Carol Hoorman, Art teacher at GAEC, has created a website to showcase her student’s art.  Working in conjunction with the English Department, you can see examples of student art, writing assignments and what’s new at the school. Site is still under construction, so check back frequently. Art Lesson will soon be available to try. www.phoenixquest.org

Of the 64 students selected for the MS All Region Orchestra, 20 were from Austin (almost 1/3 of the entire group).   Webb had 4 and Jackson had 3, making a total of 27 for GISD - This makes GISD the district with the most students in the orchestra (Richardson - 23 and Mesquite - 17).  Austin also had 1 alternate selected.

Garland High School placed 15 students in the high school All Region Orchestra

On September 15th, Channel 5 did a spotlight at 5:00 p.m. on a teacher in the Garland School district who established an after school non-profit “Brooks Peoples Academy And Arts” enrichment program, for kids of all ages. Patricia Brooks Peoples is one of our very own teachers inspiring to help the community.

2006-2007

8th Graders Elisabeth Brockman and Joseph Hernandez will represent Lyles Middle School and GISD in the TCDA Middle School Honor Choir. Directors at Lyles are Megan Senter and Brandy Nuttall.

On April 13th, the Naaman Forest Theatre Department competed at UIL One-Act Play Regionals Competion in Waco for the 2nd time in Naaman history. Awards received at this level include:
Honorable Mention All-Star Cast: Katy Kirkwood & Brandon Simmons
All-Star Cast: Zack Griffith (understudy to the original cast member)

On Saturday, February 17th at a Danceline Competition in Quinlan, TX, the Mam'selles did an outstanding job and walked away with the following awards:

Grand Champion Award for Small Team Division
Sweepstakes : All Division I ratings
Best in Category for Pom and Military and
Judges Award of Excellence for their Military Routine.

All 7 GISD High School Marching Bands recieved first division ratings from the judging panel at UIL Marching Contest on October 18th. All 7 bands will be advancing to the Area Marching Contest on Saturday, October 28th at Mesquite Memorial Stadium. Click here for performance schedule.

Austin Academy Orchestra is proud to announce that they had 18 students plus 4 alternates accepted into All-Region Orchestra! Out of about 19 middle schools who participated, Austin had the most students accepted.
The All-Region concert will be held Saturday, January 20th at 4:00 p.m. at West Mesquite High School.
The Austin All-Region Orchestra students are:
Violin:
Arvin Tsai
Rachel Bailey
Erin Matthews
Nicole Tsao
Rachel Koo
Leanza Bethel
Mary Henderson
Melia Bagamano
Viola:
Carolyn Montgomery
Leah Hulm
Christina Crider
Alexandra Fuchs
Cello:
Bass:
Colin Roeger
Thomas
Harp:
Sarah Israel
Lauren Miller
Alternates:
John Nguyen, violin
Zachary Schneck, viola
Miji Harris, cello
Dani Blohm, cello

Congratulations to these students!!!

It was a good day for Garland High at the TMEA Region Orchestra auditions held this past Saturday at Berkner High School. The following students were selected to participate in the 2007 TMEA Region 3 Orchestra next January.

" Justin Daniels - Violin 1 - 8th Chair
" Chris Jagielski - Violin 1 - 11th Chair
" Sun Paek - Violin 1 - 14th Chair
" Natasha Garcia - Violin 1 - 18th Chair
" Matt Puckett - Violin 2 - 6th Chair
" Kaitlyn Stiles - Violin 2 - 7th Chair
" Rita Yeung - Violin 2 - 16th Chair
" Jacob Han - Violin 2 - 20th Chair
" Marcus Pyle - Viola - 2nd Chair
" Chris Cundiff - Viola - 6th Chair
" Amanda Jagielski - Viola - 16th Chair
" Elizabeth Hering - Cello - 10th Chair
" Taylor Vaughn - Cello - 11th Chair
" Philip Graham - Cello - 13th Chair
" Justin Bailey - Cello - 15th Chair
" Joey Powers - Bass - 2nd Chair
" Spencer Martin - Bass - 4th Chair
" Bailey Pratt - Violin - 2nd Alternate

Congrats to these students on their musical achievement/

Mr. Phil Roger,art teacher at Austin Academy was invited to participate in the recent 25th Anniversary show at the Bath House Cultural Center at White Rock Lake. He also is showing a piece there currently in the annual " Day of the Dead" show. He says that the Bath House is a very friendly,relaxed venue for artists and very supportive of art education.

Two of the NFHS Speech Team members have qualified for the Texas Forensic Association STATE competition.  Seniors Katy Kirkwood and Brandon Simmons earned their qualifications in Duet Acting and Dramatic Interpretation.  The STATE competition will take place in March at Creekview HS in Carrollton.

The Rowlett High School Band is proud to announce that the following musicians are members of the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra for the 2006-2007 season:

Ilisa Glick, French Horn, Symphony Orchestra

Jordan English, Oboe, Philharmonic Orchestra,

Sarah Winstead, Trumpet, Philharmonic Orchestra

Clark Caperton, Trombone, Philharmonic Orchestra

Donovan Hunt, Bass Clarinet, Wind Symphony

Josh Lee, Trumpet, Wind Symphony

Nick Perez, Tuba, Wind Symphony

Jane Samford, Austin Academy Orchestra Director, served as a guest conductor and clinician for one of the Lewisville ISD All-District Orchestras. The clinic and concert were held on Saturday October 7 at Hebron High School. Middle school and high school students auditioned for and participated in the event. Mrs. Samford led the Chamber Orchestra.

Congratulations to Naaman Forest Band students Yvette Ellis (flute) and Justin Weisenborn (trumpet) for earning 1st division gold medals at the UIL State Solo contest in Austin. Marianne Weber (clarinet) also excelled by earning a silver medal.

Hillside Academy's Strings AND Hillside Singers received straight one's at Sandy Lake's Fun-Fest.

Pam Tomlinson, Varsity Drill Team Director at Garland High School, was recently named Top Ten Directors of America at the Nation Dance/Drill Team Directors of America convention. This award is voted on by colleagues across the nation to recognized those directors in the profession who truly shine. She constantly sacrifices herself to better teenage girls and send them off into the world with an understanding of responsibility, respect, hard work, and dedication. Her hard work and dedication is to be commended.

Naaman Forest Advanced placement Portfolio Art Student Austin Wyatt was one of five area high school students selected by Arte Oak Cliff to participate in their summer mural program. The students will be involved in the design and production of a mural for the Oak Cliff area. They will be involved in classes, field trips, and studio time to work on assignments. The program begins June 5 and lasts through mid August. Austin had to submit slides of his art work as a part of the application process. Congratulations to Austin Wyatt for this achievement.

Kelly Schulz received "New Teacher of the Year" for Garland High School

On April 27-30, the Naaman Forest High School bands traveled to Branson, MO. where they competed in the Ozark Festival of Music. We are proud to announce that both our Honors and Symphonic Bands received unanimous 1st division ratings and that our Honors Band received not only "Best in Class", but was also selected as the "Overall Outstanding Band" of the entire festival. Bands directors for Naaman Forest High School are Mr. Larry Schnitzer and Mr. Michael Kilgore.

Chris Bryson, Co-Director of Theatre Arts, Activities Director, Lumberjack Sponsor, and Class of '06 Sponsor, at Naaman Forest High School was named to Who's Who of Americas Teachers for the 2005-2006 school year.

The Austin Academy Honors orchestra performed at the Meyerson on May 5th for the American Classic Music Festival. They earned 3 superior ratings from the judges and also earned a best in class trophy!

The combined Beginning / Intermediate Austin Academy orchestras performed at Sandy Lake on Tuesday and earned a first division trophy as well as an outstanding orchestra in their class trophy!

Ronald Hoes, Band Director at Sellers Middle School, has been selected Outstanding Teacher for the school for the 2005-06 year. Congratulations !

The following students will represent Lister in our All-City Choirs next year. They will have a summer workshop, to prepare them for the upcoming year of performances and will attend rehearsals each week when school begins in August. Students will receive, by mail, further information concerning this Choir.

Our students who will represent Lister are as follows:

All-City Girls Choir:

  • Alexius Hall
  • Jessica Miller
  • Duni Porter

All-City Boys Choir

  • Sammy Guzman
  • Noel Marian

Congratulations to all of our All-City representatives for 2006-07 school year!!

On Saturday, May 6, Lister Select Choir competed against two other elementary choirs at Music in the Parks Festival. Representing Lister Elementary in a wonderful, positive, BIG way, 63 students and 45 parents were in attendance. Mrs. Gipson would like to thank her choir students and parents for a job well done. Judges not only commented on the students’ beautiful singing, but made positive comments concerning the students’ respect for their director, their nice appearance, their superb conduct and their concert etiquette. Lister Select Choir received two trophies: 1) First place with a rating of Excellent, and 2) Overall Outstanding Elementary Choir of the Day. Mrs. Gipson is very proud of all students attending the festival, for their dedication and their love of singing. Diligent work pays off. Great job to Mrs. Gipson and our very own Lister Select Choir!!! Keep singing beautifully.

The combined Austin Academy Philharmonic and Concert orchestras performed for the Peak Festival Wed. on the campus of the Univ. of North Texas. The orchestra earned a superior rating from each of the 3 judges and brought back a beautiful first division trophy!

Last weekend, the Ranger Bands traveled to Branson, MO. to compete in the Ozark Showcase of Music. We are proud to announce that our Honors and Symphonic Bands received "Superior" ratings and that our Honors Band not only received "Best in Class", but was also seleced as the "Overall Outstanding Band" of the festival as well. Sarah Anderson, Carolina Hernandez, Mason Wallace, and Justin Weisenborn were selected as outstanding soloists for the festival.

The Austin Academy Theatre Team won 1st Place Sweepstakes at Strickland Middle School's Final Round Competition this past Saturday, April 29, 2006. The following students won group and individual awards:

Dramatic Interpretation

  • 3rd Place-Rema Atwood

Reader's Theatre

  • 1st Place-Beauty and The Beast-Emily Gerber, Caitlin Boswell, Jessica Delgado, Cami Fields, Lauren Johnson
  • 2nd Place-The Really, Really, Really True Story of Cinderella-Hannah Roden, Becky Semtner, Haley Megert, Jessica Thompson, Anna Fullerton
  • 3rd Place-And The Dish Ran Away With The Spoon-Max Shannon, Rachel Reininger, Joelle Burns, Sonnet Phillips

Impromptu Speaking - 2nd Place-Drew Mowrey

Humerous Interpretation - 3rd Place-Drew Mowrey

Lip Sync - 3rd Place-Men in Tights-Bobby Merriman, Dan Mulamoottil, Will Semtner, Marcus Hill

TV Commercial - 2nd Place-The Toothbrush Helmet-Alex Nelson, Drew Mowrey, Zach Zador

Pantomime

  • 2nd Place-Airplane-Alex Nelson, Drew Mowrey
  • 3rd Place: Family Trip-Jake Johnson, Dustin Bartholomew, Zach Zador, Juan Guerra

Storytelling - 2nd Place-Jaywin Malhi

Duet Acting - 3rd Place-The Tell-Tale Heart-Drew Mowrey and Rachel Reininger

Group Improvisation

  • 1st Place-The Clumsy Crew-Wesley Hackett, Tanner Fry, Chelsea Hill, Amanda Garner, Andrew Gilmore
  • 3rd Place-The Average Joes-Austin Campbell, Max Shannon, Nick Hobbs, Cody Biggerstaff

Poster Design

  • 1st Place-Alice in Wonderland-Paxton Carr
  • 2nd Place-The Secret Garden-Endya Hardridge

The North Garland High School Band's trumpet section performed the National Anthem at the April 21, 2006 Rexas Rangers Baseball game. The occasion was to honor the GISD Teachers of the year.

North Garland High School's Steel Drum Band, under the direction of Todd Toney, has been named as a recipient of the Betsy Henderson Fine Arts Grant in the amount of $4000. This grant is made available through the generosity of the BEST in Education Foundation and interested fone arts parents.

Robert Hackett, senior french horn player with the North Garland HS Band, will be touring and competing throughout the US and Europe with the Glassmen Drum and Bugle corps this summer. Robert iis also the band librarian and crew chief.

Two students from Garland ISD attended the State VASE (Visual Art Scholastic Event) over the weekend. Students participated in professional workshops, portfolio reviews, demonstrations, scholarship opportunities, and outdoor sketching opportunities.

Blake Armstrong, LCHS (2D, painting) and Courtney Greenlee, RHS (3d- mix media) represented Garland ISD. Both of the students received a 3 (exemplary) out of a possible 4 (superior).

Across Texas, 13,000 students participated in the 18 Regional events. There were 1,442 artworks that qualified for state! Only 7% of these received a '4 rating' and only 2% received the coveted Golden Seal Award.

Recently, the Garland High School A Cappella Choir, under the direction of Cheryl Wilson and James Franklin, competed in the Alamo Showcase of Music in San Antonio, TX. The choir is honored to have received a Superior Rating as well as to have been selected the 'Outstanding Mixed Choir' and 'Outstanding Choir' for the entire festival.

Kimmy Winnubst, art teacher at Bussey Middle School, has artwork adorning the cover of a college philosophy text.

The visual fine arts department of Walnut Glen Academy will host a school wide art exhibit of student work during the week of May 1-May 5, 2006 as part of the WGA Literary Fine Arts Festival. Artworks created by students in kindergarten through fifth grade will be on display throughout the building. African masks, sand paintings, murals, ceramics, and a wide selection of framed original paintings and drawings will be available for viewing. Mrs. Kathleen Hodges and Mrs. Lacey Rotan are the visual art specialists at Walnut Glen Academy.

Kathy Howard Art Specialist at Hillside Academy was nominated to the Original Works Art Institute Art Honor Roll. Each year the Institute reviews hundreds of thousands of pieces of children's artwork submitted through the Original Works Program by school classes nationwide. Based on this extensive review, the Art Institute selects the top 5% of these schools for inclusion on the Original Works Honor Roll. Congratulations to the Hillside Artists!

Congratulations to Erik Carter from Rowlett High School for receiving a theatre scholarship to SMU for the 2006-2007 academic year. He is very deserving of this honor and the entire theatre department wishes him the best of luck.

Daniel Lonie, Orchestra Director at North Garland High School and Walnut Glen Academy, has had a new work for String Orchestra published by Fountain Park Music entitled Concord Sentinel.

The North Garland High School Honors Orchestra performed at the State Capitol Rotunda on April 7, 2006. This concert was part of the Noon time Capitol Concert series hosted by the Texas State Historic Preservation Board. The orchestra's appearance was sponsored by Texas State Senator John Carona.

Austin Academy's Philharmonic and Honors Orchestras both received Sweepstakes at the UIL Concert and Sightreading Contest on March 30, 2006. The contest was held at North Garland High School and hosted by Dan Lonie, orchestra director, and the NGHS orchestra students.

The Naaman Forest High School Bands competed in their UIL Concert/Sightreading contest on April 5-6. The Honors Band received a unanimous 1st division rating from both judging panels, and the Symphonic Band earned a 1st division rating in Sightreading. This was the 16th consecutive year that the Honors Band received a 1st division rating in the concert portion of the contest. Band directors are Larry Schnitzer and Michael Kilgore.

The Naaman Forest Speech Team won the overall speech award at the UIL District Competition. Placing in the finals were:

  • Dominic Norwood: 1st Place Poetry
  • Katy Kirkwood: 2nd Place Poetry
  • Amber Williams: 3rd Place Poetry
  • Brandon Simmons: 1st Place Prose
  • Jazzay Jabbar: 2nd Place Prose
  • Lindi Van Slyke: 5th Place Prose

The Regional Meet will take place in Waco, Texas on April 22.

Rita Yeung, a sophomore orchestra student at Garland High School won a grand prize in the McKinney Chamber Music Society Young Artist Competition for pianists on Sunday April 9. Rita plays violin in the GHS Honors Orchestra but is also a fine pianist. She received a $500.00 scholarship for being one of winners.

The Austin Academy Orchestra students achieved great success at Solo/Ensemble Contest this past Saturday! The students received 149 medals for superior ratings and 23 ribbons for excellent ratings. In addition, 4 of the 5 outstanding soloist awards were earned by Austin students!
Outstanding soloist recognition goes to:

  • Arvin Tsai
  • Rachel Varghese
  • Lauren Miller
  • Erin Matthews

Outstanding ensemble recognition:

  • Meredith Ludlow and Lauren Miller duet
  • Amanda Jagielski and Samantha Phi duet

Sylvia Klein will be serving as one of the judged for the Region 24 Middle School Orchestra UIL Concert and Sight-Reading contest, held in Denton, TX on March 8 and 9, at Guyer High School. She will be one of the three judges for the concert portion of the contest.

Kimberlin Academy

Garland ISD Solo/Ensemble Festival
The Kimberlin Academy Advanced Orchestra participated in the Garland ISD Solo/Ensemble Festival on Saturday, January 21st at Kimberlin Academy.
Students receiving medals for solos were: Linda Acosta, Caty Agreda, Gabriella Amaya, Tori Bryant, Casey Cooley, Saul Gonzalez, Natalie Pearson, Thomas Perez, Daniel Plummer, Jala Redmon , Meghan Shanks Maggie Sullivan, Greg Neal, Alexis Thackurdin, Tracey Vuong, and Brianna Willis.
Students receiving medals for ensembles were: Trio- Nathan Baldwin, Kamin Bouguyon, and Kevin Taylor; Quartet- Morgan Daniels, Bailey Hauck, Priscilla Jamaica and Mandolin Wiessner; Duet-Kate McLauchlan and Chloe Trevino; Duet- Angelicque Roa and Tracey Vuong; Duet- Nathan Kalldin and Jalen Quintana; Trio- Andres Aviles, Chris Bloomquist and Nathan Winn; Duet- Natalie Pearson and Meghan Shanks; Trio- Cameron Azeez, Alex Williams and Diego Wright; Duet- Casey Cooley and Kenny Quintana; Duet- Samantha Ernst and Alexa Nightingale; Trio- Finlea Baxter, Morgan Daniels and Susannah Hutcheson. The Trio of Nathan Baldwin, Kamin Bouguyon and Kevin Taylor also received an outstanding ensemble award.

Hubbard Solo and Chamber Music Competition
Kimberlin Advanced Orchestra students performed at the Hubbard Solo and Chamber Music Competition at Rockwall High School on Friday, February 3rd. The ensemble of Bailey Hauck, Mandolin Wiessner, Priscilla Jamaica and Morgan Daniels received an excellent rating. Earning a superior rating in the Chamber Music event was the duet of Chris Bloomquist and Andres Aviles and the duet of Samantha Ernst and Alexa Nightingale. The trio of Kamin Bouguyon, Nathan Baldwin, and Kevin Taylor received a superior plus rating with an honorable mention in their class. The harp duet of Meghan Shanks and Natalie Pearson received a superior plus rating with an honorable mention in their class. Nathan Baldwin and Maggie Sullivan participated in an area string ensemble that received a superior plus rating with an honorable mention in their class. The duet of Casey Cooley and Kenny Quintana received a superior plus rating with a third place award for their class. The ensemble of Finlea Baxter, Morgan Daniels and Susannah Hutcheson received a superior plus rating with a second place award for their class. The duet of Nathan Kalldin and Jalen Quintana received a superior plus rating with a first place award for their class.
In the Solo Class- students receiving superior ratings were Tori Bryant, Saul Gonzalez, Natalie Pearson, Maggie Sullivan, and Alexis Thackurdin.
Daniel Plummer received a superior plus with an honorable mention in his class. Casey Cooley received a superior plus with an honorable mention his class. Meghan Shanks received a sperior plus with a third place award for her class. Linda Acosta received a superior plus with a first place for her class.

Former GISD student Laura (Vlasak) Nolen is performing February 17th, 19th, 22nd, and 25th with the Dallas Opera in The Magic Flute.
When she was a student in GISD, she attended Northlake Elementary as well as Naaman Forrest in its opening year from middle school through high school. She was a vital part of the music programs at both of these schools and went on to further her music education at Texas Tech University.
She already has many musical accomplishments and credits to her name. Additional information about Ms. Nolen can be found at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions New England Region web site.

James Green was nominated and selected as Teacher of the Year for Sewell Elementary School.

38 Austin Academy piano lab students participated in solo & ensemble on Saturday. All students received a 1st division rating. In addition, 11 students received a nomination for outstanding solo performance and Phuong Ho, Jennifer Ly, Janelle Wong and John Hamati were chosen as outstanding soloists for the day.

GISD Student Artists receive SUPERIOR Rating and ADVANCE TO STATE
Thirteen art students from Garland ISD qualified to attend The Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE) for Region 10 on Saturday, February 4, 2006 in Coppell. Students from Lakeview Centennial High School and Rowlett High School represented Garland ISD in the competition. Six out of nine LCHS students, sponsored by Alicia Cobb, received a superior rating for their art work. All four of Kristine Hamidou’s RHS students received a superior rating.

The following students received a Superior Rating:

LCHS

  • Blake Armstrong, State Advancement
  • Courtney Bruce, (two artworks)
  • David Hernando
  • Gabby Kook, (two artworks)
  • Jessica Mitchell
  • Candance Woods

RHS

  • Chelsea Adair
  • Courtney Greenlee, State Advancement
  • Josh Hunt
  • Sariki Schutte, (two artworks)

Blake Armstrong’s painting “Raquel” and Courtney Greenlee’s relief sculpture “Textile Landscape” will advance to the State VASE Competition in Houston on April 7-8, 2006.

In the VASE competition each student can submit a maximum of two art entries. The art works are juried by a team of certified adjudicators comprised of area artists, university instructors, and art educators. The jurors look for originally of concept, technical expertise, understanding of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), and the interpretation of the student’s stated intent. The jurors evaluate the art using the following standard:

Rating 4: Superior, Rating 3: Excellent, Rating 2: Average, Rating 1: Below Average

VASE is the only art event of its kind in the nation. Students are provided the opportunity to bring artworks created in their art classes to a regional event where they are interviewed by a certified juror who evaluates their work based on standards based rubric and their understanding of the art processes involved in the development of their artwork.

We are so proud of our talented students!

Jackson MST Art

Two GISD students had work accepted for the Dallas Cup Calendar for this year. They are Diego Luna and Jamie Fox. These students submitted excellent work which can be viewed in the July and August months in the calendar.

Sachse High School Choir

Katrina Stephens (sophomore at Sachse High School) was selected as a member of the 2006 ACDA Southwest Division Honor Choir. She was selected among hundreds of students auditioning from Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas through tape audition. Katrina will be traveling to St. Louis, MO to participate in this Honor Choir from March 8 - 10, 2006.

Joshua McGuire, choral director at Sachse High School, served as guest conductor for the Illinois District IV Middle School Honor Choir on November 4, 2005. 275 students from the West Central region of Illinois participated in this honor choir. All students were auditioned for their inclusion in the choir.

Austin Academy Jazz Ensemble

The Austin Academy Jazz Ensemble I performed at the 33rd Annual International Association for Jazz Education Conference in New York City on Friday, January 13, 2006. The band was awesome. These young musicians performed 8 selections with outstanding technique and creativity. Austin performed two compositions that were written especially for the band by Rick Stitzel and Kris Berg. Todd Toney, North Garland band director, arranged "Twisted" for the band also. Five ninth graders who were members of last year's band performed with the band on one number. Guest soloist, Micah Bell, performed on flugelhorn, trumpet and vocals. Mr. Bell, currently a senior music major at TCU, graduated from Austin Academy and Rowlett High School. The group toured New York City. Highlights of the trip included not only the performance and visiting the exhibits and concerts at the conference but also Times Square, Ground Zero, The Lion King, NBC Studio Tour and The Iridium Jazz Brunch.

The Austin Jazz Ensemble also performed for a packed house at the IAJE Preview Concert at the Plaza Theater on January 8. This performance was great preparation for the New York trip.

Garland High Choir

The Garland High School Choir program has recently had nine students selected to participate in the All-State Choir at the Texas Music Educators Association Conference in San Antonio. Each student rigorously prepared the music starting in July and maintained a consistent work ethic at home and at school. Participating in the All-State Women's Choir are sopranos Whitney Anderson (junior) and Katelyn Olson (senior). Those selected to sing in the All-State Men's Choir are tenors Bret Bello (senior) and Aaron Lucero (junior) and basses Taylor Henry (junior) and Ivan Medina (senior). Jonathan Coffield (senior) and Amanda Pavlik (junior) were chosen as All-State Mixed Choir members. In addition, Jonathan Pilgrim (senior) had the distinction of being selected for his fourth consective year as an All-State Choir member. The choral directors and voice teachers at GHS wish to express their joy and pride in these young people's accomplishment.

The Austin Academy A Cappella Mixed Choir and the Garland High School A cappella Choir wish to announce their invitation to perform as honor choirs at the Texas Music Educators Convention in San Antonio. This accolade is perhaps the highest honor which a Texas choral program may receive. Each program has now had two invitations in the past three years. This speaks volumes about the level of music education and comittment to educating the young people in Garland ISD.

Naaman Forest Band

Congratulations to Naaman Forest High School Band students Chad Harmon (tuba) and Paul Coroneos (trombone) for being selected to the prestigious Texas All State Band! They will attend the Texas Music Educator's convention in February where they will rehearse and perform with this select group.

Sachse Debate

Congratulations to Nick Edwards and Stetson Samuel of Sachse High School for winning 2nd Place in UIL District competition in CX Debate. The two juniors will compete at UT in Austin at the UIL State Meet during Spring Break.

Garland High School Orchestra

Garland High School Students Jamie Bragdon (flute), Benjamin Leatherwood (viola), and Cara Stroud (cello) were selected as Outstanding Soloists at the 2005 Texas State Solo and Ensemble Contest. Cara was also selected as an Outstanding Student in the Texas State Music Theory Test held the same weekend.

Coyle Middle School Band

The Coyle Middle School Band, under the direction of Marcia Zoffuto, has been invited to perform at the Western International Band Clinic on November 18-21, 2005 in Seattle , Washington .

Patty Granville Awards

Austin Academy Theatre

Austin Academy Theatre took home First Place Sweepstakes this past Saturday 5/14 at Strickland Middle School's Final Round Theatre Tournament! The following students won group and individual awards:

Dramatic Interpretation:

  • 3rd Place: Shelby Morales
  • 2nd Place: Chelsea Hill
  • 1st Place: Chelsea Hawkins

Reader's Theatre:

  • 3rd Place: Cutie and The Beast-Niq Hale, Caitlyn Maddux, Traci Lee, Inga Suneson, Eryn Roberts
  • 2nd Place: Madeline: Molly Davis, Lauren Spann, Laura Israel, Hannah Roden, Becky Semtner

Impromptu Speaking:

  • 3rd Place: Drew Mowrey
  • 1st Place: Austin Campbell

Humerous Interpretation:

  • 3rd Place: Matt Wyder
  • 1st Place: Inga Suneson

Lip Sync:

  • 3rd Place: Feed Me-Drew Mowrey and Alex Nelson
  • 2nd Place: Little Shop of Horrors-Zara Black, Traci Lee, Tess Salcedo
  • 1st Place: Men in Tights-Parker Mullins, Vince Beltran, Zach Zador

TV Commercial:

  • 3rd Place:Att-o-tude Ring: Rachael Sperling, Marlene Delgado, Jordan Feldman, Parker Mullins, Travis Rose, Joe Brittain
  • 1st Place: Cheer-E-Leaders II-Candace Elenez, Zara Black, Tess Salcedo, Traci Lee, Niq Hale

Prose: 3rd Place: Leslie Garner

Pantomime:

  • 3rd Place: Alex Nelson and Drew Mowrey
  • 2nd Place: Matt Wyder and Wesley Hackett
  • 1st Place: Chloe Mydlowski and Joe Brittain

Storytelling: 2nd Place: Inga Suneson

Vocal: 2nd Place: Jordan Travis

Poetry:

  • 3rd Place: Ashley Kim
  • 2nd Place: Traci Lee
  • 1st Place: Chloe Mydlowski

Group Improvisation: 1st Place: You Know-Niq Hale, Zara Black, Tess Salcedo

Kelley Vanhook

On May 29th Kelley Vanhook, will be embarking on a short-term study visit to Cairo, Egypt in conjunction with the American International School of Egypt. She hopes to gain an understanding of Egyptian culture with first-hand opportunities to experience Egyptian civilization and education through school visits, interactions with teachers and students, and cultural experiences. She'll be observing public and private music education programs, formal and informal musical situations, and meet with experts of Middle Eastern music and education.

Upon returning to the home, she will share her experiences in Egypt with her students, colleagues, and community in the form of curriculum improvement,development of teaching materials, and other activities. Mrs. Vanhook's hope is that the experience will provide significant learning opportunities, enhance curricula, and bring her students a greater understanding of another culture, creating a more peaceful world through education and mutual understanding.

Lister Elementary Select Choir

Lister Elementary Select Choir, under the direction of Mrs. Gipson, competed at Music in the Parks on Saturday, May 7, 2005. They received 1st place and a rating of excellent!

Classical Center at Vial Honor Choir

Classical Center at Vial Honor Choir performed at the Festival in the Park on Saturday. They received a Superior Rating and Best Overall Elementary Choir! WOW!!! Congratulations to Vial students, Teresa Dodson and Ruth Cooney.

Austin Academy Theatre Team

The Austin Academy Theatre Team brought home 1st Place in the School Days Drama Competition at Scarborough Faire on 5/3. They performed a scene from A Midsummer Night's Dream: Act 1, Scene 2. The following students were involved: Caitlyn Maddux, Tess Salcedo, Joe Brittain, Traci Lee, Inga Suneson, Candace Elenez, and Hannah Roden.

LCHS Bands

On Saturday April 30, the LCHS Bands competed at the DC Festivals Competition in New Orleans.

The LCHS Symphonic Band, under the direction of Mr. Leon Ybarra, earned an Excellent Rating on Stage (II-Division) and placed 3rd Overall among the AAAAA Non-Varsity Bands.

The LCHS Wind Symphony, under the direction of Mr. Gerry Miller, earned a Superior Rating on Stage (I-Division) and was the AAAAA Runner-Up ( 2nd Place) among the 5A Varsity Bands.
Garland, TX)
Outstanding soloist awards were given to...

  • Greg Hager, tenor sax
  • Justin Schwartz, flute
  • Suzanna Walthers, flute
  • KeeKee Webster, flute

If you would like to see some photos from our trip, please visit the LCHS Band website at www.lchspatriotband.com, then click on the Pictures link.
If you'd like to hear the LCHS Bands in concert, please attend their upcoming Spring Concert on Tuesday, May 10 at 7:00pm in the LCHS Auditorium.

Jackson MST

Jackson MST has two student's whose art was accepted to be included in the Dallas is Diversity calendar project. Their names are Jamie Zon, and Diego Luna.

Megan Shults

Megan Shults, Choir Director at Lyles Middle School, was selected at the Dallas Morning News Teacher Of The Month for March. This award is sponsored by Garland Power & Light.

JD Vanslyke

JD VANSLYKE from Naaman Forest High School qualified for NATIONALS in Dramatic Interp this past weekend. We will be going to Philadelphia over the summer to compete at this prestigious tournament. This is JD's 2nd year in a row to qualify for this tournament and the only student from Naaman to ever get to this level of competition!

Naaman Forest Bands

On April 12-13, the Honors and Symphonic bands competed in their UIL concert and sight-reading contest. Both bands were awarded 1st division ratings from both panels and earned their coveted UIL "Sweepstakes" awards. Naaman Forest is the only school in the GISD to have both their Varsity and Non-Varsity bands earn this distinction.

On April 14-17, the bands traveled to Copper Mountain, Colorado to compete in the Rocky Mountain Showcase of Music. We are pleased to announce that our Honors, Symphonic, and Concert bands all earned unanimous 1st division ratings, and that our Honors and Symphonic bands were named "Best in Class". In addition, our Honors Band was named "Overall Outstanding Band" of the festival. Outstanding soloist certificates were presented to Leah Persad, Jonathan Jolley, Jason Weisenborn, and Erica Finney.

Candace Woods

Candace Woods...former Hudson student and senior at Naaman Forest HS is leaving for New York to be on Broadway with the show "Hairspray"

Cathy Magee

Cathy Magee, Choir Director at Hudson MS has been selected to the "Who's Who Among American Teachers" for the 2nd time in February. This is an honor bestowed by high school students in the "Who' Who of American High School Students".

2005 Garland Cultural Arts Commission/ GISD Student Art Show Winners


BEST OF SHOW: CHRISTIE TRUE -NFHS

Drawing/Black and White

  • 1st Place: Christie True - NFHS
  • 2nd Place: Mitchel Samels - RHS
  • 3rd Place: Mitchel Samels -RHS
  • Honorable Mention: Jordan Capper -RHS; Mitchel Samels -RHS

Drawing/Color

  • 1st Place: Jocelyn Jesus - NFHS
  • 2nd Place: Michelle Johnson - LCHS
  • 3rd Place Karolina Stewart - RHS
  • Honorable Mention: Whitney Hicks - GHS

Painting

  • 1st Place: Samson Varughese -LCHS
  • 2nd Place: Ashley Banks - RHS
  • 3rd Place: Jocelyn Jesus- NFHS
  • Honorable Mention: Susan Le-NFHS; Samson Varughese -LCHS

Sculpture

  • 1st Place: Binh Luu - NFHS
  • 2nd Place: Zack Howell- NFHS
  • 3rd Place: Ryan Cole -RHS
  • Honorable Mention:

Printmaking

  • 1st Place: Tasha Muirhead - GHS
  • 2nd Place: Chelsea Hostetter - GHS
  • 3rd Place: Rufino Portillo - NGHS
  • Honorable Mention: Meredith Williams -GHS

Multi-Media

  • 1st Place: Haley Watkins -NFHS
  • 2nd Place: Phat Nguyen - NFHS
  • 3rd Place: Meredith Williams - GHS
  • Honorable Mention: Ryan Novelen - GHS

Ceramics

  • 1st Place: Brittane Nolen -SGHS
  • 2nd Place.. Corinna Gadley - SGHS
  • 3rd Place.. Elzin Smajlovic- LCHS
  • Honorable Mention: Eric Benson -RHS

Tom Clever

Tom Clever has been nominated for the third time to Who's Who

Austin Academy Theatre Team

Austin Academy's Theatre Team took home 2nd Place Sweepstakes at The Colleyville Heritage Tournament this past Saturday 2/19. The following students won group and individual awards:

Reader's Theatre:

  • 3rd Place: The 3 Little Pigs: Marlene Delgado, Jordan Feldman, Rachael Sperling, Sarah-Jane Madrid
  • 2nd Place: Snow White: Chloe Mydlowski, Vince Beltran, Parker Mullins, Chelsea Hawkins, Zach Zador, Jaywin Malhi
  • 1st Place: Cutie & The Beast: Inga Suneson, Nick Hale, Caitlyn Maddux, Traci Lee, Eryn Roberts

Impromptu Speaking: 2nd Place: Melanie Maguire

Lip Sync:

  • 2nd Place: Cheetah Girls: Lauren Spann, Molly Davis, Candace Elenez, Caitlyn Maddux
  • 1st Place: Little Shop of Horrors: Traci Lee, Chloe Mydlowski, Tess Salcedo

Prose: 2nd Place: Caitlyn Maddux

Pantomime:

  • 3rd Place: 2 Idiots in a Science Lab- Parker Mullins and Vince Beltran
  • 2nd Place: A Boy and His Bike-Alex Nelson
  • 1st Place: Doctor's Office Gone Bad-Matt Wyder and Wesley Hackett

Vocal: 1st Place: Traci Lee

Poster Design: 1st Place: Annie Get Your Gun-Ann Marie Scott

Patrick Bracken

North Garland High School A Cappella Choir President, Patrick Bracken, has been named a 2004-2005 National Merit Scholar.

GHS Dashing Debs

The Garland High School Dashing Debs attended the American Drill Team School contest in New Orleans on February 12th. They received the following awards:

  • Sweepstakes Winner
  • Gussie Nell Davis Award
  • Best Choreography
  • Best Precision
  • Best Kick Routine
  • Best Prop Routine
    Best Military Routine - Dr. Irving Drieboldt Award
  • Best in Class

Austin Academy Orchestra

The Austin orchestra students participated in the GISD solo/ensemble contest on Saturday and earned 143 medals and 19 ribbons! The students also received 5 of the 8 possible outstanding solo or ensemble of the day in the individual judges' rooms! (noted below)
Please congratulate these students when you see them today. Several Austin students also served as monitors and got several compliments from the judges. Diane Camp also played for several of our students and we thank her for her time and talent!
The solos are listed first by grade, then the ensembles.

Superior rating 6th grade solos:

  • Rachel Koo
  • Erin Matthews
  • Faith Michael
  • Audrey Holland
  • Dani Blohm
  • Kelsey Stiles
  • Sam Johnson
  • Grant Suneson
  • Nicole Tsao
  • Caree Claunch
  • JR Fortner
  • Arvin Tsai
  • Spencer Dahl
  • Efrain Vidal
  • Colin Roeger
  • Rachel Varghese (outstanding soloist)
  • Christina Crider
  • Carolyn Montgomery
  • Leah Hulm
  • Rachel Bailey

Superior Rating 7th grade solos:

  • Katy Hunt
  • Jeanne Alvarez
  • Jocelyn Epps
  • Morgan Ross
  • Elizabeth Hering
  • Chris Cundiff
  • Jayci VanCleave
  • Nicole Sherman
  • Anna Beauchamp
  • Blake Taylor
  • Amanda Jagielski (both on viola and harp solos)
  • Phillip Graham
  • Joelle Burns
  • Ramon Herrera
  • Caleb Scott
  • Bryan Noblett (outstanding soloist)
  • Carolyn Whitlow
  • Taylor Trevino
  • Kayla Thomas
  • Lindsey Manley
  • Madeleine Morris
  • Hanan Abdisubhan
  • William Proshek (outstanding soloist)
  • Greg Duncan
  • Bethany Winn
  • Esther Lee
  • Bailey Pratt

Superior Rating 8th grade solos:

  • Jeb Cariker
  • Stevie Powers
  • Kilian Cooley
  • Emily Whitener
  • Kaitlynn Bianconi
  • Brandon Quach
  • Matt Wyder
  • Kwame Lilly
  • Ken Cundiff
  • Brooke Martinez
  • Edward Fretheim
  • Trey Orman
  • Vanessa Narvaez
  • Anthony Reyes
  • Tim Cason

Superior rating on ensembles:

  • Dulce Diaz and Ariana Tello
  • Kevin Dang, Kwame Lilly, Valeria Mora
  • Faustino Mendez, Dan Ngyuen, Brandon Quach, Victor Walker
  • David Chavez, Beate Hall, David Keltner, Stevie Powers
  • Daisy Martinez, Alma Medina, Melanie Quang
  • Melissa Mancilla and Adriana Zapata
  • Rachel Bailey, Leah Hulm and Erin Matthews
  • Audrey Holland, Carolyn Montgomery and Kelsey Stiles
  • Caree Claunch, Maria Ramirez, Colin Roeger, Nicole Tsao, Efrain Vidal
  • Joelle Burns, Trey Orman, Taylor Trevino, Jocelyn Epps, Q Morris, Lindsey Manley (outstanding ensemble)
  • Jessica Mancilla, Brooke Martinez, Vaness Narvaez
  • Katy Hunt and Lindsey Manley
  • Christy Chu, Esther Lee, Samantha Phi, Nicole Sherman
  • Laura Banda, Kaitlynn Bianconi, Tim Cason, Randy Herbert, Lizelle Lauron and Stephanie Lumley
  • Ken Cundiff, Bryan Noblett, Carolyn Whitlow and Jason Wolfe
  • Alex Dich, Fabio Grant, Tim Trieu, Xavier Velasquez (outstanding ensemble)
  • Leanza Bethel, Luis Cifuentes
  • Wynne Ly, Suzane Pham
  • Eric Alt, Zach Byrne, Chris Cundiff, Will Proshek
  • Kayla Thomas, Jayci VanCleave
  • JR Fortner, Efrain Vidal

Excellent Rating on solos:

  • Amy Jenkins
  • Nick Schroder
  • Adrianna Lall
  • Leanza Bethel
  • Claudia Saucedo
  • Christy Chu
  • Beate Hall
  • Kevin Dang

Excellent rating on ensemble:

  • Rachel Koo and Leslie Lopez
  • Jocelyn Epps and Joelle Burns
  • Carla Banda, Ruth Castaneda, Sasha Curtis, Xochil Lopez, Veronica Moreno
  • Joelle Burns, Taylor Trevino
  • Debra and Sandra Ginigeme
  • Khang Le, Austin Myers, Marshall Patterson, David Rosenfield, Matt Wyder
  • Mariel Javier (brave Mariel - played her trio by herself!)

NFHS Art Department

Naaman Forest High School Art Department is pleased to announce that our Department has been invited to participate in the “Young Master’s Invitational Art Exhibition”. Advanced Placement Strategies, The O’Donnell Foundation, and the Dallas Museum of Art sponsor this annual event. This is the first time Naaman or any other GISD Art Department has been invited to participate. The Exhibition is designed to spotlight High School Advanced Placement Portfolio students and Art Departments who have exhibited success in the A P Portfolio Program.

Over 386 art pieces were submitted to the judging committee and the judges chose only 36 pieces to be exhibited. Naaman is proud to announce that Alex Vigil’s ceramic sculpture “Broken” was chosen to be included in the show.

The “Young Master’s Invitational Exhibition” will be held in the Fina Founders Gallery of the Dallas Museum of Art. The exhibition opens March 6 th and runs through April 10 th. The exhibiting students, their parents, and teachers will be honored at a reception at the Museum on April 10 th when the winners of the juried competition will be announced. We are especially proud of Alex as he represents our District in this prestigious exhibit.

SHS Art

This weekend at VASE (Visual Arts Scholastic Event) two of our students received Superior and Excellent ratings for their artwork! 1387 pieces of artwork were entered and judged in the event sponsored by the Texas Art Educators Association. This event is equivalent to the scholastic UIL events that many of our students in band and choir participate in. This year for the first time, two Garland students entered and placed in the event! Sophomores, Sean Miller and Richard Yager both of Sachse High School, entered their self portraits and successfully passed a rigorous interview about the process of creating their work. Sean Miller scored a 3 and Richard Yager scored a 4. The art work is rated 1-4, 4 being the highest, a Superior rating. The top 10 percentage of each category is then sent to the state level of competition. Sean and Richard are to be commended not only for their outstanding artistic skills but for fulfilling their commitment and competing in the competition.

NFHS Band

On February 5, 2005, students from the NFHS band participated in the Region 3 Solo/Ensemble Contest at North Garland High School. The following students received first division ratings for solos and ensembles. Eight students were certified to perform their solos at the Texas State Solo/Ensemble Contest in Austin and the ensembles receiving a first division were also certified for TSSEC.

TSSEC Certified Solos

  • Sarah Anderson
  • Yvette Ellis
  • Jevin Koleth
  • Ashley Pipkin
  • Kristin Scott
  • Mitch Tardiff
  • Marianne Weber
  • Justin Weisenborn

First Division Solos

  • Andrew Clark
  • Paul Coroneos
  • Patrick Donohoe
  • Megan Ehrhardt
  • Shannon Fentress
  • Erica Finney
  • Chad Harmon
  • Amanda Hayes
  • Chris Hollins
  • Melanie Jackson
  • Claire Jacobs
  • Alecia Johnson
  • Jonathan Jolley
  • Chelsea Kasper
  • Mimi Le
  • Sarah Malone
  • Sarah McClung
  • Julie Miller
  • Steven Nguyen
  • Ariel Payne
  • Leah Persad
  • Allison Rowley
  • Parth Shah
  • Josh Sires
  • Rachany Son
  • Brandon Strull
  • Courtney Troster
  • Andrew Vorster
  • Mason Wallace
  • Steven Wilkins
  • Chance Wyatt

First Division Ensembles (TSSEC Certified)

  • Bassoon Trio - Megan Ehrhardt, Yvette Ellis and Jonathan Jolley
  • Flute Trio – Yvette Ellis, Erica Finney and Cassidy Turrentine
  • Clarinet Choir – Sarah Anderson, Shannon Fentress, CeCe King, Amanda Murphy, Tyler Murray, Keri Reudiger and Marianne Weber
  • Trombone Trio – Patrick Donohoe, Josh Lovinggood and Kyle Martin
  • Percussion Ensemble - Blake Baker, Miles Burke, Quinn Cooper, Wil Dorsey, Leo Flores, Amanda Lark, Ethan Marshall, Nick Martinez, Aaron McAllister, Aaron Parra, Cory Stinson, Jessica Swengross, Mitch Tardif, Jason Weisenborn
  • Jazz Ensemble – Miles Burke, Paul Coroneos, Patrick Donohoe, Megan Ehrhardt, Chad Harmon, Jon Hatton, Jennifer Johnson, Josh Lovinggood, Ashley Lennox, Kyle Martin, Nick Martinez, Julie Miller, John Plata, Braedon Rogers, Parth Shah, Carl Solomon, Cory Stinson, and Justin Weisenborn

Schrade Middle School All Region Choir

Making the Middle School All Region Choir from Schrade Middle School were:

  • 7th graders – Darious Dozier, Trevor Jones, Jeff Mall, and Nick Zapata
  • 8th graders – Lauren Baggerman, Brittnee Edmonds, Crystal Garcia, Jessica Jandro, Torian N’Jaka, and Adam Waddell.

These students will participate in an all-day clinic with guest conductors and will perform in concert on Saturday, February 26 at South Garland High School. Schrade is extremely proud of these students’ accomplishment. As well, Congratulations to directors, Mrs. Lewis and Ms. Rhodes! You represent our school well!

LCHS Band

This year, 11 Lakeview Centennial High School students earned placement in the TMEA All-Region Bands. They are...

  • Justin Claunch, tenor sax, 9th Grade Band (alt)
  • Kevin Clemons, Jazz Ensemble and Concert Band
  • Cory Johnson, bass trombone, Jazz Ensemble and Concert Band
  • Ben Lewis, tuba, Symphonic Band
  • Bach Nguyen, tuba, Concert Band
  • Daniel Palos, alto sax, Jazz Ensemble
  • Gabriel Palos, clarinet, Concert Band
  • Ratul Pujari, clarinet, 9th Grade Band
  • Tracie Ramirez, bass clarinet, 9th Grade Band
  • Taylor Shelton, Jazz Ensemble (alt) and Symphonic Band
  • Kathryn Wilburn, flute, 9th Grade Band

At UIL Solo and Ensemble, the following Lakeview Centennial High School Band Members received 1st Division - Superior Ratings on their solos and/or ensembles. Those with an asterisk next to their name have qualified for Texas State Solo and Ensemble Contest to be held the first Monday in June. They are...

  • Adam Poff, percussion*
  • Adrian Camacho, percussion*
  • Amanda Morrobel, horn
  • Andrew Valenzuela, clarinet*
  • Anna Galanos, percussion*
  • Bach Nguyen, tuba*
  • Ben Lewis, tuba
  • Ben Pettus, clarinet
  • Brad Anglin, percussion*
  • Daniel Bolton, horn
  • Daniel Palos, saxophone*
  • Daniela Perello, clarinet*
  • Gary Sebastian, trumpet
  • Greg Hager, saxophone*
  • Henry Rogers, trumpet
  • Jessica Williams, clarinet*
  • Joel Copley, percussion*
  • Joey Kincaid, percussion*
  • Justin Claunch, saxophone*
  • Karina Francis, clarinet*
  • Kathryn Wilburn, flute
  • Kim Martinez, clarinet*
  • Lauren Collins, flute
  • Leon Bryant, euphonium*
  • Morcelia Dukuly, clarinet
  • Paolo Pascual, percussion*
  • Prarthana Angrawal, flute
  • Ratul Pujari, clarinet*
  • Ross Roberts, percussion*
  • Ryan Martinez, horn
  • Steven Cordova, saxophone*
  • Taylor Shelton, trumpet
  • Tracie Ramirez, bass clarinet
  • Victoria Owukori, euphonium*
  • Zach Gill, percussion*
  • Zach Nunn, tuba*

NGHS Mam'selles

Congratulations to the Mam'selles for receiving a Division 1 and Best In Class for Small Ensemble at contest this past weekend in New Orleans.

Bussey Middle School Choir

On Saturday, January 29, fifteen Bussey students competed in the All-Region choir auditions of which three made the cut. Those students are eighth graders Raleigh Boyd and Shelby Sweetser as well as seventh grader Carolyn Baker. It is the best showing Bussey has had at the competition in the past three years and the choir program is very proud of all it's participants.

All-State Students

Congratulations to this year's All State Students. They will be traveling to San Antonio February 9-12 to perform at the Texas Music Educators Convention.

School Organization First Name Last Name Grade Instrument/Voice All-State Organization
GHS Choir Whitney Andersen 10 Soprano I Women’s Choir
GHS Choir Bret Bello 11 Tenor II Men’s Choir
GHS Choir Jonathan Pilgrim 11 Bass I Mixed Choir
RHS Choir Caitlyn Montgomery 10 Alto II– 3 rd Chair Mixed Choir
RHS Choir Alicia Martinez 12 Soprano II – 1 st Chair Mixed Choir
RHS Choir Monica Waltrip 12 Soprano I – 4 th Chair Mixed Choir
LCHS Choir Larry Turner 12 Tenor I Men’s Choir
SGHS Choir Adam Rucker 12 Bass II Mixed Choir
SGHS Choir Brooke Barnes 12 Alto II Women’s Choir
NFHS Choir Adrian Disch 12 Bass II Mixed Choir
NFHS Choir Josh Mathew 12 Tenor II Mixed Choir
SHS Choir Andy Zapata 9 Tenor II Men’s Choir
NFHS Band Jonathan Jolley 12 Bassoon Band
GHS Band JP Mitchell 12 Percussion Jazz Band
GHS Orchestra Jennifer Kirk 11 Harp 4A Symphonic Band
GHS Orchestra Benjamin Leatherwood 11 Viola Philharmonic Orchestra
GHS Orchestra Sarah Li 11 Viola Symphony Orchestra

North Garland Band

The following North Garland band students were members of the all region band.

  • Micah Brooks
  • Drew Bramlett
  • Amber Hendrix
  • Justin Pennington
  • Kaylee Sumrall
  • Jill Tims

The following North Garland band students qualified for Texas State Solo and Ensemble competition.

Solos:

  • Micah Brooks
  • Jordan Flynt
  • Justin Pennington
  • Robert Hackett
  • Drew Bramlett
  • Steven Thomas

Ensembles:

  • Dung Banh
  • Thi Banh
  • Alwin Bethel
  • Micah Brooks
  • Janeesa Browder
  • Cortni Chapman
  • Ana Cruz
  • Amanda Flygstad
  • Robert Hacket
  • Megan Hidalgo
  • Jordan Huckabee
  • Yemi Ijagbami
  • Janeigh Jones
  • Edi Ibanga
  • Brooke Mayo
  • Nathan Moore
  • Nhi Nguyen
  • Derek Nunley
  • Justin Pennington
  • Brady Pitcher
  • Justin Pruett
  • Kim Shipley
  • Kaylee Sumrall
  • Kelly Truong
  • Casper Woroszylo
  • Angela Withrow

Garland Middle School All-City Band Clinic

On January 14th and 15th, the Garland Middle School All-City Band clinic and concert was held at South Garland High School.Students from middle schools all across Garland ISD participated and a good time was had by all! Congratulations to all of the students who earned a spot in these twogreat bands!The rehearsals were extremely productive and the concert was amazing! We would like to thank Tom Forgue and JohnKnagg for coordinating the clinic and concert.Without their efforts, the weekend would not haverun assmoothly as it did. Thanks guys! We would also like to thank all the other Garland ISD Directors who gave of their time and talents this weekend.You tirelessly work with our outstanding middle school students all year along and the results of your efforts were seen this weekend.Thank you for all you do!

You can see pictures of the band rehearsals on the SG Band Website.

Austin Academy Jazz Band

The Austin Academy Jazz Band I under the direction of Margaret Wis has been selected to perform at the 2005 International Association for Jazz Education South Central Regional Conference on April 15-16 at Baylor University in Waco . The conference will feature 11 performing groups and 10 clinics covering a wide variety of topics. The IAJE South Central Region includes Arkansas , Louisiana , New Mexico , Oklahoma and Texas .

Peter Kim

Fifth grader, Peter Kim, from Walnut Glen Academy for Excellence has won the 2004 district competition for the annual GISD Fifth Grade Greeting Card Contest. Peter’s illustration of ice skating penguins will be printed on the front of the annual greeting card used by the school district. Peter and his parents were recognized by Dr. Culwell at an awards ceremony on November 11 at the administration building. The GISD school board will again recognize Peter’s accomplishment the December 2 school board meeting. Peter is a student of art teacher, Kathleen Hodges.

Area C UIL Marching Contest

The Area C UIL Marching Contest was held at Mesquite Memorial Stadium on Saturday, October 23rd. GISD was represented by Naaman Forest High School , Sachse High School and Rowlett High School . After the preliminary competition, the top 10 bands advanced to finals. Sachse High School and Rowlett High School were selected to advance. The top four bands were then selected to advance to the State Marching Contest based on their scored from the finals competition. Rowlett High School was selected to advance to State. They will participate in the State Marching Contest on Tuesday, November 2 in the Alamo Dome in San Antonio Texas .

Kelly Vanhook

Head Band Director at the Classical Center at Brandenburg , Kelley Vanhook, is in Tokyo for 8 days. She is the recipient of a grant, one of 15 American Band Directors chosen from around the country. Kelley will attend the National Band Convention in Tokyo , spend 2 days in the public schools observing and exchanging ideas with Japanese directors, will hear the Japanese Defense Band (like our army band) in a private concert, and spend some time sightseeing in Tokyo . She will also get one "free day" to take a bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto , the ancient capital of Japan . "This should be a great experience," Kelley writes. "And I'll get to share all this with our band students once I return!!!!"

Jan Venuso

Jan Venuso, Art Teacher at Naaman Forest High School had 3 paintings selected for the Grand Prarie Arts Council Annual Art Show and won cash awards for First place in Watercolor Painting and a President's Choice Award.

Jeff Steed

Jeff Steed, Art Teacher at Naaman Forest High School had a painting chosen for the 41st Annual Membership Show of the Southwest Watercolor Society.

Jeff Steed, Art teacher at Naaman Forest High School had three paintings selected for the Grand prarie Arts Council Annual Art Show and won cash awards for 2nd place, 3rd place, and Honorable Mention in watercolor

GHS Orchestra

We are proud of all 36 GHS Orchestra students who participated in the audition process. We had a total of 18 students make the orchestra and 1 alternate, who may get to participate in the concert if another student has to withdraw.

Justin Daniels, Derek Ensign, Natasha Garcia, Chris Jagielski, Jennifer Kirk, Benjamin Leatherwood, Sarah Li, LeRenzo Malcom, Spencer Martin, Joey Powers, Matt Puckett, Marcus Pyle, Sumon Sen, Angelene Shultz, Cara Stroud, Taylor Vaughn, Jonathan Woolwine, Leon Zhang and Molly Hanas - Alternate

Austin Middle School Orchestra

Congratulations to the following Austin orchestra members who were selected for the All-Region orchestra on Saturday!

  • 1st chair bass: Edward Fretheim
  • 1st chair cello: Phillip Graham
  • also in cello section: Stephanie Lumley, Elizabeth Hering, Stevie Powers, Ken Cundiff, Tim Cason, Carolyn Whitlow.
  • Chosen as cello alternates: Tim Trieu, Bryan Noblett
  • 1st chair viola section: Amanda Jagielski
  • also in viola section: Chris Cundiff, Beate Hall, Will Proshek, Randy Herbert and Leah Hulm
  • chosen as viola alternates: David Rosenfield, Kaitlynn Bianconi
  • in violin section: Arvin Tsai, Alex Dich, Kilian Cooley
  • chosen as violin alternates: Brandon Quach, Rachel Vargheese

These students auditioned before a 5 judge panel and competed against students from Richardson, Allen, Mesquite, Sherman, Garland. Their concert will be Jan. 29 at 4:00 at Richardson High School .

RHS Band

The Rowlett HS Mighty Eagle Band competed in the Mesquite Marching Festival on October 2nd. The band received awards for a " Superior" rating, "Best Percussion", "Best in Class", and "Best Band of the Day".

On October 9th, the RHS Band competed in the Birdville Marching Contest. The band received awards for "Best Music", "Best Colorguard", and 4th place overall.

Finally, the band earned unanimous First Division ratings at the Region 3 UIL Marching Contest in Mesquite on October 13th. The band advanced to the Area Marching Contest to be held on October 23rd.

Nathan Moore

Nathan Moore, Senior, of North Garland High School made the 2004-05 All Region Jazz Band on Tenor Sax.

North Garland Drum Majors

Amanda Flygstad, Jill Tims and Anglela Withrow, Drum Majors from North Garland High School, took most outstading Drum Majors at Texas Tech Band Camp in July. This is the second Year in a row that NGHS Drum Majors have taken home first prize.

NFHS Band

The Naaman Forest Ranger band earned it's 14th consecutive UIL 1st Division rating at the UIL Region 3 Marching contest on Oct. 13. On Oct. 11, they competed in the PESH Invitational Marching Festival and earned a 1st division rating and were selected as a finalist in the competition.

Naaman Forest Jazz students Patrick D., Steven W., and Jon H. earned placement in the Region 3 All Region Jazz Band.

GHS Theatre

On Saturday September 11th the Garland High School, School of the Performing Arts, Theatre Department competed against twelve other schools across the state and won one of the three performance places for their fall show, Noises Off on the main stage of the Texas State International Thespian Convention. The main stage show will be viewed by the 3,000 convention attendees. The show will also be judged in order to receive a bid to the International Convention in June.

Ginger Holt

Ginger Holt, director of theatre at Rowlett High school, has once again been included in WHO'S WHO in American Teachers. She is a multiple year honoree. She has received this honor for the years, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003. Teachers across the nation are nominated by their alumnae that enter universities. Congratulations Ms. Holt

Nancy Gibson

Nancy Gibson, NG Theatre, was named to the District-wide Educational Improvement Council

NFHS Bands

The Naaman Forest High School Ranger Bands traveled to South Padre Island on April 30-May 3 to compete in the Gulf Coast Showcase of Music. Both the Honors and Symphonic Bands earned 1st division ratings and were named "Best in Class." The Honors Band was selected as the "Overall Outstanding" band of the entire festival. Several students were selected as "Outstanding Perfomers" for the festival. There are: Amanda Hayes, Katye Rohr, Sara Williams, Jonathan Jolley, and Krystle Travi.

On April 7-8, they competed in the Region 3 UIL Concert and Sightreading contest held at Rowlett HS. Both bands were awarded 1st division ratings in each category and earned their UIL "Sweepstakes" awards.

Lister Elementary School Select Choir

Lister Select Choir (Director, Mrs. Gipson) competed in Music in the Parks Choral Contest on this past Saturday, May 1, 2004. They received 1st place, a rating of excellent and also received the Spirit Award, an award given to the school who showed most respect and good conduct for the day.

Winners of the 2004 Patty Granville Awards Adobe Reader Document (1.82 MB)

Todd Toney

Todd Toney was recently named to a 3 year term on the Board of Governors of the Dallas Wind Symphony. He and his wife, Deborah have long been supporters of " America's Premier Windband" and now have the opportunity to make a more material contribution to the group.

LCHS A Cappella Choir

On April 24, the Lakeview Centennial H.S. A Cappella Choir competed in the National Heritage Festival competition The festival was held at the world famous Riverside Church in New York City. Out of the many choirs competing, the LC A Cappella Men received an Excellent rating and 2nd Place. The A Cappella Women received a Superior rating and 1st Place. The A Cappella Choir received a Superior rating and 1st Place. The choir was given the Adjudicator's Award for favorite choral group. They also received the Gold 1st Highest Score Award and finally the Sweepstakes Award for Overall Outstanding Choir and is invited to the National Festival of Gold competition to be held next year!

Winners of the 2004 High School Art Show

LCHS Band

On Wednesday, April 7, the Lakeview Centennial Bands participated in the 2004 UIL Region 3 Concert and Sightreading Festival. Their results are as follows:

The Symphonic Band received an Excellent Rating (II) in Concert and a Superior Rating (I) in Sightreading.

The Wind Symphony received a Superior Rating (I) in Concert and an Excellent Rating (II) in Sightreading.

On Friday, April 16, 2004, the Lakeview Centennial Bands participated in the 2004 Smoky Mountain Music Festival in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Their results are as follows:

The Jazz Band earned 2nd Place for their performance in the Advanced Jazz Band classification.

The Symphonic Band earned 2nd Place for their performance among the Class AAA Concert Bands.

The Wind Symphony received a superior rating and earned 2nd Place for their performance among the Class AAAA Concert Bands.

Schrade Middle School Band

The Schrade Middle School Honor Band received straight 1’s at the Eagle Classic Band Festival in Allen on April 3rd. Along with this honor, they also received the Best in Class Award for the Contest. The Schrade Middle School Honor Band is under the direction of Brad Smith and Heather Brannock.

LCHS ACT-SO Team

Students Michelle Johnson and Aneshea Green competed at the Local ACT-SO Competition Saturday. Michelle received the gold in the Drawing Category and Aneshea received the gold in the Dance category. Both students will be representing Lakeview Centennial at the National Competition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in July. The ACT-SO team would like to thank Mr. Baker, Ms. Guinn, and Mrs. Laynor for helping with the project development.

Amy Napier

Senior Naaman Forest high School Art Student, Amy Napier was chosen by Cleveland institute of Art to receive a scholarship in the amount of $40,000.00 to attend their school begining in the Fall of 2004. Cleveland Institute of Art (est. 1882) is one of the oldest and most respected art schools in the country. Amy won the scholarship as a result of participation in the Advanced Placement Portfolio program at naaman Forest during her junior and Senior years. She also participated in the National Portfolio day where students can show their portfolios to college and art school representatives for the purpose of critique. The scholarship is awarded on the basis of a portfolio of 15 works of art submitted by the student to a committee of professors from Cleveland Institute. The competition is intense and very few entering Freshmen receive scholarships. Congratulations to Amy for this great reward.

Jeff Steed

Jeff Steed, art teacher at Naman Forest High School recieved a nomination for Who's Who Among America's Teachers. The nomination was made by a former student. Students are asked to nominate a teacher who "made a difference" in their life. This is Mr. Steed's third tme to be included in this annual volume of teachers who have been honored by their students.

LCHS Indoor Drumline

The LCHS Indoor Drumline received 1st Place at the North Texas Colorguard Association's Juan Seguin Tournament (Division PSAA). The Indoor Drumline also received 2nd Place at the NTCA - Cedar Hill Tournament.

The LCHS Winterguard tied for 6th Place at the North Texas Colorguard Association's James Bowie Tournament. The LCHS Winterguard received 2nd Place at the NTCA - Cedar Hill Tournament (Division SAAA).

Phil Roger

Phil Roger, art teacher at Austin Academy has been nominated for Who's Who American Teachers for the fifth time. He wants to thank Dr. Ann Poore ( and founding Father Tom Poore ) and all the people at Austin who, over the years ,have helped create a learning environment where these meaningful connections with youngsters can naturally occur.

2004 Garland Cultural Arts Commission/ GISD Student Art Show Winners

Ethan Lozano

Garland High School clarinetist Ethan Lozano was a first place award winner in the TYexas Association for Symphony Orchestra (TASO) competition recently held at SMU. Ethan has won a trip to peform his solo at the TASO 2004 Convention in Amarillo on April 22-25. He has done an outstanding job as a freshman band member this year. The directors look forward to his leadership in the future. (Ethan is a graduate from Austin Academy.)

Congratulations to this year's TMEA All State Students

LCHS Band

The following Lakeview Centennial Students earned placement in TMEA Honor Bands during the 2003-2004 school year:

Matt deSaracho, alto saxophone, 2nd Chair in the All-Region Jazz Ensemble
Steven Dunn, trombone, 4th Chair in the All-Region Symphonic Band
Lee Foster, bass trombone, 1st Chair in the All-Region Wind Ensemble, 1st Char in the All-Region Jazz Ensemble, and 2nd Chair in the All-State Jazz Ensemble
Cory Johnson, bass trombone, 1st Chair in the 9th Grade All-Region Band.
Ben Lewis, tuba, 4th Chair in the All-Region Symphonic Band, and Advanced to Area
Gabriel Palos, clarinet, 3rd Chair in the All-Region Concert Band

Brian McKinney

Brian McKinney, choir director at Naaman Forest High School, will be doing a session at the Kentucky Music Educators convention on Feb 5th.
The title of the session is: Choral Sight Reading Models for Festival Assessment.

Austin Academy Speech Team

The Austin Academy Speech Team took home First Place at the Reed Junior High Tournament on December 6, 2003 with many students winning 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place trophies. Individual Event Trophies were won by:

Humorous Duet: 1st Place: Alyssa Fincher and Caitlin Thomas

Declamation: 3rd Place: Dani White

Storytelling: 3rd Place: Ann Marie Scott

Reader's Theatre: 2nd Place: "Cinderedna"-Chris Olson, Jenni Hadley, Margaux Di Giovanni, Alyssa Fincher, and Chloe Mydlowski

Humorous Interpretation: 3rd Place: Sammy Wyder

Lip Sync:

  • 1st Place: "Men in Tights"-Adrian Parker, Amza Safi, Michael Key, Marco Manalang, Clay Causey
  • 3rd Place: "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend/Moulin Rouge"-Alysa Edwards, Heather Clarkson, Alyssa Dougherty, Kimmy Perez, Dani White, Caitlin Thomas

2-Man Improvisation: 2nd Place: Matt Hollis and Chris Olson

Oratory: 2nd Place: Alysa Edwards

Pantomime:

  • 1st Place: "Date with a Devil"-Adrian Parker and Chloe Mydlowski
  • 2nd Place: "Two Dumb Brothers in a Barber Shop"-Marco Manalang and Amza Safi

TV Commercial: 1st Place: "The Comeback Machine"-Billy Lowrimore, Dani White, Jenni Hadley, Margaux Di Giovanni

RHS Jazz Band

The Rowlett High School Jazz Band is pleased to announce their invitation to perform at the prestigious International Association for Jazz Education Conference to be held on January 22-25, 2004 in New York City! The band is one of only eight high school jazz bands chosen from hundreds of applicants nationwide. We are proud to be representing Rowlett High School, the Cities of Rowlett and Garland, and the Garland Independent School District.

The band submitted a recording along with their application last spring and received word of their acceptance in late July. Since then, they have been working diligently to put their hour-long program together for their January 23 performance.

With a mission to ensure the continued growth and development of jazz through education and outreach, the International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) serves 8,000 members in 40 countries. The IAJE Annual Conference is acknowledged as the largest annual gathering of the global jazz community with upwards of 7,000 educators, musicians, record executives, exhibitors, media, and enthusiasts expected to attend.

Coyle Middle School Band

The Coyle Middle School Honors Band has been invited to perform at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago on December 19, 2003. They are one of only three middle school bands in the world to be invited to perform at this prestigious event.

Middle School Choir Solo and Ensemble Contest

The Middle School Choir Solo and Ensemble Contest was held on Saturday, October 25th. Congratulations to these students who were named Outstanding Soloists:

  • Austin Academy : Jessica Humphrey, Henry Etier
  • Coyle: Brittany Dye
  • Schrade: Andy Zapata, Cierra Settles, Alicia Roberson
  • Webb: Jacob Lofland, Alecia Johnson, Saman Sadeghi

NFHS Band

The Naaman Forest High School Band capped off another successful contest season. At the Plano East Marching Contest Marching Festival, the band made a "finalist" appearance, where they finished 3rd out of 20 bands. At the Region 3 UIL Marching Contest, they earned their 13th consecutive 1st division rating!

NFHS Drumline

Congratulations to the Naaman Forest High School Drumline in their 3rd place finish at the 2003 Plano Drumline Competition. They competed against 12 other drumlines in the Class A field. Band directors are Larry Schnitzer, Michael Kilgore, and Stephanie Carroll.

NFHS Drum Majors

The drum major team of Mitch M., Ashley L. and Katye R. from NAAMAN FOREST HIGH SCHOOL finshed in 2nd place after recent competitions at the UTA drum major camp.

NGHS Drum Majors

The Drum Majors at North Garland High School went to Texas Tech Band Camp this summer and out of 63 participating schools won "Best in Camp".
Linda Flores, senior and head Drum Major, was attending for the second time. Juniors Amanda Flygstad and Jill Tims were first timers.
The Drum Majors at NGHS have always taken daily awards and placed high in competition, but this was the first time to win the whole thing. Their final score was 97. "Knowing that I had learned my skills well enough to compete was very satisfying." said Linda. Mr. Toney added, "We have always known this would be a great Drum Major team and were not at all suprised when we got the call from Lubbock. They were very excited".

Dan Lonie

Dan Lonie, Orchestra Director at North Garland High School and Walnut Glen Academy for Excellence, has had a new composition published entitled Tango del Plata for String Orchestra. The work is published by Fountain Park Music Publishing and is available world wide through Luck's Music Library.

Alesia Baber

Alesia Baber, varsity drill team director at Naaman Forest High School,
recently attended the National Convention of D/DTDA, where she was honored with being named to the Top Ten Directors in America. Alesia was a member of the D/DTDA Executive Board this year, as was Garland
High School varsity drill team director, Pam Tomlinson. Pam will serve as
the President of D/DTDA next year, and Alesia will return as Parliamentarian. Also joining the board next year are Lori Boyd, junior
varsity drill team director at NF, and Kelly Ray, varsity director at North
Garland.

Stephens Elementary

Stephens Elementary was featured on the 6:00 p.m. Channel 4 Fox news program on Monday, May 5 for their Cinco de Mayo program. The program was the result of cooperative efforts of the Spanish teacher at the school, Loretto Gonzales, the music teachers, Karen Young and Cyndy Olivas, and the bilingual staff of teachers, Nora Cruz, Belisa Perez, Anita Rangel, Mindy Shoemaker, Manny Garcia, and Anthony Moran. There were two assemblies that day, each one proceeded by a parade through the hallways of all the bilingual students in the school. Each assembly featured students from different grade levels who performed authentic Mexican dances, sang songs in Spanish and English, and played instruments, including a 15 piece ensemble from third grade and an Orff ensemble of 36 students from Mrs. Young's fifth grade classes. Approximately 650 full day students in Kindergarten through 5th grade participated in the festivities.