Beth Farrar, SMT Writer
Essex, Missouri - When Christmas rolls around, the Richland Music Department is always busy, busy, busy as they prepare for their four humongous performances. Music and Band Director, Amber Duley, has been light on her toes as she has prepared music for three band concerts and one elementary performance. It’s safe to say that all the students have had their holiday spirits lifted as they played their way into the Christmas season.
On Thursday, December 13th, the elementary school put on a Christmas Program both during and after school for parents, grandparents, and other students. The play was a big hit and followed a couple of elves that were working in Santa’s workshop to prepare for Christmas. The kindergarten class, known as the Little Christmas Carolers, started out the program by singing classic Christmas songs such as Jingle Bells and Up On the Housetop. The first and second graders performed Deck the Hall and The First Noel, and a few of the children had speaking parts in the play. The third through sixth graders held a bigger part of the play, including solos and larger speaking parts. Fifth grader Allison Jones and sixth grader Kate Wyman were given a number of solo parts throughout the program and the crowd enjoyed every word the two sang.
On the same night as the Christmas Program, the Sixth Grade Band swapped their elf costumes for their dress shirts and dresses as they performed in their own Christmas Band Concert. This was the sixth graders’ first performance and although it was nerve-racking, they hit all the right notes and played very well. The older band members are excited to have them and their growing talents join them in their own concert next Christmas season.
On Tuesday, December 18th, the Junior High Band performed in their own concert and was the opening act to the High School Band which performed right after. The Junior High students have been working very hard since marching season to prepare themselves for their first concert of the year. This year, they played Rockin’ on the Roof and their personal favorite: Jingle-Bell Rock. The High School Band joined them in the Junior High’s grand finale as both bands performed The Legend of Christmas, which is a mash-up of the two songs We Three Kings and Go Tell It On The Mountain. Overall, the Junior High students did an excellent job and they are looking forward to playing in the Spring Concert later this year.
This was an eventful night for both Duley and her many students. Most students that are enrolled in a band class are also involved in many other extracurricular activities that have to do with music. Two of Richland’s brass players, junior Tristan Wamble and freshman Alicia Meeker, performed at West Park Mall in Cape Girardeau with many other local brass players at a Tuba Christmas. Wamble and Meeker, along with other students enrolled in Duley’s Music Appreciation Class, performed a Jingle Bells Percussion Ensemble during the High School Concert. The ensemble contained various types of bells, xylophones, woodblocks, and jingle bells to give the traditional song a new twist and feel.
The High School Band then took the stage and kicked off by playing A Christmas Fantasy, which is a song that contains God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Silent Night, and Good King Wenceslas. Their second song, called Holiday for Bells, was a little more upbeat and was new to the audience’s ears. The band slowed things down a bit with Happy Xmas by John Lennon. It was the band’s overall favorite song that they enjoyed not only listening to on their iPods, but also playing on their very own instruments.
The Christmas season at Richland Schools was overall joyous and enjoyable. The Christmas Program was enjoyed by many and by the students who took part in it. All three concerts were a success and each member of the audience is definitely looking forward to seeing the bands play again in the spring.
Dee Loflin, SMT Writer
Monday was Christmas morning. Each student who wanted to participate could wear their most comfortable pajamas to school.
Tuesday was Santa’s Little Helpers - twin day. Students or faculty could pair up and wear the same clothes, jewelry, shoes or whatever their twin was wearing. Faculty might be seeing double by seventh hour with all the twins in their classrooms.
Wednesday is Christmas Vacation with crazy hair or crazy socks day. Students while on vacation can sleep in and don’t have to worry about their hair or even if their socks match.
Thursday is Grandma’s Christmas Sweater – ugly/tacky day. Everyone remembers those sweaters (which are back in style) and the kid’s love to have fun. They can wear mixed matched clothes and loud colors and ugly sweaters.
Friday will end the week of festivities with Colors of Christmas. Each student or faculty member is encouraged to wear red and green. A pep rally during seventh hour will be held on Friday. A joyful afternoon will be delightful to the students after a week full of finals and quarterly tests. The long awaited Christmas vacation is near!
The Homecoming queen coronation will be held on Friday, January 4th as the Dexter Bearcats host the Woodland Cardinals. The annual Winter Homecoming Dance will be held in the high school cafeteria following the basketball game. Everyone is welcome to attend the game and cheer for the Bearcats!
Written by
Dee Loflin, SMT Writer
Dexter, Missouri – The Dexter Senior High School Band and Jazz Cats Christmas Concert was absolutely breathtaking. These students are so creative and work daily perfecting their musical talents.
This year Scott Rybolt, High School Band Director, chose music that would please any crowd. One of the more interesting pieces of music was the “Morning Madness” arranged by Larry Clark. It portrayed someone getting ready for work or school and all the morning rituals people perform including running late and getting pulled over by the police. There were students brushing their hair, brushing their teeth and even using a blow dryer. There were the sounds of an alarm clock, horns honking, and a police siren and even more fascinating sounds of getting ready in the morning. The crowd truly enjoyed this rendition and it was quite comical. The students enjoyed playing it as well as the audience could see their smiles and laughs throughout the program.
Another piece of music chosen and is dear to many hearts was “Greensleeves” arranged by Alfred Reed. From as early as 1686, this tune was associated with Christmas. Later in the 19th Century, versions of words and music mostly ended with a refrain, “Oh Christmas Day” and one of the most popular of these is “What Child Is This?” written in 1865 by William Dix.
A favorite of any Christmas concert would be a rendition of “Angels We Have Heard on High”. This year Mr. Rybolt chose Manheim Steamroller’s version arranged by Chip Davis and Robert Longfield. What a perfect song to end the Senior High Band’s portion of the Christmas concert.
There was a slight intermission while the Jazz Cats rearranged the stage to perform. Once they were ready their powerful sound began to blare from the trumpets, trombones, and saxophones.
An arrangement by Mark Taylor called “My Romance” featured Hannah Huls on Flugelhorn and what a tremendous job she did. The crowd was very pleased with her performance as they cheered before the Jazz Cats had finished playing.
The students always get a chuckle when Mr. Rybolt picks a piece of music that is well, a few years old. Old enough for the parents to remember, but the students have never heard the song. This year it was no different, and as Mr. Rybolt explained from the stage, “I am going to make these kids watch Charlie Brown’s Christmas this year”. Vince Guaraldi’s piece “Charlie Brown Christmas, arranged by Paul Murtha was played and the audience began to bob their heads with the music and laugh. Everyone was remembering the days of childhood watching the cartoon Charlie Brown with his little Christmas tree and one ornament.
It is always an experience to attend a band concert. There is so much talent on stage each year. You don’t have to have a student in school to attend and you will be guaranteed a great performance.
Written by
Beth Farrar, SMT Writer
T.S. Hill Middle School, Dexter, MO - The Wreaths Across America event at the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield took place over the weekend on December 15th. This event has been hosted by the Patriot Riders for the past five years and there have been many participants each and every year. The laying of the wreaths represents the veterans that have fought for America over the decades. The Wreaths Across America was founded nearly twenty years ago and has laid over 670,000 wreaths in honor of all branches of the military and Prisoners of War (MIA).
The Missouri State Veterans Cemetery had a goal to raise enough money to purchase 1,800 wreaths for this special occasion. Many citizens, veterans, and military families helped raised money and purchased wreaths for the cemetery in honor of the fallen soldiers and their accomplishments throughout the years.
Among the many people who participated in the laying of the wreaths, there was one heartwarming group in particular that helped make this annual event a great success: the sixth grade Social Studies class at T.S. Hill Middle School in Dexter. The sixth grade Social Studies teacher, Mindy Thurmon, loved the idea of participating in such a widespread and meaningful event. The previous Social Studies teacher initially came up with the idea two years ago. But once Thurmon saw how many students enjoyed it and learned from it, she knew that this was something that she wanted to continue at T.S. Hill.
Two weeks prior to Veterans Day, Thurmon began to start fundraisers for each of her Social Studies classes so they could raise money for this awesome project. She initiated a small competition between each of the sixth grade classes so that it was more fun and it encouraged students to raise more money. Each day, Thurmon would count the money and let each class know where they stood. That really put the fire underneath of them and started an even bigger competition when they knew who was ahead and who was barely behind.
The sixth graders had a goal of $1000 but after a week of good fun and fundraising, they came to a total of about $1585.
“We were overjoyed with the outcome,” says Thurmon, “I had two classes that raised the most that were within pennies of each other.”
The class was thrilled with their amazing success and the school rewarded them by allowing them to watch a movie in class in honor of this project. The top two classes that were only a couple cents away from each other both received a popcorn and soda party during school. Each sixth grade student also received a red hat to remind them of their excellent accomplishment this year.
Many of the students enjoyed the fundraiser so much that they attended the Wreaths Across America Ceremony on Saturday, December 15th. The students that attended had the opportunity of laying some of the wreaths. It’s such a memorable event for those students who had the chance to participate because it allowed them to understand what all their hard work had accomplished. Thurmon thought it was very appropriate to offer bonus points to each and every student that attended the ceremony.
This fundraiser was a history lesson, a competition, and a good deed all wrapped into one and it was a humongous success. We would like to congratulate and thank the sixth grade Social Studies class and their teacher, Mrs. Thurmon, for willingly taking part in this great project. We hope to see T.S. Hill Middle School participate in this event for many years to come so more students will be able to experience what this year’s students got to be a part of.
ShowMe Times would like to encourage all our readers to get involved with our public schools. The upcoming activities are posted weekly in hopes of encouraging more people to get involved in the academic and athletic growth of our school system.
