|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 3/8/2006 |
|
|
FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT: Randy Bartlett, 817-399-2073 |
|
|
|
|
| The Central Junior High School orchestra, which began its program this school year, has won a Sweepstakes Award in the UIL orchestra Region 5 competition. This was the first competition for the new orchestra, which is made up of 28 seventh grade students. The competition, held in Arlington, was for middle schools and junior high schools in the region. The Central Junior High School orchestra is under the direction of Tara Truex.
In order to be awarded Sweepstakes, judges must award the orchestra a rating of 1 for its concert performance and a rating of 1 for its sight-reading performance. Randy Bartlett, director of visual and performing arts, said this is a major accomplishment for an inaugural orchestra program. "They have certainly set the bar high for themselves," Bartlett said. "This orchestra is in its first year, and last year, these students were still in elementary school. To win Sweepstakes when competing among schools with established orchestra programs is pretty amazing." The District's orchestra program evolved from the Suzuki Strings program, which began in 2001 at six elementary schools. The HEB ISD Board of Trustees approved the elementary strings program, which begins in kindergarten, in order to create a district orchestra program. The new orchestra program includes the first group of Suzuki Strings students to leave elementary school, and when these seventh grade students are seniors, the district will have achieved its mission of having a K-12 orchestra. ### HEB - Empowering Today to Excel Tomorrow |
|