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Ask the Superintendent -
May 21, 2008
The last few weeks have been especially notable
for students and faculty alike in our schools. Our
students were involved in a number of outstanding
musical programs, including spring concerts,
festivals and musical competitions, and our
educators were named recipients of prestigious
awards.
The High School Music Department held two spring
concerts on May 13-14. They were absolutely
fabulous. During the Choral Concert, four separate
musical groups performed, including Jazz Voices,
Women’s Choir, Varsity Choir and Concert Choir. The
Instrumental Concert featured six groups, which were
the Jazz Band, Concert Band, String Orchestra,
Symphonic Band, Full Orchestra and Combined Bands
and Orchestra. It is noteworthy that more than
one-third of our high school students performed in
these two concerts.
On Tuesday, May 20, the Middle School Choral and
Orchestra Concerts will be held at the Middle
School.
There are also a number of upcoming programs and
concerts:
- On Wednesday,
May 21, the Middle School will host its Band
Concert and the district-wide K-12 Festival of
the Arts & Painted Furniture Auction will take
place at the High School.
- On Monday, May
26, the High School Band will play in the
Memorial Day Parade at 11 a.m.
- On Wednesday,
May 28, the fifth grade concert will take place
at the Middle School.
- On Thursday,
May 29, the District Ensemble Night will be held
at the High School.
- One Wednesday,
June 4, the Intermediate School will host its
Choral Concert.
In addition to
these wonderful concerts, we are proud to report
that three of our instrumental groups participated
in an adjudicated competition at Hershey High School
in Hershey, Pennsylvania, where they received the
following awards:
- Middle School
Wind Ensemble – first place with a rating of
Excellent
- Middle School
Strings – first place with a rating of Excellent
- High School
Orchestra – first place with a rating of
Excellent
- The two
Orchestras received Overall Awards for being the
best overall orchestra in their respective
categories.
In other musical
news, one of my favorite activities is the
Kindergarten Festival, which was held on Thursday,
May 9. The entire Kindergarten class participates in
both a music and physical education activity for
parents. The Kindergarten Festival is split into a
morning and afternoon session, similar to our
schools’ musical concerts, because of the high
number of participants. This is a wonderful activity
that is in its 17th year.
I am always very proud to see the collaboration of
our music teachers as they support each other in our
four schools. With the music teachers working
together at all the concerts as well as the Hershey
competition, their teamwork could not be more
evident as it was this spring.
In addition, two outstanding educators were recently
named the recipients of very prominent awards in
their field. Last Friday, I was honored to attend an
award ceremony at Orange-Ulster BOCES, where Daria
Murphy, Principal of the Scotchtown Avenue School,
received the Administrator of the Year Award from
the O/U BOCES Library System. Daria was also
recognized by Senator Bill Larkin and Assemblywoman
Annie Rabbitt, with proclamations supporting her
endeavors as an outstanding educator. Another Goshen
educator, Cheryl Winship, received the Outstanding
Science Teacher Award in Elementary Education for
the 2007-08 school year. Cheryl is a second grade
teacher at Scotchtown Avenue School. This is the
third time a Goshen teacher has received this award
from the Science Teacher’s Association of New York
State.
I am always very proud when I attend these concerts
to see the talent of our students and also the
culmination of efforts on the part of the teachers,
and in addition, feel that we are very fortunate to
have a wonderful school system which is underscored
with our teachers and administrators receiving such
prestigious awards.
Roy Reese
Superintendent of Schools |
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