WILMINGTON — Members of WHS choirs are planning a spring 2016 trip to Nashville where they will have a music clinic at Vanderbilt University and go to the County Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
The Wilmington City Schools (WCS) Board of Education approved the four-day, three-night field trip this week.
Vocal music teacher David Beck told the school board such trips are something the choirs do every four years. The three preceding ones, with the most recent one listed first, were to New Orleans, New York City and Los Angeles.
“Nashville seems like a good place to go,” Beck said.
The trip is of no cost to the school, said WCS Treasurer Kim DeWeese.
The trip itinerary includes a tour and show at the Grand Ole Opry, a visit to RCA’s Studio B, an opportunity to dance on a 3,300 square foot dance floor, a stop at a 5,300-acre thoroughbred farm, and a visit to the Ryman Auditorium and Museum — formerly the Union Gospel Tabernacle and thought of as the “Mother Church of Country Music.”
There will be two opportunities during the trip for the Hurricane choir members to perform, said Beck.
In other business at the board’s meeting:
• Instead of searching for a high school family and consumer science teacher, the district is looking to hire a language arts teacher who can head a technology communication course that combines public speaking with technology. Students in the class would learn PowerPoint and presentation software such as Prezi, said WCS Superintendent Ron Sexton.
He credited newly chosen WHS Principal Mindy McCarty-Stewart with the idea.
“When you look at that [family and consumer science] curriculum, it was probably better for kids 15, 20 years ago,” Sexton said.
• The board accepted five donations: $5,000 cash from Steve Murphy for football uniforms, $5,000 cash from LT Land Development for football uniforms, a sound system ($500 value) from Faith Family Church to Denver Place Elementary School, a computer monitor ($100 value) from Tim and Julie Davis to Denver Elementary, and a used refrigerator ($100 value) from the Clinton County Family YMCA for the high school food lab.
• In personnel matters for the 2015-16 school year, the Holmes and Denver elementaries’ dean of students will be Kara Hanges-Brakhage, while Marie Montgomery will be an intervention specialist in the district.
• Central office staff said the “Seamless Summer Lunch Program” is averaging 100 to 115 attendees per day so far this summer.
With the program, area students age 18 and younger are welcome to come to the Wilmington Middle School cafeteria and have lunch free of charge. The program is open to all students, regardless of family income.
Lunches will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays through Friday, Aug. 14, with the exception of Friday, July 3 for the holiday.
Adults may also get a summer weekday lunch at the cafeteria, at a cost of $3. All meals must be consumed on site.
Reach Gary Huffenberger at 937-556-5768 or on Twitter @GHuffenberger.
