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Show Thursday, October 2. 2008 OREM TIMES Page 11 NEWS AND IDEAS FROM CLASSROOMS AND EDUCATORS Program-producing violinists at Vineyard Elem. Michael Rigert NORTH COUNTY STAFF Scores of elementary schools in Utah have clubs and activities activi-ties for students but very few boast their own strings section the likes of Vineyard Elementary Elemen-tary School in Orem. For seven years running, the school has operated an afterschool violin program for students in grades 3-6. Its volunteer vol-unteer instructor, parent Marie Steele, initiated the twice-weekly class after observing the success of one of her children who took part in a similar program pro-gram at Northridge Elementary across town. After getting the OK from the school principal and PTA to send out a flyer to gauge interest inter-est in such a program, she received re-ceived positive feedback from parents about starting such a program at Vineyard, she said. There was only one question left blank on the questionnaire she had sent home with students stu-dents to gauge interest who would teach the class. "No one checked that box," she said. "I've taught piano for 20 years and I'm a musician but I'm no violinist." After enlisting the help of parent Carol Smith, a violin player, the pair began teaching teach-ing the after-school class on Former nanny thrilled to teach at Westmore Michael Rigert NCITH COUNTY STAFF As far as settling the nature or nurture argument as to why Camber Grandstaff. a new fifth-grade fifth-grade teacher at Westmore Elementary School in Orem. opted for a career in education, the answer may be a little bit of both. A Class of 2001 alumnae of Timpanogos High School. Grandstaff worked as a full-time full-time nanny in Orem and most recently, this summer in St. George, to earn her way through college. "I never really thought when I was a little girl that I wanted to be a teacher," she said. "But I loved working with children, especially as a nanny." Prior to completing a bachelor's bach-elor's degree in elementary education at Brigham Young University in 2005, she worked with fifth-grade students where her mom is a teacher at Cascade Cas-cade Elementary to see if was something she liked. Perhaps given the fact her father is an American Heritage professor Geneva Elementary celebrates 60th anniversary Reva Bowen NORTH COUNTY STAFF In 1948, the United States of America was in a new, post-World War II era. In Utah County, the Geneva Steel Plant, built during the war, was drawing industrial workers work-ers and their families to what had been a largely agrarian area. In Orem, a new elementary school, Geneva Elementary at 665 W. 400 North, was built at a cost of $400,000. "I think some of the additions addi-tions have cost more than that," said principal Michael Parkes, reflecting on the school's history. "I think the school district got their money's worth with Geneva Elementary School." DAVIS ARCHIBALD Daily Herald Violin teacher Marie Steele leads her intermediate students through a song during their after-school class at Vineyard Elementary on Tuesday, in Orem. Tuesday and Wednesday in the fall of 2002. Students rent or buy instruments and pay a $20 fee (this year raised to S25 to include at T-shirt for each class member with the message "Real Vikings Play Violins") that covers the entire year while Steele provides the sheet nrusic. stands, practice accompaniment accom-paniment music on CD and the instruction. Smith teaches a beginner class and Steele an intermediate class and then the two sections are combined to prepare for the annual school Christmas concert. They have to put it all Bliss Grand-staffs Grand-staffs Favorites Book: "The Giver" by Lois Lowry TV program: Grey's Anatomy Anat-omy Food: Chinese, "anything Oriental" Music: "I like a lot of punk. Angels and Airwaves" at BYU. she shouldn't have been so surprised that it agreed with her. "The day went by so fast ... because I was worried about them and their problems and not myself." Grandstaff said. "When I was done I said 'This is it. This is what I'm going to do the rest of my life,' which is a neat feeling." Before starting her first teaching job at Westmore D-ementary D-ementary this fall, she taught at Rocky Mountain Elementary in Lin don under Linda Gordon, A 60th birthday celebration celebra-tion for Geneva Elementary is planned for Oct. 13. Parkes said there will be an assembly assem-bly during the school day for students, and an open house that evening from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the school. Current and former students, teachers, teach-ers, administrators, and other interested parties are invited to attend. Parkes also wants members of the public to feel free to contact the school with their stories and memories of Geneva. "It may be a little hard for the students today to relate, but it is a milestone, and they may look back and say, 'I remember when my school turned 60 years old,'" Parkes said. The open house event will v. together in 14 rehearsals. "It's a really good experience especially when some of them haven't touched a violin in September Sep-tember and in the first part of December they're performing in their first concert." Steele said. Typically 45 to 50 students participate in the Vineyard Violins Vio-lins each year with a little less than half having had previous violin tutelage. Though most in the program are girls. Steele said there are about 10 to 12 boys participating this year. Steele wrote and was awarded award-ed a $400 Utah PTA grant from whom she learned that teaching teach-ing could be a blast. Though all teachers don't agree with the philosophy. Grandstaff realized she could Camber Grandstaff be friends with her students while still maintaining class discipline and order. "They know they're on the same levet as me and if we both do our jobs, we'll both come out a success." she said. "Gordon made it feel like 'This isn't a job.'" With experience teaching both fourth- and fifth-grade students. Grandstaff said she's found that teaching that age level allows her to watch her pupils handle responsibilities in a mature way. Because the lower grades require more behavioral supervision, she rel begin with a short program, said Parkes. which will include a video. "We will also recognize the people we can find who attended at-tended that first year. There will be displays and scrap-books, scrap-books, and a self -guided tour that will show the changes and additions to the building throughout the years. We hope people will bring their kids and grandkids. and say. 'This was my classroom.'" Some 632 students in grades 1 through 6 were enrolled the first day of school, Sept. 7. 1949, according to a history written by Thorit C. Hebert-son, Hebert-son, who served as Geneva's first principal. One of those students was Bonnie Petty Vernon, who, along with her husband, Lynn, this year in matching funds to purchase materials and violin strings that cost $18 to S20 to replace when they break. And though serving as the volunteer conductor and instructor for the group is a sacrifice and continuing con-tinuing the program each year is a challenge, she said seeing the results each year in current and past students makes it all worth it. Many Vineyard Violins alumni still playing the violin at Lakeridge Junior High and Mountain View High School return each year for the Christmas concert at Vineyard Elementary and even join in playing one number. "There are a lot." Steele said. "I'm not taking credit for it. but it's cool to see." Sylvia Allan. Vineyard's new principal, attended the Vineyard Vine-yard Violins spring concert last year and is already a fan of the program and Steele's efforts. "It was just amazing." she said. "They're helping little violin vio-lin players to emerge." The best part. Steele said, is that students who participate are often those who don't necessarily nec-essarily shine in other areas. "The feedback that I get from teachers and parents is that (the children) come and do this and they feel like a success." suc-cess." she said. ishes concentrating more of her energies on content with her fifth graders. "It's fun to dig down and get to the fun stuff." she said of seeing see-ing her students ingest information informa-tion and learn more about their world from reading and her lessons. "The kids didn't know much about 9 11. They were only 3 years-old when it happened. They didn't know about Helen Keller and all these things (that are new to them)." Grandstaff said. Because Westmore is a Title I school, she said she can help provide the consistency in the classroom that may be lacking at home. Not every student may reside in a two-parent home in which the mother is a stay-at-home mom, similar to her experience as a nanny. "Just having a schedule on the board, the kids know exactly ex-actly what they're going to do. holding them accountable and know what they're going to do at school." she said. T always tell them to trust their brains and to do better." still lives in the area. All six of the Vernons' children and six of their 15 grandchildren have attended pre-school or grade school at Geneva, with more likely to follow in the future. "I remember walking down those long halls and thinking. 'Oh. my goodness.'" said Vernon, Ver-non, who was in fifth grade that first year. "I was used to the old Sharon Elementary School (located where Wein-erschnitzel Wein-erschnitzel is now on State Street). But it doesn't seem so big now as it did then." Vernon also remembers writing notes in class to be placed in the new school's cornerstone, and having the library' li-brary' serve as her sixth grade classroom, as a growing Ge- See GENEVA, Page 13 Hurry I You must enroll by October 22nd to qualify. Call now or visit our web site for an replication -; (some mtrir ' paces Mountain View High School Shakespeare Festival Drama students compete in the Cedar City festival today and Friday and return on Saturday. Sat-urday. ASD and Utah Symphony Concert Will be on Monday at 10 a.m. Ribbon Week Begins Monday and runs through Friday. Utah County Academy of Sciences Student Educational Occupation Occupa-tion Plan meetings Begin on Monday. Lakeridge Junior High School UHS Spirit Week Runs through Friday. Drama Team at Shakespeare Festival The Drama Team will compete in the Shakespeare Shake-speare Festival in Cedar City today and Friday. Goblin Chase Will be on Tuesday at 3 p.m. Ninth-grade Art Zoo field trip Will be on Oct. 10. Cherry Hill Elementary Road to Success Reading Program Cherry Hill has kicked off its Ken Garff Road to Success reading program in which students are encouraged encour-aged to read 20 minutes daily. The program runs through Mav and the school goal is to read a collective 2.500.000 minutes. Based on their reading, read-ing, students can win prizes and have a chance to win one of four bicycles. Fourth-grade Field Trip Students will do a walking field trip today to the Water Conservatory near Krispie bruin Tiana Cole Fall is supposedly here now. at least according to the calendar. But the season seems to be having an identity iden-tity crisis at the moment. Nature appears to be having some trouble making the change from one season to the next. True, some splashes of red have become visible on the mountains, but for the most part, the trees down here in the valley have stayed fairly green. Students heading off to school in the morning are tempted to grab a jacket before leaving the house, because the morning air is starting to get a little nippy. It doesn't take long, though, for the day to warm up. and those who did decide to take their jackets are now regretting regret-ting it. So. it's a matter of choosing your discomfort: would you rather feel a little chilled in the early morning, or carry around an extra gar fhCAPELL ' " INSTITUTE OF HA LONG BE AC international Salon & Spa Expo Enroll in our October 28th Cosmetology Course and attend the show for free! Trip includes: free air fare, hotel accommodations and show ticket. ty) Kreme doughnuts. Scholastic Book Fair Will be on Monday and Tuesday. Authors Visit Childrens book authors Brandon Sanderson Sand-erson and James Dashner will host a special assembly for students in grades 4-6 on Tuesday at 10:10 a.m. Student Evaluation Plans With students and their parents will be on Wednesday and Thursday. Red Ribbon and Reflections assembly Will be on Oct. 10. Orem Elementary Turn Off Violence Day Will be today. Picture Makeup Day Will be on Monday. Walk to School Day Orem Mayor Jerry Washburn and Alpine School District Board Member JoDee Sundberg will be at the school on Wednesday Wednes-day for Back-to-School Day. Parent Conferences Will be on Wednesday and Thursday Thurs-day from 4-7:30 p.m. Suncrest Elementary Student Evaluation Plans Are today by appointment from 3:45-7:45 p.m. Red Ribbon Week Begins on Monday and runs through Friday. PTA Reflections Assembly Will be on Oct. 10. Westmore Elementary Net Smart Assembly Will be held on Friday at 9:30 a.m. for preschool through second-grade second-grade students and at 10:15 a.m. for grades 3-6. PTASCC Meeting - Will be on Tuesdav from 5-6 p.m. Book Fair Will be held from Tuesday to Thursday. Parent-Teacher Conferences Will be on Wednesday and Thursday by appointment from 4:15-7 p.m. ment during the afternoon? Having lived in Utah for most of my life. I guess I should be used to the uncertainty un-certainty of its weather by now. Regardless of what the forecast may portend, the Utah resident should always be aware of the fact that the day's disposition could drastically drasti-cally change in an instant. We should get used to the fact that more often than not. we will guess wrong concerning con-cerning the weather. Take the autumn season, for example. Up to this point, it has been behaving more like late summer than anything any-thing else, with temperatures staying in the 80s. Kids can still be seen roaming the streets in shorts and T-shirts, when normally at this time of year they should be sporting sweaters. In our state, however, how-ever, "normal" doesn't seem to exist. People may say that it's autumn now, but I'll believe it when I see it. I'll believe it when the leaves on my maple tree change color and fall to the ground, and when the chill in the air is here to stay. In the meantime. I'll take the jacket, but wear short sleeves just in case. I R Receive a trip to the World Famous H 'v-Jil'fP tin I) n 1 I ' |