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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (June 19, 2019)
Wednesday, June 19, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 21 LETTERS Teacher initiates performance opportunities Continued from page 2 Presently, a young black woman walked through the crowd, sat down at the piano, and began to play. She played well for several minutes, and when she arose from the piano bench, the room filled with applause. I turned to my husband and said, <I want to live where a person of color can walk into a place full of white people, and be appreci- ated.= A year later, we moved to Sisters. Perhaps there is an Old Guard here, and perhaps they are leery of newcomers like me. If so, I hope to meet some of them. I9d like to thank them for creating and preserv- ing such a place, shake hands, and maybe sit for a minute with a cup of coffee. Terri Hunter s s s To the Editor, I would like to commend Goss Logging for the excel- lent job of cutting and clear- ing the ponderosa pine trees along Highway 20 west of Sisters. Removal of these trees has greatly enhanced the visibility along the highway, providing safer driving. Game crossing the highway can be spotted sooner, as well as traf- fic entering from side roads. Another benefit of the tree removal is opening the high- way to more sunlight. This will greatly increase snow and ice melt, resulting in safer travel. I doubt that the loss of the removed trees is going to have any negative impact, as there is certainly an abun- dance of trees in our national forests. Glad to see the benefits of the tree removal. David Anderson By T. Lee Brown Correspondent Insects and birdsong liv- ened up Sisters High School last week. Was the high school installing a zoo? No: it was a performance by Sisters Elementary School students. <The music teacher at SES, Sara Miller, has done a phenomenal job this year not only teaching music theory but also providing all students with performance opportunities,= said Joan Warburg, principal of Sisters Elementary School. Miller directed a double bill nicknamed <Bugs and Birds= in the high school auditorium last week. Six classrooms participated, resulting in a large and impressive cast for each show. First-graders performed <Bugz!= by John Jacobson, described as <a musical play for young voices.= Audiences heard from ladybugs, ants, and even some very amus- ing maggots as they planned their raid on a picnic. <Wing It!= was the sec- ond-graders9 show, also writ- ten by Jacobson. An aviary of owls, geese, parrots and more explored the challenges of taking risks and learning to fly. Singing and flapping filled the stage. So did one hip-hop number, as the kids got down for <Rap of the Raptors,= to much applause. Students wore black clothes, then added colorful construction paper hats and other costume items. Unlike in a full theatrical produc- tion, in this show students stood or sat on risers. There PHOTO BY TL BROWN First-graders from Sisters Elementary School take to the stage for “Bugs and Birds” night with their new music teacher, Sara Miller (center). they sang together in well- rehearsed and well-behaved harmony. They also gathered down- stage in small groups to take turns reciting lines into a microphone. This gave many children the chance to learn at least one line of dialog, dress as a character, and try a bit of acting for their com- munity, without the compli- cations of a full production with blocking and sets. Performing at their own school is exciting for many SES students. The high school9s high-quality sound system, theatrical lighting, and ample auditorium added to the thrill of performance. On the Oregon Educators site at Medium.com, Miller recently wrote: <I have been a music teacher for five years now, after raising my five children at home for 14 years. I am lucky to work in a school that has a very sup- portive administrator.= Miller observed that research shows <students FREE CLASSES 6/24 - 6/29 2 9 DINING & TAKE-OUT until midnight every night Menu at SistersSaloon.net 541-549-RIBS 190 E. Cascade Ave. Core Pilates & Barre e Memberships at Full-Body Stretch starting h! t Low-Back Recovery $39/mon Upper-Body Recovery y Knees & Hips Workshop p op p Neck & Shoulders Workshop Call 541-699-7800 or email coach@level5fi t.com www.level5fi t.com | Located in Ray’s Shopping Center 24 HR. ACCESS! learn best when they have regular and robust access to music, art, PE, language, plenty of recess/play time and a chance to just be kids&These subjects mat- ter deeply to developing the whole child. Music, art and PE should not be considered luxuries in education.= Warburg praised Miller for giving time outside of school hours to offer students performance opportunities. She appreciated Miller9s understanding that music performances, not just theory and rehearsing, help students fall in love with music. <In the fall she orches- trated our Veterans Day celebration and our Winter Holiday extravaganza,= said Warburg, noting that all stu- dents in grades kindergarten through fourth grade partici- pated. Third-graders joined Sisters High Desert Chorale9s Christmas performance. Fourth- and fifth-graders gained a new opportunity to sing together and perform this year as well. <Thanks to the generous support of Sisters Folk Festival, [Miller] directed the Sisters Outlaws Singers as they joined other student choirs across Central Oregon at a choir festival in March, and performed throughout Sisters this spring in a variety of venues,= said Warburg. <It has been a joy to hear from our community about how much they have appreciated and enjoyed our students9 performances,= Warburg said. <Sara has an extraordinary gift of bringing the best out of her students musically, and it is a thrill to listen to our students perform so beautifully.=
