East Middle School's Got Talent!

Students' abilities in spotlight for 'No Greater Love' fundraiser

                             

                                         After hearing her named winner of the
                                         talent show, Lillian Koefelda raises her
                                         hand on the East Middle School stage
                                       Friday, Jan. 27. She won a trophy and $30.

                                Ella Wanamaker, grade 8, practices "Riptide"
                                        on her ukulele before the EMS Talent Show.

                                       Eighth-grader Layne Woodering gets ready
                                     to play the drums during the EMS Talent Show.

                                   In the above and below photos, EMS Irish dancers
                                         work on their steps before the talent show.

                                 Irish dancers watch modern dancers practice
                                     before the EMS Talent Show. The modern dancers
                                         are from left,  in white, Kiersten Roth; Olivia
                                    Stillwagon in purple; and, in blue, Maiya Carpenter.

Ella Wanamaker plays her ukulele
and performs "Riptide"  on stage.

EMS Irish dancers, from left, Mia McCarthy,
Josclyn Cleveland and Kennedy Hepola
perform "Step About" at the talent show. 

 An EMS quintet plays "Seven Nation Army"
at the talent show. They are, from left,
Morgan Montoya on electric guitar, Garrett
Philpot on baritone, Elizabeth McNabey and
 Lily Brown on trumpets, and Nathan Montoya on piano.

EMS seventh-grade modern dancers demonstrate
their rhythm and flexibility in their dance routine
 at the talent show. The dancers are, in white,
Kiersten Roth; in blue, Maiya Carpenter; and,
partially hidden, Olivia Stillwagon, in purple. 

   Derek Bane-Parsons plays "The Black Pearl"
  and "He's a Pirate" on his violin on stage at
the EMS Talent Show.

                                    An EMS string trio plays "Mountain County Fiddle"
                                    at the school's talent show. All eighth-graders, they
                                are, from left, Tytan Rosencrans on viola, Skyler Waters
                                           on violin and Ella Wanamaker on violin.

                                        In the last act of the EMS Talent Show, Layne
                                       Woodering, left, and Taryn Stratton play the
                                       piano duet "Heart and Soul."

                                    Some of the 30 students in the East Middle School
                                            talent show await the judges' decision.

             Lillian Koefelda plays "Cold Water" on guitar
            in the East Middle School Talent Show on Friday,
            Jan. 27. Twenty-nine other students joined in the
            fundraiser for the "No Greater Love" production
            on June 9-10 at the Mother Lode Theater in Butte.

                                      Lillian Koefelda holds her trophy for winning the East Middle School Talent Show. The judges' decision was unanimous on her first-place finish.                                   

Community service event brings out the school stars

In 14 different acts, using trumpet, trombone and baritone, violin and viola, piano and drums, ukulele and guitar, Irish hard shoes and ballet slippers, comedy and singing, some 30 students took to the stage January 28  to raise money for the "No Greater Love" production this June.

The idea for the school's talent show came from teacher Kathleen Foley. The school chose "No Greater Love" for its community service project to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

"I just pitched it to Principal Driscoll as our community service because I just wanted to help out the Granite Mountain Memorial," Foley said. "We contacted (NGL treasurer) Mary McMahon, and she gave us a head's up on what they were doing."

"We're very lucky here with Mr. Driscoll," said Foley, who's taught at East for 20 years. "He supports us in everything we want to do. And it's nice, because these kids are only here for two years."

Every morning during the advisory period, the seventh-grade science teacher reads to the students about the Granite Mountain-Speculator Mine disaster from the book "Fire and Brimstone."

"They love it," she said. "We hope we can take a field trip to the memorial this spring so they can see what we're reading, what it looks like."