Silver Creek High School
BY KAREY ROBINSON

Madrigal Feast Delights Community

Perhaps in honor of the Annual Royal Madrigal Feast, the lyrics to the traditional “12 Days of Christmas” should read: “Nineteen days before Christmas the Performing Arts Department gave to its audience: 100 singers singing, 40 fiddlers fiddling, 20 minstrels meandering, 15 actors acting, 11 guitarists strumming, six drummers drumming, five brass a blowing, four vendors vending, one dancer dancing, And a full house stuffed from the feast!”

Photo by Karey Robinson
Wandering minstrels entertain audience members waiting for the beginning of the Royal Madrigal Feast.

Niwot High School
BY TINA EDEN
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Les Miserables

The Niwot High School auditorium was transformed into Victor Hugo’s 19th century Paris during the students’ four presentations of Les Miserables.

The cast was led with strong performances by seniors Parker Fowler as Jean Valjean, Ian Moore as Javert and John McQueen as Thenardier. The three appeared in all showings of the double-cast play.

Fowler poignantly depicted Valjean from the first scene, in which he is a laboring convict, until his death at the play’s end. In his final scene, with his hair dyed grey, Fowler portrayed Valjean with the appropriate amount of both weariness and contentment.

Moore appeared menacing throughout his scenes, and captivated the audience with Javert’s final soliloquy and death.

McQueen and Nicole Sharpe, as Monsieur and Mademoiselle Thenardier (Green Cast), led the company in a vigorous rendition of “Master of the House,” and then continued to engage the audience with their adroitly portrayed facades of goodness. Their elaborate costumes were a visual feast, depicting the couple’s rise and fall in society well.

Mwebaza/Niwot Connection Continues  January 2012
BY KIM GLASSCOCK
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It was a celebration of a cross-cultural partnership at Niwot Elementary School when students had the chance in December to spend time with the visiting headmistress of Mwebaza Infant Primary School in Kyengera, Uganda.

Mwebaza School headmistress Catherine Namatovu arrived in Colorado on Dec. 5 for a long-anticipated visit to Niwot Elementary, which has partnered with the Mwebaza School for five years. She took part in a special all-day cross-cultural celebration at the school on Dec. 15.

There were African arts and games in the morning. Students in all grades performed American folk songs and dances, and in return, Nomatovu taught African dances and modeled traditional African dress. Lunch included typical American food – pizza – while the Ugandan staple matooke (steamed bananas) was served in classrooms.

The Niwot Elementary-Mwebaza School partnership began when second grade teacher Dale Peterson contacted People to People International in search of pen-pals for his class.

“At first we just exchanged letters and photos, and learned about each other’s school days,” Peterson said. “But as we began building community and our students became aware of the poverty there, they decided they wanted to do more than just be pen-pals.”

Photo by Kim Glasscock
Mwebaza Infant Primary School headmistress Catherine Namatovu and Niwot Elementary School fourth grade student Sophia Chivers demonstrate a traditional Ugandan dance at a school assembly as part of the Dec. 15 celebration of the five-year cross-cultural partnership between the two schools.

Niwot High School
BY TINA EDEN
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Dessert Theater Treats Audience

Tari Burger’s advanced drama students performed four one-act plays in the annual “Taste of Niwot” presentation. Cookies were prepared by Nicole Endres’ Food Science classes and served during intermission.

The first play, “The Whole King Albertway Market,” was written and directed by seniors Johnny Cooper and Hannah Sieben. It was a parody on grocery store shopping.
Senior Hannah Fisher gave a comic impression of a coupon-crazed shopper trying to save a penny. Seniors Robert Haisfield and Coleman Wenzl portrayed the store manager and cashier.

Haisfield deftly depicted the overbearing manager, while Wenzl evoked empathy from the audience as the overworked cashier trying to please his boss and the customers.

All four plays were comedies, but the third, called “The Apple,” included an impersonation of Lady Gaga by senior Alejandro Garcia that brought the audience to unbridled laughter.
Proceeds from the performances will be used for the advanced drama class’s Christmas Adopt-a-Family; family career community leader of America community school services and conferences; and to maintain the auditorium for school and community performances.

National Merit Commendations

The following students received commendations for the 2012 National Merit Scholarship program: Kathryn Bodnar, Ellie Daw, Frank Fowler IV, Joseph Gonzales-Dones, Madeline Jalbert, Jonathan Lin, Megan Macguire, Keagan McClelland, Isaac MacPadden, Peter MacPadden, Connor Mulshine, Nicolas Peper, Nicholas Stager, Jordan Stern, Anya Thurmes, and Mariah Wahl.

Qualifying students placed in the top 5 percent of the more than 1.5 million students nationwide who took the PSAT qualifying test.

Open Enrollment

Open enrollment is from December 1 – January 15. The school will host an open house on Dec. 1, from 6-8 p.m.