Anderson Observer

Three years ago La France Elementary School started the National Archery in the Schools Program in its physical education department.  Since its introduction in the physical education classroom, the program has expanded to include an after-school archery team. The team meets twice a week to practice and hone their skills. The team has performed extremely well over the last few months.

On February 15, 2010, the La France Elementary School archery team participated in a virtual archery tournament with many other schools from across the state. The tournament included each of our twenty-seven team members shooting three rounds from a ten meter distance and three rounds from a fifteen meter distance. Each round includes five arrows with a maximum score of fifty points each round. The top twelve team members, with a minimum of four of the opposite gender, are scored for the total team score. The team score totaled 2,675 points, or an average of 223 points per archer. With this score, the team qualified for the state archery tournament and will compete on March 26, 2010, at the Palmetto Sportsmen Classic against four other elementary school teams from across the state.

The Westside High School Band Program will present a concert on Thursday, March 11, featuring the Whitehall Rockin’ Road Runners & Drumming Ensemble, the Lakeside and Southwood seventh and eighth grade band students, and the Bands of Westside High School. 

This concert will take place in the Westside Commons Area beginning at 7 p.m. It is free to the public.

Shane Vickery is the Director of Bands at Westside.

The District Five Fine Arts Festival is open through March 26^th at the Anderson Arts Center Warehouse. 

The show is running in conjunction with the Youth Art Month show, which is located in the Anderson Arts Center Warehouse main galleries.

The festival includes works by a large number of District Five students, including the following award winners:

Elementary Winners

First Place – Robert Richards, Midway Elementary School of Science & Engineering; Second Place – Derrio Maxwell, Homeland Park Elementary School

Honorable Mention – Hattie Donovan, Calhoun Academy of the Arts; Elijah Johnson, Varennes Academy of Communications & Technology; Sarah Johnson, Concord Elementary School; Jacqueline Ortiz, Calhoun; Nick Randolph, Whitehall. 

Also, Nick Randolph of Whitehall had one of his works added to the Anderson Arts Center Permanent Collection.

Middle School Winners

First Place – Carlee Ashy, McCants Middle School; Third Place – Aaliyah Wiley, Southwood Middle School; Honorable Mention – Anthony Lewis, Southwood; Anna Rice, McCants. 

Also, Tyriek Hailey of Southwood had one of his works added to the Anderson Arts Center Permanent Collection and Brinasia Fuller of Southwood had her artwork placed on display at AnMed. 

High School Winners

First Place – Wesley Trutwin, T.L. Hanna High School; Second Place – Kelly Smith, Westside High School; Honorable Mention – Morgan Chandler, T.L. Hanna; Carl Simmons, Westside. 

Also, Holly Hughes of Westside had one of her works added to the Anderson Arts Center Permanent Collection and Morgan Chandler and Lauren Taveras of T.L. Hanna had their artwork placed on display at AnMed.

The Art Awards were sponsored by Dr. Jamie Groeber.

On Thursday, February 10, 2010  AP Music Theory student Travis Diffenderfer was invited to attend the "Furman University Singers" chorus rehearsal.  The Furman Singers consist of 92 outstanding music majors.  The prestigious group will travel toSpain in May of this year for performances.
 
The Furman Singers are under the direction of Maestro Bingham Vick.  Dr. Vick is also conductor of The Greenville Chorale, and frequent conductor of The Greenville Symphony Orchestra. He has conducted throughout the US and abroad.
 
Dr. Vick spent a great deal of time with Travis and discussed the possibility of his future in the area of music. He also invited Travis and his family to the Greenville Chorale's annual Fundraising Gala.  The Gala was held at The Greenville Westin Hotel on Friday, February 12, 2010.
There was a silent auction, Operatic arias by outstanding singers, comedy by actors from "CAFE and THEN SOME", and a fantastic dinner.
 
The finale was an open auction. The prize?  conducting lessons with Maestro Bingham Vick in preparation for the chorales annual Christmas Concert to held at The Peace Center for the Performing Arts. (Where of course the winner would conduct the chorale from the podium.) 
 
The bidding was exciting!!!Travis was in a bidding war with an unrelenting gentleman.
The gentleman officially won the bid.  However...
 
Travis won, because the gentleman felt that it was important to give this tenacious young man this lifetime opportunity.  He ceremoniously, along with conductor, Bingham Vick presented the "baton" to Travis.--(Photos will be published in The Greenville News.)
 
Travis Diffenderfer will conduct a musical selection with the Greenville Chorale in its December Concert 2010 from the stage of THE PEACE CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS. 

A Carolina Fence Garden will soon be part of the PHS landscape. Mr. M.B. Berry and FFA officers Teresa Weatherly and Troy Dobbins were honored at a luncheon in Columbia where they received a Palmetto PrideLinda Shadel, Palmetto Pride Director of Operations, Blake Berry, Teresa Weatherly, Troy Dobbins grant to incorporate native and historical flora in a garden at the school.  This $2,500.00 grant will be used build a split rail fence commonly used by South Carolinians in the late 1800's and early 1900's and put in plants such as yellow Jessamine (state flower), Indian grass (state grass), a Carolina Wren house (state bird), blue granite (state stone), and native wildflowers such as the state wildflower, Goldenrod.  This will in turn attract native birds and butterflies such as Tiger Swallowtail (state butterfly) and Carolina Wren.
The nice thing about the Carolina Fence garden is that anyone can build and maintain it.  Garden designs, lists of native flora, plans for a Carolina wren box,  annual care calendar, and other information are all available at http://www.scwf.org/index.php/education-programs/habitats/fence-garden
Later this spring come by the school and visit the garden which will be off the patio area.