Aida - Big Beaver Falls Area School District

Big Beaver Falls Area
School District:
Ranked #1 Overachiever
School District in Pennsylvania
2010, 2011, 2012
“. . .
Tiger Prints
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committed to providing an exemplary educational experience
Volume XXIII
Winter 2013-2014
Newsletter of
Big Beaver Falls Area
School District
1503 Eighth Avenue
Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania 15010
. . . .”
Issue 79
Richardson, Lester, Carothers to Perform Lead Roles
Elton John’s Aida This Year’s BBF Musical--April 11, 12, 13
I
t’s Romeo and Juliet in
Egypt, stated BBF Musical Director Yvonne Sterrett to summarize the story of this
year’s District musical.
Director Sterrett has cast in
the three lead roles of the BBF
production: Maya Richardson as
Aida, LaMar Lester as Radames,
and Sarah Carothers as Amneris.
Other cast members and their
roles are listed in column #3 on
this page.
BBF will produce and stage
the musical on April 11, 12, and
13.
Originally produced by Disney, Elton John and Tim Rice’s
Aida is a modern musical version
of Giuseppe Verdi’s classic Italian
opera, first staged in 1871.
Instead of Romeo and Juliet’s two star-crossed lovers
from two feuding Italian families,
Major Awards Won
by
Disney’s Aida
Grammy Award
Best Musical Show Album
Tony Awards
Best Original Musical Score
Best Actress in a Musical
Best Scenic Design
Best Lighting Design
Drama Desk Award
Outstanding Actress in a
Musical
Aida has two star-crossed lovers
from two nations at war with each
other.
Aida, a princess in the country of Nubia, is captured by the
Egyptians during one of the many
battles between the two countries
and brought back to Egypt as an
enslaved servant.
She succeeds in concealing
her identity as a princess from
most of her captors, but cannot
succeed in stopping the tragic
love that develops between herself and Radames, an Egyptian
army captain.
Since Radames is already
betrothed to Amneris, daughter of
the Pharaoh, their love is doomed
to become an “affair of State.”
When Amonasro, king of Nubia and Aida’s father, is captured
by the Egyptians and brought to
Egypt as a prisoner, the musical
reaches its highest pitches.
With Radames’ help, Aida
manages her father’s escape; but
since King Amonasro is an enemy
of Egypt, that makes Radames
guilty of treason. Sorry, but he is
condemned to die.
As BBF Musical Director Sterrett predicted, Aida will
certainly remind audiences of
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
As tragic as the ending
seems, Aida begins and ends
with a couple in a museum scene
that suggests the same enduring
qualities of love exhibited by Aida
and Radames.
It’s certainly not All’s Welll
that Ends Well, but it is a compelling musical based on one of
theater’s most common themes.
Aida
Portrayed by Maya Richardson
Excellence Askew
Portraying Abasi/Amonasro
Michael Langston
Portraying Horus
Logan Becze
Portraying Jafari
Sean conway
Portraying Mereb
Shane Collier
Portraying Zoser
Aria Nola
Portraying Sophira
Ella Bose
Portraying Mariam
Evan Bobin
Portraying Pharaoh
Jireh Early
Portraying Nehebka
Jacob Swanson
Portraying Moshe
Ashley Shute
Portraying Elisabet
Olivia Carbone
Portraying Nasri
Madison Miloszewski
Portraying Sousanna
Genesis Clawson
Portraying Theophilia
Radames
Portrayed by LaMar Lester
Amneris
Portrayed by Sarah Carothers
Richardson Selected for Regional
Aida Leads Perform for PMEA
T
he leading roles in Aida are being performed by three BFHS
students with musical theater experience in District musicals, as well as participation in PMEA Festivals [Pennsylvania Music Educators Association].
This is Maya Richardson’s fourth character portrayal in BBF musicals. She has arrived at her lead role as Aida after singing the lead role
as Dorothy in last year’s The Wiz. Previously, she portrayed the Jester
in Once Upon a Mattress and Silly Girl in Beauty and the Beast.
LaMar Lester sang two previous District musical roles on his way
to Radames in Aida. He portrayed the Minstrel in Once Upon a Mattress and the Tin Man in The Wiz.
Sarah Carothers will be on stage for her fourth appearance in BBF
musicals. Her role as Amneris in Aida was preceded by playing the
Napkin in Beauty and the Beast, Lady Merrill in Once Upon a Mattress, and Addaperle in The Wiz.
All three of the Aida leads participated this year in both Beaver
County Chorus Festival as well as District 5 PMEA Choral Festivals.
Maya was selected as a soloist during PMEA’s District 5 Chorus
Festival 2014 and auditioned successfully to attend PMEA’s Regional
1 Chorus Festival in February. She has sung in Beaver County and
District Choruses for two consecutive years.
LaMar has represented BFHS at Beaver County Chorus Festivals
for three consecutive years and has twice participated at PMEA’s District level.
Sarah has participated in Beaver County Chorus for two years.
Page 2
Ushers’ Club Sponsors ‘Grief Awareness’; Carothers Chosen DAR ‘Good Citizen’
Friends Of Rachel Program Inspires FOR Clubs at BFHS, BFMS
A
fter her death in the
Columbine High school
shootings, Rachel Joy
Scott’s writings assumed unexpected relevance to the tragedy.
She wrote: “I have this theory
that if one person can go out of
their way to show compassion,
Officers of Middle School’s Friends of Rachel [FOR] Club pose with their
sign reminder to meet Rachel’s Challenge. Holding the sign are Kate Houser
and Nevaeh Harris, sixth grade FOR representatives. In the second row are
Chloe Carter and Aliyah Robinson, seventh grade representatives. At top are
eighth graders Curtis Pagley, FOR President; Romia Schofield, FOR Secretary;
and Cody Horvath, FOR Treasurer.
The five BFHS Seniors nominated to receive DAR’s 2014 Good Citizen
Award have a photo moment with Guidance Counselor Leslie Gossett, standing
at left. Next to Counselor Gossett is Sarah Carothers, chosen by the Senior
Class as this year’s Good Citizen. Next to Sarah is nominee Elise Noyes.
Seated, are DAR nominees Dillon Mason, Nya Coleman, and Jordan
Ransom.
then it will start a chain reaction
of the same.”
Rachel also left behind a tracing of her hands on paper and
wrote over their outlines: “These
hands belong to Rachel Joy
Scott and will someday touch
millions of people’s hearts.”
Rachel’s Chain Reaction
found its way to BBF where it
touched enough students to create FOR Clubs [Friends Of Rachel] at
both Middle and High School.
What is a FOR Club? “A group
of students committed to create
and sustain a culture of compas-
Some of the student, faculty, and staff involved with bringing the Rachel’s Challenge Program to BBF Middle and
High School have a photo moment with Rachel’s Challenge Presenter Fred Lynch, front and center. To Fred’s right are:
Jireh Early, Christiana Hoschar, Elise Noyes, and Ella Bose. On Presenter Lynch’s left are: Brian Taylor, Maya Richardson,
Macy Mora, Nya Coleman, and Aria Nolan.
In back, left to right, are: BFHS Guidance Counselor Leslie Gossett, BFHS Principal Mary Beth Leeman, Shawn
Knetchel, BBF Superintendent of Schools Dr. Donna Nugent, LaMar Lester, and BFHS Guidance Counselor Angela Manno.
The Butterflies of HOPE on the tree in the background were sold by BFHS Ushers’ Club to raise $160 for Children’s
Grief Awareness day, delivered to Highmark’s Caring Place in Cranberry, and matched by Highmark.
In the back row, left to right, are: BFHS Art Teacher Geraldine McCorr, Callie Master, Ashley Martella, Acacia
Rose, McKayla Scott, Lauren Gerard, and Alyssa Stevens. In the middle row are: Logan Minto, Emily Ginand, Rebekah
Padezanin, Maggie Shablesky, BFHS Guidance Counselor and Ushers’ Club Advisor Leslie Gossett, Lexis Durelli, and
Taylor Holley.
In front, left to right, are: Gianna Barnes, Macy Mora, Nya Coleman, and Hunter Speelman.
BFMS Students Do Art for Adoption Awareness Celebration; BFMS ‘Got Talent’
Page 3
Friends Of Rachel Program Inspires FOR Club at BFHS
sion within their school and out
into their community.”
The motivation for FOR Clubs
at BBF began with a day-long
presentation to Middle and High
School students by Fred Lynch.
[See photo directly below.]
Some of the activities of
the clubs have included making
Chains of Kindness, with each link
a kind act. Even fund-raising was
based on Change for a Cause.
[See photo directly below.]
On this page: BFMS students
contribute their artistic talents to an
Adoption Awareness Celebration
or share each others talents at their
first Talent Show. BFHS students
honor their Good Citizens, celebrate Grief Awareness Day, and
contribute to the Caring Place.
BBF students have accepted Rachel’s Challenge and are
Starting a Chain Reaction.
Emcee Taylor Boak
In front of their signed poster “I Accept Rachel’s Challenge” and wearing their Chains of Kindness are the senior
officers of the BFHS FOR [Friends of Rachel] Club. Left to right are: Nya Coleman, Elise Noyes, Maya Richardson,
Christiana Hoschar, Alina Chemini holding the Club’s “Change for a Cause” container, and BFHS Guidance Counselor
and FOR Club Advisor Leslie Gossett.
BFMS students who entered their art in the Children’s Institute “Adoption Awareness Celebration and Art Contest” have a photo moment with their Art Teacher Geanan Murtha [standing in center]. Left to right, standing, are:
Elaina Block, Destiny Anderson, Laura Rose, and Alyssa Ryniak. Seated are: Kristyn Kruise and Haylee Brandt. In
the age 13-15 category, Laura won the $50 first prize, Destiny the $25 second prize, and Haylee the $20 third prize.
Alyssa Ryniak’s pastel [which she is holding] won a $50 “first prize overall,” chosen over all age-group entries,
including high school.
Gracie Helisak & Madison Mackynen
Emily Lentz & Allyson Greco
Adriona Miller
Abbey DeSimone
Daymon Cleveland
Kate Houser
Olivia Hawthorne, Teyarae Ellison, Olivia Droz
Page 4
Eden Townsell at Big Beaver, McKayla Scott At BFHS
Two BBF Students Win First Place in Dr. King Oratorical
N
ine students from seven
Beaver County schools
won either first or second place in the annual Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. Oratorical Contest.
Two of the nine were from BBF
schools and won first places.
In the photo, at left, is BFHS
Sophomore McKayla Scott, who
won first place in the Dr. King
County competition at the Grades
10-11 level.
Big Beaver, Central Students Hear
Tobacco Prevention Programs
A
student, at left, reads
Tobacco’s Notso Special
Effects, distributed to Big Beaver
students by Network Prevention.
Below left, a Network Prevention Presenter uses puppets to
explain to Central School students
Why Animals Don’t Smoke.
Below, Network Prevention
Presenter Cristen McCoy shows
Big Beaver students “non-smoker
lungs” vs. “smoker lungs.
Administration
Donna M. Nugent, Ed. D.
Superintendent of Schools
Joyce Depenhart
Donnie Hicks
Mary Beth Leeman
Central Elementary School
Dean of Students
Bryan Fabyanic
Big Beaver Elementary
School Principal
Director of Student Services
High School Principal and
CTO for School Improvement Grant
Assistant High School Principal
Middle School Principal
Business Manager
Middle School Dean of Students
Supervisor of Physical Plant
Central Elementary School Principal
Technology Supervisor
Chris Posset
Linda Edel
Pagley, Karczewski Elected to BBF Board
T
wo new School Directors were elected to the
BBF School Board, and
two were honored for their years
of service.
At the Board’s annual Reorganization meeting in December,
Scott Pagley and Thomas Karczewski took the seats of retiring
Board members Isabelle Gill and
Allen Bozic.
During the Reorganization,
Director Karczewski was elected
vice president, and Cynthia Cook
was re-elected President. Terri Ellinwood was retained as Secretary,
and Richard Attisano as Treasurer.
The Board honored retiring
Isabell Gill [at left] for her 32 years
of faithful service as member and
Treasurer of the BBF Board.
As part of the Pennsylvania
School Board Association’s Rec-
ognition Month, Director Ellinwood
was presented, below, with a 16year Service plaque by Dr. Donna
Nugent, BBF Superintendent of
Schools.
Board of School Directors
Big Beaver Falls Area School District
2014
Chad Thomas
High School Dean of Students
Thomas House II
Gill, Ellinwood Honored for Service
Valarie Williams
Big Beaver Elementary School
Dean of Students
Ryan Matsook
Also a first place winner, Eden
Townsell, a Big Beaver Elementary
student, took the top prize among
the Beaver County entries at the
fourth grade level in the Dr. King
competition
Among the grade 12 entries,
BFHS Ayana Hauser’s essay was
scheduled for first place recognition, but she was unable to attend
and was, consequently, disqualified.
In the photo, at right, are the
students chosen as finalists from
Big Beaver’s fourth grade.
Left to right, are: Amaurii
Jeter, Damani Ellis, Eden Townsell [County First Place Winner],
Jordan Evans, and Jada Beauford.
Gary Ceccarelli
Robert Pelaia
Rodney Bobin
Andrews & Price, LLP, Solicitors
In accordance with Title VI, Title IX, and Section 504, Big Beaver Falls Area School
District is an equal opportunity educational entity committed to ensuring a learning and/
or working environment free of sexual harassment or discrimination on the basis of race,
color, creed, national origin, gender, or handicap in its activities, programs, or employment
practices.
Standing, left to right: Gary Ceccarelli, District Business Manager; Dr. Donna Nugent,
District Superintendent; R. Scott Pagley, Dr. Todd Allen, Clifford Alford, Tom Karczewski, Board
Vice President; Ron Miller, and Joyce Depenhart, Director of Student Services.
Seated, left to right: Terri Ellinwood, Board Secretary; Richard Attisano, Board Treasurer;
Cynthia Cook, Board President; and Susan Smith.