Talent on display at annual Community Showcase in St. Ignatius
Karen Peterson
Pamela Frost works on an art project at the Community Showcase.
Karen Peterson
student drawings are displayed in the middle school.
Karen Peterson
Annalysia DuMontier helps younger students create paper flowers.
Karen Peterson
Karen Peterson
Student insects projects hang from the ceiling in the elementary school.
Karen Peterson
Painted shoes are on display in the high school.
Karen Peterson
Jolynn Girch signs an intent to go to college.
Karen Peterson
Principal Tyler Arlint reminds people that the school has a new app.
Karen Peterson
Karen Peterson
Karen Peterson
Karen Peterson
Karen Peterson
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
ST. IGNATIUS – The St. Ignatius School District opened the doors to the public on Thursday evening for the annual Community Showcase to give people the opportunity to see all the great things students of all grade levels have been working on this year.
In the schools, the walls were filled with projects, including enchanted animal drawings, 3D ancient Greek monuments, wind-driven energy models, insect replicas, wood-based furniture, intricately painted shoes and much more.
Fourth grader Kanana Couture, 10, said the bugs hanging by strings in the elementary school hallway were made of cardboard and paper mache. She created a replica of a grasshopper to complete her assignment. “I chose the common conehead, and I learned that their head shape is how they got their name,” she said. “It’s in the shape of a cone.”
Teacher Tim Krantz said the students learned about different insects and then chose one to replicate. “This was a streamlined way for them to learn about the purposes of bugs,” he said. “They learned a number of things like how beetles recycle things back into the soil, and they used art to develop their own projects.”
During the showcase, visitors could check out the many student projects, get something to eat in the cafeteria, look at the books in the library, watch students perform in the talent show, participate in a craft activity, enter a drawing for a prize or talk to one of the teachers or administrators moving about the schools. The event capped off with a Senior Signing Ceremony in the gym where students signed an intent to go to college, follow a career path or join the military.
“This is our take on the college signing day with an emphasis on education,” said Alan Pule, GEAR UP coordinator. “This is about kids leaving school with a plan so that we know we did our jobs. They might not follow the plan 100 percent and will probably change it, but they have a place to start.”
Many of the seniors were in another part of the school sharing their senior projects with advisors and parents but the students able to make the signing event included Justin Evelo who intends to buy cattle with a loan he recently procured and start his own business; Matthew Anderson is planning to go to college in Kansas; Tristen Adams is following a career in the medical field; Jolynn Girsch is also looking into a medical degree; Caitlyn Sorrell wants to go into nursing; Kassidy Dougherty is going to business school; and Cole Gilleard is interested in mechanical engineering.
Superintendent Jason Sargent said the school community showcase event has been celebrated at the end of every school year for at least 20 years. “This is a way for us to inform the community about the opportunities and systems available at the school and showcase the talent we have here,” he said.
Sargent also announced that the school is working on improvement projects funded by an INTERCAP loan and a school improvement bond passed by voters during the last election. So far, the bleachers on the school’s sports field have been fixed and the elementary school bathrooms have been remodeled. New construction projects will start in June when school is out for the year, which will include a new gym, shop and classrooms, which are projected to be finished around September of 2020.
“We are very excited to get rolling on these projects,” Sargent said. “The people are ready. This will give our students the facility they deserve.”
Elementary School Principal Tyler Arlint reminded parents at the event that the school has a website at www.stignatiusschools.org where people can find information about events, meals, contact numbers and more. The school now has an App that can be found at St. Ignatius apptegy.
High school and middle school principal Shawn Hendrickson said there is “a little over a month left” of the school year. He said there are still a lot of extracurricular activities and sports events happening at the school, so students still need community support. He hopes to see everyone at graduation day on Saturday, June 1.
