Sossaman, Cortina students top at HUSD Spelling Bee Sossaman Middle School seventh grader Penda Ba and Cortina fifth-grader Makenna Fagrell will represent Higley Unified School District in the regional spelling bee after finishing first and second, respectively, in the district Spelling Bee on Jan.
26. Students from all eight elementary schools and both middle schools participated in the event, held at the Higley Center for the Performing Arts. Students went through seven rounds before Penda won by correctly spelling the word “nascent.” Penda represented her schools in two previous district competitions.
Makenna competed in the district event for the first time. The Maricopa County Regional 6 competition (comprised of Chandler, Gilbert, Higley and Queen Creek schools) will be held Feb. 19 in Gilbert. The Arizona Spelling Bee is sponsored by the Arizona Educational Foundation.
4 HUSD students earn spots in Regional Orchestra
Students from Higley High and Williams Field High will represent their schools and the district in the AMEA North Central Regional Festival to be held Feb. 19-20 in Phoenix. Williams Field High School sophomore Alexis Medrano (violist) and Higley High students Jacob Anderson (violist), Nathan Dinehart (violist) and Stephanie Kim (violinist) were all selected for the honor after recent performance auditions. Students from across the Valley participated in the auditions. The students are now eligible to audition for the All State Festival. Auditions will be held in March, with the festival scheduled for April.
Sossaman students win Town of Gilbert MLK Jr. Art awards
Students from Sossaman Middle School in the Higley Unified School District were honored at a recent Town Council meeting for their winning awards in the Gilbert Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Art Competition. Paige Kaylor won second place for her mixed media piece, “Words of a Beloved Community.” Baley Follett won third place for her mixed media piece, “MLK.” According to the town, “Students were asked to ‘picture’ his vision for equality and unity and create art work that reflects Dr. King’s hope for a “beloved community.”
The students’ artwork was put on display at the Southeast Regional Library in Gilbert.
Williams Field High School to host 3rd annual Arts Festival
Williams Field High School, 2076 S. Higley Road, Gilbert, invites the community to attend the 3rd annual Arts Festival, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 9-10. This free, two-night event highlights all performing and visual arts programs on the Black Hawk campus.
