Twin Falls razzles and dazzles at dedication
November 6, 2008
By Laura Geggel
Presenters talked about learning, the environment, fundraising and elk at the Twin Falls Middle School Dedication and Community Celebration Oct. 30.
ASB students led guests on tours of the school, while middle-school student Gabe Kangas played the piano. The ribbon cutting, performed by School Board President Marci Busby, officially opened the school for business.
The dedication had a full program, starting with local Boy Scouts Daniel Green, Tyler Moore, Sean Heckler and Collin Peery, who led the Pledge of Alliance for the crowd of about 120.
Principal Ruth Moen acknowledged the property’s former owner, Paul Tredway, who sold the lot to the school district. Twin Falls architects also received a round of applause.
A few community members inspected Twin Falls new spirit stick, carved by Twin Falls parent and artist Bob Antone. Fury Construction found the cedar log buried 20 feet under the Cascade Golf Course. The construction company donated the wood to Antone, who said he would carve it with symbols representing the new middle school.
Antone said he suspected the log was buried in the late 1800s to help develop transportation in the Valley.
“They would bury cedar logs to build up the roadway and prevent washouts,” Antone said.
The spirit stick will be awarded to the class who wins the school’s spirit-week competition.
“It’s an actual living piece of history, an artifact the kids can hold,” Antone said.
Artifacts are everywhere, and so are elk. Moen mentioned math teacher George Warren had an “elk incident,” a story he elaborated on later.
As he drove to Twin Falls via Southeast Mount Si Road the morning of Oct. 24, he got an unpleasant surprise.
“All of a sudden, this elk came from across the street and just bolted,” Warren said.
He hit the elk, which busted the side and hood of his Honda. Luckily, Warren was uninjured and there were no other cars around.
“It could have been a multiple-car accident,” Warren said.
Joel Aune followed Moen on the stage, praising voters for passing the 2003 bond funding the construction of Twin Falls.
“Without community, schools do not get built and more importantly schools do not flourish,” Aune said.
ASB student leaders and Green Team advisors also made presentations. Science teacher Dawn Frearson said she hoped Snoqualmie Valley could become a “green district” through the King County Green Schools program.
Following the Green Team update, a group of six girls presented on the School of the Future project. To enter the national contest, the students will have to design a model and write a 750-word essay about their entry.
The girls said they would design their school with environmentally friendly aspects, including geothermal heat sourcing, solar panels and a recycling system. If they place at the regional competition, the three Twin Falls students will win a free trip to Washington D.C. with their advisor Dave Bettine for the national championship.
The dedication ended with a speech from PTSA President Xiomara Pilon, who stated her goal to raise $70,000 during the 2008-09 school year. To jumpstart its campaign, the PTSA is selling $100 name-bricks that will pave the pathway leading from the parking lot to the school.
Matt Wenman and the Twin Falls Middle School Jazz Band — complete with piano and xylophone — debuted at the end of the open house, much to the delight of audience members who tapped their feet in time with the snazzy tunes.
With the word “legacy” on the lips of so many presenters, Aune summed it up by saying the school would serve students for years to come.
“I believe that schools are a measure of a community’s priorities and values,” Aune said. “This school, like our other schoolhouses sends a strong message that our community places high value on education and the highest value on its children.”
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