As you browse the internet or work on your computer, we invite you to listen to these quality performances by Richland School District music groups. Enjoy!

Performances from the MENC NW Division Conference in February, 2007 and the Mead Jazz Festival in March, 2007.

A Sacajawea Elementary student gets a kick out of looking at a magnified friend through a Fresnel lens. The lens demonstration was part of the Pacific Science Center's Science on Wheels program which brings interactive exhibits to schools across the state. The Fresnel lens was originally developed for use in lighthouses in 1823. Today, aircraft carriers use Fresnel lenses in their optical landing systems. New applications have also appeared in solar energy where Fresnel lenses are used to concentrate sunlight onto solar cells.

The Christmas spirit was alive and well at White Bluffs Elementary School in December 2007. All over the school, students wrapped up presents to take to patients and families at the Tri-Cities Cancer Center.

The idea to partner with the Cancer Center started with teacher Amy McLaughlin and soon expanded to every classroom in the school. Each classroom was matched up with a family who had someone going through cancer treatment. A letter asking for gift donations went home to all White Bluffs families and the response was quite remarkable. Hundreds and hundreds of presents were delivered to the Cancer Center on December 18.

"We're excited about this because we want to teach our kids to be thankful for their health as well as the health of their families," says McLaughlin. "We also want them to understand that giving can be rewarding."