4th Annual Guest Artist Concert with Scott Wendholt on trumpet.
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Doxy by Sonny Rawlins ( Music ) -
Lady Mac by Duke Ellington ( Music )
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Miss Missouri by Benny Carter ( Music )
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Just a Pretty Little Thing by Tom Kubis ( Music )
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Beyond Thursday by Scott Wendholt ( Music )
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Skylark - RHS Jazz Band ( Music )
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It Might As Well Be Spring - Hanford HS Freshman Jazz Band ( Music )
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Bye Bye Blackbird - Hanford HS Jazz Band II ( Music )
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Vine Street Rumble - Hanford HS Jazz Band ( Music )
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Phantom of the Opera Medley - RHS Concert Choir ( Music )
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A Girls Garden - RHS Treble Choir ( Music )
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Love Nest - RHS Jazz Choir ( Music )
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Bellerenge - RHS Chamber Choir ( Music )
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Blessing - RHS Combined Choir ( Music )
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Put a Little Love in Your Heart ( Music ) -
French Folk Song ( Music )
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Twinkle Twinkle ( Music )
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Regal March ( Music )
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Makin Music All Day Long ( Music )
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Good News ( Music )
Richland School District music teachers performed a variety of vocal and instrumental selections at a special concert in January 2010. All proceeds were used to support District music programs.
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To Where You Are - Greg Fryhling ( Music )
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Messin 'Round - A. Barnett, D. Black, S. Duberstein, R. Sanders and D. Teague ( Music )
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Tango - Sarah Berglund (My Four Ladies String Quartet) ( Music )
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The Magic Trumpet - Robin Sanders ( Music )
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Horovitz Sonatina, Mvt. 2 - Jason Rose ( Music )
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Monograph IV - Carri Rose ( Music )
You might call them our unsung heroes...the classified employees who keep our schools running smoothly. One of those is Ken Miller, longtime building foreman at Marcus Whitman Elementary School.
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HomeLink team successfully designs future city - 3/10 ( RSD Videos )
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Erik Nelson & Sherry Meng of Richland High ( RSD Videos )
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Michael Alva & Sydney Dale of Hanford High School - 1/10 ( RSD Videos )
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Hannah Lake & Tasha Kulmus of Richland High - 12/09 ( RSD Videos )
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HHS senior earns Eagle Scout award - 9/09 ( RSD Videos )
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Read 180: Making a Difference in Students' Lives ( RSD Videos )
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Erica Toebe & Hannah McIntosh of River's Edge - 5/09 ( RSD Videos )
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Alyssa McElroy & Kelly Jette of Hanford High - 4/09 ( RSD Videos )
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Eric Turner & Deborah Wright of Richland High - 3/09 ( RSD Videos )
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Pat Mahoney & Jereny Mendoza of River's Edge High - 3/09 ( RSD Videos )
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Tenesha Shelby & Valerie Sewart of Hanford High 2/09 ( RSD Videos )
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Cassie Bender & Elizabeth Andrews of Richland High - 2/09 ( RSD Videos )
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Richland High School 1958 State Championship Basketball Team ( RSD Videos )
November 22, 2009
By Bethany Woo, Tri-City Herald staff writer
RICHLAND -- For 97-year-old Herschel Crose of Richland, the secret to staying young is how you live, what you eat and most importantly, reading.
Once a week Crose visits Badger Elementary School in Richland to spend a half-hour reading with a boy 89 years his junior.
"It's fun to meet Herschel and fun to read with him," said Riley Johansen, Crose's 8-year-old reading partner at Badger. "(Reading) is very fun and it makes you smarter."
Crose launched a program eight years ago to connect community reading volunteers with kids needing extra reading time.
"I belong to Kiwanis and think it's important for younger people to learn how to read, so I have organized a group in Kiwanis that reads with different elementary schools in Richland," he said. "I've been reading ever since then and will continue as long as I'm able."
Crose's program, Volunteer Reading, has five volunteers at Badger Mountain Elementary, three at Lewis and Clark Elementary School and four at Marcus Whitman Elementary School.
Badger Mountain Principal Gail Ledbetter is a fan of Crose's ongoing pursuit of educating her students.
"A lot of times, as people age, they don't have that connection with kids anymore, and he's choosing to stay connected. And he sees what great citizens our kids are and for a person that old to say, 'I believe in kids,' that's pretty cool," she said.
Crose, born in Colorado on Oct. 18, 1912, moved to Richland in 1944 and worked in the 100 areas at Hanford.
About 10 years ago, he began volunteering at Eastgate Elementary School in Kennewick. Two years later, he joined the Kiwanis Club of Richland and began seeking volunteers interested in reading to children in Richland schools.
"After about one week, I could see the value in this," he said. "Then I got to thinking, if there's a problem here, there's got to be problems in Richland schools."
The Badger REACH program, which works with about 30 students, coordinates with Crose's program, pairing volunteers with students who either need more reading time or someone to connect with for 30 minutes each week.
Staci Kump, chairwoman of the REACH program, said Crose has been working with Badger for five years. "He not only comes and helps, but he's a big help in recruiting more readers. It's been very helpful having him," she said.
Crose said his sessions consist of taking the student to a little desk in the hall where the student will read from a book the teacher has picked out.
"If the student has problems pronunciating or with timing, I will help them along," he said. "Reading is probably one of the most important studies -- if you can't read, you can't do anything."
Ledbetter appreciates his attitude: "It really makes a big difference to those kids who are paired with a reading tutor. They really look forward to that reading session each week. It has a great impact on our kids, not just with helping them with their reading skills, but also with that one-on-one connection that a kid can make to another caring and concerned adult in their life," she said.
Crose impresses many with his agility, sharp wit and cheerful personality.
Aside from volunteering at schools, Crose, a widower since 2003, volunteers four hours each Friday at CREHST museum, giving tours about life in Richland in the early '40s, and is an active member at Southside Church in Richland. He walks a mile every morning before breakfast and frequently refers to The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren for inspiration.
"He inspires us because of his age, attitude, memory; he's just very loving and giving," said Kelly Glaser, a secretary at Badger Mountain. "He's a wonderful person for the kids to emulate."
His daughter Judy Snowhite, 69, of Richland, said her father jokes that his short-term goal is to reach the age of 100 and that he will set his long-term goal after reaching that one.
Volunteering is another secret to Crose's staying young.
"It's a very rewarding effort," he said. "I recommend everyone who has time to spare, volunteer their time. These young kids will be our leaders one day. One of the objectives of Kiwanis is to see the needs of the children are taken care of. This is an ideal place for this to take place."
 Cheyenne Humphrey, Oil Pastel, Richland High School |
 Brooklyn PercifieldRoush, Clay, Chief Joseph |
 Camilla McKinnon, 2nd Grade, Jefferson |
 Veda Verada, Pencil & Pastel, Hanford High School |
 Scott Leitner, Kindergarten, Badger Mountain |
 Rebecca Chu, Oil Pastel, Hanford High School |
Spring 2010
Preparing students to become “critical thinkers”, “contributing and responsible members of society” and “successful in the global community” are more than just phrases embedded in the Richland School District’s new mission statement. These words reflect the true end game of what student learning is all about.
Often times, learning begins with a question posed by a teacher. Why should we care about genocide or famine in North Africa? Is the Electoral College the best way to elect the president of the United States? Should the Tri-Cities have an aquatic center and where should it be located? Students develop critical thinking skills as they discuss issues, form opinions, listen to opposing points of view and discuss the merits of each side.
Reading novels like the Grapes of Wrath or To Kill a Mockingbird give students opportunities to reflect on the challenges that our nation has faced. Students working in the GESA Credit Union branches at Hanford and Richland High Schools apply text book learning to a “real world” setting. Elementary students learn about politics by discussing the viewpoints of presidential candidates and casting votes in mock elections.
Sometimes, studying issues can lead to action and that’s when education becomes exciting. Academia merges into reality as students decide to get involved…..to help someone….to make a difference….in their local community, their nation and their world. Here are just a few inspiring examples of many that take place regularly in the Richland School District.
International Problems students at River’s Edge High School conducted a book drive and raised $3500 for Invisible Children, a non-profit organization working to improve secondary education opportunities in northern Uganda. Twenty-three years of civil war have devastated the education system in the region. “The students learned that they can make a difference by becoming part of the global community,” said teacher Brian Sites. “They know now that they can play a role in helping create a better world.”
Learning about the thousands of children dying from malaria in Africa stirred the hearts of some Chief Joseph Middle School students. They started a drive to raise money for Nothing but Nets, an organization that sends insecticide-treated bed nets to Africa. In the poorest parts of the world, bed nets are often the most cost-effective way to prevent malaria transmission. "We had been studying Africa in our World History class and these seventh graders were taken aback by the amount of malaria deaths," says teacher Ryan Hoff. "They really felt something for these children. They wanted to raise money to save lives."
When the Richland Food Bank was running low on supplies, the Jefferson Elementary School K-Kids Screaming Eagles (sponsored by the Tri-Cities Industry Kiwanis Club) jumped into action by putting food collection boxes around the school. After collecting the food, the K-Kids delivered the items personally to the Richland Food Bank.
Many schools have conducted supply drives for military personnel serving overseas. Hundreds of boxes have been donated to the local group American Citizens Encouraging Support for shipment to Iraq and Afghanistan. Students not only send socks, toothpaste and other personal items, but they write letters of encouragement to these heroes who are far away from home.
Concern about the environment has led to a significant recycling program at Marcus Whitman Elementary School. Bags and bags of plastic, paper, glass, tin, cardboard and aluminum are collected each week and diverted from the local landfill. Spearheading the effort is fourth grade teacher Lorie Morrison. "If we don't take care of the earth, who will?" she asks her students.
There’s not only a tradition of educational excellence in the Richland School District, but also a tradition of giving back to our community and to the world. We commend all the teachers, parents and community members who instill our young people with the values of hard work, kindness and generosity.
Spring 2010
The dancing dynasty continues at Hanford High School. For the sixth straight year, the Falcon Fever Dance Team earned two first place trophies at the Washington State Dance Competition held March 27 at the Yakima Sun Dome. The HHS team won championships in both the Kick and Jazz categories. Both of the winning routines were choreographed by Anna Merrifield, a former Falcon Fever dancer who is currently dancing at the University of Cincinnati.
“I’m proud of these girls’ dedication, commitment and hard work to defend their state titles,” said coach Rachael Morgan. “It’s been a privilege to coach such a kind-hearted and inspiring group. They are simply amazing girls.”
The HHS dance team members are:
Megan Baker
Katherine Palmus
Haylee Tayamen
Paris Wilson
Sydney Dale
Sarah Hughes
Tayler Warner
Alexandra Martin
Bethany McClendon
Eva Grate
Kelsey Manning
Kayla Kammenzind
Sophie Cavanah
The two championship routines can be seen on You Tube at these links:
The Science Club at Sacajawea Elementary School offers students an extra opportunity to learn about science. “Marvelous Machines” was one of the topics covered during the four-week session. In this photo, Kelly Chuang discovers how a hammer is actually an example of a simple machine, a lever that makes work easier. About 30 students attended the after school enrichment classes led by teachers Karen Bryan and Pam Hood.