CONNIE GODWIN NAMED 2011 OUTSTANDING TEXAS TROUPE DIRECTOR – Connie Sue Godwin, a theater teacher at The Woodlands High School, was honored with the Eric Bailey Outstanding Troupe Director’s Award at the Texas Thespian State Festival in December. She taught for six years at McCullough High School (The Woodlands) and 13 years at Oak Ridge High School, and in her second year back at The Woodlands she advanced her UIL One-Act Play to State. She also put a special education child in the UIL one-act play, a blind student in a major show, and learned sign language to “talk” to a deaf student .

The curriculum that she returned to teach at TWHS was created by her when she first taught at McCullough. It is being utilized by teachers in California, Hawaii and Arizona, as well several schools in Texas, and was given to graduating students in the University of Texas theater teacher training program.

Godwin has brought numerous awards to her school. She has coached students in speech tournaments to the state and national levels. In l990, she directed the 5A UIL OAP State Champion show, and has appeared at the State meet five times. Last year, her students went to State Finals in OAP, Prose and Marketing.

The most remarkable and admirable quality about Godwin is that she never sacrifices the welfare of the student to put on a better play, to win a contest, or to pursue an award. She refuses to do shows that only feature a few “stars.” Student learning is her major guideline.

_________________________________________________________________________________

COOPER’S STUDENT COUNCIL LOADS UP SALVATION ARMY TRUCK WITH GIFTS FOR OTHERS – Lower School students at The John Cooper School and their families gathered gifts for the Montgomery County Salvation Army “Giving Tree” throughout the first part of December. In mid-December, members of Cooper’s Lower School Student Council helped representatives from The Salvation Army load the truck with the gifts.

The annual service project is coordinated each year by the Lower School Student Council under the coordination of Teresa Robson, assistant to the head of Lower School. In addition to gifts for children, teens and senior citizens, the drive collected gifts for citizens with disabilities.

_________________________________________________________________________________

THE WOODLANDS HS THEATER STUDENTS CAST IN ALL-STATE THESPIAN SHOW – All five students from The Woodlands High School who auditioned were cast in the Texas All-State show Coram Boy. More than 120 students from across the state auditioned for the show, and students from 21 Texas schools were cast in 30 roles.  Juniors Aaron Evans, Christy Beauchemin, and Rachel Schardt, and sophomores Andrew Hollinger and Megan Miller will be part of the cast made up of students from throughout the state.

This year, the All-State cast will spend a week during the summer at the University of Texas as well as rehearse in different parts of the state throughout the year. Their efforts will culminate in the show at the George R. Brown convention center at the 2012 Texas State Thespian Festival in December.

Coram Boy, written by Helen Edmundson, is based on the award-winning young adult novel by Jamila Gavin. It will feature flying by ZFX Flying from Las Vegas, and students will be assisted by vocal coaches and movement directors, as well as the University of Texas theater staff.

_________________________________________________________________________________

“HAPPY FEET” PERFORMERS SPREAD HOLIDAY CHEER AND WARMTH TO AREA SENIOR RESIDENTS – Performing arts students from all three divisions of The John Cooper School spread holiday cheer to four area residences for senior citizens in December. The “Happy Feet” performers shared their talents in music, song and dance at Regent Care Center of The Woodlands, Terrace Assisted Living and Memory Care, The Woodlands Healthcare Center and Silverado Senior Living. Students also distributed gifts of blankets and cards and visited with residents following the performance.

_________________________________________________________________________________

GIRL SCOUT STRIKES GOLD IN THE WOODLANDS – Demme Durrett, a 15-year-old Girl Scout, organized and sponsored a Human Rights Day walk and celebration in Town Park in The Woodlands.

Demme, a student at John Cooper School working towards her Girl Scout Gold Award, chose International Human Rights Day for her project to educate others on the 30 Human Rights that were established in the 1940s.  Demme’s walk and festival were part of a network of events designed to help raise awareness about Human Rights.

More than 1,000 people took part in the fun activities and the educational opportunities at the walk and festival. The Woodlands Walk in the Park celebration of Human Rights was the largest attended Human Rights Walk in the nation on that day.

The walk involves students of all ages from more than 30 countries on six continents who join in a walk to raise awareness of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. The events have included petition drives, distribution of human rights education materials, and concerts.

Durrett’s walk was based on helping raise awareness and educate people about the 30 Human Rights as laid out in the The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which grew from the determination of human rights advocates to prevent the devastating human rights abuses that occurred during World War II.

_________________________________________________________________________________

STUDENT GEOGRAPHIC BEE WINNERS AT ST. ANTHONY – St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School middle school students competed in the area National Geographic Bee. The winners were Collin Filley, first place; Spencer O’Connor, second place; and Charlie Scorpiniti, third place. Collin will be testing for the next qualifying round, which presents an opportunity to compete at the state level.