W e e k l y COLTON COURIER
Vol 146, NO. 1 2
March 8, 2018
CJUSD holds Festival of Bands to highlight student success
THIS WEEK
Gloria’s Cor ner A3
Workshop f ocused on boards, commissions A6
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C
olton Joint Unified School District’s bands-ranging from elementary to high school--showcased their talents during the Festival of Bands at Grand Terrace High School on March 6.
director at YMCA
A7
INSIDE
Gloria’s Corner
A3
Opinion
A4
Classifieds
A8
Words To think About A5
Legal Notices
A9
H OW TO R E AC H US
Inland Empire Com munity Newspaper s Of fice: (909) 381- 9898 Fax: (909) 384-0406
Editorial: ie cn1@ mac .com Adve r tising: sales@ iec n.c om
ANTHONY VICTORIA
Colton Joint Unified School District Band Director Andrea Morse (center) guiding young musicians from the district’s 18 elementary schools in the performance of William Owens’ “Samba Bamba” during the Festival of Bands at Grand Terrace High School on March 6, 2018.
By Anthony Victoria
Franco new program
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The district’s 18 elementary schools performed in groups and were conducted by district Band Directors Vanessa Duckworth and Andrea Morse. The middle school and high school ensembles were conducted by Caitlin Curan, Phillip Wright, Lysander McKown, Robert Ransell, Victor
Torres, and Special Guest Conductors Layne Gardner and Dr. Nicholas Bratcher. The conductors took on a diverse number of musical sounds, but it's safe to say performances of patriotic songs like “Americans We” and “America the Beautiful” prompted impas-
sioned responses from supporters inside the gymnasium. Ransdell, the Band Director at Grand Terrace High School, believes the festival helps highlight the hard work students put into their performances. “Everyone gets to see what the district has to offer,” he said.
‘Escape’ bus helps students lear n 21st Centur y skills
W
By Anthony Victoria
ouldn’t you want to be in a classroom where students are excited to take on problem-solving situations? One educational group is offering a way to provide students and teachers with “hands-on” experiences to transform their learning environments. The iSchool initiative stopped by the Mojave Desert Academy in Colton on March 6 to introduce the ‘Escape the Bus’ to the campus. The organization partners with technology companies like Cisco to help students prepare for “21st Century” jobs that require using up-to-date and state-of-the-art gadgets. “While content is important, [students] need to learn the effectiveness of communication and critical thinking skills,” Escape, cont. on pg. 2
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ANTHONY VICTORIA
Mojave River Academy students, ages 10 to 18, were provided the opportunity to learn problem solving and critical thinking skills by using technology devices to resolve an issue inside the iSchool initiative’s ‘Escape Bus’. The organization strives to prepare students and educators for the 21st Century.