The Edmonds School Board had a lot to celebrate during its meeting Tuesday night.
First, the Board was recognized by district staff for their commitment to schools as part of School Board Recognition Month. Giselle Iseli and Amy Nguyen, both students at Madrona K-8, read a proclamation by Gov. Jay Inslee.
“School directors play a crucial role in promoting student learning and achievement by creating a vision, establishing policies and budgets and setting clear standards of accountability for all involved,” the proclamation states. “School directors are directly accountable to the citizens in their districts and regions, serving as a vital link between members of the community and their schools.”
Superintendent Kris McDuffy said it was an honor to work for dedicated school board members like the ones in the Edmonds School District.
“They give hundreds of hours to make sure we have the best school district in the state of Washington,” she said.
As part of the celebration recognizing the board, an Edmonds-Woodway High School choir performed two pieces: “I Wish I Could Go Traveling Again” and “There Is a Quiet Place.”
Following the performance, more district musicians were recognized–namely the All-State musicians selected from throughout the Edmonds School District.
Musicians must audition for the All-State music groups and just 1,000 are selected from across the state. Thirty-three students were chosen from the Edmonds School District (a full list is provided below).
Board Member Ann McMurray said she was excited to see such musical talent in the district. She then explained that music is not a school program funded by the state, but by the community, which has approved levies in support of music and other programs.
“We would be remiss if we didn’t thank the taxpayers of the district for their support of music programs like these in our middle schools an high schools,” she said.
A full list of All-State musicians is below:
2018 WMEA All-State Jazz Groups
| Student Full Name | Teacher Name (L/F) | School | Instrument | Group Name |
| Stuart Harrison | Bergevin, Jake | EWHS | Tenor Sax | Jazz Band |
| Rodney Odfemia | Bergevin, Jake | EWHS | Bass | Jazz Band |
| Natalie Whitlock | Bergevin, Jake | EWHS | Alto Sax | Jazz Band |
| Matthew Vo | Horenstein, Jeff | MDHS | Guitar | Jazz Band |
| Ethan Pyke | Faul, Darin | MTHS | Trombone | Jazz Band |
| Henry Smith-Hunt | Faul, Darin | MTHS | Trombone | Jazz Band |
| Miriel McFarland | Bergevin, Jake | EWHS | Drums | Jazz Choir |
| Nebee Yohannes | Bergevin, Jake | EWHS | Piano | Jazz Choir |
| Klara Adams | Reese, Charlotte | EWHS | Soprano 1 | Jazz Choir |
| Joshua Anderson | Reese, Charlotte | EWHS | Tenor 2 | Jazz Choir |
| Mikala Kim | Reese, Charlotte | EWHS | Alto 2 | Jazz Choir |
| Dominic Nye | Reese, Charlotte | EWHS | Bass 1 | Jazz Choir |
| Dana Salazar | Reese, Charlotte | EWHS | Soprano 2 | Jazz Choir |
| Michael Hagen | Horenstein, Jeff | MDHS | Tenor 1 | Jazz Choir |
| Georgia Victor | Horenstein, Jeff | MDHS | Alto 1 | Jazz Choir |
2018 WMEA All-State Concert Groups
| Student Full Name | Teacher Name (L/F) | School | Instrument | Group Name |
| Tabitha Robins | Reese, Charlotte | EWHS | Soprano 2 | Symphonic Choir |
| Ysa Bombita | Horenstein, Jeff | MDHS | Alto 1 | Symphonic Choir |
| Patrick May | Horenstein, Jeff | MDHS | Tenor 2 | Symphonic Choir |
| Kateara Utley | Horenstein, Jeff | MDHS | Soprano 1 | Symphonic Choir |
| Brooklyn Moore | Horenstein, Jeff | MDHS | Soprano 2 | Treble Choir |
| Lauren Sandoval | Horenstein, Jeff | MDHS | Alto 1 | Treble Choir |
| Eric Schultz | Bergevin, Jake | EWHS | Percussion | Chamber Orchestra |
| Alec Raring | Faul, Darin | MTHS | Trombone | Chamber Orchestra |
| Micah Cortezzo | Bergevin, Jake | EWHS | Bassoon | Symphony Orchestra |
| Isabella Wilhelm | Bergevin, Jake | EWHS | Clarinet | Symphony Orchestra |
| Ava Gehlen-Williams | Helseth, Karen | EWHS | Violin | Symphony Orchestra |
| Aaron Kim | Helseth, Karen | EWHS | Violin | Symphony Orchestra |
| Helen Nguyen | Helseth, Karen | EWHS | Violin | Symphony Orchestra |
| Daniel Holter | Hurd, Emily | MDHS | Bass Clar. | Concert Band |
| Chance Gompert | Hurd, Emily | MDHS | Trombone | Wind Ensemble |
| Ian Sjoholm | Faul, Darin | MTHS | Tuba | Wind Ensemble |
2018 WMEA Junior All-State Concert Groups
| Student Full Name | Teacher Name (L/F) | School | Instrument | School District |
| Giselle Iseli | Edwards, Matthew | MAD K-8 | Flute | Rainier Band |
| Amy Nguyen | Nelson, Victoria | MAD K-8 | Violin | Orchestra |
Also during the meeting, the board:
- Approved an interlocal agreement with the City of Edmonds to continue a bicycle and pedestrian safety program at Madrona K-8.
- Approved a contract to Allstream for district-wide telecommunication services.
- Approved moving relocatable classrooms to Cedar Way, Oak Heights, Sherwood and Westgate elementary schools, which have all seen an uptick in enrollment, even though the district as a whole has slightly decreased enrollment when compared to last year.
–Story and video by Natalie Covate
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