Atascocita Middle School students excel in music, theater, art
Atascocita Middle School is celebrating Sweepstakes Awards and Judges Scores of ones for Superior in band, choir and orchestra, first place in One-Act Play contest, and two finalists in the Middle School Art Competition sponsored by the Art Colony Association.
“Our community can be proud of the directors who lead each program and the talented students who practice and perform at high levels,” Atascocita Middle School Principal Karl Koehler said.
Music groups compete in a UIL concert contest, performing three songs for three judges. They also compete in sight reading contest, performing a song they have been taught just minutes earlier in front of three other judges. Each judge can give a score of one through five.
“The desired target is three judges’ scores of 1 for superior in concert and three judges’ scores of 1 for superior in sightreading,” Koehler said. “A score of 1-1-1, 1-1-1- is called a clean sweepstakes and is the strongest possible UIL score. Clean sweepstakes is becoming an annual tradition for several of our performing groups.”
The AMS Band Program, led by Director Cameron Wolfe and Assistant Director Aaron Barnes, earned Sweepstakes with both the varsity and nonvarsity band. AMS was one of only two schools out of 92 in Houston where both bands earned clean sweepstakes.
The AMS Orchestra Program, led by Director Yu-Chuan Lin and Assistant Director Christine Prindle, earned Sweepstakes with its Symphony Orchestra. Its Philharmonic Orchestra earned all 1s in concert contest.
The AMS Varsity Girls Choir, led by Director Heather Stewart, also earned all 1s in concert contest.
In theater, students perform a one-act play in less than 40 minutes in front of one judge. The AMS Theater program, led by Director Jessica Anthis and Assistant Director David Grantham, took home first place in the UIL One-Act Play Contest. Students also received awards for Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Techie.
In art, Atascocita Middle Schools students have won the following honors over the past two years:
• Two finalists in the Middle School Art Competition sponsored by the Art Colony Association
• Best of Show in the 2015 Humble ISD Fine Arts Festival
• Piece selected to be one of five pieces in Humble ISD to be awarded and shown at the Bob Bullock Museum in Austin for Youth Art Month
• Honorable mention at Scholastic Art Awards
• Two students having one of Top 30 art pieces at the Bayou City Art Festival. One of those students was selected People’s Choice winner at the Art Festival.
The art program is led by teachers Michelle Hamous and Michelle Venghuas.
“The dedicated teachers in art, band, choir, orchestra and theater help students learn creative thinking and processes that can be used in many areas of life, from the arts, to business, to the sciences,” Koehler said.