Shakespeare Opening Next Weekend

The first meeting of the Crochet and Knitting Club at Ferndale High School took place this week. Students of all skill levels came together to explore fiber arts. The club is open to all students and has the goal of eventually creating pieces to be donated to charity organizations in our community.

Ferndale musicians have received significant recognition lately for their exceptional talents and dedication to craft.

Two students were selected for the Oakland University Honors Bands, which took place November 4-5 at Oakland University. They were:

• Lucy Davisson, flute, 9th grade
• Mary Kacir, percussion, 9th grade

Seven FHS band students were selected for the MSBOA District 4 Honors Bands. District 4 encompasses the vast majority of the high schools in Oakland County, as well as a few in Livingston County. This event takes place January 12-13 at Clarkston HS. Those students are:

• Ruth Brisson, oboe, 11th grade
• Meera Venugopal, clarinet, 9th grade
• Bryanna Brown, bass clarinet, 12th grade
• Corrina Kimball, trumpet, 9th grade
• Leo Curran, French horn, 11th grade
• Logan Stoll, euphonium, 12th grade
• Mary Kacir, percussion, 9th grade

Two FMS students were selected for the Michigan Middle School All-State Band. This event takes place January 25-27 in Grand Rapids at the Amway Grand and DeVos Place in conjunction with the Michigan Music Conference (the major PD event for music teachers in Michigan). Roughly 2800 students auditioned for spots in the 5 All-State groups from around Michigan. The two that made it are the first FMS band students to ever make All-State (we've had a couple of orchestra kids make it, but never band). They are:

• Kieran Jamison, oboe, 7th grade
• Andrew Meyersieck, trumpet, 7th grade

All of these opportunities invite student musicians to meet other musicians and conductors in order to practice and perform together in front of new audiences. We are so proud of our Eagles and thankful for the continued leadership of our Music Department.

Today, we celebrated Classgiving—an annual tradition that allows Adult Transition students to contribute something extra to their school family. With some support from Adult Transitions Teacher Danny Collins and Joe Altizer, the students shop for all of the ingredients, cook the food for the feast, and serve it to friends and classmates. This tradition is over 10 years old, and we are so proud of our Self Contained students for putting this event on every year.

This past weekend, the Student Enterprise Theatre presented three great performances of Puffs with wonderfully receptive audiences. Several audience members commented on how much they liked the play itself for it's humourous tone and how impressed they were with the talent in the cast. Highlights of the cast were several FMS students taking on large roles, including Zoe Frappier, Zoe Erskine, Lauren McMiller, Malia Ajonuma, Lucie Bisha, Maisy Russell, Lu Kaiser and Piper Stoll. The lights and sound design by Seth Amadei were also very well received.

If you were unable to catch Puffs, save the date for the spring musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Performance dates will be March 9–17, 2024. Auditions will be held December 13 and 14 and are open to all FHS and FMS students.

Students from FHS, UHS, and TCEC attended the Southeast MiCareer Quest event last Tuesday held annually at Suburban Showplace in Novi. Employers and training institutions from around Michigan provided students with hands on experiences in four career quadrants including Advanced Manufacturing, Healthcare, Construction and Information Technology. Students tried out new technology, asked questions and participated in computerized and VR simulations. Students learned about possible career pathways and opportunities in their areas of interest.