The Dalles Middle School color guard performed with the school’s marching band last week. Left to right, Victoria Males, Yesenia Eziquio, Naomi Potsema, Blake Darr, Kassandra Huizar Perez, Mynoah Iaulualo, and Amara Mackey. Not pictured are Keida Hendricks, Jessica Huizar Perez, Amie Patchin, Gloria Maciel, Daniela Alvarez, and Arlet Villa.
The 300 students involved in the school’s music department accept a ceremonial $1,000 from NW Honda Dealers. In front with the check are, from left: David Griffith of Griffith Honda, TDMS music director Leslie Sullivan, principal Sandy Harris, and Mike Sullivan of Griffith Honda.
The Dalles Middle School color guard performed with the school’s marching band last week. Left to right, Victoria Males, Yesenia Eziquio, Naomi Potsema, Blake Darr, Kassandra Huizar Perez, Mynoah Iaulualo, and Amara Mackey. Not pictured are Keida Hendricks, Jessica Huizar Perez, Amie Patchin, Gloria Maciel, Daniela Alvarez, and Arlet Villa.
Emily Fitzgerald
The 300 students involved in the school’s music department accept a ceremonial $1,000 from NW Honda Dealers. In front with the check are, from left: David Griffith of Griffith Honda, TDMS music director Leslie Sullivan, principal Sandy Harris, and Mike Sullivan of Griffith Honda.
The Dalles Middle School music department, which includes band, choir and musical theater, received a $1,000 grant from Northwest Honda Dealers and a matching donation from Griffith Honda, totaling $2,000 for the department.
The two checks were formally presented to principal Sandy Harris, music director Leslie Sullivan, and all 300 students involved in the TDMS music department after a brief performance by the seventh and eighth grade marching band and the color guard on the school field April 25.
“We strive to make music available for all students and encourage students to step out of their comfort zones and do things they never thought they could do,” said Harris in a written statement, “This will allow even more students to participate, which is very important since these programs facilitate learning in other subjects, which leads to higher grades and test scores. It also boosts students’ self-esteem.”
The $1,000 from Northwest Honda is part of its “School is Better Thanks to Your Local NW Honda Dealer Program,” which awards $1,000 giveaways to 11 schools in the Pacific Northwest “to help with programs that otherwise have lacked funding due to severe budget cuts,” the Northwest Honda Dealers Association stated in a press release.
TDMS is the ninth of 11 schools recognized in the 2017-2018 school year.
Reynolds, Newport and Wilsonville high schools, Floyd Light Middle School, and Highland Park and Minter Bridge elementary schools were among the other schools awarded giveaways.
Griffith Honda, the only one of Northwest Honda’s 11 associated members located in The Dalles, decided to match the dealership’s giveaway with a donation of their own.
“We are thrilled to support The Dalles Middle School’s music program since students don’t have to have any previous musical experience and there is no additional cost to join these groups,” said Tammy McVane, general manager of Griffith Honda, in a written statement.
April 25 was TDMS color guard’s first showing of the season, which was quickly followed by an appearance alongside the marching band in the Tonkin Subaru Parade during the 39th Annual Northwest Cherry Festival over the weekend.
In addition to marching in the parade, the marching band performed the halftime show at the Gorge Roller Girls’ double derby on Saturday. Upcoming, the music department puts on the musical “Xanadu Jr.!” May 11 and 12.
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