School Days 5.20.15

Cape Christian Academy
On May 8, Cape Christian Academy held their annual Spring Concert at Cape Island Baptist Church in Cape May. Students from PK through 8th grade performed a variety of praise and worship songs through song and dance.
Cape May Tech
On May 2, students from Cape May County Technical High School attended the 2015 New Jersey SkillsUSA Championship held at the Garden State Exhibit Center in Somerset County and the Somerset County Technical School in Bridgewater, NJ. More than 1600 students competed in over 90 real-world skill and leadership contests.
The medal winners from the competition include: Job Skill Demo A (Culinary)- South Region Silver/State Gold – Kandice Givens; Audio/Radio Production-Bronze – James Bevill and Tom Bailey; Culinary Arts – Bronze- Emily Farschon; Restaurant Service – Silver – Rebecca Huertes; and Quiz Bowl – Silver – Mike Hawthorne, Archer Gandley, Duncan Gandley, Hanna Dietrich, Kristian Catarcio, Stephanie Miller, and Louis Remy. Ms. Nancy Fissel is the advisor.
SkillsUSA is a national Career and Technical Student Organization that provides quality education experiences for students in leadership, teamwork, citizenship and character development. It builds and reinforces self-confidence, work attitudes and communications skills. For more information on SkillsUSA, visit www.NJ-SkillsUSA.org and for Cape May County Technical High School visit www.capemaytech.com.
Wildwood High School
Wildwood High School’s band took the Warrior Nation to Kutztown, Pa., and proved, yet once again, when it comes to music, this band is tops.
The 32-member high school concert band, along with the high school jazz ensemble, both placed first in the highly competitive Music in the Parks program held at Kutztown State College May 2.
“Last year all three of our school bands, the middle school, the high school and the jazz ensemble won,” said WHS music teacher and band director Charles Syvarth. “This year both the high school concert band and high school jazz ensemble took first place, with the jazz ensemble also taking best overall ensemble.”
The high school concert band includes students from freshman through senior years. For the graduating seniors, this year’s appearance at Music in the Parks was bittersweet.
“It was awesome, but sad,” said Tania Claudio, a senior flutist. “I won’t be able to do it again.” Claudio has been accepted into Rowan University where she will study Criminal Justice. She began her music career as a seventh grader at Wildwood Middle School.
Senior Rick Amado said the competition was nerve-wracking. “You never know if you’re going to mess up halfway through your song.”
Students take in-school music lessons once a week throughout the school year. They are brought together as an ensemble Monday evenings and Wednesday during the school day. With various in-school schedules making school day practices virtually impossible, in order to practice as a whole band each musician gives up a Monday evening to play as a group.
“One of my favorite things to do is stop and listen to our students practice, and watch Mr. Syvarth work his magic with them,” said Wildwood School Superintendent John Kummings. “Many of our students have multiple commitments with extracurriculars and athletics, and it is very inspiring to see the product of their commitment to music. ”
The school’s band has been bringing home awards for many years. Due to budget cutbacks, the school’s band took a hiatus for many years and was reinstituted 13 years ago when the school was awarded a $100,000 grant from the Byrne Foundation to purchase instruments, music stands, lesson books, chairs and other much-needed items.
“Funding for this band came from a hometown boy who never forgot his roots and infused money into this band so kids would have the opportunity to participate and perform just like any other school activity,” said Wildwood Mayor Ernie Troiano Jr., an alumnus of the school.
“I am so proud of these kids,” said Syvarth. Their teacher noted how their hard work and diligence was key to their success.
“These students are part of the new tradition of music that Wildwood High School has produced and will continue to produce. We, as a city, are very proud of them,’ said the mayor.