Education

Show and Tell: Schools and youths in the news

Compiled by Mary Anderson and Debbie Cafazzo, staff writers

Updated March 21, 2016 8:40 AM

Charles Wright announces new leadership

Matt Culberson will be the next leader of Charles Wright Academy, the board of trustees has announced. He will succeed current headmaster Robert Camner, who is retiring after 20 years with the school. Culberson comes from the McGillis School in Salt Lake City, which he led since 2006. Previously he was assistant head of school and academic dean at Oakley School in Park City, Utah, and spent 12 years at the Waterford School, also in Utah.

Culberson has a bachelor’s degree from Washington and Lee University and a master’s degree from the University of Denver. He is a former vice president of the Northwest Association of Independent Schools’ Board of Governors.

Dinner theater at Truman Middle School

A three-part miniseries featuring local middle school students launches April 8 on Tacoma Public School District social media accounts. The series is an ad for Truman Middle School’s first murder mystery dinner theater, “Murder at the Astoria Hotel.”

The commercial miniseries features cast and crew members from Tacoma, Puyallup and Bellingham. They made the short films to promote the mystery dinner theater, which takes place April 30 at the Truman cafeteria, disguised as a fancy New York hotel.

Proceeds from the event, which features catering by Pacific Grill, will go to the D.A. Gonyea Boys and Girls Club. For tickets, call Truman’s office at 253-571-5600. For more information, go to dinnertheatretacoma. org.

College and career fair at Curtis High

Curtis High School will sponsor its second College and Career Readiness Fair from 5 to 7 p.m. March 29 in the school’s main gym, 8425 40th St. W., University Place.

Representatives from local college and technical schools, several branches of the military, government agencies and local nonprofit groups will be present.

There will also be a Transition Resource Fair for families of students with disabilities who are looking beyond high school, and Curtis career and technical education programs will offer presentations.

Attendees are ask to bring a canned food item for the F.U.N. Food Bank.

Regional art contest winners announced

Students from Puyallup and Tacoma are among the 11 winners of the Puget Sound ESD Regional High School Art Show. Their work will will advance to the 43rd Annual State High School Art Show in Olympia.

Local winners are: Savannah Smith, Rogers High School; Lettie Cole, Rogers High School; Emma Lenti, Tacoma School of the Arts; and Alana Gonczar, Science and Math Institute in Tacoma.

Learn more, and view the winning art work, at http://bit.ly/1UjF0lC.

Choir to perform in fundraiser for trip

Wilson High School’s Scintillation Show Choir will perform current pop hits at its annual Show Choir Dinner and Auction fundraiser.

The choir will be performing at Universal Studios Park and Disneyland Magic Music Days in April. The fundraiser helps support the trip.

The dinner and show is at 5 p.m. Saturday at Charles Wright Academy, 7723 Chambers Creek Road, University Place. Tickets are $20 and include dinner.

For information, call Wendy Shepherd at 253-571-6156.

Jason Lee selected for national program

Jason Lee Middle School has been selected as an Advancement Via Individual Determination system National Demonstration School. It’s the first site to be chosen in Pierce County.

The program is designed to change underperforming students into college-bound scholars and graduates. Jason Lee is one of about 150 demonstration schools selected through an application process, screening, review and site visit.

AVID works by holding students accountable to the highest standards and providing academic and social support in about 5,600 schools in 44 states.

South Sound students serve at Legislature

During the past legislative session in Olympia, local students have been serving as pages in the House of Representatives and Senate. They perform a variety of responsibilities and receive daily civics instruction, draft bills and participate in mock committee hearings. The following students recently served as pages:

Ava Meier and Madison Meier, Graham, sponsored by Sen. Randi Becker (R-Eatonville); Maddie Ashcraft, Puyallup, sponsored Rep. Melanie Stambaugh, (R-Puyallup); Aidan McKee, Puyallup, sponsored by Stambaugh.