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27 years of academic excellence in RustonOedsr Creek School’s academic tradition and reputation run deep. As acollege prepatory school with a 27-yearhistory of exceptional academic performance, Cedar Creek School prepares its students to attend colleges end universities both in Louisiana andacross the country.This year alone, seniors have been accepted into a variety of Louisiana schools m addition to such prestigious _ni vers rues as the Massachusetts In-stirute of Technology, Vanderbilt andWashington and Lee.It is not just the academic programs in the classrooms, however, that prepare Cedar Creek students to attend the colleges and universities of their choice. An ever-expanding list of co-curricular activities give students at all grade levels the opportunity to develop interests and skills in a variety of areas. The most recent additions have been in the areas of drama and student publications.Several of the school’s extracurricular programs are largely responsible for preparing Cedar Creek students for college and beyond. These programs include drama, miming and writing.Extracurricular programs are not limited exclusively to the high school level. Drama clubs are offered to fourth- and fifth-grade students as well as kids at the junior and senior high levels.A mime program was developed for the fourth-graders by local mime artist Robert Giasolli, who helped them learn to communicate without words. They worked after school practieingfor a production,and14 out of 53 students were chosen to participate as one of “The Many Mini Magical Mimes of Cedar Creek.”AU fourth-graders participated, and those not selected for the show were given assignments in helping to produce it.The 14 students selected took the show on the road to area elementary schools, including Cypress Springs, Hico, Simsboro and Glenview.“They all were wonderful,” Dianne Hoogland, the fourth-grade teacher and sponsor, said. It was a great and cooperative event between Mr. Giasolli, the kids and the parents.” Sandra Belaire, who teaches fourth-and fifth-grade social studies at Cedar Creek, offers fifth-grade students the opportunity to participate in drama productions.Belaire’s program has been available for kids for two years. The fifth-grade program averages about 25 students, and is usually the children’s first experience in anything related to theater, Belaire said.They put on two performances a year; one of them being a play where the kids must audition for parts. Everyone gets a part, however. “They’re finding out quickly that even if it’s a small part, it may be an important part,” Belaire said.Belaire and Hoogland b6th feel like the kids have learned much about themselves and about drama whileparticipating in the programs.“They end up becoming very selfdirected, Belaire said. “I’m surprised at how creative they've become. Hopefully they’ll move on to the sixth-grade program.”Carla Lassiter’s drama clubs are in their first year, and are offered to junior high and senior high students. Lassiter said together the programs total 60 kids—an impressive number considering there are 359 students in grades six through 12 with many of those participating in sports.The junior high club has already put together four productions this school year, with “Mr. Patterson’s $5,000 Dog is Dead being the most recent.The senior high club has put on a few as well and is about to produce a dinner theater play called “A Night in Namia, based on C.S. Lewis’ well-known novel “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.”All of the students who participate in the club get into the productions.The plays do have auditions for character rolls where the student must do a three- to five-minute monologue. Students who don’t want to act can work backstage.To put together a production, students must stay after school to practice for two hours three times a week and on some weekends.Cedar Creek principal Tom Causey said the parents have been very supportive. “It gives them (the students) another avenue to show their creativity,” Causey said.It’sbeenreal exciting—they work hard,” Lassiter said of her first-year program. “I’ve taught them basics like facing your audience, breathing exercises and voice articulation.”One of the fundamental forms of4communication that is fading fast around the country is writing. That’s not the case at Cedar Creek. High school level students put out two publications: “Reflections” and “Southern Voices.”“Reflections” is a creative writing compilation of poems, short stories and essays written only by Cedar Creek students. The students write, edit and design the publication and circulate it throughout the school.All Cedar Creek high school students have a writing lab twice a week. Almost all of what goes into “Reflections” comes from those labs.“This is an opportunity for high school students to take pride in having something they’ve written published,” Pat Haworth, editor of “Reflections” and Cedar Creek English teacher, said. “I think it also is an inspiration to elementary and junior high kids. They enjoy reading what the older students have written and hopefully that translates into writingbecoming an enjoyable activity for them.”“Southern Voices” is a journal that is put together by the students at Cedar Creek, but the content goes beyond the works of Creek students. Over 1,000 students in a 10-state southeastern region submitted their work for consideration of publication.The judging is done by a highly respected panel that included professors from Harvard and the University of Cincinnati.“Voices” has several goals:•to recognize and reward student writing•to encourage students to explore the potential of their region’s language and stories•to stimulate cross-cultural communication and respect•to build prise; high ambition and superior achievement amongstudents from the Southern states by encouraging their active participationAlthough there is an advisory board that assists in the financial operations of “Voices,” the publication is entirelystudent-run and operated.Gaye Ingram, faculty sponsor for the journal, said it has had an impact in her English classroom. “It has been the finest teaching tool that I could ever want,” she said. “They read Keats more attentively now.”The journal has a website, which can be accessed at http:// www2.linknet.net/voices.In all, these programs farther enrich the already quality education Cedar Creek students regularly receive. “We see these activities as parts of an extension of what is already a strong college prepatory program,” Marilyn Koepke, Cedar Creek’s curriculum coordinator, said.
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