by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — The Wellington music department has an “excellent” weekend, the Senior Leadership team raises money for cancer research, and Lincoln Elementary kindergarteners collect more than 1,000 sacks of trash.

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Wellington High School Madrigal singers.

Musicians get “excellent” ratings

It’s been a good year in the Wellington High School Music Department.

Choir instructor Krystal Nelson’s Madigrals went to the Kansas State High School Activities Association Class 4A State Music Festival at Andover on Saturday. The Madigrals received a rating of II or “excellent.”

WHS band instructor David Brody brought two students on the instrumental side. WHS students Matt Hughes and Shayna Templeton both received an “excellent” ratings as well. Hughes had a baritone solo and Templeton had a trumpet solo.

To qualify for state they had to earn “superior” ratings at the regional festival held two weeks ago.

Matt Hughes and Shayna Templeton.

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Leadership winners

Wellington High School Leadership students under Karla Defore, hosted a teacher vs. student basketball game on Wednesday, April 24, wrapping up several days of cancer awareness.

DeAnne Heersche of the ClearWater Service Center approached the leadership students about raising funds for cancer research.  DeAnne and her husband Dan lost their daughter to a rare form of leukemia last October.  If enough money is raised the money will be donated to research this form of cancer.

Regardless, the money will go toward cancer research.

Students paid $1 to attend the basketball game.  Two five-minute halves were played, with a five minute halftime.

Wellington High School boys, Andrew Linnebur, Austin Lloyd, and Connor Burden officiated.  WHS senior boys, Noah Wolff, Tonner Finch, Lauren Farley, Devin McCue, Alex Weiss and Logan Woodbridge were the half-time entertainment and the cheerleaders.  The Leadership “Stud”ents prevailed with a 14-3 victory over the teachers, but it could be said that the officiating and score-keeping influenced the outcome.

The students had a great time watching the Harlem Globetrotters-style event while raising $590 for cancer research.

Leadership greet the teams in Teachers vs. Students.

Some ugly cheerleaders at the cancer research fundraiser.

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Kindergarteners collect 1,400 bags of trash

Lincoln Elementary Kindergarten Deanna Stambaugh teacher offered her young class a challenge:

“On April 18th, I challenged my class to collect recycled bags,” Stambaugh said. “The class collection was to help us count numerals greater than 100.  We kept a running count daily. I was hoping to get 1,000 sacks by April 30th.

“We got 1,000 sacks in four days!”

Stambaugh’s friend, Ms. Connie Frederking — another teacher at Lincoln — has a food bank at her church in Wichita that is donating the bags to pack food for the needy.

“I figured this great project would not only fill our heads but fill our hearts as well,” Stambaugh said.

The class created a “Bag Guy” outside of the kindergarten classroom.

Lincoln Elementary Kindergartener bag guy.