Meadowdale Arts & Music Booster Organization - MAMBO

Mambo would like to congratulate the following Student of the Month:

Jacqueline Meyners nominated:
I'd love to nominate Julian Ling. Julian is an incredible leader in
the program each and every day. As our lead stage manager for several productions, Julian has played a huge role in the success of our productions. He keeps the production on track, organized, and pushes everyone around him to be the best we can be.

Hey Y’all-

This is David Grisham, outgoing MAMBO president. Last night was about my 130th MAMBO meeting. It has been quite a journey the last 13 years. So many people have worked so hard to provide additional funding to support our fabulous arts teachers and their programs. It really has been an honor to lead or help lead this organization for nearly a quarter of my life.

I want to thank all the past, current and future members for their involvement. Our school needs help more than ever. It’s a great group to be part of, and I encourage anyone out there reading this who might even be slightly interested to reach out to [email protected].

I also wanted to extend a thank you to the rest of the board. Last night they presented me with some very heartfelt gifts. I was blown away and had to choke back tears. They are a great group and will continue to do great things for Meadowdale Arts.

It’s been a great run and it feels very strange to be stepping back from this part of my life. I would like to thank, first and foremost, Jeff Horenstein, Music Chair, for his unwavering support and involvement. The rest of our arts teachers have been so supportive as well. They are gifted and completely committed to providing the best arts education they can. Meadowdale is very fortunate to have all of our arts teachers. Please give them your support. You have no idea the stresses and strains they endure in order to continue to teach our kids.

I wish Meadowdale and MAMBO all the best in the coming years. And I thank you for your support during mine.

With gratitude,
David Grisham

PLEASE NOTE:

The Recycling Event this Saturday has been CANCELED, due to low staffing at the company.

Jacqueline Meyners has asked MAMBO to reach out to parents and community at large. Meadowdale is currently Blessed to have a Thriving Drama Community that includes Many students w/varied talents & interests in drama. My own child adored their Intro to Drama class (& as a parent I will support anything that keeps kids interested in school/learning.)
Please read this message from Jacqueline Meyners:

Play Production has been cut from two sections, to one. The Drama program, and Play Production, has been growing steadily and shows no signs of slowing. In order to maintain this growth and these unique learning experiences for our students, Play Production must remain two sections.

Meadowdale High School's Play Production class has been condensed into one section, due to "low enrollment." However, there are currently 66 students signed up for the class next year. The district number for a class to move forward is 30, and we are well over that number for two sections.

The Drama program has been growing nonstop for the past five years, and Play Production is key to that growth. Play Production is the pinnacle of a high quality theatre education for students. It provides ample hands-on learning experiences for all students in their chosen areas of interest. It is heavily student led and provides unique leadership opportunities for students. Most of these student leaders utilize this leadership experience in resumes, college essays, and scholarship applications. Several students are moving on to pursue careers in the arts, including two graduating seniors who will be attending Cornish College of the Arts next year. Beyond the theatre pathways, Play Production provides invaluable experience in life skills such as collaboration, problem solving, organization, and more. In addition, it is an incredibly tight knit community and safe space for our students.

If the class only receives one section next year, it will be impossible to maintain the quality of our award-winning productions that we have seen for the past several years. In addition, it is unsafe to have over 60 students in the space at one time: we are working with power tools, students hanging lights on the catwalk, and more.

If you feel so moved, please email the following people asking them to restore funding and FTE to keep Play Production at its current levels.

Meadowdale High School Administration:
Principal Dave Shockley ([email protected])
Assistant Principal Deann Anguiano ([email protected])
Assistant Principal Kim Dreier ([email protected])

Edmonds School District Administration:
Superintendent Rebecca Miner ([email protected])
Assistant Superintendent Greg Schwab ([email protected])

Thank you for your continued support!

Mambo would like to congratulate the following Students of the Month:

From Jeff:

Reagan Grisham is an outstanding student in our music department. He has played many key roles for us over his four years at Meadowdale. From leading drumline and the percussion section of our wind ensemble to running sound, playing drums, and
even singing once with Impressions, to jumping in (often last minute with little to no time to prepare) on whatever percussion parts were needed with our choirs, Reagan is always up for a challenge and always rises to the occasion. He is truly a pleasure
to work with and we will miss him greatly when he graduates.

From Samantha:

Stephanie Zuniga
Stephanie possesses a natural aptitude for working with clay. She has a keen eye for form and texture, and her pieces consistently demonstrate a strong understanding of ceramic techniques.

Stephanie is a highly motivated and hardworking student. She consistently puts in the extra effort to improve her skills and explore new ideas. Stephanie is not afraid to take risks and experiment with her work, which has resulted in some truly unique and creative pieces.

Nicole Zuniga
During the three semesters of having her in class, Nicole has consistently impressed me with her talent, dedication, and artistic growth. Nicole possesses a strong foundation in the technical
aspects of 3D art. Beyond technical proficiency, Nicole demonstrates a remarkable ability to translate ideas into captivating 3D creations. It is always fun to see what she is working on and the finished product. Nicole is a highly skilled and creative artist with a strong work ethic and a genuine passion for 3D art.

Recycling Event - See below:

Come support us and get rid of those old electronics!

Come support us and get rid of those old electronics!

We saved our jazz choir. Now we need help saving our jazz band.

Meadowdale High School's Jazz Band was cut for "low enrollment," but the forecasting from the counselors at that time was not correct. Jazz Band now has 34 students enrolled. Many students intended to register for the jazz classes, but somehow were not placed in these classes. Additionally, our counselors made us aware of a problem with their forecasting form, which left jazz band off as an option on the registration form at Meadowdale Middle School. This class should not be cut because of registration errors.

Taking into account this year and last year’s budget cuts, the band teacher position has been reduced at MHS from 4 classes to 2 classes, yet the enrollment has maintained over 100 students yearly in the band program, including next year’s projected enrollment.

If the band program remains at only two classes, it would be impossible to maintain pep band at football and basketball games, performances at assemblies and school events, festivals and field trips and collaborative opportunities with our middle school and elementary school feeder programs.

if you feel so moved, please email the following people asking them to restore funding and FTE to save our jazz band (and our band program by extension).

Meadowdale High School Administration

Principal Dave Shockley ([email protected])

Assistant Principal Deann Anguiano ([email protected])

Assistant Principal Kim Dreier ([email protected])

Edmonds School District Administration

Superintendent Rebecca Miner ([email protected])

Assistant Superintendent Greg Schwab ([email protected])

Thank you for your continued support!

Jazz 1 and Jazz 2 at The Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival this weekend.

Update 4/11/24:
Thanks everyone for the outpouring of support. Your words of encouragement and emails to our building and district administrators have been overwhelming in the best way.

As of now, our vocal jazz ensembles have been restored, but we are still facing a .6 FTE cut to our department, including our jazz bands. Jazz bands are a crucial component of our department, and losing them would be a devastating blow to our program.

As it stands, all three of our Meadowdale music teachers would likely still have to teach at 3-4 buildings each (elementary, middle, and high school). This is unsustainable and would make maintaining and growing our high school program virtually impossible.

We would appreciate your continued advocacy.

Original Post 4/8/24:
We have learned that our music department is set to be cut by three classes again for next school year (on top of the three classes that were cut for this year).

AS IT STANDS OUR ENTIRE JAZZ PROGRAM (JAZZ CHOIRS AND JAZZ BANDS) WOULD NO LONGER EXIST.

This would be a devastating blow that would send ripple effects through our entire music department for years to come.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Please consider taking a moment to send an email showing your support for our program.

First and foremost, keep it respectful. All of these school and district leaders are faced with incredibly challenging decisions related to the budget shortfall in our district.

Prepare your statements well, and include the following:

A short statement of how these cuts directly affect our students.

Any comments you have about the broader effects of these cuts, and why it's important to maintain our programs.

Exactly what you are asking for (restoring funding to the Meadowdale Music Department so that these classes won't have to be cut).

If you would like more specific info before sending your message, check out this email our teachers sent to the administration, and feel free to reach out to any of our Meadowdale music teachers with any questions you may have. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Jiflpq8krp9igWkhQViTyZjVfWC41q5sW0b3c0ETVEg/edit?usp=sharing

Your message can be sent to all of the following:

Meadowdale High School Administration

Principal Dave Shockley ([email protected])

Assistant Principal Deann Anguiano ([email protected])

Assistant Principal Kim Dreier ([email protected])

Edmonds School District Administration

Superintendent Rebecca Miner ([email protected])

Assistant Superintendent Greg Schwab ([email protected])

School Board Members

Nancy Katims ([email protected])

Hawk Cramer ([email protected])

Carin Chase ([email protected])

Keith Smith ([email protected])

Deborah Kilgore ([email protected])

STAY TUNED FOR FURTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP!

Meadowdale Music Cuts Letter

Mambo would like to congratulate the following Students of the Month:

Christine: I would like to nominate Yoo Kyong Oh for Student of the Month. Yoo Kyong was a steadfast leader as a Drum Majors throughout the Football and Basketball Pep Band seasons. She is reliable and dependable. She conducted nearly every single game. She leads with positivity and flexibility, taking into account the many voices of the band. Her musicianship is evident through her conducting and she did a great job choosing songs to fit the moment through the Pep Band games. She has grown so much
this year as a leader and it's been a pleasure to watch her grow into her role and thrive as Drum Major.

Jeff: Quinn Bergau is always striving for excellence. She is not content to simply meet the requirements of whatever task she is assigned. Rather she is always seeking to exceed what is expected of her, musically or otherwise. She is very comfortable seeking further understanding and sharing opinions in an effort to improve her performance and that of the entire ensemble. She helped organize and rehearse a small group of singers outside of our ensembles to perform music beyond the scope of what was possible in our school groups. She took on the challenge of playing the guitar as an accompanist in addition to her role as a vocalist in our ensembles. Quinn has a unique desire and ability to bring people together. She is keenly aware of group dynamics, and she makes a concerted effort to reach out and build connections
within her team. She has been a crucial part of building and maintaining the culture that has allowed us to excel as musicians, working together toward common goals. We will miss her next year!

SAVE THE MUSIC UPDATE!
Remember last year when we learned of the budget cuts after they happened? This year we are again facing a budget shortfall and music programs are on the chopping block. The Edmonds School District has created an educational exercise to illustrate the '24-'25 school year shortfall, called the Balancing Act.

This exercise will give you an idea of what could be eliminated and is an opportunity to have your voice heard. The exercise is difficult - if you can't complete it, please at least add your comments on the provided Google form to reiterate the importance of music education in our primary and secondary schools.

Please continue to contact your state legislators! Electives such as music and performing arts will continue to be targets as long as the school district is underfunded. The Balancing Act tool is open now and will be open until March 18 at 9:00 a.m. You can find the tool here: https://edmonds-budget.abalancingact.com/most-current-budget-for-24-25

https://myedmondsnews.com/2024/03/edmonds-woodway-meadowdale-students-put-icing-on-2024-demiero-jazz-festival-cake/?fbclid=IwAR2aTA2bh2H7Tiq3EYRCt5yoqtZjLZ9Kx47QPSqx9r_qlgP_6UO0MdUkMWY

Edmonds-Woodway, Meadowdale students put icing on 2024 DeMiero Jazz Festival cake - My Edmonds News By any measure, the student talent on display at this year’s DeMiero Jazz Festival was stupendous, as schools from across the state sent their jazz vocalists and instrumentalists to Edmonds...

Hey Friends.
Bad news. Edmonds School District is facing a $10.6 million dollar budget reduction for the 2024-25 school year (on top of approximately 15 million last year). 5th and 6th grade instrumental music are listed as potential cuts. This would affect every secondary program in our district as well. It takes a few minutes, but please take the time to share your input using this Balancing Act tool by the March 18th deadline.
Thanks very much.

Balancing Act Welcome to Balancing Act, a public budget simulator. Have a voice in your government. Show your elected officials how you’d balance the budget.

Congrats Jeff!

🎼Meadowdale High School Choir Director Jeff Horenstein recently earned notes of praise and the 2024 Washington Music Educators Association High School Educator of the Year award - an honor reserved for just one high school music educator in the state.
Horenstein has been the Choir Director at MHS for 18 years and his other awards include the Country Music Association Teacher of Excellence Award in 2019.
Congratulations and thank you for sharing your talents with MHS and the district, Mr. Horenstein!

Mambo would like to congratulate the following Students of the Month for December:

Jacqueline:
Khloe Hulbert has been involved in Meadowdale Players for four years and has stepped up so much this year. As the Set Crew Head, she has done a tremendous job in building a very difficult set and leading a crew of fifteen or so other students. She is organized, passionate, and creative. She also served as fight choreographer for the winter play, where she tackled the role with pure professionalism. Khloe has grown so much in her time at Meadowdale, and it is so amazing to see her shine this year!

Alison:
I would like to nominate Ariana Sweat. She is a leader in Unmasked this year and is running our communications/social media. Ariana is a published poet and a strong club leader, supportive of other
students involved in the literary and visual arts.

Jeff:
Brian and Robert Enriquez are two of the most helpful students I have had the pleasure of teaching at Meadowdale. "The Twins, as they are known to their Tenor Bass Choir peers have consistently set an example of focus, commitment, and hard work for the past four years of choir. Whenever I need help with ANYTHING (setting up, tearing down, organizing things, moving things), I know I can count on them to take care of it quickly and efficiently. They are true leaders in our class, and they are a big part of the success and development of our Tenor Bass Choir over the last few years. And they are very forgiving when I accidentally call them by the wrong names :) We will miss them when they graduate!

Much thanks for those who came out in support of our annual auction this evening. We are still calculating results, but tonight was a great win for the kids. Thank you! Go Mavs!

Today is the final day of the MAMBO silent auction! Time to get those bids in. Auction closes at 5 pm!! Also, tonight is the Virtual Live Auction & Variety Show! Starting at 7 pm, watch Meadowdale students perform and then the auction will begin. So many great items- Mariners tickets, Kraken tickets, and the coveted Parking Spot outside the band room are a few of the items. Go to ourschool.support/mambo to register.

2024 MAMBO Auction & Variety Show 2024 MAMBO Auction & Variety Show

Check out the New Fundraiser for this years auction. We are doing a Wine Pull. Pay $25 and you get a mystery bottle of wine worth between $18-$45. Go to drop down window and click on Wine Pull. Just pick up your wine on 2/10 between 12:00-4:00 at the band room with your other purchases! Go to ourschool.support/mambo to register and buy some wine!

2024 MAMBO Auction & Variety Show 2024 MAMBO Auction & Variety Show

High note!
Congrats to Sophomore Wind Ensemble member Kimi Catron who will be performing as a member of the audition-only Western International Band Clinic (WIBC) high school honor band on November 20. She was selected based off her strong audition, high levels of musical excellence, and attention to detail.

Mambo would like to congratulate the following Students of the Month for October!

Daphne Koetje: Daphne is an amazing artist who is currently in AP 2D Design. She is great at working independently but also loves to share her ideas and get feedback on her work from myself and other students. She is a deep thinker and this is relevant in her beautiful artwork. I can't wait to see what she makes this year!

I'd like to nominate Paige Rittierodt for the Student of the Month. Paige is a senior flute player in Wind Ensemble, and has been a huge help this year. She has been volunteering her 2nd period
to come in and help with the Symphonic Band. This past month she's helped with much needed music library organization and scanned music books needed for class. Most notably, she's been
helping my freshman flute players by leading sectionals and playing with them in class. She is a positive leader for the flutes and is helping them feel comfortable in band with the harder music high school brings. I'm thankful for Paige!