Guitar students make stand at Pinon Hills Elementary

Heather Kuehner is the music teacher at Pinon Hills Elementary School for January '08 through January '09. Then she returns to Jacks Valley Elementary School for one year after that. It sounded strange to me that our children have music for one year and then art for the following year, but that is the way it is done. I guess we are lucky to have music taught in our school.

Ray Sidney with Big George Ventures donated funds to Pinon Hills this past year to purchase 30 new guitars, stands and bags so the children could learn to play if they were interested.

A few weeks ago about 25 volunteers came to the school on a Saturday to help build stands, three different heights for the spring music concert last week.

John Coleman cut the plywood up at home so when the work party started they could build the stands. The stands double for holders when the children aren't using the guitars. Each stand can hold two guitars, a music stand and a bag. Heather has also volunteered to assist you parent's who are interested in purchasing a guitar for your child. They start out at about $49.00 here locally.

At the work party, Heather provided garden burgers, hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, chips, lemonade and Starbucks coffee for all those who volunteered. I'm sorry I missed it, because it sounds like you had way too much fun. Thank you to all of you who took time out of your busy schedule to help the kids.

The spring music concert last week was great. Each child had the opportunity to play one song on the guitar while all the kids sang to us. The fourth-graders sang "Horse With No Name," "Blue Suede Shoes," "Down on the Corner" and "Interjections." Third graders sang the "Crawdad Song," "This Land is Your Land" and "Hey Ho Nobody Home." The second-graders sang "Hey Ho Nobody Home," "Kookaburra" and "O How Lovely is the Evening."

The first grade sang "Make New Friends," "I Love the Flowers" and "A Ram Sam Sam." The kindergarten classes were just too cute singing "Why Shouldn't My Goose," "The Farmer in the Dell" and "Rock Island Line." It was just a fabulous concert and the multipurpose room could not have been more crowded. If you missed the concert it will be available on a DVD for $5. You can call the school at 267-3622 for more information.

Thank you Heather for all your hard work with our children we really appreciate it. It was great.

Don't forget, this Friday May 23 at 8:15 a.m. is the Mother's and Father's Day breakfast at Pinon Hills Elementary School. $2 for adults and $1.25 for students. A cinnamon roll or breakfast biscuit with egg, ham and cheese, fruit, milk, juice or coffee is on the menu. Hope to see you there.

Congratulations to Karen Pavlakis, a second grade teacher here at Pinon Hills who was one of a handful of teachers recognized over the weekend at a special appreciation and honor ceremony held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Minden.

- Lisa Welch is a Johnson Lane resident and can be reached at 267-9350.