Greetings, Macaroni Kid families!
We’ve had a busy and fun week around here! I was lucky enough to be invited to attend the Easton screening and panel discussion of No Small Matter last week at the Grand Eastonian Hotel. Our mayor introduced the occasion with an inspirational speech about the importance of early childhood education, and there was an informational panel discussion after the film, which was very interesting, informational, and entertaining.
The event was hosted by the Northampton branch of the Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children—the “Voice of Early Childhood in the Lehigh Valley.” Panelists included Alisa Baratta, Sharon Jermany, Anil Saxena, M.D., and Lt. Robert Weber—all experienced early childhood education advocates and child specialists.
Here are a few things we learned about the importance of high-quality, publicly-funded pre-K in Northampton County, PA:
- 68 percent of eligible children do NOT have access to early childhood education in our area. Of 3,566 eligible children ages 3-4 in our county, 2,419 of them do NOT have access!
- There are currently 61 pre-K locations eligible to participate in high-quality, publicly-funded pre-K programs in our area, but only 45 providers participate in the program.
- We need 121 additional pre-K classrooms in order to provide these services to all Northampton pre-K aged kids.
- Children experience the greatest brain development in the first three years of life, creating millions of neural connections each second and forming the architecture of their brains for life. Active engagement with parents or teachers is most important during this highly adaptive period and creates the foundation for future learning, behavior, and health.
Start Strong PA
Start Strong PA believes that every child deserves an equal opportunity to a quality educational foundation that will prepare them to grow, learn, and succeed. They are committed to increasing state funding to make high-quality childcare for preschoolers more affordable for all PA parents—including low-and-middle-income families. They also advocate for lowering the teacher turnover rate by providing livable wages to qualified instructors.
Early Learning Resource Center
If you are interested in finding out about early learning programs and quality supports for your preschooler, contact the Early Learning Resource Center [www.raiseyourstar.org] at 1-877-4PAKIDS.
If you missed the film screening last week, you have another chance to catch it in Allentown! Here’s the link to the event listing. You can also watch a small film preview clip on the listing.
The Freddy Awards!
Oh, WOW! My daughter and I were fortunate to attend the Freddy Awards at the State Theatre Center for the Arts last night--wowza!!! You would not BELIEVE the amount of Broadway-worthy talent we have in the Lehigh Valley high schools! The show was so exciting and inspirational. My daughter can't wait to get into a high school musical and is already begging for more acting lessons this summer. These kids were FANTASTIC.
First of all, congratulations to ALL of the amazingly talented high school performers who were nominated --you are ALL winners and have bright futures ahead! Congratulations to Bangor High School for winning EIGHT awards for Mama Mia, including Outstanding Production of a Musical--we saw the show and LOVED every second of it! Well-deserved, Bangor!
We had so much fun getting all dressed up for the occasion. I even pulled out my ancient costume diamonds and sapphires and gave my daughter my old string of pearls to wear. Here we are all dolled up for the red carpet.
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Here's the complete list of last night's winners:
Outstanding Performance by an Orchestra
Easton Area (Oklahoma!)
Outstanding Use of Scenery
Bangor Area (Mamma Mia!)
Outstanding Use of Costumes
Moravian Academy (The Boy Friend)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Ensemble Member
Lorenzo Antigua as Enjolras, Emmaus (Les Misérables: School Edition)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Ensemble Member (TIE)
Allison Fuller as Aunt Eller, Easton Area (Oklahoma!)
Abby Ellis as Bambi Bernet, Nazareth Area (Curtains)
Outstanding Use of Lighting
Bangor Area (Mamma Mia!)
Outstanding Small Ensemble Performance (TIE)
Orlando Crooms, Makayla Schmid, McKenzie Hagenbuch, “A Heart Full of Love,” Southern Lehigh (Les Misérables: School Edition
Brookel Sabella, Gianna Graziano, Morgan Shriver, “Dancing Queen,” Bangor Area (Mamma Mia!)
Outstanding Choreography
Freedom (Anything Goes)
Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Gianna Graziano as Tanya, Bangor Area (Mamma Mia!)
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Ryan Murphy as Marius, Emmaus (Les Misérables: School Edition)
Outstanding Performance by a Featured Dancer
Abby Ellis as Bambi Bernet, Nazareth Area (Curtains)
Outstanding Chorus
Bangor Area (Mamma Mia!)
Vic Kumma Award for Outstanding Solo Vocal Performance
Brookel Sabella, “The Winner Takes It All,” Bangor Area (Mamma Mia!)
Just Born Educational Impact Award
Phillipsburg
Outstanding Featured Performance by an Actor
Trevor Warren as Javert, Emmaus (Les Misérables: School Edition)
Outstanding Featured Performance by an Actress
Milaijah Torres as Papa Ge, Dieruff (Once on This Island)
Outstanding Production Number
Freedom, “Anything Goes” (Anything Goes)
Outstanding Stage Crew (in honor of Capt. Christopher Seifert)
Emmaus (Les Misérables: School Edition)
Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Brookel Sabella as Donna Sheridan, Bangor Area (Mamma Mia!)
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Cody Jackson as Gomez Addams, Warren Hills Regional (The Addams Family)
Outstanding Overall Production by a Smaller School
Hackettstown (Tuck Everlasting)
Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical
Bangor Area (Mamma Mia!)
SCHOLARSHIPS
Student achievement award
Madylin Zegalia, Bethlehem Catholic High School
West Virginia University Scholarships
Musical Theatre Performance – Christian Clausnitzer, Southern Lehigh
Theatre Design and Technology – Maggie Helfst, Moravian Academy
DeSales University Scholarship
Gianna Graziano, Bangor Area HS
Ryan Murphy, Emmaus HS
Brookel Sabella, Bangor Area HS
Cody Jackson, Warren Hills Regional HS
Muhlenberg College Scholarship
Ryan Murphy, Emmaus HS
R. Richard Knauss Foundation Cash Award
Bangor Area HS
Hackettstown HS
Mowad Turf Specialists Cash Award
Cody Jackson, Warren Hills Regional HS
Brookel Sabella, Bangor Area HS
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The Freddy Awards, named after J. “Fred” Osterstock, the legendary “Fred the Ghost” of the State Theatre, who managed the company that owned the theatre from 1936 until his death in 1957, was started in 2008 to "recognize and reward exceptional accomplishments in the production and performance of musical theater in high schools in Lehigh and Northampton Counties, Pennsylvania, and Warren County, New Jersey."
Broadcast LIVE on Channel 69 (WFMZ) from the State Theatre Center for the Arts, the Emmy-award winning ceremony and showcase allows students from the Lehigh Valley to experience their own "Tony Awards" and be honored for their talent, hard work, and excellence in high school musical theatre. Over $1.3 million in Scholarships, Internships, and Community Awards have been distributed through the FREDDY© Awards program since 2003.
If your child is not yet signed up for SUMMER CAMP, be sure to check out our 2019 Summer Camp Guide!
Taylor Made Polish is offering a 20% discount on all products, classes, and parties to anyone mentioning "Macaroni Kid" at checkout!
This weekend is Easton Out Loud--hope to see you all there!
Have a great week, everyone. Don't forget to get out and about.
