Tucson Values Teachers is bringing back a special edition of the monthly Teacher Excellence Award program for Teacher Appreciation Week 2020.
Students can submit a video nomination for a teacher who is carrying out creative and engaging virtual instruction during the coronavirus school closures.
Tucson Values Teachers will surprise five K-12 teachers in the beginning of May throughout Southern Arizona with the awards, which include $250 from Tucson Values Teachers, a $100 gift card to Office Depot/OfficeMax, a plaque and flowers.
Videos can be no longer than one minute in length and should be in MP4 or MOV formats. Fill out a nomination form, which includes a public link to download the video, at tucne.ws/tvtaward.
Nominations are open until April 24. Parents and guardians can help with submissions.
Youth playwrights win awards with short plays
Six Tucson-area students won the first annual Live Theatre Workshop Young Playwrights competition.
The winners are:
- Alexander Cramton, sixth grade, Esperero Canyon Middle School
- Karen Jie, senior, The Gregory School
- Julian Keefer, freshman, University High School
- Cassie Miller, senior, Empire High School
- Catherine Oda, senior, home school
- Jake Taylor, senior, Empire High School
The young playwrights, selected out of 20, each submitted an original short play. They will link up with experienced playwrights to workshop their scripts, which theyβll perform with other middle and high school students.
βWe initially thought weβd have three winners, but the quality was so good and the scoring so close, we decided to award six young playwrights,β said director of childrenβs programming Amanda Gremel. βWeβre thrilled to add this new program to our theater education lineup of programs that includes year-round classes and summer camps for kindergartners through 12th-graders.β
For more information on Live Theatre Workshop, go to livetheatreworkshop.org.
TUSD music program gets national recognition
TUSDβs fine and performing arts program won a National Association of Music Merchantsβ Award for the sixth consecutive year.
Tucson Unified was honored with a 2020 Best Communities for Music Education Award, a news release said.
The award program recognizes outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students and community leaders who have made music education part of a well-rounded education.
Tucson teen gets nod in natβl magazine contest
Cecilia Appel received honorable mention in the January 2020 Cricket Magazine Competition for her story, βIllustration.β
The 13-year-oldβs name appears in the Cricket League section of the April 2020 Cricket magazine, and her story is posted at cricketmagkids.com/contests.
Cricket features writing of renowned childrenβs authors, and each issue has a unique writing competition where winners receive recognition and a certificate, with winning entries being published.
