School

It was Canadian Elementary School students' chance in the musical spotlight Wednesday morning. Led by music teacher Amy Carter, members of CES first-grade class performed Awesome Animals to an appreciative audience of family, fans, and friends in the CES cafetorium. Clad in green shirts, and with their teacher wielding the baton, the first-graders enthusiastically celebrated all creatures great and small with story and song. The narrators for the event (shown in photo above, taken by photographer Natalie Weeks) carried the show from center stage.

Canadian High School’s one-act play, The Sweet Science of Bruising by Joy Wilkinson, will debut here at the Texas Crown Performance Hall in its first public performance at 6 pm on Sunday, March 6. The performance, for which admission is free, will be their only public one before the March 9 district one-act play competition at Highland Park in Amarillo.

On Feb. 20, CHS freshman Macie Hansen showed her barrow “Snoop Dogg” at the San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo and was awarded Champion Hamp. Four days later, she showed her barrow in the Grand Drive, and he was named Reserve Grand Champion of the show, out of close to 3,000 entries. The San Antonio barrow show is one of the largest and toughest barrow shows in the state of Texas. Hansen was awarded a $10,000 scholarship, and her barrow brought $45,000 in the auction on Friday. Hansen’s barrow was raised by Mike Clay with Clay Farms in White Deer, and was placed by Shane and Tatum Swenhaugen with Rival Genetics of Canadian. Pictured here (back row) are Shane Swenhaugen, Brian Arnold, Victoria Cook, Maverick Squires, and Ron Cook, and (front row) Tatum Swenhaugen, and Macie and Cinch Hansen.

CES kindergarten teacher Mandee Wall captured this moment with Waylon Blair during a class study of Texas history. As they concluded the unit on Friday, the students dressed like cowboys and cowgirls. During their usual moment of silence at the Friday morning meeting in the cafeteria, she snapped this touching photograph of Blair, and thought it was too sweet not to share. We did, too. PHOTO BY MANDEE WALL

THE PRIMARY ELECTION this week was an all-out war in my West Texas county. With three to six candidates battling for some offices, the votes were split. The result is a few runoffs. Here’s what has been frustrating about this year’s elections.

After a series of weather and COVIDrelated postponements, Baker Elementary School third- and fourth-graders got their moments in the spotlight at the Texas Crown Performance Hall on Monday. The third-grade classes presented Pirates from Grammar Island, a musical play intended to energize the language arts curriculum.

Cambree Pittman wins her class at the Fort Worth Stockshow in the open Braunvieh division.

CHS senior Logan Gatlin has been invited to the Texas Forensic Association (TFA) State Lincoln-Douglas Debate Tournament, which will be held March 9-12 in Portland, Texas. CISD will not be funding this trip, but he has sponsors—Alexander’s Grocery & Deli and Pit Stop Tire—who are helping make this happen.

Canadian High School was abuzz Monday with students, staff, and parents rolling up their sleeves for the Valentine’s Day blood drive. Health Science Teacher Rosemary Koetting reported that 32 individuals successfully donated blood. Altogether, 42 donors answered the call, but some were unable to participate due to being anemic or under the required weight limits. “Every unit of blood helps save three lives,” Koetting said, “so we were able to help at least 96 people. I’m very proud of our kids, teachers, and other adults that stepped up.” Several of Koetting’s students also worked during the morning and afternoon, checking in donors and gaining a little extra experience towards future careers in the medical field. Among the donors were (from top left) senior Alan Cedillo, Athletic Director Chris Koetting, seniors Jake Krehbiel and Ashlyn Critser, and (at bottom) community member Sellecca Juarez. PHOTOS BY LAURIE EZZELL BROWN