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News & Notes: PPS musicians shine at state championships; volunteers spruce up Lent; more
5/7/2019Three performers from Portland Public Schools won their categories in the recent Oregon Music Education Association State Solo Championships at Pacific University in Forest Grove.
Two musicians from Grant won for their instruments: Zoe Beyler for timpani, and Ben Price for oboe. Lincoln’s Randy Zhang won the viola competition. Beyler also finished second in two other instruments, mallets and orchestral snare. Zhang finished fifth in violin.
Other PPS performers who placed in the top five were Ursula Larson, Cleveland, second place in low clarinet; Sam Ellis, third, low clarinet; Taumaia Uili, Wilson, third place, alto voice; Annika Phillips, Wilson, fourth, mezzo voice.
Six PPS entries placed at the State Chamber Ensemble Championship, also held at Pacific. Three teams finished second: the Grant Mixed Quartet in small mixed vocal, Grant’s Hooked on Harmonics in large tenor/bass vocal, and Wilson’s WAVE in large mixed vocal.
Three PPS teams finished third: Cleveland’s Brass Quintet in large brass, Wilson’s Viola Duo in small string, and Wilson’s Chamber Ensemble in large string.
Volunteers helps spruce up Lent: About 350 employees and family members of Comcast NBCUniversal, along with other volunteers, staff and students, converged on Lent K-8 School on Saturday to help give the Southeast Portland campus a makeover.
The work was part of Comcast Cares Day, the company's annual event in which employees volunteer at schools and other non-profit organizations. At Lent, volunteers repainted lines on the playground, repaired the basketball court, renovated the teachers' lounge and did other work.
PPS Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero joined Principal Richard Smith and Dillion, the mascot of the Portland Pickles baseball team.
See a full set of photos from the event at Lent
Grant, Lincoln place at Constitution nationals: The two PPS powerhouses in the “We the People” Constitution competition had another strong showing at nationals. Grant, which won the national title last year, finished third, and Lincoln took fourth in the national competition in Washington, D.C.
Grant went to nationals as a wild card team after finishing second in state championships in January. Lincoln, which has team of mostly sophomores, earned Oregon’s automatic berth after winning the state title.
Grant has won the state championship 12 times and nationals four times. Lincoln has 20 state titles and six national championships.
Academic All-State: Five teams from PPS finished No. 1 in their sports in the OnPoint OSAA Academic All-State Awards for spring. The awards recognize the top teams in various sports and activities based on cumulative grade-point average.
Grant High School had three teams finish at No. 1 among Class 6A teams: the band with a 3.95 GPA; the choir at 3.94; and the softball team at 3.82. The choir team also finished with the top GPA among all classifications.
The Cleveland speech team finished No. 1 in 6A and in all classes with 3.91 GPA. Madison finished No. 1 in 6A boys tennis at 3.85.
In addition to those teams, 35 teams from PPS spring sports and activities finished in the top 10 in their class. To see a full list, see the awards webpage.
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