School hosts Community Day; final Bands, Choirs concert of the year presented
A school in a community is an integral cog in its existence – and provides a large role in providing entertainment for the citizens that live in the town and surrounding area.
For Butterfield-Odin Public School (B-OPS), that means two communities – those of Butterfield and Odin.
To recognize the greater community of the school district, B-OPS hosted a Community Day on Monday, May 18, which was followed by the final Bands and Choirs concert of the school year.
Included in the Community Day events were a free-will donation meal, rides on a Butterfield Fire Department fire truck, an inflatable bounce house, Bingo, arts and crafts, a bicycle giveaway connected to Safe Routes to School and cotton candy, popcorn and other snacks. In addition, there was a performance onstage in the gymnasium by the band, Switch Road Band – a south-central Minnesota band launched in 2014 that features the music genres of New Country mixed with a few ’80s Rock anthems. Band members include Dale Wolters, Andrew Babcock, Ryan “Ozzy” Osborn, Skyler Osborn, Mark Kurseth and Jerry Henning. Also making an appearance was the local all-girls band – , BAAM! – featuring Aracely Anaya on electric guitar, Brianna Ringen on drum set, Mia Rodriguez as vocalist and Arely Anaya on electric bass guitar. The band’s name is taken from the first letter of each girl’s first name.
Performing in the evening concert were the Junior High Band, the vocal group Awkapellawards, the Fifth- and Sixth-Grade Band, the Saints Senior High Choir, the Junior High Choir, the Senior High Band, a Mass Band of grades 7-12 and a Mass Choir of grades 5-12.
The school’s Director of Choirs is Sarah Cartwright, and David J. Stordalen is the Director of Bands.
Following is a photo gallery from the Community Day events and the concert’s program:
KALIANA XAYAPHONESONGKHAM RIDES “shot gun” in the Butterfield Fire Department’s fire truck, with firefighter Scott Linscheid behind-the-wheel in the driver’s seat. The department provided rides around the block.
B-OPS SCHOOL BOARD members and staff served up a Community Day meal for a free-will donation. Above, Board Chair Joel Penner, left, distributes an ice cream sandwich to Jean Fast, right. as well as offering a choice of potato chip flavors.
THE REST OF the menu included a hot dog, egg roll and beverage. Making his way through the line is David Stordalen, the school’s Director of Bands, left. Doing the serving honors are School Board members, from left, Renae Meyer, Diane Peterson and Kristy Haseman.
EDGAR HERRERA PLAYS his card during a special “math facts” Bingo, held in the school’s Media Center.
AN INFLATABLE BOUNCE house was set up in the old gym, and attracted a line of kids.
TERESE HALL, LEFT, guides first-grader Jesus Lerma, right, in answering questions on the best way to get to-and-from school safely for Safe Routes to School.
BUDDING ARTIST CHRISTIAN Phengudngdeth, right, gives Tayarvia Maokhamphio, left, a colorful painted picture on her forearm.
B-OPS KINDERGARTEN TEACHER Wendy Besel was “wrapped up” in her work (no, those are not cobwebs accenting her black jacket) – twirling the whirling ingredients (an almost 100% form of spun sugar, with dashes of flavoring and food coloring) to provide sweet cotton candy for the event.
JOINING THE FEATURED Switch Road Band onstage in the gym for a rendition of Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline,” is B-OPS Superintendent Lisa Shellum, center.
PERCUSSIONIST ELISABETH PANKRATZ provides the “clip-clop” sound of a horse’s hooves on the Junior High Band’s selection, “Stampede,” by Brian Balmages. The Band also played “Roar,” by Katy Perry
UTILIZING HIS TROMBONE’S slide for the Junior High Band’s selecion, “Phantom Ship,” By Elliot Del Borgo, is Seth Pierson.
THE JUNIOR HIGH Band’s Gia Zender on the trumpet.
THE SINGING GROUP, Awkapellawards, sang the number, “Goodbye.” Members of the group are, from left, Julie Saunders, Hayley Johnson, Mackenzie Blickem, Alicia San Miguel, Jordyn Connell, Ethan Sykes, LaMar Sengsouvanh and Wong Lee.
SIXTH-GRADE TROMBONIST with the Fifth- and Sixth-Grade Band is Michael Suarez. The Band played the songs, “Furioso,” by Robert W. Smith and “Armada,” by Victor Lopez.
PROVIDING SOME MELLOW saxophone sounds for the Fifth- and Sixth-Grade Band were Jaelyn Haler, left, and Mackenzie Christensen, right. Both are fifth-grade students.
FIFTH-GRADER JUSTIN Xaysongkham on the trombone.
MICALA LOWE – AND the Saints Senior High Choir – shared the number, “Skyfall,” by Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth. Accompanying on piano was Julie Saunders, on drum set, Brianna Ringen and on electric bass guitar, Arely Anaya.
THE SAINTS CHOIR’S Nikkia Clipperton sports the school colors with his shirt and tie.
JUNIOR MACKENZIE BLICKEM vocalizes with the Saints Senior High Choir.
ADDING BASS TO the Junior High Choir’s selection, “Viva La Vida,” by Guy Berryman, Jon Buckland, Will Champion and Chris Martin is Benjamin Rodriguez.
ONE OF THE soloists on the Junior High Choir’s song, “Wake Me Up,” by Tim Berfling, Aloe Blacc and Michael Einziger was Jennifer Perez-Ambrocio. Additional soloists were Ethan Sykes, Aaron Rodriguez, Kaliana Xayaphonesongkham. Brianna Ringen accompanied on guitar.
JORDAN KELDENICH FROM the Junior High Choir is focused like a laser on the lead of Director of Choirs Sarah Cartwright.
SENIOR HIGH BAND saxophone sounds by Drew Busswitz. The Senior High Band shared the numbers “Due North” (the instrumental side of a selection about snowmobiles and Butterfield – or – Butterfield and snowmobiles),” by Michael Sweeney; “Thunder,” by David Rodioux and “Carry On, Wayward Son,” by Kerry Livgren.
AN INTEGRAL MEMBER of the Senior High Band’s brass section is Heather Pankratz, above, on trumpet.
DYLAN HOVDET PROVIDES the deep brass sounds of the tuba in the Senior High Band.
A LOOK AT just one section of the expansive members of the grades 7-12 Mass Band, led by Director of Bands David Stordalen, front, with back to camera.
GRADES 7-12 joined instruments for a Mass Band Number – “Jam!,” by Sean O’Loughlin, under the baton of Director of Bands David Stordalen. Abover, a trio of trumpets. Seated are Dalton Wolle, left and Paul Hanson, right of the Senior High Band and behind is Devon Aguilar from the Junior High Band.
DIRECTOR OF CHOIRS Sarah Cartwright led the grades 5-12 Mass Choir in “Thinking Out Loud,” by Ed Sheeran and Amy Wadge. Accompanying on guitar were Mackenzie Blickem and Sarah Cartwright, and on cajon, Brianna Ringen.
SINGING IN THE Mass Choir (grades 7-12) were senior Edvin Perez Ambrocio, left and Aidan Hiebert, right.
DIRECTOR OF BANDS David Stordalen, center, awarded a pair of Band awards to senior Band members. Arely Anaya, left was presented the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award for her electric bass guitar music and clarinetists Stephanie Trejo, right ,was given the John Philip Sousa Award. Stordalen also announced that the previously-named Top Notch(er) Award for a senior participating in both Band and Choir (none was presented this year), will be renamed next year as the Ross Blomgren Memorial Musical Excellence Award. Blomgren, who was a junior at Butterfield-Odin Public High School, died in an automobile accident in December 2014, and was an active participant in both Band and Choir.
GRADUATING SENIOR LAMAR Sengsouvanh, left, was presented the Core Choir Award by Director of Choirs Sarah Cartwright, right. Photo bombing behind is Stephanie Trejo.
