Students attend performance in Omaha

On Wednesday, January 23, 2008, 56 freshmen attended Music Alive! at the Holland Performance Arts Center in Omaha. The Omaha Symphony and Nebraska Shakespeare together presented the program, a unique interpretation of Romeo and Juliet meet West Side Story.

During the performance, the actors and musicians helped the students connect to Shakespeare's tragic love story. They combined the Bard's immortal words with Leonard Bernstein's exhilarating music from West Side Story.

The students were able to attend the program through a grant written by their English I teacher, Kris Simon. The $500 School Bus for the Arts Grant was funded by the Nebraska Arts Council. The School Bus Grants help underwrite the costs of field trips and admission fees to attend arts events such as live music, dance, or theatre performances and cultural exhibits at museums or other venues.

Commenting on attending the performance, Mrs. Simon said, "It was great! The kids all behaved exceptionally well and dressed perfectly for the occasion. I was proud to take them!"