Dear Editor,

The Tonasket Alternative High School will be making sweeter music and more beautiful art this year, thanks to some extra funds they received. This fall the Tonasket Alternative High School proudly received two grants from the NCESD Educational Foundation Grant Program.

The first Grant, received by Gale Wilkison on behalf of TAHS’s guitar class, was for $300. Wilkison wrote the grant, hoping to be able to increase the number of available instruments for the class. When all students were in attendance, there were not enough guitars for everyone to practice at once. Since receiving the grant, the guitar students have been able to practice together as a group.

The second grant, written by Chelsea Freeman on behalf of the art class, was for $250. She wrote the grant in order to purchase supplementary materials and to fund a field trip to the local scrapbook store, Scrap It Up. Their art class this year is a scrapbooking class, where students explore art principles and elements though scrapbooking. With their grant money, the art class went down to Scrap It Up and each student was allowed to choose up to $20 in materials for themselves. Leftover money was used for general supplies for the class.

The Tonasket Alternative High School has long been a promoter and supporter of the arts. TAHS has nearly always offered both an art and a music or guitar class each semester since itís opening in 1995. In the past, TAHS has created a full six-piece rock band and performed for the school and at the Community Center. The art class has explored mediums such as painting, pencil drawing and clay sculpture. The grant monies received this year will help support TAHS’s commitment to continuing practice of fine arts. “We think that art supports the creativity and positivity of students and we will always do all we can to keep it going at our school.”

Chelsea Freeman – Lead Teacher

Tonasket Alternative High School