more than 200 submissions sent by Arizona students in grades 7-12. The contest, sponsored by Scholastic and the nonprofit Alliance for Young Artists & Writers in New York City, is the nation's longest-running, most prestigious scholarship and recognition program for student achievement in the visual and literary arts. LOWER SCHOOL STUDENTS WIN ART HONORS Greta Bindley won first place in the kindergarten-grade 5 category in the Vessels of Hope art contest. Michelle Gurnee, Lower School art teacher, entered several pieces by her first- and third-grade students in the competition. Judges were professional ceramic artists and professors of ceramics from ASU. Greta’s winning ceramic piece will be on display for one year at the Cancer Treatment Center of America as part of the Creative Arts in Healing program. McKinley Paltzik won a secondplace award. Honorable Mention went to Miles Sabeeh, Andrew Conomos, Darwin Harriss, and Claudia Sheridan. Middle School art teacher Melanie Sainz was honored in the adult category, receiving a third-place award. STUDENTS SING WITH WESTERN REGIONAL HONOR CHOIR
work displayed before the Symphony for the Schools concerts that their classes attended. Phoenix-area students had submitted more than 600 pieces of art, and, based on adjudicators’ recommendations, the top 67 pieces were chosen for display at the concerts. Winners were Alexandra Ashner, Sabrina Bailey, Greta Bindley, Elsa Jackson, GiGe Neck, Renat Robinson, Brierly Wand, and Brendan Zuieback.
UPPER SCHOOL STUDENT HONORED FOR ART & WRITING Pauline Shongov won both Gold Key and Honorable Mention awards at the regional level in the National Scholastic Art and Writing Contest. Her Gold Key artwork, The Skeleton, went on to the national competition. Two of her stories –“The Caulfield Clockmaker” and “Yew and I: Trapped in a Wood Box of Mine”– were chosen for Honorable Mention honors among
Six PCDS students were selected by audition for the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) Western Regional Honor Choir, held in Reno, Nev., in March. More than 11,000 students from Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah auditioned. Chris Puglisi was selected for the High School Men's Honor Choir, one of only 100 singers chosen out of over 1,800 auditioners. Melissa Greenberg was named to the High School Women's Honor Choir, one of 100 singers chosen out of more than 3,000 auditioners. Named to the Junior High Women's Honor Choir were Jillian Gilburne, Freya Irani, Elle Miraglia, and Natalie Prieb. More than 5,000 singers auditioned for this group, and 150 were selected.