Albert Lea High School Concert Choir hosted a small choir/chamber choir festival on April 29. Chamber choirs from Owatonna, St Paul Central and Blue Earth joined the Albert Lea Chorale to perform for clinician Russ Svenningsen from Southwest Minnesota State University.

He listened to each group and worked with them on their music and presentation skills Students observed each other and learned from the experience. The festival was co-hosted by the American Choral Directors Association of Minnesota.

The Blue Earth Chamber Choir is directed by Mike Ellingsen, St. Paul Central is directed by Martha Graber, and Owatonna Chamber Choir is directed by Chris Harris.

Svenningsen also critiqued the Albert Lea High School Concert Choir in preparation for the Big Nine Festival and also the Varsity Choir in preparation for its May 11 concert. The Albert Lea choirs are directed by Diane Heaney.

Lakeview students perform program

On May 8, the Lakeview kindergarten, first-grade and second-grade students will perform their program, “Rainbow Rock.” The showtimes are 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. The students have worked to learn their songs and dances.

Students recognized for volunteerism

Four students from the options room at Southwest Middle School were recognized at a volunteer luncheon put on by St. John’s Lutheran Home at Ascension Lutheran Church on April 15. Students Daniel Schimel, Tabitha Caballero, Gage Kinney and Ricky Hernandez, along with counselor Jenni Braaten, and para-educator Gail Levorson, were treated to a meal and recognition program. Hernandez was recognized for his exceptional help at times when the rest of the class was not there. Students in the class have been going to St. John’s most Friday afternoons to play cards and games or even plant potatoes. On Friday mornings, they have also gone and helped out in a different area by washing dolls for the Alzheimer’s patients. This has been a lifeskills project this year and has really been something the students have looked forward to. The residents also have gotten close to the students and look forward to them coming.

Students take part in mock trial program

Twelve eighth-grade students have begun the second annual middle school mock trial program funded through the gifted and talented program. This opportunity is coordinated by ALHS Mock Trial Adviser Neil Chalmers. The students will participate in numerous practices and conclude with a trial at the Freeborn County Courthouse on May 29.

Students create egg drops

Eighth-grade students at Southwest Middle School designed and created egg drops. The egg drop project is done for students to have the ability and opportunity to apply their understanding of many of the science concepts that are being taught in eighth grade. The students are asked to build a contraption that will allow an egg to be dropped 15 feet and not break!

Students work on demonstration speeches

Students in Jennifer Henschel’s seventh- and eighth-grade reading classes at Southwest Middle School are working on demonstration speeches. Students prepare an outline, script, note cards and a poster board and show other students in the class how to do something. Each speech must be three to five minutes.

Second-graders see play

On May 5, Lakeview second-graders went to the North Iowa Community College Theater in Mason City, Iowa, to see the play “Pippi Longstocking.” The play was put on by American Theater Arts. The cost of this trip was covered by the Perpich Partnership Grant.

Student council holds food drive

The ALHS student council held a food drive for the local Salvation Army. A competition was held between first- hour classrooms, with the top donator being Max Jeffrey’s first-hour Tigervision class — 184 items. The high school had a total donation of 595 food items.

FFA member selected as finalist for award

Ben Manigold of the Albert Lea FFA was recently selected as a finalist for the star in agribusiness award. The award is given annually by the Minnesota FFA organization. The award is given to a student who has a supervised agricultural experience that focuses on investigating something in the field of agriculture. Manigold has been raising alfalfa on the school farm for the past two summers. He has a test plot where he has evaluated the yield of five different varieties of alfalfa.  This information is being shared with the Albert Lea Seed House, whose employees have cooperated on the project. Manigold has just completed his year as president of the Albert Lea FFA.  He is a senior this year and is planning on pursuing a degree in agriculture at South Dakota State University in the fall.

Manigold was recently presented the school’s highest agriculture honor, the Dekalb Agriculture Accomplishment Award, sponsored by Monsanto Company. Manigold, the son of John and Shelly Manigold, received the award for excellence in academics, leadership and agricultural work experience. Manigold’s significant experiences and accomplishments have included: two years as an officer, the FFA State Degree and being a finalist for the States Star competition. Wayne Busch and Kim Meyer are Manigold’s agricultural education instructors at Albert Lea High School.