MCHS Students show talents in fine arts and cheer competitions

The MCHS cheerleaders wore the jackets they won
during competition this month in San Antonio.

This month, several Methodist Children’s Home School (MCHS) students competed against their peers during a cheer competition at Sea World and the Texas Christian Athletic Fellowship Fine Arts competition.

A team of five girls traveled to San Antonio to showcase their hard work at the Spirit Celebration events on April 2-3. The MCHS cheer program won first place in their division, receiving medals, jackets and a $1,000 donation to CASA programs. Cheerleaders Ema, Kelli, Rainn, Iyahnna and Emberlynn were led by their coach Storme Moore who said she was proud of the work the team put in to prepare for competition.

“By competing in cheerleading competitions, such as Spirit Celebration Events, MCH students are able to gain valuable life experiences which allow them to build their skill sets in the sport and feel a sense of empowerment by competing against their peers from other public and private schools in Texas,” Moore said. “After the completion of each competition, they have expressed a higher level of self-esteem and stronger love for the sport.”

On April 4, MCHS students also faced the judges during the Texas Christian Athletic Fellowship fine arts competition. The students performed musical duets, vocal solos and duets, dance routines, and theater monologues as well as performed as a choir group. The results were:

Chris (theater monologue): Excellent
Skylar (theater monologue): Superior, Second Place overall for all Monologues
MCH Choir Group: Good
Jesse (vocal solo): Excellent
Hawa (vocal solo): Excellent
Jamia (vocal solo): Good
Vanessa (vocal solo): Excellent
Alfred (vocal solo): Excellent
Hawa and Jordan (vocal duet): Good
Iona (vocal solo in Italian): Good
Kelli (dance solo): Good
Rainn (dance solo): Good
Emberlynn and Kelli (dance duet): Good
Justice and Apryl (xylophone duet): Good

The MCH choir is led by director Jill Sims who works with the students during afterschool programs.

“I love seeing the students believe in themselves and accomplish something that they never thought was possible, such as singing a solo for the very first time or singing Italian art songs as a 13- or 15-year-old,” Sims said. “I also enjoy taking them to concerts and seeing their eagerness to experience musical styles across the spectrum. The greatest enjoyment, however, comes when they are proud of what they accomplish together. Watching them celebrate finally learning a difficult choir piece, or enjoy singing in another language, are among the greatest moments that I experience in my role as the choir director.”

Rick Kleine, drumline instructor, feels competitions such as these are beneficial for students.

“Students gain confidence, knowing that if they work on it, they will achieve which is something that we all need, particularly teenagers,” Kleine said. “Working on their event, performing it and then taking the critique (positive or negative) is crucial for every teen.”

Congratulations to all our students who participated in the competitions this month!