U-46 school news

Here what's in the news at Elgin Area School District U-46 schools.

Elgin High

• On Wednesday, the EHS Choirs will host the Eastside Choral Festival at 7 p.m. at the high school, 1200 Maroon Drive, Elgin. Participating schools are: Ellis and Larsen middle schools, and Lords Park, McKinley, Sheridan, Huff, Hilltop, Coleman, Channing, Lincoln and Timber Trails elementary schools. Tickets are $2 per adult, $1 per student, and $6 per family.

• On Thursday, Valentine's Day, members of EHS Chamber Choir will be delivering singing valentines during most of the school day. Prices are $4 for one or $6 for two. The price includes a valentine and a sweet for your sweetie.

• On Friday, the EHS Mellodears Women's Choir will participate in an all-day music festival at Northern Illinois University, that will include choirs from other districts and states. The Mellodears will perform three selections and be critiqued as part of a master class.

South Elgin High

• On Saturday, the Storm cheerleaders will host a cheer clinic for boys and girls in kindergarten to eighth grade from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the South Elgin High School Commons, 760 E. Main St. They will perform at the sophomore game of the Bartlett/South Elgin boys' basketball game at the school on Feb. 22. Fee for the clinic is $30 per participant. Call Jennifer Hayward, (847) 289-3760, ext. 3324, for details.

Abbott

• On Saturday, Abbott Middle School in Elgin will host the Kane County Regional Spelling Bee. A representative from these finalists will go to Washington D.C. to participate in the finals.

Eastview

• On Tuesday, a "Pops Orchestra" Concert, featuring Eastview Middle School students along with fourth-graders from Bartlett, Sycamore Trails and Centennial Elementary schools, will be presented at 7 p.m. at Bartlett High School auditorium, 701 Schick Road. Also performing a few selections will be the Bartlett High School Fiddling Club. Admission is $1 for students, $2 for adults, or $6 for a family.

• On Thursday, an orchestra concert will again be performed at 7 p.m. at Bartlett High School auditorium, 701 Schick Road. It features the Eastview orchestra and includes fourth-graders from Hawk Hollow, Prairieview, and Spring Trail elementary schools. Admission is $1 for students, $2 for adults, or $6 for a family.

Bartlett

• For Valentine's week, the Bartlett Elementary School P.E. classes are participating in the National Hoops for Heart event to raise funds for the American Heart Association. The theme of the school's "Get Healthy Challenge" is "We are Healthy, We are Strong and We are The Bartlett Bulldogs." The goal of the challenge is to have the kids make healthier choices and become more active on a daily basis. The money raised will fund potentially lifesaving research and support programs that benefit people in the community. Last year the school raised $8,800; the goal this year is $9,000.

• On Feb. 15, the Bartlett Parents and Teachers group are conducting a blood drive from 1:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the gym.

• On Feb. 22, The Family Health & Fitness Fair will wrap up a 21-day challenge in the Bartlett Elementary gym. During the fair, the kids and their parents can visit booths from local vendors and participate in a health related activity. They will have approximately 10 to 20 booths, and will also offer demonstrations throughout the evening i.e., dancing, karate, exercise class, etc.

Channing

• On Friday, Channing Elementary School will host a Family Sock Hop for Valentine's Day at 5 p.m. in the multi-purpose room. The event will feature a DJ, dancing, games/contests, snacks and crafts. Twist the night away with the Channing Cheetahs.

Garfield

• On Wednesday, the first Mother/Son Dinner Dance will take place at 5 p.m. in the Garfield Elementary gym.

Hillcrest

• On Thursday, the Hillcrest Elementary PTO is sponsoring a Valentine's Day roller skating party for the entire school and staff at Mainstreet USA in Streamwood at 6:30 p.m.

Spring Trail

• A Book Fair will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday in the Spring Trail Elementary library. On Tuesday night only, there will be a Family Night Book Fair from 4 to 7 p.m.

Streamwood

Four Streamwood High School students are the happy recipients of desktop computers, donated by a businessman who was impressed with their presentation at the Society of Automotive Engineers International convention.

In the news

• The computers arrived Jan. 31 at Streamwood High School, donated by David Bortz of Tribco Inc., an automotive parts manufacturer in Cleveland, Ohio. For three of the students, it will be their first home computer. Teachers Greg Reiva, Eliezen Colon and Jeanette Hubiak helped the students prepare for their exhibit of research and engineering analysis that was part of a class project on motorized kit cars. "They really took an interest in what they were doing. Then I asked them if they had computers and they said 'no.' I was kind of astounded at that," Bortz said.

• Vision 2008, a juried exhibit featuring the visual artwork of Elgin Area School District U-46 high school students, is on display through March 7 at the First Community Bank, 50 Tyler Creek Plaza, Elgin. Approximately 150 pieces of art are featured, including paintings, drawings, photography, sculpture, ceramics, jewelry and mixed media. Artwork was judged on creativity, originality, composition and technique. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays and 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays.