Coming Events

Sept. 15: Orefield Middle School Alumni Jazz Band performs 11 a.m.-noon at American Bank, 4029 W. Tilghman, Allentown, for 15-year anniversary. The performance group is comprised of 20 former OMS Jazz Band students who are now students at the high school.

Sept. 21: Student involvement fair, high school auxiliary gym, 10 a.m. High school students will explore myriad co-curricular activities offered at Parkland. The high school offers more than 65 after-school clubs as well as 23 sports to complement the academic experience of attending school.

Achievements

With a grant made by the Parkland Education Foundation, elementary band teachers had a composition written allowing band teachers district-wide to help fourth-grade classroom teachers reinforce what they are teaching regarding fractions in math class.

The piece, composed this summer by Robert Sheldon, is called "The Common Denominator."

The composition is funto play and packed with teaching opportunities reinforcing the relationship between fractions (whole, half, quarter and eighth).

As students rehearse the piece in fourth grade band, music teachers will stress these concepts.

The piece will be published by Alfred Publishing next summer as part of its "Sound Innovations" band series and will be available for any band to purchase and use.

The band will be premiering the piece in May 2013 in all eight Parkland elementary schools during fourth-grade spring concerts.