With school back in full gear, the Lehigh Valley Charter HS for the Arts is once again teeming with business. From exciting visitors to theatre auditions to academic ceremonies, Charter Arts' calendar is always packed. Here are some of our recent activities and upcoming events for look forward to:

The main stage theatre productions for this school year have been finalized. These will include "Summer and Smoke" by Tennessee Williams, "The Misanthrope" by Moliere, and "Blood Brothers" by Willy Russell. The first production of the season, "Summer and Smoke," will run from Oct. 22 to 26 in the Charter Arts Black Box. Andie Hommel, senior, and Brayden Nace, junior, will be playing the lead roles of Alma Winemiller and John Buchanan in the production.

Andie Hommel describes her experience with the play, production, and character. "I am so grateful for the chance to portray the wildly complex Alma Winemiller," she said. "The process has been by far the most challenging and rewarding experience in my acting career. The cast, crew, and director have worked their hardest to put the show together, and we are all excited for opening night."

The second stage production for autumn will be "Melancholy Play" by Sarah Ruhl. Performances will run from Nov. 6 to 9 in the Charter Arts Second Stage.

The National Honor Society induction was held Oct. 3 in the Black Box Theatre. New inductees from the junior and senior class were lined up on stage and participated in the traditional ceremony. Principal Mrs. Fehlinger-Ricker was the guest speaker.

The Songwriters' Café was held Oct. 16 at Godfrey Daniels in Bethlehem. The performance featured Charter Arts students playing their own written material from a variety of genres. Also at Godfrey Daniels will be the Jazz Ensemble performance Oct. 30 and the Vocalist Café Nov. 6.

The monthly series of free concerts at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks resumed Oct. 19 at 2 p.m. The series takes place on the third Sunday of each month at the ArtsQuest Center at Steelstacks.

Charter Arts open houses will be held Oct. 29 and Nov. 10. Both dates will begin at 6 p.m. Faculty and staff will speak about the school and new facility, which is set for completion by the 2015-2016 school year.

Dance students are preparing for the upcoming annual Dance Soup performance, which runs from Nov. 20 through 23. It provides students with the opportunity to showcase a diverse range of choreographic choices and sharpen their leadership and professional skills.

An Evening with Guitar will be held Nov. 5 in the Black Box theatre. This performance will showcase the works of guitar students in conjunction with other instrumentalists. It will feature a variety of genres from classical to jazz.

In addition to the many upcoming and recent events is some great news. During a visit to the school, Governor Tom Corbett announced that a $1 million Economic Growth Initiative grant would be awarded to the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts. This grant will help to fund the construction of the new facility at Third and Polk streets in south Bethlehem.