MFISD trustees approve choir trip to Italy

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

A group of Marble Falls High school choir students will be living “la dolce vita” when they travel to Italy during Spring Break next year to perform.

The Marble Falls Independent School District Board of Trustees approved the choir trip during their regular monthly meeting Monday, Oct. 17.

Marble Falls High School Choir Director Bryce Gage said he will be taking about 35 to 40 students to Italy next March with a total group of about 50 people, including directors and chaperones. The choir will visit Venice, Florence, Siena and Rome and is expected to perform in many of the country's most beautiful cathedrals and churches.

“We are waiting on confirmations of locations of concerts, but we hope to perform the daily Mass at St. Peter's (Basilica) in the Vatican,” Gage said.

St. Peter's Basilica, designed by Bramante, Michaelangelo, Maderno and Bernini, is considered by many to be one of the holiest Catholic shrines in the world and perhaps the greatest church in all of Christendom, although it is not the mother church of the Holy Roman Catholic Church. It is believed to be the burial site of St. Peter, the first Pope, and boasts the tallest dome in the world.

This is not the first time the Marble Falls High School choir has traveled out of the country to perform. The choir previously traveled to England, Germany and Austria on international trips and has performed in Coventry Cathedral, the Dome in Salzburg and St. Paul's of Covent Garden. They have also made many trips inside the United States to perform as well.

To pay for the trip, which will cost $2,994 per person, the choir held a fundraiser online on Snap! Raise and brought in pledges totaling $18,417. The choir is also holding a unique fundraiser, a mattress sale. It is the second year the choir has held the sale, which will be Saturday, Oct. 29, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the high school. The band will sell new mattresses, “all name brands, with over 30 to choose from and half the price of stores,” Gage said.

In other action Monday night, the board approved the purchase of new uniforms for the Marble Falls High School Mustang Band. The board had previously approved the appropriation of $64,750 in funds to purchase the uniforms, of which the Band Boosters, band budget and activity funds will contribute to the purchase as well. The band is purchasing 140 new uniforms for band members and three new drum major uniforms.

Band Director Brad Behrens hopes to have the uniforms for the band's proposed spring trip as well as the National Memorial Day parade on May 29, 2017, in Washington, D.C., where they will help represent the state of Texas.

Cost of the trip is $1,400 per person with 80 people attending. To raise money for the trip, the Band Boosters held a fish fry in August. The band is selling poinsettias and will run a concessions booth at the Walkway of Lights in Marble Falls in December and will take Santa photos for the kids. They will also host Easter Bunny photos next year and the annual Band Booster Golf Tournament.

The board also saw several special recognitions being handed out to students and faculty. The superintendent's award was presented to Isabell Medina and Charlie Brantley. Stacy Lashbrook, assistant principal at Highland Lakes Elementary, introduced the students and showed a short video recognizing each. They received a certificate and gift card from Superintendent Dr. Chris Allen.

Marble High School Principal Manny Lunoff recognized Stefanie King for her inclusion in the National Hispanic Recognition Program and Jack DeGolier for his 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program recognition. Both received framed certificates.

Spicewood Elementary Principal Susan Cox then recognized Rita James for “Living the Vision” of Marble Falls ISD when it comes to working with students and showed a video that honored her. Several Spicewood Elementary staff members also spoke on James' behalf and Allen gave her a certificate and gift card.

Allen also read a proclamation from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, declaring October to be “Principals' Month,” and thanked the district's principals for their leadership.