Newtown High School's Winter Extravaganza Hosted 30 Winter Guards
The three divisions of the Newtown High School Winter Guard hosted 30 other color guards competing at the Winter Extravaganza Saturday, March 1, at NHS.
The event was kicked off with an exhibition of the 28-member Newtown Winter Percussion and its show “Stress.”
Band Director Kurt Eckhardt had nothing but praise for the parents who came together to put the Winter Extravaganza together and ran the event smoothly, from check in to staging to food prep and service to sales and escorting. He especially thanked Event Chairperson Cheryl Engels, whose daughter Lauren is on Varsity, saying, “Enough thank you cannot come your way!”
The Newtown Juniors, consisting of ten Reed School students; Junior Varsity, consisting of 19 Newtown Middle School and High School students; and Varsity, consisting of 16 NHS members, performed shows “in exhibition.”
Instructor Bob Findley was thrilled with the caliber of Newtown’s shows.
“They all were just terrific. We see them getting better and better,” Mr Findley said, adding, “this is shaping up to be great winter season.”
Both Newtown Juniors and Varsity are nipping at season leader Norwalk’s heels, with the Juniors just .6 point away, having been moved up into the AA class after just one competition. The Varsity is just over 2 points away in the Scholastic Open division, having gained 5 points at their last competition at Bethel. The Juniors are in a fierce battle with front runner Bethel, and consistently receive cheers from the audience who show great appreciation for their show “Groovin’ Girls.”
Following their performances, Newtown recognized the two seniors who performed in their final Home Show. Varsity Captain Paige Thanasoulis is in her eighth Winter Guard season, and also one of the coaches for Newtown Juniors. Hannah Godbout is enjoying her first season on Varsity, and her third year with Newtown Winter Guard .
The evening ended with the awarding of trophies by First Selectman Pat Llodra, Interim Superintendent of Schools John Reed, and Music Department Chair Michelle Hiscavitch.
On Saturday, March 8, both Newtown Winter Percussion and Newtown Winter Guard will be competing at Shelton High School. For show information, visit musicalartsconference.com.