Pictured is Tristen Prouse, winner of the 200 award for UMS Instrumental Music.

Union Middle School Band Members receive recognition for Outstanding Achievement

Band students are awarded with outstanding achievement points, which are points, earned for doing those things that help them improve and be successful in playing their instruments and contributing to the success of the whole program. Students earn points for passing lesson book songs and band concert literature, for positive attitude and effort in band rehearsals, for achieving high grades and percentages at the end of each quarter, for performing in concerts and outside of the requirements, for honor band, jazz band, solo contest and taking private lessons with a professional on their chosen instrument, coming to band lessons, and taking summer lessons. Overall, they need to be good role models of the ideal band student. The award is not easy to achieve. It is based more on effort and achieving one’s highest potential, than it is on sheer talent. There are three levels students can achieve depending on the number of points they earned – Gold, Silver and Bronze.

The following students received these honors:

6th Grade Bronze Award Winners: David Adams, Grant Behrens, Cheyenne Loeb, Danny Petersen, and Seth Petersen.

6th Grade Silver Award Winners: Kaylyn Davis, Jocelyn Gates, Alana Higgins, Cora Klein, Michael Niebergall, and Zian Seuser.

6th Grade Gold Award Winners: Hailey Armstrong, Mae Deaton, Haven Ellsworth, Gabe Hanson, Elle Hookham, Emma Jenkins, Gabriel Jesse, Alexis Nosko, Belle Olson, Tristen Prouse, Ellie Rathe, Gracie Rathe, Laura Rempe, Christian Ryan, Josef Schmitz, Haylee Sparks, Carlie Spore, Alexa Weber, and Josie Werner.

7th Grade Bronze Award Winners: Danny Caruso-Winslow, Cade Shepard, and Breanna Soard.

7th Grade Silver Award Winners: Ellie Behrens, Michael Frisbie, Tristen Heth, Alex Johnston, Clayton Loeb, and Breanna Weltzin.

7th Grade Gold Award Winner: Marcus Albertsen, Sydney Bucknell, Emma Deaton, Tyson Fleshner, Alex Hall, Jacob Hill, Grace Johnson, Sterling Mullen, Kylea Neuendorf, Sarah Roberts, Alina Rodriguez, Rylee Sash, Ella Smith, Belle Weber, and Savannah Williams.

8th Grade Bronze Award Winner: Emma Carlson

8th Grade Silver Award Winner: Rhett Peters, Kendall Putz, and Piper Wiedenhoff.

8th Grade Gold Award Winners: Jon Bronner, Riley Davis, Rachel Hellman, Carlie Hoppe, Maddy Jantzen, Leah Kaufman, Rachel Kline, Rebekah Leipold, Ivy McKinley, Molly Niebergall, Teagan Prouse, Garrett Rottinghaus, Aubrey Schmidt, Parker Wilson, and Lillie Wrobel.

Three students received the 100 award for passing 100 lesson book songs in one year. The average amount of lesson book songs a band student usually passes in a year is about 40. Those students were Teagan Prouse, Aubrey Schmidt, and Alexa Weber.

One student received the 200 award for passing 200 lesson book songs in one year. That student was Tristen Prouse. This is a very rare award and requires much work and dedication to practice and lesson attendance.

Jazz band awards were presented to the following students: 7th graders Marcus Albertsen, Emma Deaton, Tyson Fleshner, Michael Frisbie, Alex Hall, Tristen Heth, Jacob Hill, Alex Johnston, Sterling Mullen, Kylea Neuendorf, Sarah Roberts, Alina Rodriguez, Ella Smith, and Savannah Williams and 8th graders Jon Bronner, Carlie Hoppe, Rebekah Leipold, Teagan Prouse, Garrett Rottinghaus, Parker Wilson, and Lillie Wrobel.