An original music video made by and starring students at the Red Bank Middle School has reached the finals of a contest promising $25,000 worth of educational technology to the winner, redbankgreen has learned.
From photo/art/culture teacher Chris Ippolito:
We are very excited! (the kids are cheering right now at the news).
The entry is one of 15 that viewers will be able to vote on via the web. The contest website says the finalists will be posted for voting on by the public today. They weren’t yet up at midmorning, so we suggest readers check back periodically until that site is updated.
Update: viewers can vote until 11:59a Friday, Nov. 14 here.
Some basic info from the contest sponsor:
The online votes will count towards 30% of our final score with the panel of judges accounting for the other 70%. They will be making their evaluations based on demonstrated use of technology in the classroom, collaboration and creativity – the same criteria that made you a finalist.
The video with the highest overall score in each category will win the Grand Prize of an interactive classroom technology “makeover” valued at USD $25,000, which includes the next generation Interwrite® Pad and Interwrite® Board, along with a 32-pack of CPS RF clickers, a party for the entire school, valuable prize packages from our sponsors, and USD $1,000 cash towards technology in the classroom.
Twelve finalists will also be among the first people to receive the next generation Interwrite Pad, including Workspace ExamView Edition as well as ExamView Learning Series with over 12,000 questions that are state aligned – a value of over $1,500.
Last year, the school rushed to prepare an entry after hearing about the contest just days before the deadline. The resulting video came in sixth nationwide out of 66 in the grades 6 through 8 category.
More info about this year’s entry is available in our story from earlier this week.
Go RBMS! You're the best! I'll be voting for ya.
Great job RBMS.
Congratulations to all involved. You deserve this honor - it's for a job well done.
Good luck on the finals. I'll be voting for you.
Maybe Mr. Wilkins can figure out a way to win this competition like he did his lease. Go Red Bank.
That was a dumb ass comment.
I feel like the Red Bank Middle School is Whoville, in a town with many Grinches, all of whom feel compelled to comment on this site. Is it not possible for you all to share in this joy - kids working hard at something good and getting recognized for it? Maybe, if instead of throwing darts at the school, you volunteered or in some other way contributed to the school, your heart would grow three sizes and you, too, would enjoy the accomplishments of our town's children.
But, whatever you do, please stop and think of the effect of these corrosive comments on those at the receiving end. These are kids, and they deserve better from our community.
(If you're not familiar with the story of the Grinch, you can check here:)
http://www.christmas-poems.com/how_the_grinch_stole_christmas.htm
The votes are coming in, and right now RBMS is in 4th place. Vote now!
http://eimakeover.shycast.com/contestant/404/#
who is the music teacher?
The music teacher is Mr. Holcombe Hird. We are so lucky to have such dedicated teachers such as Mr. Hird, who always puts his students first. We also have the help of Mr. Chris Ippolito who teaches Communications. Without these two teachers I don't know if we would have such an awesome program!! Those of you who choose not to attend our school, please come out to one of the concerts and be prepared to be blown away!!! Mr. Hird takes students whom have no knowledge of an how to play an instrument, and turns them into STARS!!
Please vote!
It would be great if the town of Red Bank, which usually shows so little support for its schools, could band together and vote for this really fun project. It doesn't cost you anything (except two minutes), but potentially could bring thousands of dollars equipment to the school at no taxpayer expense. (It would be nice if people from neighboring towns threw in their help, too!)
Red Bank Green has hundreds, perhaps thousands, of readers. Just think of what the power of all of those votes could mean. Isn't this one thing that everyone could actually agree on? Just click the link at the top of the article and show your support.
(I can dream, can't I?)