4th Annual BBQ/ Potluck at Frontier Park (6/10/17)
This was the Klouse Directors 40th year of teaching and their last BBQ as directors at Liberty Middle School. A successful day of fun and laughs to be treasured memories for years to come!
Congrats to the Klouse's on their retirement!
Congrats to the Klouse's on their retirement!
3rd Annual BBQ/ Potluck at Frontier Park (6/5/16)
We had a lot of fun at our 3rd Annual Music Program Potluck/ BBQ! Here are a few pics of our special day! There were over 300 people in attendance including students, parents, and siblings of students. We grilled hotdogs, enjoyed more that 100 + dishes brought by families, played kickball, and did a water balloon toss at Frontier Park in Graham. For this group of kids in orchestra, band, choir, and jazz band, the turn out was phenomenal!
Chamber Orchestra Performs with 8th Grade Band - Curtis High School Contest (5-14-16)
Mr. and Mrs. Klouse proudly directed their symphonic orchestra and 8th grade band at an orchestra contest at Curtis High School in UP today. As Mr. Klouse stepped foot on the directors podium, the students raised promptly to their feet out of respect for their director. The orchestra and band played like professional musicians with bows moving in synchronization and sounds of winds and percussion in harmony. The kids wowed the judges and received remarkable credit that was well deserved. Mrs. Klouse usually directs the orchestra and Mr. Klouse directs the band. The pair had a moment on stage of shear love and pride for each other and for their talented students. No other middle schools combined their orchestra and bands, and Liberty students proved their sportsmanship by being supportive audience members and watched while other schools took the stage. Class, professionalism, talent, and respect oozed through this day.
2016 Best in the Northwest Choir Contest & Day of Honor
5/6/16
To say this day was an honor just might be an understatement. The day was filled with a visit to Olympia's Capital Rotunda, the Grotto in Portland, and the University of Portland Choir Contest.
It was an early morning to embark on the journey. Our tour began at the capital and the acoustics had our musicians sounding like a most prestigious choir. The beautiful echo and richness in the rotunda was breathtaking. The students lined the outskirts of the circle under the dome and belted out a holy and magical sound.
The second stop was visiting the holy place of the Grotto in Portland. As we exited the bus, we were greeted with beauty, tranquility, and peace. The students performed in the small chapel on site that was astonishingly decorated with scenes from Biblical events. Visitors to the chapel were amazed by the glorious sound. Parent chaperones shed a few tears with the passion and exquisiteness of the musicians.
The University of Portland welcomed the LMS musicians with great expectations as Mrs. Klouse has warranted over the years. Our students possessed great professionalism, poise, and sportsmanship. They applauded other groups with joy and respect. Their sounds were refined, rich, and received high marks from the judges. A standing ovation was warmly received by our students as they wowed the other competitors including audience members and chaperones. The final blessing was one of prestige and honor as there were among 15 professional chorister groups in the competition, but LMS won 3rd place and was awarded a plague to bring home.
With joy in their hearts they embraced their accomplishment and yet still had enough humility to congratulate those other groups around them. A little hokkie pokkie in a back parking lot away from the other groups was their private way of honoring each other, their teacher, the trip, chaperones, student teachers, and accompanist in fun. The hugs and camaraderie they shared painted a picture of life long friendships, growth, and grace.
Our last stop on our journey home was dinner at Izzy's in Vancouver. Students ate buffet style dinner chatting about the fun they had all day. Smiles filled the room with delight along with 35 - 40 penguin suits. Patrons wondered what was going on, but once the students finished their dinner, they serenaded the customers with a rich sound of 'Hark I Hear.' Not only were parents tearing up, but the room filled with honor as these students were no longer looked upon as an interruption to Friday night dinner. They gained the respect as professionals and received a welcoming applause as we left.
Finally the bus ride home is normally a time for silence and rest. Not these students, they joyfully used their elegant voices and teamwork to carol us home with the songs of the day and other songs they've been taught by Mrs. Klouse over the years. The pride they felt for their group and their director oozed in their love of music and each other. The students were welcomed home by the sounds of their parents cheerful honks (parents were encouraged to honk happily as students returned with a successful win) and the students sang 'Hark I Hear' as they were finding their families to return home.
Mrs. Klouse has created a legacy of love, dedication, commitment, honor, humility, professionalism, teamwork, and musicality with her students. She has an inner passion for what she does and it shows. These 8th grade students will never forget this day!
It was an early morning to embark on the journey. Our tour began at the capital and the acoustics had our musicians sounding like a most prestigious choir. The beautiful echo and richness in the rotunda was breathtaking. The students lined the outskirts of the circle under the dome and belted out a holy and magical sound.
The second stop was visiting the holy place of the Grotto in Portland. As we exited the bus, we were greeted with beauty, tranquility, and peace. The students performed in the small chapel on site that was astonishingly decorated with scenes from Biblical events. Visitors to the chapel were amazed by the glorious sound. Parent chaperones shed a few tears with the passion and exquisiteness of the musicians.
The University of Portland welcomed the LMS musicians with great expectations as Mrs. Klouse has warranted over the years. Our students possessed great professionalism, poise, and sportsmanship. They applauded other groups with joy and respect. Their sounds were refined, rich, and received high marks from the judges. A standing ovation was warmly received by our students as they wowed the other competitors including audience members and chaperones. The final blessing was one of prestige and honor as there were among 15 professional chorister groups in the competition, but LMS won 3rd place and was awarded a plague to bring home.
With joy in their hearts they embraced their accomplishment and yet still had enough humility to congratulate those other groups around them. A little hokkie pokkie in a back parking lot away from the other groups was their private way of honoring each other, their teacher, the trip, chaperones, student teachers, and accompanist in fun. The hugs and camaraderie they shared painted a picture of life long friendships, growth, and grace.
Our last stop on our journey home was dinner at Izzy's in Vancouver. Students ate buffet style dinner chatting about the fun they had all day. Smiles filled the room with delight along with 35 - 40 penguin suits. Patrons wondered what was going on, but once the students finished their dinner, they serenaded the customers with a rich sound of 'Hark I Hear.' Not only were parents tearing up, but the room filled with honor as these students were no longer looked upon as an interruption to Friday night dinner. They gained the respect as professionals and received a welcoming applause as we left.
Finally the bus ride home is normally a time for silence and rest. Not these students, they joyfully used their elegant voices and teamwork to carol us home with the songs of the day and other songs they've been taught by Mrs. Klouse over the years. The pride they felt for their group and their director oozed in their love of music and each other. The students were welcomed home by the sounds of their parents cheerful honks (parents were encouraged to honk happily as students returned with a successful win) and the students sang 'Hark I Hear' as they were finding their families to return home.
Mrs. Klouse has created a legacy of love, dedication, commitment, honor, humility, professionalism, teamwork, and musicality with her students. She has an inner passion for what she does and it shows. These 8th grade students will never forget this day!
2016 Choral Contest
This year Hudtloff Middle School in Lakewood hosted the choral contest. Mrs. Klouse was beyond pleased by the results of the student's dedication, commitment, preparation, and vocal strengths walking away with the highest scores she's ever seen from her middle school students. Judges were wowed by the incredible talent and even vocalized it on several occasions throughout the day. Many students demonstrated strong leadership abilities leading their groups to success. Great work Liberty choristers!
2016 Orchestra Contest
Each student prepares long and hard to be the best musician they can when contest comes around every year. The camaraderie, professionalism, teamwork, commitment, discipline, and tenacity these young people display is remarkable. Their teachers help them learn that being a leader is what music/ life is all about. By competing against other schools in the area, the students understand that hard work pays off in the respect they get from the judges. This year Mann Middle School hosted the contest and 22 soloists and ensembles competed from Liberty Middle School.
2nd Annual Music, Magic & Marinara
Our 2nd annual fundraising event was a huge success! We had at around 280 students perform and over 1,000 people in attendance. We auctioned off approximately 36 desserts with a live auctioneer, offered Santa photos for donation, catered dinner using Challenger High School students from the Bethel School District, and every ensemble (Band, Orchestra, Choir, and Jazz band from 6th to 8th grade) perform. The festivities started at 5pm and ended around 8:30pm on December 10, 2015. We would like to thank the many parent volunteers for donating their time, talent, and desserts! We could not do this without the incredible support of our families. The board did an excellent job managing their committees and getting their teams geared up for an incredible evening. We look forward to seeing you next year! :-)
Veteran's Day Performance - Photo Fundraiser
LMS honors our amazing military folks with an inspirational advanced performer's night. We had students work very hard to impress their fellow students in the morning with a school assembly as well as create magic for the veterans in the evening performance. We have quite a few military families at LMS, and it can be hard on families to be apart for months at a time and we want them to know that we support those that support us. Thanks Veteran's for your service!
2nd Liberty Middle School Clean Up Day
This event was on Sat. Oct 17th. We had parents, students, coaches, teachers, the principal, the vice principal, and even students' siblings present. Over the course of the 4 hour period, we had around 45 -50 people come out to support our beautiful school. Everyone chipped in and worked away as a team to show the Spanaway community that we LOVE our school! The commitment and tenacity of this community shinned brightly as the sun did for our event. We made lots of progress and we will have another event in the spring of 2016.
2nd Annual Music Dept BBQ/ Potluck 6-14-15
At the end of each year, we like to celebrate the efforts of our talented Liberty Middle School students and their incredible teachers. We shared about 3 hours of fun at Frontier Park in Graham. There were 300 + people in attendance and everyone from babies and grandparents came to enjoy the festivities. We had loads of yummy treats, hotdogs, and main dishes that families brought to share. The day was around 75 + degrees out and kids played in the water, tossed around footballs, set volley balls, and played a massive game of kick ball. Students had a chance to spend time fellowshipping with their music comrades and ensemble friends. Mr. Klouse grilled up some hot dogs with other fellow dads, and Mrs. Klouse got back to her roots kicking around a soccer ball with her students. We had a fantastic day and a great turn out of the year long music students. Check out the pictures below.......
Liberty Middle School Beautification Day -June 2015
Liberty Middle School is a great place to be! Unfortunately we don't have grounds maintenance that handles the care of the weeds and the overgrowth of bushes and shrubs. Every school district has a budget and unfortunately ours is tight when it comes to the outside maintenance. So our group FLAME was able to work as a team and start the upkeep process. We intend on trying to make this a quarterly effort. In the future we will invite the rest of the school to attend and allow students a chance to feel the pride in keeping their school neat and clean.
Young & Advanced Performers Photo Fundraiser
May 2015
Over 2 different evenings students wooed their crowds with amazing performances. Many students were a part of more than 2 ensembles and a few students were part of 3 ensembles. These talented kids were heavily supported by their families. FLAME hosted a photo fundraiser that was $10 per fully edited, emailed digital copy of their photo. Students can treasure these photos for years to come. Even the highly motivated teachers decided to partake in the festivities.
1ST Annual "Music, Magic & Marinara" Concert
December 2014
We had approx. 800 people attend our first annual event in the Liberty Middle School commons. We entertained families with a holiday themed event that included photos with Santa, a catered pasta dinner, and every student performed with their ensemble. There were lots of smiles and a fun filled atmosphere for all the families and friends of the students to enjoy. More than 30 volunteers from the FLAME booster club orchestrated this event. Select parents made and brought over 30 desserts to auction, which brought in more than $700 in proceeds to FLAME to benefit the students of the music department. Next year we promise to have another amazing turn out and traditional way to celebrate the holiday season.
1ST Annual Music Program Potluck/ BBQ Event Pictures - 2013/2014
We had a lot of fun at our 1st Annual Music Program Potluck/ BBQ! Here are a few pics of our special day! There were over 200 people in attendance including students, parents, and siblings of students. We grilled hotdogs, enjoyed more that 100 + dishes brought by families, listened to live music and played kickball at Frontier Park in Graham. For this group of kids in orchestra, band, choir, and jazz band, the turn out was phenomenal!
Photo Fundraising Events After the Concerts......
April 2014
8th Grade Combined Orchestra and Band Performance at Graham-Kapowsin High School had Band Directors in Awe!
May 3rd, 2014
May 3rd, 2014
Mr. and Mrs. Klouse (Advisors to FLAME) worked very diligently with students to prepare them for a successful performance on 5/3/2014. Students from the middle and high school levels within the Bethel School district performed in front of judges and received a brief clinic following their performance. This was intended on being an orchestra performance, but since the directors at Liberty felt their students were up for the challenge, they integrated select band students to combine their talents with those of the 8th grade orchestra. The students received high merits not only from the judges, but big compliments from the entertained audience. Mr. and Mrs. Klouse requested their student remain audience members through the other school performances to offer a larger audience for the performers and to encourage growth as artists for the LMS students.
The commitment these teachers shared with their students will last the inspired students a lifetime of memories and encouragement. These teachers truly love their students and shine with pride under pressure.
The commitment these teachers shared with their students will last the inspired students a lifetime of memories and encouragement. These teachers truly love their students and shine with pride under pressure.