MAKING MAGIC WITH MUSIC; TEACHER NOMINATED FOR ARTS PRIZE.Byline: Kevin F. Sherry Daily News Staff Writer Inspired by a lifelong desire to teach, music instructor Matthew McKagan has awakened a·wak·en tr. & intr.v. a·wak·ened, a·wak·en·ing, a·wak·ens To awake; waken. See Usage Note at wake1. [Middle English awakenen, from Old English a love of learning in hundreds of students during his nine years at Lindero Canyon Middle School Lindero Canyon Middle School is a public middle school in suburban Agoura Hills, California. It is located west of Morrison Ranch district and north of Lake Lindero. It serves the entire city of Agoura Hills and is one of three middle schools of the Las Virgenes Unified School . His hard work and passion have paid off, with McKagan named one of three finalists for an annual Bravo Award
The name evokes the Vanderbilt family's Biltmore Estate, whose buildings and gardens within are privately owned historical landmarks and tourist attractions in Asheville, North in downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area. The sprawling, multi-centered megacity is such that its downtown core is often considered just another district like Hollywood or . ``I really enjoy working with kids,'' said McKagan, who teaches eight music classes at Lindero Canyon. ``I think it's a noble profession. It's nice to do something that is important.'' Lindero Canyon Principal Ron Kaiser said McKagan's reputation has helped expand the school's music education program. About 350 of the school's 1,250 students choose one of McKagan's classes as the one elective they are offered every year. ``There was a passion that came through, not only for music, but for teaching the kids,'' Kaiser said. ``He is absolutely beloved by parents and the kids.'' Five other Ventura County teachers were among the 65 Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, teachers nominated for finding inspirational and unique ways to bring the arts to their students. The awards honor generalists, who typically teach various art forms in elementary schools; specialists, who teach a specific subject; and outstanding schools. Carden Conejo School in Westlake Village has learned it will receive an honorable mention at the ceremony, said Nancy Carsten, the school's co-director. The school was pleased at its first-time award, especially because such honors typically go to arts magnet schools. Among the other local nominees is Kristi Colell, a visual and performing arts teacher who has been at Newbury Park High School for 29 years. Colell started after-school and summer arts programs and helped bring a new community theater to the high school. Some of her former students now design homes or cars. ``I get great satisfaction in seeing my students in professional theater and in scholarships in college,'' Colell said. ``It's just kind of fun watching them succeed.'' Art and language mix in the classroom of nominee Amy Friedlander, a teacher at Medea Creek Middle School in Oak Park. Friedlander uses Aztec designs to help students learn the Spanish words for numbers, days and months. ``The children learn the language through the art, and also the art through language,'' Friedlander said. ``They just love the projects, and they love to be involved with art.'' Other Ventura County nominees include Marilyn Bjork of Los Altos Los Altos (lôs ăl`tōs, lŏs), residential city (1990 pop. 26,303), Santa Clara co., W Calif.; inc. 1952. There is diversified light manufacturing. Middle School in Camarillo, Jarrell Fuller of Rio del Valle Junior High School in Oxnard and Terry Brenner-Farrell of McKevett School in Santa Paula Santa Paula (săn`tə pôl`ə), city (1990 pop. 25,062), Ventura co., S Calif., on the Santa Clara River in a fertile valley that yields citrus fruits, avocados, vegetables, flowers, nursery products, and walnuts; laid out 1875, inc. . Bedford Open School in Camarillo also was nominated in the school category. CAPTION(S): 2 Photos PHOTO (1--Color) Matt McKagan, band director and music teacher at Lindero Canyon Middle School, has been nominated for the annual Bravo Award. (2--Color) Sixth-grader Justine Eshelman, 11, practices ``Galactic ga·lac·tic adj. 1. Relating to milk. 2. Promoting the flow of milk. galactic 1. pertaining to milk. 2. galactagogue. Episode'' during McKagan's class at the Agoura Hills school. Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Special to the Daily News |
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