Extra Mile Education Foundation Supported Schools - Sr. Thea Bowman Catholic Academy, Northside Catholic Assumption Academy, St. Benedict the Moor School
December was a month of concerts for Saint Benedict the Moor School!
On the evening of December 12th, Saint Benedict the Moor opened its doors to family, faculty, and friends for their all-school band, the cherished product of their long-term partnership with Duquesne University. From the partnership, student-teachers currently in their junior and senior year of study at Duquesne teach the band students of Saint Ben’s, fulfilling their student-teaching requirements while helping the younger musicians flourish. Both the band and the student teachers deserved their standing ovation, not only for performing a wonderful concert, but also for directing the evening without the guidance of Dr. Paul Doerksen, their advisor from Duquesne, who unfortunately fell ill the day of the concert. The college students truly proved themselves as conductors, while the band proved themselves as an ensemble!
Then, on December 16th, the Monday before Christmas Break, each grade at Saint Benedict the Moor School performed for their parents and classmates. Many of the grades, such as kindergarten and first-grade, performed their own spins of Christmas classics like, “Jingle Bell Rock.” The eighth-grade students performed a skit that they wrote and produced themselves about the kind spirit of the holiday season and being excited for the upcoming break. This year, two new programs were unveiled: the sixth-grade’s Step program, that uses dance to bolster community and teach music fundamentals, and the elementary percussion band, which teaches the younger students the basics of rhythm so they’re better prepared to join the older percussion group in the next few years.
Both concerts blew our expectations out of the water. We are proud of the bright, young musicians at Saint Benedict the Moor!
