IN Hampton Summer 2018 | Page 39

Hampton Township School District 4591 School Drive Allison Park, PA 15101 412.486.6000 Option 8 Hampton High School Band World Premieres ‘Beacon of Light’ On Wednesday, March 16, Hampton’s percussion section premiered “Beacon of Light,” an original composition commissioned by the students to honor the memory and legacy of drumline volunteer Ryan McCutcheon, who was tragically killed in an automobile accident on September 30, 2017. The piece was composed by Chad Heiny, a Pittsburgh-area percussionist, educator and composer. Heiny has composed two other commissioned pieces for local school districts, but noted that this piece was “emotionally taxing” since it was being created to honor the memory of someone very important to the students who were commissioning the piece. A memorial message to McCutcheon will appear on every piece of the music sold and will read: “Beacons of Light” was commissioned in memory of Ryan McCutcheon by the Hampton High School Percussion Section. The composition is available through Tapspace Publications. Hampton School District Hosts Remake Learning Days The Hampton Township School District, known for its Tradition of Excellence and transformative learning environment, participated in the 2018 Remake Learning Days. Hampton hosted Innovate the Future at the Hampton Hub from 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday, May 21, at Hampton Middle School. The event was free and open to the community. The Remake Learning Network, renowned for launching educational innovations now recognized nationally, hosted 270 fun and mostly free events from May 17-25 during Remake Learning Days. Parents, families and kids were invited to experience hands- on, technology-infused, engaging learning experiences in neighborhoods across southwestern Pennsylvania and West Virginia. This year, Remake Learning Days was showcased nationally as visitors from across the U.S. attend in anticipation of expanding the event to their own cities next year. These guests toured designated Remake Learning Days events around the region to gain ideas and best practices they can adapt for their regions. “We are thrilled that other cities will soon be adopting this creative, hands-on approach for education,” said Dorie Taylor, producer for Remake Learning Days. “Our goal since the inception of Remake Learning Days in 2016 has been to spark a learning revolution for this generation of PreK-12 students, inspiring them as well as the adults in their lives to meet their futures head-on. By connecting them with ideas that tap into their passions, we hope to encourage them to embrace education as a bridge to this future.” Visitors to Hampton’s Innovate the Future at the Hampton Hub event had the opportunity to observe students as they demonstrated the transformative learning experiences they have engaged in during the school year. Hampton Middle School also unveiled its new Innovation Studio, made possible through the generosity of the Hampton Alliance for Educational Excellence (HAEE). For more information about the event, visit the Innovate the Future at the Hampton Hub website. hampton ❘ SUMMER 2018 37