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January 3, 2013
C
ANTON
- N
ORTHVILLE
- P
LYMOUTH
Canton celebrates annual
International Festival Jan. 12
Schools win Innovation Grants
The International Festival will
return to The Village Theater at
Cherry Hill from 1-6 p.m. Jan. 12.
The event offers participants enter-
tainment and experiences cele-
brating diverse customs and tradi-
tions on the main stage of The
Village Theater, located at 50400
CherryHill Road, Canton.
The diversity of the Canton com-
munity will be celebrated through
song and dance from various cul-
tural groups, a spokesperson said.
Featured dance performances will
represent various cultures and
countries, including: India, Tahiti,
Hawaii, New Zealand, Ireland,
Scotland, China, the Middle East,
and theUnitedStates.
Attendees can enjoy choral per-
formances by the New Century
Chinese School and the Plymouth
Canton Chinese Learning Center.
In addition the Yangtze Melody
Group will also perform. A special
performance will be presented by
Opera Singers Sonja Srinivasan
and Errin Brooks, from The Verdi
Opera Theatre of Michigan with
accompaniment by pianist
RaffaellaMedoro-Naurato.
New to the International
Festival this year are theMotor City
Ukes (Ukulele Band), the Kopenski
School of Highland Dance and
Dancin' Feet Competition Team of
Canton. Youth from New Hope
Church will once again present a
performance by their Praise
Dancers, Mimes of Ministry, and
Steppers of Soul. Monica Prasad,
student of Manjula Lall, will also
perform on the sitar. Also included
in the lineup are performances by:
The Tim O'Hare School of
Traditional Irish Dance; Triple
Threat Dance &Theater Company;
Troupe Ta'amullat; and the
Hoaloha Hula Dance Company. In
addition, Indian Classical and Folk
Dances will be performed by stu-
dents of Sailaja Pullela, Fanny
Raina, andParul Shah.
Numerous cultural exhibits will
be featured in the lobby and cultur-
al items fromaround theworldwill
be available for purchase during
the event. There will be an
International Food Table where
small snacks and desserts fromvar-
ious countries can also be pur-
chased.
Tickets are $2 at the door. This
event is presented by the all volun-
teer Multicultural Committee of
the Canton Commission for
Culture, Arts andHeritage.
The Village Theater at Cherry
Hill is a regional center for the arts
that offers live theatre, music,
dance, and the enjoyment of fine
art exhibitions and events, in addi-
tion to providing a home for several
cultural organizations and commu-
nity groups.
For more information about the
Canton International Festival, call
(734)394-5308 or visit www.can-
tonvillagetheater.org.
Nineteen teachers in the
Northville Public Schools were
awarded grants fromtheNorthville
Educational Foundation last
month.
Three members of the board of
directors of the foundation person-
ally awarded the $20,731 in grants
of varying amounts to the educa-
tors at schools throughout the dis-
trict.
This year, the foundation
received 72 applications for fund-
ing for projects fromteachers.
One project, The Ultimate
Outdoor Science Experience, sub-
mitted by Isaac Cottrell who teach-
ers sixth and seventh grade science
at Hillside Middle School was
awarded the highest grant amount
of $5,000.
The project will transform the
courtyard at Hillside into an out-
door educational space incorporat-
ing math, science, ecology, engi-
neering and technology.
“This (grant funding) will allow
our students a chance to experi-
ence the great outdoors through a
new lens, Cottrell said. “Our stu-
dents will build a space for learn-
ing that not only will benefit them,
but other students for years to
come. By participating in this proj-
ect, our students will understand
ways in which they can improve
our surroundings and truly benefit
theworld.”
Teachers at all 10 of the district
schools were awarded grants for
various projects, and Cooke and
Hillside will share one grant and
MeadsMill andHillside another.
A seven-member panel
reviewed the applications.
“Innovative Grant funding was
doubled due to a dramatic increase
in the number of requests and the
outstanding, innovative and excit-
ing projects submitted by teacher
at all levels and all school build-
ings,” saidDwight Sieggreen, direc-
tor and Innovative Grants chair-
man for the foundation.
tion were not in favor of spending
millions of dollars to renovate
Central when it still wouldnot offer
the opportunities available to stu-
dents at other schools. He said the
only viable options were building a
new school or adding onto current
buildings.
“Our recommendation is the $26
or $27 million it would take is pro-
hibitive and that left us with two
options,” Hughes told the board
members. “Renovating doesn't
really solve the issue of equity and
our priority at this time is equity.”
School
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