A diverse collection of performers will take the stage for the 15th annual middle school talent show.

“In years past, community participation has been astonishing,” Lopez Middle School teacher Nancy Ewert said. “Nancy Carson, Patsy Haber, Terry Drahn, myself, and several others did a rendition of ‘Stand By Your Dog; sung to the tune of ‘Stand By Your Man’; four-year-old Nigel Yarnall told jokes; Kevin Dengler, his father, and his brother did a rendition of ‘Folsom Prison Blues,’ while Celia Rosenberg and her students have performed on violin.”

Ewert says the middle schoolers themselves participate too.

“Colton Baker has been up there several years in a row, and he sang a country western song and brought hilarity to the night. The kids really work on it and get creative and participate a lot. It’s a great family night out with lots of fun and it brings the community together.”

The show, which will take place on Friday, March 27 at the Lopez Community Center, exists to help offset costs for the middle school’s travel. It’s a one-of-a-kind event, where community members provide performances so that the children can make an educational trip with their classmates at year-end.

The event runs from 7 to 10 p.m. and also features the popular dessert auction, which showcases pies and cakes baked from the talented pool of bakers on the island.

Ewert said, “In the middle of the show during the break, pies and cakes are auctioned and sometimes bidding wars have erupted over decadent chocolate cakes.”

Funds raised from the evening primarily benefit the end of year trips that each grade takes.

“There are three separate trips, one for the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade class,” middle school teacher Colleen Currie said. “Each grade goes on their own class trip to wind up the year. The eighth grade usually goes to the coast. Last year, the eighth grade class hiked 30 miles of the coast of the Ho rain forest to learn more about native cultural history and Washington’s cultural history as well as learning backpacking techniques and coastal camping techniques.”

This year, the seventh grade will travel to the Sun Lakes area in central Washington for four days. They will tour the dam, look at the geological history, and camp.

“Greg Ewert takes the eighth graders, Huck Phillips takes the seventh graders, and I will take the sixth graders,” Currie said. “Each trip has some sort of service element, a way to return something to the area or community we spend time in; I will be taking the sixth graders this year to Fort Worden and the Port Townsend area. We will work with the park rangers there and do an invasive species/weeds removal service as part of our program.”

Ewert added, “The students get to participate in local history and experience the cultural connections, as well as spend time bonding with their classmates and getting outside. The talent show is a great way to defray the cost of the trips so that families can afford to send their children.”

For information or to sign up to perform, call Nancy Ewert at 468-2682 or Lisa Geddes at 468-3429.

A diverse collection of performers will take the stage for the 15th annual middle school talent show.

“In years past, community participation has been astonishing,” Lopez Middle School teacher Nancy Ewert said. “Nancy Carson, Patsy Haber, Terry Drahn, myself, and several others did a rendition of ‘Stand By Your Dog; sung to the tune of ‘Stand By Your Man’; four-year-old Nigel Yarnall told jokes; Kevin Dengler, his father, and his brother did a rendition of ‘Folsom Prison Blues,’ while Celia Rosenberg and her students have performed on violin.”

Ewert says the middle schoolers themselves participate too.

“Colton Baker has been up there several years in a row, and he sang a country western song and brought hilarity to the night. The kids really work on it and get creative and participate a lot. It’s a great family night out with lots of fun and it brings the community together.”

The show, which will take place on Friday, March 27 at the Lopez Community Center, exists to help offset costs for the middle school’s travel. It’s a one-of-a-kind event, where community members provide performances so that the children can make an educational trip with their classmates at year-end.

The event runs from 7 to 10 p.m. and also features the popular dessert auction, which showcases pies and cakes baked from the talented pool of bakers on the island.

Ewert said, “In the middle of the show during the break, pies and cakes are auctioned and sometimes bidding wars have erupted over decadent chocolate cakes.”

Funds raised from the evening primarily benefit the end of year trips that each grade takes.

“There are three separate trips, one for the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade class,” middle school teacher Colleen Currie said. “Each grade goes on their own class trip to wind up the year. The eighth grade usually goes to the coast. Last year, the eighth grade class hiked 30 miles of the coast of the Ho rain forest to learn more about native cultural history and Washington’s cultural history as well as learning backpacking techniques and coastal camping techniques.”

This year, the seventh grade will travel to the Sun Lakes area in central Washington for four days. They will tour the dam, look at the geological history, and camp.

“Greg Ewert takes the eighth graders, Huck Phillips takes the seventh graders, and I will take the sixth graders,” Currie said. “Each trip has some sort of service element, a way to return something to the area or community we spend time in; I will be taking the sixth graders this year to Fort Worden and the Port Townsend area. We will work with the park rangers there and do an invasive species/weeds removal service as part of our program.”

Ewert added, “The students get to participate in local history and experience the cultural connections, as well as spend time bonding with their classmates and getting outside. The talent show is a great way to defray the cost of the trips so that families can afford to send their children.”

For information or to sign up to perform, call Nancy Ewert at 468-2682 or Lisa Geddes at 468-3429.