At today’s Music in the Parks competition for Connecticut school musical groups in Bristol, Conn., Westport eighth-grader Greg Salamone was awarded a special judges’ prize for Best Soloist of the Festival. Greg, Bedford Middle School’s jazz-band guitarist, won the same medal at last year’s competition. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) David Pogue for WestportNow.com

Staples High School Senior senior Nick Weir poses with Congressman Jim Himes in front of his self-portrait which won first prize in the Congressional Art Awards competition.  It was the fifth consecutive year that a Staples student has won the competition. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

Staples senior Nick Weir won with his mixed-media self-portrait. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo
A senior from Westport’s Staples High School, Nick Weir, has won first prize in the Congressional Art Awards competition hosted by the office of U.S. Representative Jim Himes, a distinction attained by Staples students for the fifth consecutive year.

Nick moved to Westport from England several years ago and will return to England next year for university study.

The jurors chose Nick’s mixed-media self-portrait from student entries from the 4th Congressional District, which includes Bridgeport, Fairfield, Weston, Darien, New Canaan, Stamford and Greenwich, among others.

Two other Staples students, Kaitlin Flinn and Sarah Hyun, will receive Certificates of Participation for their entries in the competition.

UPDATE AND CORRECT Second graders at Green’s Farms Elementary School will perform their original song about Westport, “In Wonderful Westport,” on Sunday, June 14, during the Westport Historical Society’s 18th Annual Hidden Garden Tour and Garden Marketplace.
Music teacher Suzanne Sherman Propp will perform children’s songs from her CD “PLAY.” Kristin Hoebermann photo

The Society invited Green’s Farms music teacher Suzanne Sherman Propp to perform songs from her new CD “PLAY” for children and their families at 1 p.m. and the children will sing the song following her performance. (See lyrics below)

“In Wonderful Westport” has been months in the making. In their music studies, the children listened to songs about cities and the country, but teachers could not find any about suburbs. So Propp and colleague Cheryl Buck decided to write a song with the children about Westport.

“Our first step was to brainstorm ways that Westport is special,” said Propp, who grew up in Westport and is a 1981 graduate of Staples High School. “Fortunately, the kids had no trouble recognizing what is wonderful about our community.

A variety of musical numbers provided highlights of Friday night’s 50th anniversary celebration by the Staples Players at Westport’s Staples High School. Performers included Lauren Selikoff ‘08 (l), Bradley Jones ‘75 (c), and Joanne Kahn, choreographer for the last 20 years. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Lynn U. Miller for WestportNow.com

Graduating seniors who are members of the Staples Players at Westport’s Staples High School got roses and recognition at the end of Friday’s special 50th anniversary performance. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Lynn U. Miller for WestportNow.com