The musical signature of this year’s recipient of the Best of Foothills Best teacher honour has been written all over Okotoks. Dr. Morris Gibson School’s Bonnie Kentch explained she has instructed many classes of music students in this community.
“I have been teaching at Gibson since it opened in 1993 and I started teaching in Okotoks in 1982 when Big Rock opened,” she explained. “I have lived here and taught here a very long time.”
While surprised and grateful for her Best of Foothills honour, Kentch explained in her mind it’s an award many other should have a piece of as well.
“This whole award should really go to all teachers,” she said. “It’s really all teachers, I find, who are so passionate and work hard in our school division. Consequently that translates down to our school and that’s great for our students and parents.”
Kentch’s career path could have been very different. She explained that once she completed her bachelor of music she was offered a chair as a vocalist at the prestigious Julliard School of Performing Arts in New York City. Having eight brothers and sisters Kentch found her parents were unable to handle the significant expense of attending Julliard so she rethought things and took up teaching instead of pursuing a professional music career.
Now as she closes in on two decades of teaching in the music room at Dr. Morris Gibson School Kentch revealed it’s a space she takes a lot of pride in. The room is filled with xylophones, drums and other instruments her elementary school students utilize to express themselves. She said it’s been a big part of the learning institution right from the beginning.
“For what he did when I came to Dr. Gibson the first principal should be credited a lot,” she said. “Arnold Nugent was the man who made sure the room was well equipped with instruments. It’s a very expensive room we’ve got here. It has taken many musicals and much fund raising to raise the kind of money to keep it going.”
After her classes the music teacher said it’s her hope her students will leave energized. She gladly reported she often seem them bee-bopping and humming on their way out. Kentch also explained she is appreciative of the enthusiasm she sees in the members of the Dr. Morris Gibson school choir.
Under her direction the very large singing ensemble comprised of Grade 4, 5 and 6 students took first in its category at the 2010 Lions Music Festival in High River. This year it was unable to defend its title because the choir’s membership far exceeded the 75-person limit imposed by the festival.
Having so many kids eager to be a part of choir is gratifying for Kentch who said it’s affirmation to her everybody has the ability to express themselves in song.
“We can all sing,” Kentch said. “Some of us sing better than others. Some of us sing more in tune. It is neat to see a lot of kids in our choir program.”
