Full Text:

Middle Gate Parents Thank Dennis Hyde w/ cut

B Y D OROTHY E VANS

Parents of children who performed in the Middle Gate Winter Concert that was

held Friday, January 10, have written to express their appreciation to school

band director Dennis Hyde.

In the words of one parent, Kim Wheeler, Mr Hyde helped "make the evening one

to remember."

"A perfect performance by Eileen Conner playing her clarinet solo `We Three

Kings' was truly enjoyable to listen to," Mrs Wheeler added.

She also noted that during the song "Fidgets," the last song of the evening,

"the entire band played their hearts out with their shades on."

Mr Hyde is the band director for Newtown's four elementary schools - Hawley,

Head O'Meadow, Middle Gate and Sandy Hook - scheduling his week so that he

visits each school at least once every week.

He was in charge of helping organize the Winter Concert series of performances

that was put on by students from each elementary school over a succession of

evenings during the middle of January.

At Middle Gate School, students in the string program also performed and were

directed by Mardi Smith.