Jody Lawrence-Turner

Lacey Sutton is the first in her family to graduate from high school, an accomplishment the Spokane teen calls a decent start. “I don’t like to feel too proud of myself, because I’m not all the way to my goal,” she said. The North Central High School senior will boast when she graduates from college.

Coordinating a concert featuring 2,600 elementary school kids blasting brass horns, blowing through woodwinds and dragging bows across stringed instruments seems nothing short of miraculous. But the annual Band and Strings Spectacular has become a “well-oiled machine” under Dave Weatherred, visual and performing arts coordinator at Spokane Public Schools, who has organized it for 18 years. He ended his role on a high note at Tuesday night’s concert by conducting a song at the event for the first and last time; he’s moving on to other administrative duties.

University High School’s theater program is one of three drama departments statewide producing “Mary Poppins.” “We traditionally do at least one big show each year, and we try to go bigger and better each year,” said Briane Green, U-Drama director and high school drama teacher. “This year it’s ‘Mary Poppins.’ ”