Orchestra - Loved by SJHS

by Kristi Hatch
SJHS Staff Writer

Near the end of every year, students at SJHS choose the classes they want to take the following year. Among these options is the orchestra class. Mr. Samuel Tsugawa is the conductor at Springville Junior High School. He loves teaching orchestra and has been teaching for over twenty years.

Along with teaching at the Junior High, Mr. Tsugawa also teaches at Springville High School. He said that there are some pros and cons of having to go back and forth every day. “I get to see students for a lot of years, and I get to see different ages.” He also likes getting to know more faculty members. However, he doesn’t like keeping track of two classrooms. Mr. Tsugawa loves teaching orchestra because he likes watching students learn, and he gets to play all the different instruments.

Mr. Tsugawa loves to teach teenagers. “Teens are fun because they keep me young. They can do more things than little kids, and teenagers are fun and goofy.” He said he doesn’t think there’s anything he doesn’t like about teaching teenagers.

The orchestra students love having Mr. Tsugawa as their teacher. In his third period class, Alex Smith says, “He is funny and entertaining.” Elizabeth Elliot, an eighth grader also enjoys Mr. Tsugawa’s teaching methods.

In Mr. Tsugawa’s fourth period class, Julianna Sheffield said Mr. Tsugawa has helped her a lot with her sight reading and her rhythm. Michael Bartholomew, a ninth grader, said, “[Mr. Tsugawa has] pushed me to do better and do things I wouldn’t do on my own.”

All students really look forward to being able to play better and have fun. Michael Bartholomew also said he is really excited to go to Springville High School so that he can improve even more.

Springville Junior High School is happy to have Mr. Tsugawa as an orchestra director, and the students who have him love the work that he does.