While I’m catching up on writing my Family Friday post for this month I had to make sure that y’all read this post by the Mister over at dsimmer.com.

We are SO proud of all these students.

“We’re starting a new high school in Detroit and I need help setting up a few computers for our staff. Can you help us out?”

Four and a half-years ago that question did not seem life-changing. As a recently-married college graduate, I was just happy to find work in Southeast Michigan.

At the time the school had not yet opened. The start-up staff and volunteers were working out of a single office on the east side as they worked to find a building for the school. And recruit teachers. And business partners. And a freshman class.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of many others, August 2008 saw Detroit Cristo Rey High School open. I’m still not entirely sure how they cleaned and painted the building, set up the classrooms, and opened on time. I remember dozens and dozens of volunteers spent hundreds (thousands?) of hours in the building just to get it ready for the first day.

The first freshman class took a risk, buying into a vision and a dream that had not fully taken shape. One member of that first freshman class was heading out of his house to drop off his application at another school when he happened to see a television news piece about Detroit Cristo Rey opening in the fall. On a whim, he and his mother decided to drop off an application.

For the past four years, our students have worked hard to finish high school. They are in class until 4:00 pm four days each week. Once each week they go to work at a local business or institution, which helps pay most of the cost of a private college-preparatory tuition. Many of them go to work at other jobs after school and on the weekends too, meaning they are working extra-hard to finish their school work each day. Our slogan, “the school that works,” applies in many different ways.

Four years later, 100% of our seniors have been accepted into college. 100%. That student who decided to apply after seeing Detroit Cristo Rey on the news? He’s going to the University of Michigan in the fall.

The Class of 2012 bought into the vision of what Detroit Cristo Rey High School would become. They took a risk by signing up for a Catholic, college-preparatory high school that had not even opened yet. They put their trust in the faculty and staff of the school. And they worked harder than they had before.

And you know what? It works.

Welcome to the first official post on my new website and blog!

Later on today I’ll have a post about my latest show but I wanted to go ahead and get started on Family Fridays. In addition to my love of opera and singing I’m a confirmed genealogy nerd and have the badge to prove it!

See –> 

My husband and I do a lot of family research on Ancestry.com and I have had the privilege of becoming an Ancestry Ace with the recent release of the 1940 U.S. Federal Census. On the first Friday of every month I hope to post tips from Ancestry.com on researching your own family history. Feel free to send me a question that needs passing along too! The folks at Ancestry.com are great at their jobs and have a knack for helping you find even the most difficult family tree members. See below for more information about the release of the 1940 census.

The National Archives and Records Administration will open the 1940 U.S. Federal Census on April 2, 2012—the first time this collection will be made available to the public. Once we receive the census, we will begin uploading census images to our site so the public can browse them. Initially, this collection will be what we call a browse-only collection. This means a person can scroll through the pages of the census districts much like you would look at a microfilm or a book. At the same time, we will be working behind the scenes to create an index of the census that will eventually allow people to search for their family members by name as they currently can with all other censuses on Ancestry.com. Note also that the 1940 U.S. Federal Census will be accessible free of charge throughout 2012 on Ancestry.com. (information from Ancestry.com AncestryAces email)

“Ann Arbor’s Comic Opera Guild will present Victor Herbert‘s musical comedy “The Red Mill” as its sixth consecutive production at Canton’s The Village Theater, and the main show of its 39th season. Performances are scheduled for Saturday, March 31 at 8 p.m., and Sunday, April 1-2 p.m., at 50400 Cherry Hill Road in Canton. For advance tickets – $20 each ($17 for seniors, $15 for students) – call 734-394-5460, or visit www.canton-mi.org/villagetheater; tickets will also be available at the door.” – from Ann Arbor.com

Saturday, March 31, 8:00 pm; Sunday, April 1, 2:00 pm
Giles Simmer stars as Tina!

One of Victor Herbert’s finest works, The Red Mill is loaded with many of the composer’s greatest hits, including “Moonbeams,” “Every Day is ladies Day With Me” and “In Old New York.” The show was fashioned around the comedy team of Montgomery and Stone, and is full of fun, including an attempted impersonation of Sherlock Holmes and Watson. For this production, Thomas Petiet has written a new script that tightens the plot while building on the humor.

The setting is the Red Mill Tavern in the quaint Dutch town of Katwyk-Aan-Zee. Van Borkum, the proprietor, is set on marrying his lovely daughter Gretje to the Governor of Zeeland in order to enhance his family prestige. The young lady, of course, is in love with someone else, the dashing sea captain, Dorus Van Damm. Staying at the inn is a pair of unsuccessful fortune hunters, Con Kidder and Kid Connor, who constantly dupe Van Borkum but don’t fool Tina, the old man’s feisty servant. Tina, Con and Kid ultimately join forces, though, in helping Gretje foil her father’s plans and, in the process, reunite her aunt with her old flame, the Governor.

The show will be presented in semi-concert format, with orchestra.

The Village Theater
50400 Cherry Hill Road
Canton, Michigan 48187

Adults— $20.00 Seniors/Students— $17.00 Group Rate— $15.00

To order tickets:
Credit card orders: 734-394-5460  

OnLine: www.canton-mi.org/villagetheater

or at Summit on the Park, 46000 Summit Pkwy, Canton
This beautiful, state-of-the-art theater is located on the corner of Cherry Hill and Ridge Roads.