Park first public school to win bowl
Madison Park School’s Science Team is headed to Washington, D.C., after taking the State Championship title at Arizona’s Middle School Science Bowl.
The competition was held at Arizona State University March 7-8. There, 27 teams from around the state demonstrated their science skills through a fast-paced question and answer contest on math and science topics.
After 11 hours of competition, Park students clinched the title and became the first public school in the state to take first place. “Every prep academy and top school in the state was on hand for the competition, but it was Madison Park’s students who outshined them all,” said team coach Christopher Sheehan.
The team, consisting of students Jordan Bruner, Tim Millea, Kyle Chapman, Justin Hegyi and Ethan Pierson, will now represent Arizona at the National Science Bowl Event in Washington, D.C., this month. All team members are part of the school’s REACH program for highly gifted students.
This is Park’s second trip to nationals. Last year the team took second place at the State Championship, but represented Arizona nationally when the first-place team could not attend. There, Park tied for 13th in the nation.
Rose Lane praised at conference
Madison Rose Lane School was recently honored at the National Title I Conference in San Antonio, Texas for being one of two schools in Arizona to receive the Title I Distinguished School of the Year Award.
The Title I Distinguished Schools Program is a joint project of the National Association of State Title I Directors (NASTID) and the U.S. Department of Education. The program honors schools that have shown exceptional results either for sustained student achievement for two or more consecutive years or for closing the achievement gap.
Rose Lane was recognized for closing the achievement gap. Principal Peter Morkert, teachers Jessica Boland and John Enright represented the school. Rose Lane will have a celebration of this honor in late April.
Hernandez wins photo contest
Camelview student Kalani Hernandez was selected as the winner of the photography section of the iCademy 2009 contest.
Hernandez was honored at the iCademy reception on March 9 for her photograph and essay of a Japanese Dojo used for karate instruction by Robert Trias, who introduced karate to the United States. She also received a T-shirt and iPod.
Deadline nears for language class
The deadline to register for Madison’s Foreign Language Summer Institute is April 30. Two four-week sessions of Spanish will be offered to students in grades preschool through 8. Your child does not need to attend a Madison School to participate.
The first session runs June1-25; the second runs July 6-30. Each session costs $195 and includes all materials. All classes are held at Madison Heights School. Class times vary depending on grade level.
Call 602-664-7956 for more information.
Is it live, or is it wax?
Students in Debbie Gordon’s third grade class at Simis recently created their own living wax museum. Parents and other classes were invited to the museum to learn about famous people in history, sports, and science.
The living wax museum was the final activity for the students’ biography book reports. Characters included Walt Disney, Gandhi, and Amelia Earhart.
Osborn Elementary School District
Solano kids get snow experience
Students in Diana Herman’s kindergarten classroom at Solano School had a special treat last month. Over the course of several weeks, the class read many books about snow, such as “The Snowy Day” by Ezra Keats, “The Jacket I Wear in the Snow” by Shirley Neitzel and “Snowmen At Night” by Caralyn Buehner. The class had many discussions about weather and snow and learned many facts.
Herman also had a special surprise in store. Last month she arranged for a “mountain” of snow to be delivered from Prescott (via coolers). The children had a hands-on experience to reinforce all that they had learned. Herman says, “It was a great learning experience to culminate the study of weather -even weather we’re usually not able to experience here in Phoenix.”
Celebrating books–outdoors
Students and families from Encanto Elementary celebrated reading during the school’s annual Reading Picnic. Children brought blankets to sit on the grass and read books all morning. Parents joined for a savory lunch grilled by the Child Nutrition Department. Several teachers and Assistant Superintendent Patricia Tate dressed in character and read to the students.
Doherty receives $800 Target grant
Encanto first-grade teacher Michelle Doherty received one of only 250 awards from Target Field Trip Grants. In this nationwide grant disbursement, Doherty received full funding of $800.
The beneficiaries of the grant will be all 141 first grade students at Encanto. The grant will pay for a trip to the Herberger Theater for an experience of the magic of books and storytelling, while engaging the students in a hands-on exploratory art gallery designed for young children. The students will take this trip on April 9.
Clarendon band heads to California
Clarendon Advanced Band will perform in the National Music in the Parks Competition in Anaheim, Calif., during the weekend of May 15.
Clarendon Advanced Band students won first place in 2003-04 and 2004-05 at the National Music in the Parks Competition, and are expected to make a good showing this year. Students are fundraising to cover the costs. Tax credit donations can be made to Clarendon School via www.OsbornSchools.org and the Osborn Educational Foundation at www.osbornnet. org/OEF to support this exciting opportunity.
Hodder’s art on display at airport
Solano School art teacher Deborah Hodder has her work represented at the Phoenix Airport Museum in Terminal 3 through mid-June. She has exhibited extensively throughout Arizona as well as nationally and is the recipient of numerous awards.
In addition to creating prints and mixed media drawings, Hodder has been working with clay for the past eight years. She found similarities in both printmaking and ceramics; for example, when Hodder applies her glazes she wipes away much of the surface glaze in a similar way to wiping ink away from an intaglio plate.
Hodder brings her vast knowledge of art to her students at Solano, who produce art that also has been shown around the Valley. Visit www.OsbornSchools/ Programs for more information.
Phoenix Union High School District
North High wins Grammy grant
North High School has been selected as a Grammy Signature School for 2009 and its music department will receive a $5,000 grant.
North is one of 14 schools in the nation to receive the award, and the only school in Arizona. The Grammy Foundation program recognizes the top U.S. public high schools that are making an outstanding commitment to music education during an academic school year.
North was one of six schools to win the Enterprise Award, recognizing efforts made by schools with a student enrollment considered “economically underserved.”
The grant proposal, submitted by band director Matthew Bock and choir director Adrienne Meeker, focused on purchasing cutting-edge music software for band, choir and orchestra students. The money will be used to purchase computers, software, literature, and student subscriptions to the service.
The North music department consists of two teachers and more than 150 students. There are 74 students participating in marching band, concert band, jazz band, activity band, orchestra and a student-run drum line, and 80 students in North’s four choirs. There also are 15 students who participate in class piano.
Meskel honored for volunteerism
Sellam Meskel, a senior at Central High, was one of the 10 Boys and Girls Clubs “Youth of the Year Award” finalists. Teens were selected on the strength of their moral compass, perseverance, and contribution to community.
Meskel is president of the Rosenzweig Keystone Club and mentors younger students and peers. She also has volunteered with hospice and St Vincent de Paul.
Warners visit Central High
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner and his wife, Brenda, hosted two assemblies at Central High on March 23 as the finale to a weeklong campus program that encourages inclusion and disability awareness.
C.H.E.E.R., a program of Warner’s First Things First Foundation, stands for Consciousness Helps Encourage Equal Respect. Central’s student government adopted C.H.E.E.R. in collaboration with the school’s special education department to organize a week of activities. Student volunteers, called C.H.E.E.R. Leaders, were assigned disabilities March 16-20.
More than 100 students participated in a Disability for a Day, where they had to deal with school blindfolded, hearing impaired, wheel chair-bound or using charades and non-verbal communication. Teachers received daily information on special education laws and definitions, disability descriptions and tips for teaching students with disabilities. The students will share their “disabled” experiences.”
Private and Charter Schools
AmeriSchools sets Open Houses
AmeriSchools Academy, a K-8 school located at 1333 W. Camelback Road, currently is accepting student applications for the 2009-10 school year. Open houses are scheduled for: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. April 18; 4-7 p.m. April 28; and 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. May 2. You do not need to RSVP to attend.
For more information, call 602-532-0100 or visit www.amerischools.org.
Goulder receives citizenship award
Alison Goulder of Xavier College Preparatory recently was honored by Farmers Insurance Group of Companies and Fox Sports Arizona as a well-rounded high school student/athletes.
Goulder, who maintains a 3.9 GPA and plays on the school’s volleyball team, is the founder of “Operation Grateful” and volunteers at both the Mayo Clinic and the Boys and Girls Club.
Xavier receives award for innovation
Xavier College Preparatory has been selected by professional journal Today’s Catholic Teacher as one of 12 recipients of the 2009 Catholic Schools for Tomorrow Award.
This national award honors the top innovations in education each year.† Xavier received the award†in the area of innovative projects in curriculum and instruction for its†“Financial and Economic Literacy: A Call to Stewardship” course.
Xavier was featured in the March†issue of Today’s Catholic Teacher and will be honored at the 2009 National Catholic Education Association Convention in mid-April.
Chefs face off to benefit Brophy
Chef Vincent Guerithault of Vincent on Camelback will participate for the third year in a row in Brophy College Prep’s Iron Chef Challenge on Thursday, April 16. Guerithault will once again compete against Chef Michael DeMaria of M Catering, to create the ultimate gourmet feast for guests of the event.
Both Guerithault and DeMaria have ties to Brophy as Guerithault’s sons attend the school and DeMaria is the office caterer for Brophy. “I am looking forward to once again participate in the Iron Chef duel with Michael. It’s a lot of fun and a great evening,” said Guerithault.
Proceeds from the third-annual Iron Chef Challenge, which begins at 6 p.m. on the Brophy campus at 4701 N. Central Ave., benefit the school. Tickets are $150 each and include fine wines, delectable gourmet dinner and dessert, and an evening of culinary entertainment. Reservations are limited so those interested are urged to reserve early by calling Gillian Oppedahl at 602-499-0324 or Laura Moser at 480-414-5255.
Robotics team invited to Europe
The first-year Robotics Team at St. Francis Xavier Elementary School has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to represent the state of Arizona in the FIRST Lego League (FLL) Open European Championship in Copenhagen, Denmark, May1-3. St. Francis Xavier could be one of eight teams representing the United States.
Team members include Steven Anderson, Bren Bohannon, Gabe Carney, Bobby Grant, Angelica Gutierrez, Jade Hall, Katrina Knapp, Ashley Lawless, Stephanie Lebo, and Adam McKenna. The team is coached by Lyn McLaren, Carrie Shanahan and Nick Patton.
While the students practice in the school library on Tuesdays and Thursdays to hone their programming and presentation skills, coaches and parents are fundraising to help underwrite the costs of the trip. The team needs to raise $24,000 for the trip.
This year students in grades six through eight had the opportunity to take part in the school’s rookie FIRST Lego League (FLL) robotics team. In five short months, 10 students, their coaches and mentors competed in regional and state competitions. At the state competition, held at Arizona State University in December, the group was named a silver team. The team also received a first place award for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology in Robot Programming. The judges noted the originality of several of the techniques that the team used during competition, winning the team recognition for its innovative programming.
To make a tax-deductible donation to the St. Francis Xavier team’s fundraising effort and to learn more about the competition and the success of the robotics program at the school, contact Tami Bohannon at 602-212-4514 or tamara.bohannon@sfxphx.org.
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