Chalk Talk March 18, 2015

DISTRICT

There is no school on Friday, March 27, unless a snow make-up day is needed. Spring break is March 30-April 3. The district office will remain open during spring break from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Students return to class on Monday, April 6.

The next board meeting is at 6 p.m. Monday, April 6, in the board room. The agenda is available on the district website at www.sequim.k12.wa.us. Board meetings always are open to the public.

GREYWOLF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Training for volunteers interested in becoming reading tutors is from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 25, in Room 142. For more information, call the school office at 582-3300.

All fifth-grade students throughout the district were given the opportunity to write an essay about Ellis Island. Located in Upper New York Bay, Ellis Island is the gateway for immigrants to the United States.

The essay contest was presented by the Daughters of the American Revolution, a women’s service organization dedicated to promoting historical preservation, education, patriotism and honoring the patriots of the Revolutionary War.

These fifth-grade students from Nathalie Maynock’s class were given certificates for their participation: Lauren Sundin, Kariya Johnson, Hannah Hampton, Zoey Johnson, Thomas Fendler, Madelyn Pickens, Eayn Thomas and Alyssa Bohenyo.

Bohenyo won the essay contest at the state level and is in the running for a regional award. If she wins the regional award, she will then move on to compete at the national level in Washington D.C.

HELEN HALLER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Librarian Sheri Kruckeberg says the Cougar Writing Conference was a big success this week! Author Suzanne Selfors presented at two assemblies on Wednesday. Students attended a performance by Book-It Theatre of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” on Thursday and had the opportunity to participate in a workshop after the performance. Students shared their writings in classrooms on Friday.

Sheri Suryan’s fifth-grade class has been studying about world explorers and the different reasons each explorer had for risking their lives to find the Northwest Passage to Asia. Each student has become the explorer and here’s what they wrote:

I am Vasco Nuñez de Balboa. I was the first Spanish explorer to see the Pacific Ocean. I’m from Spain and I explored the northwest part of South America. I sailed for glory and gold. Kobe Applegate

I am Jacques Cartier. Nice to meet you. I am from France and in France born in St. Malo, Brittany. The purpose of my three voyages was to look for the quicker Northwest Passage to Asia, and also to look for gold, gold and glory. Robert Streck

I am Marco Polo, a Venetian merchant and explorer. By the age of 15, my dad, Niccolo Polo, and my uncle, Maffeo Polo, took me to China to meet Kublai Khan. I served as his aide for the next 17 years. I lived from 1254 to 1324. I am from Venice, Italy. I am from a family of merchants, who traveled to bring goods back to my hometown. I explored mainly China, but the Great Khan sent me to places such as Tibet. On my way back, I was thrown in a war prison. The purpose of my exploration was to find goods to bring back to Venice. Also, I went to China because my dad and uncle wanted me to meet Kublai Khan. They wanted me to help bring the Khan oil blessed by the Pope. Angelina Cooper

Hi, my name is Vasco da Gama. I am from Sines, Portugal. I went on a voyage from Sines around Africa to India. My purpose of my exploration was for God and glory. Bailey McComas

I am Leif Erikson. I was born in Iceland around 980. I wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps. I explored Markland, Helluland and Vinland. I wanted to go exploring for glory. I named all the lands I found. Olivia Brandt

I am Henry Hudson. I explored the Hudson Bay in Canada and the New York area, and I am English. My exploration was to find the Northwest Passage to China. I was trying to get gold and goods there. Tyler Lawson

I am Samuel de Champlain. I was born 1567 in Brouage, France, and explored the southeast part of Canada and founded Quebec. There is a lake named after me for finding it. Champlain’s purpose was to have glory like the other explorers. He also wanted to get to the New World and he got to be known as the Father of Canada. Beau Halverson

OLYMPIC PENINSULA ACADEMY

Sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students demonstrated their knowledge of the American legal system by trying a fictitious assault case in a mock trial held in the cafeteria on March 13. Teacher Timothy Wilkinson assigned different roles for each student. The project began when a fictitious crime was staged in conjunction with a study unit on the Bill of Rights. The staged crime took place in the school cafeteria on Feb. 12, where students Silas Thomas and Christian Nicholson supposedly pored a toxic liquid into Hope Glasser’s water bottle.

An investigative team gathered and processed evidence and took statements from witnesses, and the legal teams began taking depositions. Over the course of the next few weeks, time was spent each class day studying the application of Constitutional amendments, as well as laws that specifically relate to the rights of minors and students in school.

The legal teams prepared their cases. Local attorney Virginia Shogren mentored the student lawyers on how to develop their legal strategies. FBI agent Andreas Kaltsounis and his wife, Sarah Kaltsounis, also provided professional expertise. Just before the trial day, subpoenas were served to all witnesses and summonses were served to all selected jurors consisting of parents and community volunteers.

The Prosecution team consisted of Riley Scott (lead attorney), Deven Biehler (objections). Hannah Gloor (evidence) and Mia Underwood (witnesses). The Defense team included Liam Byrne (lead attorney), Jade Harris (objections), Andrew Cambalik (evidence) and Eden Johnson (witnesses). The investigative team was Olivia Hare, Eleanor Byrne, Devin Rhynerson and Brianna Cowan. Courtroom personnel included Samantha White (bailiff), Emily Neilson (clerk), Lili Taylor and Emma Shogren (stenographers).

SEQUIM HIGH SCHOOL

Teacher Brad Moore and 10 students with the Robotics Club won the Pacific Northwest District Glacier Peak event in Snohomish on March 6-8. They continue with district competition in Mount Vernon on March 13-15, where they hope to qualify for regional competition that will take place in Cheney over spring break.

According to the Robotics Club constitution, students must each put in 100 hours of work on the project. They have six weeks to plan, design, program and wire the robot for competition. Then the majority of the robot’s parts must be boxed up until competition day, but they can continue to develop up to 30 pounds of the robot. This year’s challenge requires a robot designed to be able to pick up plastic storage totes, stack them six high and insert a Styrofoam “floatie” tube through a small opening in a receptacle placed on top of the storage totes.

Leadership students Katie Stevenson, Waverly Shreffler, Danica Miller, Anika Van Dyken, Ricky Gross, Max Koonz, Dakota Henderson, Jordan McMinn, Cecilee Wech, Elena Springer, Cortney Gossett, Selesha McKibbon, Sadie Woods, Kailee Price, Stone Diggs and Emma LeBlanc participated in a staff recognition event on March 3 for custodial staff called “Golden Broom.” The students made the rounds for afternoon trash pick-up, while the custodians relaxed in the staff lounge with refreshments.