Kirkland School Briefs

Quick updates of school happenings and events in Kirkland.

Jr. high student wins national art award

Aliese Poole, a student at Kamiakin Junior High, was recognized earlier this month as a national PTA award winner for art excellence in photography. Poole received a “merit award” for her photo “Pep Talk.”

The national PTA organization gives out 18 awards of excellence annually in each arts area through its “Reflections” contest.

Award of excellence recipients receive a $200 cash award and a silver-plated Reflections medallion. Award of Merit recipients receive a silver-plated Reflections medallion. For more info, visit http://www.wastatepta.org/programs/Reflections/National%20Awards%2007-08.htm.

Area schools earn cash award for stewardship

Kirkland’s Discovery Community School and Carl Sandburg Elementary were two of nine King, Snohomish and Kitsap county public schools to receive cash awards from Olympia last week for their outstanding environmental programs.

The Terry Husseman School Awards program, presented by the Washington Department of Ecology, recognizes schools annually for developing and implementing innovative curricula, sustaining ongoing waste reduction efforts or starting new environmental programs.

Discovery and Carl Sandburg will share a $720 award to purchase worm bins, classroom bins, reusable dishes, garden tools and mulch.

LW senior takes home three scholarships

Lake Washington High School senior Ian Story has received a two-year Mary Gates Honors Scholarship to the University of Washington. Mary Gates scholarships are awarded to “the UW’s most ambitious and promising students.”

Ian has also received a $2,000 Miller/Hull scholarship and a $3,000 Sellen Construction scholarship through the ACE (Architecture/Construction/Engineering) Mentor program of Washington.

Ian plans to major in Architecture at the UW.

ICS musicians win another competition

Four Kirkland International Community School (ICS) musicians placed in the top awards for their categories at the Washington State solo and ensemble contest in Ellensburg at the end of last month.

Calvin French-Owen, accompanied by Matthew Zhou on the piano, took first in the french horn solo category. Bill Zorn and Bryan Djunaedi, accompanied by Karen Janes on the piano, took second in the small woodwind ensemble category. Zorn also took third in the clarinet solo category, playing the Third Movement of the “Sonata for Clarinet and Piano” by Francis Poulenc.

Clark named to UW Dean’s List

Kirkland’s Cassra Clark, a sophomore, was named to the dean’s list at the University of Washington for the winter quarter. To qualify for the Dean’s List, a student must be taking at least 12 graded credits and have a grade point average of at least 3.5.

Local earns fellowship to pursue doctorate

Liana Leigh Roberts, of Kirkland, was on April 15 awarded a fellowship by The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi for the 2008-2009 academic year. Roberts is a senior at the University of Puget Sound.

The Fellowship will allow Roberts to pursue a doctorate in molecular cell biology at Washington University in St. Louis. She is the daughter of Kenneth Roberts and Lorraine Armitage.

Roberts is among 100 students nationwide to receive the Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship.

Three locals receive WAVE scholarships

Three students from Kirkland high schools have received Washington Award for Vocational Excellence (WAVE) scholarships.

Chris Higgins (Marketing) and Evan Doyle (Digital Communications) from Lake Washington High School and David Tran (Architectural Drawing and Engineering) from Juanita High School were awarded scholarships.