This year's Washington State History Day competition was held on April 30 at Green River Community College in Auburn. The International Community School (ICS) sent 10 entries (produced by 18 eighth graders) at the junior division level (grades 6-8) and four entries (produced by seven students) at the senior division level (grades 9-12).
Student essays about far-off lands and excercise
Lakeview Elementary School was pleased to recently host special guest Tom Flick, a national motivational speaker and former UW/NFL football player. Flick spoke at an assembly about making right choices in their lives.
This has been quite a year for performing arts at Juanita High School, with Bruce Gutgesell as band director, Kim Merkely as orchestra director, Ashleigh Hasslinger as choral director and Elizabeth McMurray-Hauk as theater director.
Eric Wong, a senior at Juanita High School, received a $500 award for his first place finish at the Kirkland Woman's Club annual Music Scholarship Competition. The competition was held May 13 at Juanita High School and was open to high school seniors in the Lake Washington School District.
Students are often asked to write. They write in their English, social studies, science and mathematics classes. But most students don't realize their writing could win them awards and recognition. This year in February and March two young women at BEST High School reaped the rewards of developing their craft as writers.
Peter Kirk Elementary students tested their ingenuity May 20 with all sorts of containers for the school's first Egg Drop contest. Students created packages in which a raw egg was inserted; the packages were then dropped from a height of 70 feet from the top of a ladder truck supplied by Kirkland Fire Station No. 26.
On May 13, students from Eastside Preparatory School in Kirkland designed and facilitated a service learning project at Everest Park. Students spent the day identifying and removing non-native invasive plant species from the park in and around the new Kirkland Rotary Club-sponsored centennial picnic structure.
The 2005-06 Lake Washington School District calendar has been announced. The start date for school will be August 31 and the last day of school June 16, 2006. The December winter break remains at two weeks. The February Break is shortened to a five-day weekend in conjunction with Presidents Day. The April Spring Break will be one week earlier than this year due to the WASL testing schedule in the state.
With the completion of a beautiful new school building two years ago, many children and their families were left wondering what happened to the play structures that were removed during the construction. Due to the construction, half of the play structures on the playground had to be removed. Since these older wooden structures do not meet the new code requirements, the district was unable to re-install them and unfortunately does not have the funding to replace them.
Residents of North Rose Hill are coming together quickly around the concept of a community designed, funded and built playground in the meadow of the new Woodlands Park addition also known as the "Williamson Property." Currently slated for development to begin in the summer of 2005 and into 2006, the Woodlands Park addition will include open meadows for passive recreation and trails that will link the new portion to the existing park near the fire station and the Tot Playground on 100th and 128th Ave N.E.
The Friends of the Library of Kirkland (FOLK) has recently elected Downtowner Mike Miller as its new president. FOLK's approximately 150 members act as liaison between citizens and the library, publicize library programs and needs as well fundraise and sponsor programs.
"Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer..." June has arrived and with it the announcement of activities for our busy corner of Kirkland. This will be the column to keep (not for the writing!) but for the public meetings, picnics and pure fun planned for Juanita and its immediate area.
It appears the Bridle Trails Shopping Center is one of the wildest places in our neighborhood. As I walked over there last week, I heard and then saw two excited and upset ospreys chasing an eagle who apparently tried to pay a social call atop the "osprey cell tower."
Many Highlands residents sent letters or spoke at the Highlands comprehensive plan hearing in April, and virtually all were strongly opposed to a vehicle crossing at 111th Ave. N.E.