William “Bill” Monahan, a biology teacher at Eastlake High School, received the Washington Science Teachers Association (WSTA) Teacher of the Year Award.  The selection committee commented that Bill’s “deep record of commitment to students, effectiveness in education and outreach are exemplary to younger teachers.”  Bill has made an incredible contribution to Eastlake as a Science teacher, a mentor, and a leader.  Students gravitate to his calm and sagacious presence, and unequivocally love him.  They listen and learn from his stories about war and his poems about life. Bill’s success as a teacher reverberates across the school.  As a Teacher of the Year, Bill received a certificate of achievement, a $500 honorarium to be used at his discretion, and free registration for the WSTA Conference.

District Students Selected for All-State Music Ensembles

Fifty-one outstanding music students from Lake Washington School District have been selected to participate in one of the 2012 WMEA All-State performing groups. The students listed below will join other outstanding high school student musicians from around the state in this gala event held in Yakima February 16-20, 2012.

The finest high school musicians in our state will rehearse and perform in concert under the direction of world-renowned conductors. These WMEA All-State musicians were selected through auditions to participate in this outstanding event, which is sponsored by the Washington Music Educators Association.

2012 WMEA All-State Chamber Orchestra: Allison Blair, senior (ICS), Violin (Kirkland); Brandon Brewster, senior (EHS), Trombone (Sammamish); Michael Deroche, senior (LWHS), Trombone (Kirkland); Ben Ellis, sophomore (JHS), Trumpet (Cornet) (Kirkland); Amanda Pang, sophomore (RHS), Viola (Woodinville); Samuel Schwabacher, senior (JHS), Percussion (Kirkland); Adrianna Svitak, junior (RHS), Violin (Redmond); Carolyn Wilson, senior (JHS), French Horn (Kirkland); and Aelish Wright, senior (LWHS), Viola (Redmond)

2012 WMEA All-State Concert Band: Leslie Fisher, freshman (KaJH), Flute (Kirkland); Ben Hayward, freshman (KaJH), Tuba (Kirkland); Matthew Hsieh, freshman (RJH), Bb Soprano Clarinet, (Redmond); Nagisa Nakano, freshman (IJH), Trumpet (Cornet) (Sammamish); Jacob Reyes, sophomore (JHS), Trombone (Kirkland); Nick Teoh, freshman (KaJH), Bassoon (Kirkland); Alex Wallin, senior (JHS), French Horn (Kirkland); and Alex Zhou, sophomore (RHS), French Horn (Redmond)

2012 WMEA All-State Symphonic Choir: Connor Bergren, junior (LWHS), Tenor 1 (Kirkland); Olivia Davis, freshman (RJH), Soprano 2 (Redmond); Chantel Dozier, senior (RHS), Soprano 2 (Kirkland); Rebekah Mars, senior (RHS), Alto 1 (Redmond); Lauren Park, senior (RHS), Soprano 1 (Redmond); and Christa Von Der Burg, senior (RHS), Soprano 2 (Woodinville)

2012 WMEA All-State Symphony Orchestra: Erik Binkhuysen, sophomore (EHS), Viola (Sammamish); Albert Daschle, junior (RHS), String Bass (Redmond); Clark Ellis, freshman (FHJH), Trombone (Kirkland); Stephen Johnson, junior (JHS), Cello (Kirkland); Kyu Kim, junior (RHS), Cello (Redmond); Atticus Liu, sophomore (RHS), Violin (Redmond); Hannah Miller, sophomore (JHS), Trombone (Kirkland); Madelaine Stearn, sophomore (RHS), Bassoon (Woodinville); Mackenzie Toher, senior (LWHS), Viola (Kirkland); Kyle Wasson, junior (RHS), Viola (Woodinville); Hattie Yang, junior, (RHS), Viola, (Kirkland); and Jennifer Yeh, freshman (RJH), Violin (Sammamish)

2012 WMEA All-State Treble Choir: Sarah Du, senior (RHS), Alto 2 (Sammamish); Promise Hammond, freshman (RJH), Soprano 2 (Redmond); Stephanie Lin, junior (RHS), Alto 1 (Redmond); Rachel Lovitt, junior (RHS), Alto 2 (Redmond); Makenna Meier, senior (RHS), Alto 2 (Redmond); Bailey Whitton, sophomore (JHS), Alto 1 (Kirkland); and Emma Wright, senior (RHS), Soprano 1 (Redmond)

2012 WMEA All-State Wind Ensemble: Sierra Allen, senior (RHS), Bb Soprano Clarinet (Redmond); Austin Chen, senior (JHS), Alto Saxophone (Kirkland); Gabrielle Hsu, sophomore (JHS), Bassoon (Kirkland); Stella Perlic, sophomore (JHS), Percussion (Kirkland); Josh Reyes, senior (JHS), Tenor Saxophone (Kirkland); Timothy Roetcisoender, junior (JHS), Bb Soprano Clarinet (Kirkland); Alexander Ronneburg, junior (RHS), Bassoon (Sammamish); Karl Ronneburg, junior (RHS), Percussion (Sammamish); and Keegan Taggart, sophomore (JHS), Trombone (Kirkland)

District Students Selected for Junior All-State Music Ensembles

Thirty outstanding seventh and eighth grade music students from Lake Washington School District have received top honors by being selected to participate in the annual WMEA Junior All-State bands, choirs and orchestra. The students listed below will join more than 375 other outstanding young performers in Bellevue for this gala event on February 18, 2012.

These outstanding musicians will rehearse together under the direction of outstanding music educators and present a final concert that afternoon. These musicians were selected through auditions to participate in this prestigious event.

2012 WMEA Junior All-State Baker Band: Maxine Beeman, eighth grade (KaJH), Tuba (Kirkland); Josiah Cline, eighth grade (RJH), Tenor Saxophone (Redmond); Bridget Dahlman-Oeth, eighth grade (KaJH), Flute (Kirkland); Izzy Jo, eighth grade (KaJH), Trumpet (Kirkland); Rebecca Liu, eighth grade (KaJH), Bb Clarinet (Redmond); Caeli MacLennan, eighth grade (EJH), French Horn (Redmond); Tom Mikkelson, eighth grade (KaJH), Alto Saxophone (Kirkland); William Ronneburg, seventh grade (IJH), Trombone (Sammamish); and Chance Sweetser, eighth grade (RHJH), Trombone (Redmond)

2012 WMEA Junior All-State Mixed Choir: Oindrila Banerjee, seventh grade (ICS), Alto Voice (Sammamish); Sasha Heywood, seventh grade (RJH), Alto Voice (Redmond); Madison Nikfard, seventh grade (ICS), Alto Voice (Redmond); and Alex Okun, eighth grade (RJH), Baritone Voice (Redmond)

2012 WMEA Junior All-State Orchestra: Joel Frostad, eighth grade (KaJH), Violin (Kirkland); Adarsh Karnati, eighth grade (RJH), Violin (Sammamish); Prajwala Mantha, eighth grade (IJH), Viola (Sammamish); Adrian Pang, eighth grade (RJH), Cello (Woodinville); Anna Pronk, eighth grade (FHJH), Violin (Kirkland); Jessica Rame, eighth grade (IJH), Violin (Sammamish); Mae Reilly, seventh grade (FHJH), Viola (Kirkland); and Kyung Yoon Yoo, eighth grade (RJH), Violin (Redmond)

2012 WMEA Junior All-State Rainier Band: Sarah Bisset, seventh grade (ICS), Flute (Kirkland); Drew Butler, seventh grade (RJH), Bb Clarinet (Redmond); Andrew Cao, eighth grade (RJH), Trombone (Redmond); Han Yuan Chen, eighth grade (EJH), Bb Clarinet (Redmond); and Allison Johnson, eighth grade (FHJH), Bb Clarinet (Kirkland)

2012 WMEA Junior All-State Treble Choir: Isabel Canning, seventh grade (RJH), Alto Voice (Redmond); Ivy Crane, eighth grade (RJH), Alto Voice (Redmond); Jessica Hoofnagle, seventh grade (ICS), Soprano Voice (Redmond); and Janeen Richards, seventh grade (RJH), Alto Voice (Redmond)

ICS Student Wins State Piano Competition

International Community School (ICS) senior Edward Cordell recently placed first in the Senior Piano Division of the Washington State Music Teachers Association (WSMTA) Outstanding Artist Competition. The event was held on the campus of Central Washington University on November 5 and 6 and drew 26 of the best young pianists from across the state. His performance program included a Bach Prelude and Fugue, a Beethoven Sonata, and Chopin’s Ballade No. 1. He was awarded first place in the Junior Piano Division of the same event in 2008. Edward has been studying piano and competing for 11 years. He also plays alto saxophone in the ICS Music Ensemble.

2004 Lake Washington High School graduates get Grammy nomination

A northwest group, Fleet Foxes, have been nominated for a Grammy in the best folk-album category. Robin Pecknold and Skyler Skjelset, founding members of Fleet Foxes, are 2004 graduates of Lake Washington High School. Fleet Foxes was recognized for "Helplessness Blues" (on the Sub Pop label).