Students Win Corporate-Sponsored Merit Scholarships
Three Lake Washington School District students received corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarships through the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. All three received National Merit Boeing Scholarships, which are awarded annually for children of Boeing employees. These students were selected from Finalists in the 2008 National Merit Scholarship Program who meet the criteria of their scholarship sponsors. Approximately 200 companies, foundations and other business organizations honor nearly 1,100 outstanding high school seniors each year.

The following students received these scholarships:

• Sydney Veltkamp, Redmond High School – Probable career field: Illustration
• Emily Guo, Redmond High School – Probable career field: International Relations
• Sukhdeep Singh, International Community School – Probable career field: Medicine

Scholarships vary depending upon the sponsor, but most are renewable for up to four years of college undergraduate study, and provide annual stipends that range from $500 to $10,000 per year. Recipients can use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university of their choice.

2008 Earth Heroes at School Revealed
King County Executive Ron Sims has notified several Lake Washington School District schools, programs, staff members and students that they have been selected as 2008 Earth Heroes at School. The Earth Heroes at School program celebrates the importance of protecting and enhancing our natural environment. The following individuals or programs were selected:

• Lindsey Parkinson, junior, Eastlake High School, for her inspirational leadership of the Cool Schools Challenge, and her exceptional personal commitment to the environment.
• Mike Town, teacher Redmond High School, and Zachary Doleac, Emily Guo, Jamie Hall, Joseph Hegge, and Laura Wang (all Cool School Challenge students) for their commitment to the environment, and, in particular, to their project to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• David Leviten, Susan O’Malley and Kim Johnson, teachers at Explorer Community School, for projects that involve students learning and taking action for the environment.
• Dori West, teacher and Tony Marckese, head custodian, at Audubon Elementary, for helping Audubon to expand its recycling program and increasing awareness and participation among students, staff and families.

All of these individuals have been invited to attend the Earth Heroes at School Awards Ceremony on April 24 at Maplewood Greens.

Samantha Smith Elementary Teacher Receives Cornetet Award
Linda Dauer, a special education teacher at Samantha Smith Elementary, received a Lucile Cornetet Individual Award for professional development from The Delta Kappa Gamma Educational Foundation. This award will enable Linda to attend the 2009 Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Convention and Expo. The Foundation awarded a total of $19,608 to outstanding educators to enable them to attend professional activities in their respective fields. “This award will allow me to receive information which will improve my work in the resource room setting. As a special education teacher, I find professional development very important,” Linda said.

Lake Washington High School Drama Presents…Little Shop of Horrors
A Musical by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken
Down and out Skid Row floral assistant Seymour becomes an overnight sensation when he discovers an exotic plant with a mysterious craving for fresh blood. Soon "Audrey II" grows into an ill-tempered, foul-mouthed, R&B-singing carnivore offering him fame and fortune in exchange for feeding its growing appetite. But, as Audrey II's hungry demands increase, all that Seymour holds dear is threatened as the plant's sinister agenda for global domination is revealed. One of the longest-running Off-Broadway shows of all time, this affectionate spoof of 1950s sci-fi movies has become a house-hold name, thanks to a highly successful film version and a score by the songwriting team of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken.

Performances will be held at the Cadle Theatre at LWHS. The dates and times are as follows:
May 7, 8, 9, 10 at 7:00 p.m.
Matinee: May 5, 10 at 2:00 p.m.

All tickets are $8. Tickets will be available at the door. Recommended for ages 10+

Directed by: Jennifer Reif
Musical Direction by: Jim Peterson and John Logan

Student’s Artwork Wins PSESD Outstanding Achievement Award
Redmond High student Katie Shankle’s artwork, “Dancers Behind the Curtain,” was accepted into the Regional High School Art Show sponsored by Puget Sound ESD (PSESD). The work was created last year when she attended Kamiakin Junior High. She was awarded an Outstanding Achievement Medium Award.

Her work is done in acrylic paint. Her piece reflects her studies of the master painter Edgar Degas. She was honored at the reception on April 13. Her work can be viewed online at:
http://psesd.org/artshow/pages/084.htm.

Puget Sound ESD's annual high school art competition encourages students to share their work with other students in the PSESD region and Washington state to emphasize the role of the arts as a core subject area. The competition is open to students enrolled in grades 9-12 in any public or state-approved private school in the ESD region. Students enter their artwork at the regional level, with several pieces chosen to compete at the state level. Artwork is judged on creativity, composition, and technique.

Redmond High School Student Artwork on Display at Redmond City Hall
Students in Sarah De la Cruz’s Advanced 2D Art class will have artwork on display at Redmond City Hall, beginning April 23. The artwork is inspired by the work of Japanese artist Hokusai (1760-1849), and emulates his style by focusing on nature and ukiyo-e, or everyday life. The works are linoleum block prints. The work on display was created by the following student artists: Krista Simonson, Brittany Angell, Ian Anderson, Isabel Ridder, Katie Rohrbach, Christina Davison, Sophie Gao, Tyler West and Chanel Cogan.

Franklin Elementary Students Participate in Earth Day Activities
Students at Franklin Elementary had the opportunity to participate in a number of activities related to Earth Day on April 22. Here are some highlights of what the students did:

• International Grocery Bag Project: Students school-wide decorated Red Apple grocery sacks. Project advisor Kristin Wobker worked with Red Apple Manager Dwayne to coordinate decorating and distributing the bags at his store. Over 500 bags were decorated, and the bags were distributed starting April 22.
• Bridle Trails State Park Clean Up: Over 20 students and families from Franklin met on Saturday, April 19 to clean up Bridle Trails State Park. They filled a 50 cubic-yard dumpster and put a real dent in the invasive blackberries.
• Other Earth Day activities students participated in: Students dressed green for Earth Day, and the school held a “Waste Free Lunch Day.”

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News from the Schools is compiled by the Lake Washington School District Communications Department. For more information or to submit your school's news, please e-mail Kathryn Reith or Shannon Parthemer.