ICS produces 'A Funny Thing' and wins in chess
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way ...And it was truly funny!
The International Community School's student-run drama club put on four performances (Dec. 1 - Dec. 4) of the above-named farce for plebeians and patricians of all ages to enjoy immensely.
With a cast of 28 and a production crew of 20, this was a major event! In the meantime, they all still had to study and do homework, and 11 of them still had to practice for other big events like the ICS Music Ensemble's Winter Concert on December 15.
These kids like to work hard and play hard! So, in the picture of Revathi Murthy and Caleb Lindgren, which one was the gladiator and which was the cow herder? And then you have the classic evil couple of Brent Sandona (the Roman Senator Publicus Piscius) and Sarah Fisher (the beautiful Drusilla) who were plotting to kill not only her husband, but also the Emperor, and his daughter! And the jokes and puns just kept flowing like wine from Bacchus' cup.
8th-grader represents Team Washington
Vishnu Warrier, an ICS student, qualified to represent 8th- graders in Team Washington for the Washington-British Columbia International Scholastic Chess match held December 4 at the History House in Seattle. This match was organized by America's Foundation for Chess and the Washington High School Chess Association (WHSCA).
To qualify, the top four players in Washington State in each grade (as determined by the eligibility rules of the WHSCA) had to play round-robin games. The top two in each grade then went on to represent Team Washington at the international match.
Vishnu lost his first game, but came back to win the second! And both games were actually against players rated higher than him. Unfortunately, Team Washington lost the overall match, and the Canadians won the trophy this year.
Seventh graders create 'hum-dingers'
Stella Schola Middle School is one of several choice schools in Lake Washington School District created to offer parents and students varying options for continued growth and learning during the early to mid-teen years.
Recently, seventh graders at Stella Schola spent an afternoon putting their scientific skills to the test as they struggled to combine their science knowledge to create a contraption which "hummed" when a string was pulled, and which "dinged" when then string was released.
Given only a small bag of items including a battery and a motor, seventh graders used their critical problem solving skills to complete the contraption with little guidance.
"Students learn about electricity, levers, and pulleys in elementary school," said teacher Brigitte Tennis, "so this activity challenges them to pull all that information together to synthesize something new. It also challenges students to work collaboratively in groups towards a common goal."
As students struggled and problem solved, the room resonated with dings, but very few hums! Mrs. Tennis visited each group periodically, posing questions to move groups to the next level of learning. "Can your group reverse the process?" Tennis queried when one group produced a "ding-hummer" (meaning that the ding came before the hum).
Eventually, in various ways, groups of students came up with their own methods to create their "hum-singer," and then proudly displayed them for each other.
Peter Kirk Elementary School
Kindergartners, first- and second-graders at Peter Kirk Elementary School are enjoying a new playground, thanks to generous donations from the Kirkland community as well as PTSA fundraisers. The NorKirk Neighborhood Association donated $400.
The new play area, with eight dynamic structures, makes "wiggle time" much more fun for the primary grades.
Student artwork is currently on display at the Starbucks at Carillon Point. Peter Kirk students and their families also created artwork for the Spirit of Christmas - Operation Iraq program. Their artwork is included in some of thousands of care packages assembled in November and shipped to armed forces in Iraq.
And for a special Veteran's Day assembly, students and visitors were treated to a skit by fifth-graders on what it means to be a veteran. Songs were performed by students in first, third and fifth grades.
Several students introduced family members who are veterans of World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, and Gulf War, plus those currently serving in the Armed Forces.[[In-content Ad]]
