School winners

Give Darrington cheer squad a W-I-N

The Darrington High School cheer squad beat out three larger high schools to win the first annual Skagit County Cheer Exhibition, held March 16 at Burlington-Edison High School.

The winning dance routine went through the decades, from the 1950s’ “Shout” to the “Harlem Shake.”

Mount Vernon and Sedro-Woolley high schools also participated.

The competition cheer squad consists of Amy Buchanan, Andria Holm, Amanda Kitz, Caroline Haywood, Elesha Forrest, Hailey Hudson, Josie Fanning, Lauren Kitz, Sadie Young, and eighth-grader Shelby Stafford, as well as the lone guy, Tracy Tamez, who cheers and also performed as the school’s Logger mascot.

EWHS Dance Team is district champ

The Edmonds-Woodway High School Dance Team took first place in the Military category at a recent district competition.

The team had qualified in all three categories, with four team members also qualifying to compete in individual Drill Downs at state.

The team will compete in the State Championships, March 22 and 23 in Yakima.

Arlington senior to go to science camp

An Arlington High School teen is one of two seniors selected to represent the state at the National Youth Science Camp, June 26 to July 20 at West Virginia’s Monogahela National Forest.

Naheed Arang is Arlington High School’s Senior Class vice president. She won the 2012 Biotechnology Student of the Year. She is involved in Medical Explorers, a program that offers students a look into the careers of health care professionals.

She will be graduating at 16 years old, at the top of her class, with distinct honors and achievements. She enjoys volunteering at her local hospitals and clinics.

Everett boy wins poster contest

Daniel Geiszler, 12, won the Everett Central Lions Club’s International Peace Poster Contest, which came with a $100 prize. The theme of the contest was “Imagine Peace,” and Daniel described his poster as imagining “a world rooted in peace.”

Daniel is a sixth-grader at Port Gardner K-12, a parent partnership program in the Everett School District.

Cascade DECA competes at state

Cascade High School DECA took 14 members to the State Career Development Conference held March 7 to 9 in Bellevue. Three members qualified for the International Career Development Conference. The team of Erika Graf, Bria Jeanice and Emily Irwin placed sixth for their Chapter Awards Project, which is a culmination of events and activities from the past year.

Emily also received a top-six finish for her “Written Entrepreneurship Manual,” a 30-page business plan which she wrote in the advanced marketing class.

The International Career Development Conference takes place in April in Anaheim, Calif.

Jazz band takes first at Viking festival

The Harbour Pointe Middle School jazz band took first place against 13 other middle school and junior high bands at the Viking Jazz Festival, held in February in Poulsbo. View a video of their performance at http://youtu.be/7JWsCZU1jAw.

Eight Granite Falls students honored

The Granite Falls School District recognized eight students at a school board meeting March 20 as its third-quarter Success in Education award winners.

Student winners are Earl Campbell, Erich Whitley, Emma Loney, Kelsey Bassett, Clay Freeman, Robert Gadbois, Rachel Mow and Jesse Littlelight. The awards honor students who show an understanding of the importance of education and provide service to other students, staff or the community.

EdCC students named top scholars

Edmonds Community College students Hunter Coulombe and Josh Estes were recognized for their scholarship, leadership and community service at a ceremony March 21 in Olympia. The men are among the state’s 63 top scholars that make up the All-Washington Academic Team, an honor that comes with a $500 scholarship. Each two-year college in the state may nominate two students for the honor.

Coulombe, 19, of Mukilteo, is earning his Associate of Science degree with a goal of studying mechanical engineering. He attends college full-time while working as an engineering technician at Electroimpact in Mukilteo and plans to earn the first baccalaureate degree in his family.

Estes, 29, of Marysville, is studying energy management. He worked at Kimberly-Clark in Everett, where he also served as president of the Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers Union, Local 183. When the paper and pulp mill closed, Estes decided to return to school. He serves on the board of directors for United Way of Snohomish County.

Woodside principal earns science award

Betty Cobbs, principal of Woodside Elementary School in Bothell, part of the Everett School District, was named a 2012-13 Science Champion.

The Science Education Advocate Awards honor those who demonstrate passion for advancing science education in innovative ways. They are presented by Washington State Leadership and Assistance for Science Education Reform (LASER), a program led by Pacific Science Center, Battelle and Pacific Northwest National Laboratories.

Imagine Children’s Museum in Everett also was named a Science Champion.

While many schools with higher numbers of low-income children focus on reading and writing, Cobbs is credited for placing a focus on science as well. In 2012, nearly 88 percent of the school’s fifth-graders passed the state science exam, more than half scoring at the advanced level.

The Imagine Children’s Museum was credited with taking STEM educational opportunities beyond the classroom with hands-on exhibits and science-focused programs.

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