Arlington preschool teacher is state’s best
Heide Scrimgeour, a preschool teacher with Arlington School District’s Apple preschool program, was named the state Teacher of the Year by the Washington State Association of Head Start and Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP).
The honor marks the first time in 28 years that a Snohomish County Head Start or ECEAP staff person has won the award. Thousands of employees throughout the state are eligible.
Scrimgeour has worked with Apple since 2008, when she started as a teacher assistant for two years. She is now in her fourth year as a lead teacher and is working on a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education.
“I have never met anyone as generous with her time, willing with her spirit and as committed to the children and their success as Heide Scrimgeour,” said Apple director Ethna Flanagan in a letter of recommendation.
Everett High jazz band heading to Georgia
Everett High School’s jazz band, directed by Megan Vinther, is one of 12 high school jazz bands from across the nation selected to participate in the Swing Central Jazz High School Jazz Band Competition and Workshop, an event produced by the Savannah Music Festival.
The students will travel to Georgia for the event, to be held March 25-27, to work with jazz masters, perform in the “Jazz on the River” showcase, play in competition rounds and attend a variety of performances.
“This was our most competitive year, and it was difficult to narrow the field,” festival Associate Artistic Director Marcus Roberts said.
The high school bands will compete for cash awards.
Cascade auto students drive home with win
A team of two Cascade High School automotive students took first place with near-perfect scores at the Dec. 6 Skills Competition in Covington, sponsored by Universal Technical Institute. Ten teams competed.
Deven Fisher and Derek Saxon were judged on their ability to diagnose, repair or describe various automotive systems at six stations, which focused on brakes, electrical diagnosis, computer diagnosis, replacing spark plugs, identifying auto parts and a written ASE certification-type test.
The teens received $1,000 scholarships to use at any Universal Technical Institute campus, as well as $2,000 worth of Snap-on hand tools and a custom Snap-on tool chest worth $5,000.
Young musicians get boost from foundation
The Stanwood-Camano Area Foundation on Dec. 15 awarded five middle and high school students with music grants totaling $1,900.
Edward Staffenhagen, Ireland Michaud and Shintaro Wilcox, all students at Stanwood Middle School, were selected to receive three Jon Metzger music grants.
Edward, who plays the trumpet in beginning band, plans to use his grant funds to purchase a trumpet. Shintaro, who plays piano, French horn and trumpet, plans to use his grant funds for piano lessons. Ireland plays percussion and plans to use her grant funds to expand her percussion repertoire.
Bruce Kollmar music grants were awarded to Stanwood High School students Alyssa Worley and Ayana Wilcox.
Alyssa plays the trumpet and plans to use her grant funds for guitar lessons. Ayana, who plays several instruments, plans to use her grant funds for voice lessons.
Gold Bar teen military school’s cadet of month
Cadet Lt. Forrest Vicars of Gold Bar was named Fishburne Military School’s Cadet of the Month for November. Vicars is a senior at the Waynesboro, Virginia, school and is the son of Stacy MacGregor.
“I really want to thank my mom for this award. She works very hard so that I can get every opportunity and she is my motivation for being a good cadet,” Vicars said.
“This young man has shown tremendous growth and leadership potential over the course of the last month. His efforts should serve as an example to all of us that hard work and focus are the true keys to success,” said Col. Gary R. Morrison, the school’s superintendent.
Everett teens set high goals
The Rotary Club of Everett on Nov. 18 honored seniors Kayla Heman of Everett High School, Robianne Ramos of Cascade High School and Taylor Elliott of Sequoia High School as Students of the Month.
Heman has plans to study in France, where she can use her French language skills. She hopes to study physical therapy after graduation.
Ramos is a member of the National Honor Society and serves as student body president at Cascade. She plans to become a pediatrician or serve as an officer in the U.S. Navy.
Elliott expects to pursue her degree at Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University or Washington State University.
Port Gardner Rotary honors single mom
The Port Gardner Rotary Club’s Student of the Month is Abigael Velasquez, a student in Everett Community College’s aviation maintenance technology program.
Velasquez, described as “a model student,” is a single mother who works part-time in addition to her high class load. Since starting school in 2012, she’s maintained a cumulative 3.73 GPA.
“She has an exceptional drive to learn any material presented,” instructor Michael Patching said.
Fifth-graders geared up for movement
Arlington schools are leading the charge in a countywide program to encourage fifth-graders to be more active.
In all, 14 of the county’s 15 school districts kicked off this year’s Gear Up and Go program. The program, sponsored by the Snohomish County Health Leadership Coalition, includes wrist watch-like monitors that track kids’ physical activity and intensity. More schools are expected to sign up in the coming weeks.
In Snohomish County, Arlington School District has more than one-third of its fifth-graders registered and earning points.
Schools that had close to full participation in the first week of the program in November: Eagle Creek Elementary (Arlington), Edmonds Heights K-12 and Seaview Elementary (Edmonds), Cedar Wood Elementary, Jefferson Elementary and Mill Creek Elementary (Everett), Highland Elementary and Mount Pilchuck Elementary (Lake Stevens), Lockwood Elementary (Northshore) and Twin City Elementary (Stanwood-Camano).
Gold Bar students win essay contest
The Gold Bar Veterans of Foreign Wars Ladies Auxiliary 9417 sponsors an essay contest each year for local students in third, fourth and fifth grades. The theme this year was “What Can I Do To Make Our Country Better?”
First-place winners were Henry Lopez-Moss (third grade), Addison Stratman (fourth grade) and Joey Johnston (fifth grade). Second-place winners were Nayeli Castillo, Riley Falcon and Lander Walker. Third-place winners were Yasmany Padilla, Chris Ramon and Nadia Stine.
The winners received certificates and monetary awards. All 42 students who submitted essays also were given small flags.
Miss Idaho visits Arlington school
Fifth-grade students at Presidents Elementary School in Arlington received a visit from Miss Idaho Sierra Sandison, who discussed with students her diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes.
Sandison told the students that it is good to appreciate the difficult challenges in life because they help you become the person you want to become.
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