Valley VFW honors students for essays
A Spokane Valley post of Veterans of Foreign Wars has recognized several students in recent essay contests.
VFW Post 1435 in Spokane Valley reviews essay entries from younger grades, as well as submissions for Patriot’s Pen, a VFW sixth- to eighth-grade contest.
The post also oversess a Voice of Democracy contest for high school students.
The theme for the Voice of Democracy entries was “How I Demonstrate My Freedom.” For the youth essay and Patriot’s Pen, it was “Who Are Today’s Patriots?”
Recent top Valley winners in the youth essay category included: Noah Carlson, a fourth-grade student at Adams Elementary; Casey Moss, a fifth-grade student at Pratt Elementary; and Sydney Cline, a third-grader at Liberty Lake Elementary.
For Patriot’s Pen, middle school youths write a 300- to 400-word essay based on an annual patriotic theme for possible local, district and state recognition.
A group of East Valley Middle School students swept this contest in the eighth-grade division.
The EVMS students included: third place, Allie Riggin; second place, Jenni White; and first place, Anne Peele. Small cash prizes were given to each at an ice cream social at VFW Post 1435 on Jan. 28.
Peele was chosen to go on to the district level.
For high school students, the Voice of Democracy contest combines an essay with speaking.
Contestants submit a three- to five-minute essay on paper and include a voice recording.
These entries are judged on content, spelling, grammar and vocal presentation.
Valley Christian School seniors Lauren Braun, Laura Schlect and Amy Fox were selected as finalists in the Voice of Democracy competition for VFW Post 1435.
Fox gleaned final first-place honors as winner at this level and will go on to district-level competition, which flows into state and national competition.
A top prize includes a $25,000 VFW scholarship.
FBLA honors
Central Valley High School students earned top honors at the Future Business Leaders of America Northeast Region Business Conference held Feb. 1 in Spokane.
Nineteen members of CV’s FBLA chapter received trophies and ribbons and qualified for the state competition to be held in Seattle in April.
The following students were recognized: Future Business Leader – Andrea Avenger, first; Who’s Who in FBLA – Alicia Martin, first; Accounting – Mallory Beschta, first, and Grant Beschta, third; Computer Concepts – Tony Kanago, first; Word Processing I – Randi Wilson, first, and John Beattie, fourth; Network Design – Team of Jefferson So, Pete Knowlton, and Kanago, first; Marketing – Mike Hays, first; Business Math – Nguyen Nguyen, fifth, Nic Morden, fourth, and William Bernbaum, second; Job Interview – Ashley Schaefer, second; Banking and Financial Systems – Alicia Bird, fourth, and Kristina Theriot, fifth; Business Law – Chris Engle, fourth; Business Calculations – Grant Beschta, third; Introduction to Parliamentary Procedure – Bernbaum, second, Chris Driver, third; Computer Applications – Martin, second, and Kayela Arrotta, third; Word Processing II – Martin, second, and Wilson, fourth; Economics – Martin, fifth; Visual Basics – Chris Engle, fourth; Business Ethics – Team with Knowlton and Breahna Bacheller, fifth; Entrepreneurship – Team of Hays, Josh Tempel and Jason Wurz, fourth.
Aimee Goold and Andrea Freeman – Chapter Scrapbook, and the Parliamentary Procedure Team and the Emerging Business Issues Team also qualified for the State FBLA Conference.
FBLA is a premier organization for student leaders preparing for careers in business.
The mission of FBLA is to bring business and education together in a positive working relationship through innovative leadership development programs.
Hoops for Heart
On Jan. 27, Valley Christian School seventh- and eighth-graders took a shot at heart disease and stroke by raising $1,803 dollars for the American Heart Association.
Funds raised in this Hoops for Heart effort go toward research and promote education programs for the heart association.
EVMS spelling winner
At East Valley Middle School, seventh-grade student Alyssa Dorr from Jack Brownson’s class won the all-school spelling bee.
She will represent her school at the All-Valley Spelling Bee at Bowdish Middle School on Feb. 22.