Two Spokane teams head to global Destination Imagination competition

Gonzaga Prep’s Destination Imagination team brought home first place after the state tournament in Wenatchee on March 29. Their win earned them a place to represent Washington State at the Global Finals in Knoxville, Tenn., in May. The trip to Knoxville will cost the students $13,000. A donation website has been set up through gofundme.com.

In a press release from Prep, Principal Cindy Reopelle described the team. “Gonzaga Prep educates the ‘whole person’ and the DI team embodies that model by developing leaders with 21st century creative skills,” she said.

The DI team is Kassy Schrader, Bailey Osborne, Mitch Kilayko, Marina Marsalis, Drake Zielske, Ashley Castleman, and their coach Mike Carroll, Prep’s English teacher.

Also competing at the Global Finals is an eighth-grade team from St. Aloysius Gonzaga Catholic School. This team competed in a challenge called “Laugh Art Loud,” in which they researched international artists and created a living comic strip inspired by the art. In addition to winning first place at state, the team was awarded a DaVinci Award for excellence in creativity. Team members are Mason Tiffany, Frances Bertotti-Metoyer, Chance Dixon, Cindy Ou, Chelsea Power and Alec Walter.

SPRINT orientation at Shaw

Spokane Public Schools will have an orientation meeting Wednesday for parents and families interested in the SPRINT program. The meeting will be in the Shaw Middle School library, 4106 N. Cook St., from 6 to 7 p.m.

The alternative learning program, housed at Shaw, relies on strong family involvement where parents and guardians work with teachers to enhance the learning environment and the demanding, project-based curriculum. Students belong to and work in a community, and are expected to have independent learning skills.

For more information call Shaw Principal Pete Hall at (509) 354-5800.

Scholars honored April 21

Spokane high school seniors will be honored for their academic achievement on April 21 at the 22nd annual Spokane Scholars Foundation Banquet. The foundation will award grants to 24 of the 145 nominated seniors from both public and private Spokane schools for their outstanding academic success.

The scholars have been nominated by his or her high school principal, counselor and teachers based on their accomplishments in one of six content areas: English, social studies, mathematics, science, world languages and fine arts.

Banquet tickets are $35 and are available until April 17 by sending a check to the Spokane Scholars Foundation, P.O. Box 1278, Spokane, WA 99210 or calling (509) 838-8568. Former U.S. Rep. George Nethercutt will be the keynote speaker and the event will be held at the Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. Doors open at 6 p.m.

The 2014 Spokane Scholar Foundation honorees are:

English: Megan Ahrendt, Lakeside High School; Andrew Chuang, Ferris; Siera English-Largent, Deer Park; Rebekah Fields, Valley Christian; Jolie Frederick, Newport; Chelsea Gold, The Oaks; Anusha Gollapalli, Central Valley; Kyle Hansen, West Valley; Juliana Kerbs, University; Courtney MacPhee, Upper Columbia Academy; Megan Manning, Riverside; Chase Milligan, Mt. Spokane; Kashif Ravasia, Saint George’s School; Emera Riley, Lewis and Clark; Alexander Ruff, North Central; Matthew Salzano, Northwest Christian; Yae-Rang Schumacher, Gonzaga Prep; Grayson Sinclair, Riverpoint; Cyla Sparks, Shadle Park; Elica Starr, Cheney High; MaryKate Sullivan, St. Michael’s; Catie Sweet, Medical Lake; Victoria Taskey, Rogers; Alyssa Tee, Liberty; Silas Uhder, Freeman; Jake Vasilj, Mead; and Kaylyn Zastoupil, East Valley.

Fine arts: Elisha Allred, East Valley; Tristen Cutshall, Newport; Taylor Dewey-Buchanan, Rogers; Katelyn Dolan, Central Valley; Naomi Dull, Ferris; Chelsea Evans, Riverpoint; Peter Fullmer, Mt. Spokane; Connor Gu, Lewis and Clark; Taha Hakkani, Shadle Park; Joseph Hall, University; Stephanie Hammett, Saint George’s; Jennifer Haveman, Northwest Christian; Lauren Jamison, North Central; Aimee Jenkins, Cheney; Jordan Jensen, Lakeside; Daniel Marion, Riverside; Jeanette Netzel, St. Michael’s; Matthew Peterson, Medical Lake; Rachel Postlewait, West Valley; Braden Stanyer, Upper Columbia; Peter Underhill, Freeman; Lindsey Warner, Deer Park; Danielle Weik, Valley Christian; Rachel Wright, Gonzaga Prep; Evan Yates, The Oaks; and Cassidy Young, Mead.

Mathematics: Tyler Bennett, Cheney; Caleb Boyd, Riverside; Olivia Bridston, Saint George’s; Lukas Carasco, Freeman; Augustin Cheeley, The Oaks; Micah Cole, Valley Christian; Thomas Colvin, North Central; Mashayla Combs, Rogers; Andrew Fisher, Upper Columbia; Josiah Hopkins, Mead; Ruxandra Ionescu, Lewis and Clark; DongGyun Kim, Central Valley; Alexsandra Logan, Gonzaga Prep; Stone McMinn, Deer Park; Joshua Meleney, Northwest Christian; Charles Mitchell, Lakeside; Haley Momany, Ferris; Christopher Myers, West Valley; Leon Pan, Shadle Park; John Phelan, East Valley; Molly Ryan, Medical Lake; Ansh Sehgal, University; Travis Widmer, Mt. Spokane; and Alexander Young, Newport.

Science: Omair Ahmad, Saint George’s; Faith Barr, Riverpoint; Phillip Bax, Northwest Christian; Dallas Blenz, Mt. Spokane; Hannah Bowerman, East Valley; Blake Cox, Valley Christian; Maloney Foster, Gonzaga Prep; Catelyn Frost, Deer Park; Bryson Gray, Upper Columbia; Elyssa Hanson, Ferris; Annie Hughey, Shadle Park; Conor Linehan, University; Colton Long, West Valley; Christopher Major, The Oaks; Abigail Morrison, Medical Lake; Chris O’Donnell, Lewis and Clark; Dallin Olson, Cheney; Logan Owens, Riverside; Dean Ownbey, Newport; Grace Rudy, Freeman; Theresa Sievert, Mead; Katherine Stern, Liberty; Jennifer White, Rogers; Taylor Wilmot, North Central; and David Yuan, Central Valley.

Social studies: Sophie Anton, Gonzaga Prep; Colin Ayers, Freeman; Kassandra Bailey, Cheney; Kendra Canton, Rogers; Timothy Chaney, Lakeside; Cassidy Eklof, North Central; Caitlin Fitzgerald, Riverside; John Fix, West Valley; Hannah Gearhardt, Shadle Park; Hanna Gillingham, East Valley; Richard Hardy, Mead; Alaina Jacobsen, Saint George’s; Katelyn Krick, Deer Park; Holly Malsbury, Newport; Jonathan Morris, Northwest Christian; Eric Munson, Medical Lake; Erik Peterson, The Oaks; Alissa Robins, Upper Columbia; Joshua Ross, Central Valley; Timothy Swank, Valley Christian; Zachary Taylor, Ferris; Kayla Uplinger, Mt. Spokane; Paul Vogeler, Lewis and Clark; and Hannah Wesselman, University.

World languages: Tristan Armitage, Saint George’s; Elizabeth Bailey, North Central; Emily Barville, University; Jeremy Beal, Deer Park; Shelby Beedle, Cheney; Haley Burke, Freeman; Eunna Choi, Northwest Christian; Jacob Conant, Central Valley; Macy Cornmesser, Liberty; Sierra Dodd, Mt. Spokane; Samuel Garcia-Birginal, Ferris; Lauren Helmbrecht, Gonzaga Prep; Erin Kaya, Lewis and Clark; Megan Keppler, Shadle Park; Amanda Martin, Rogers; Alina Pilipchuk, Upper Columbia; Megan Styborski, West Valley; Victoria Wheeler, Mead; and Tiffani Whisenhunt, East Valley.