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Walk-A-Thon 2012 was held May 3rd at Battle Point Park on Bainbridge Island and raised $5700 toward arts and technology resources!
The middle school advocacy group that won the Highest Number of Laps prize category was Gary Perless’s advocacy group. Mr. Batchelder’s advocacy won the Highest Pledge Amount prize category.
Both advocacy groups will enjoy a decadent ice cream sundae party during one of their meeting times.
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Señor Eduardo (Gary Perless) marking off a Walk-A-Thon lap for Bradley Barrett, one of the students in his advocacy group.
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Our other prize winners included Most Laps Walked at 9 laps: Carter Gale and Highest Amount of Pledges at $700: Evan Romasco-Kelly. Great job everyone! To see photos from the Walk-A-Thon, go to the Walk-A-Thon 2012 album in the WSA Image Gallery. |
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Usually the Kitsap County Court House would be the place to find lawyers and judges, but on May 4th many of them gathered at the county's administrative building down the street. The Kitsap County Bar Association celebrated the 44th annual observance of Law Day with speeches, awards to adults and teens for community service, and prizes for essays written by local teens. Among the audience were two West Sound Academy students, 10th-grader Gab Vogt and 9th-grader Hailey Hunter, and their parents.
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The girls had turned in entries back in mid-April for the Bar Association's student opinion essay competition as an assignment for WSA English teacher, Eleanor Johnson. Then came the invitation to the Kitsap County Bar Association's Law Day event, with the implication that they each needed to be there to collect a prize.
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President Dwight D. Eisenhower established the first Law Day by proclamation in 1958. He proclaimed it "fitting that the people of this Nation should remember with pride and vigilantly guard the great heritage of liberty, justice, and equality under law which our forefathers bequeathed to us." Since then, local bar associations, courts, and other law-related groups throughout the country sponsor events that call attention to the importance of the rule of law and the justice system in American society. Locally, the Kitsap County Bar Association holds an annual event with invited speakers, recognition of those who have given important volunteer service to the community, and an essay contest for local students in grades 7 through 12. Each year the American Bar Association defines a theme for Law Day observances, and the Kitsap group's speeches and essay competitions are tied to that theme. The topic for Law Day 2012 was: No Courts ~ No Justice ~ No Freedom. The American Bar Association Law Day Committee pointed out that "the theme reflects the importance of the courts and their role in ensuring access to justice for all Americans." (See Barack Obama's proclamation for Law Day 2012 below.)
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Early in April, WSA teacher Eleanor Johnson gave the assignment: write an essay giving an opinion related to this topic, keeping in mind the judging criteria from the competition organizers. "The Kitsap County Bar Association will decide the winning essays based on the following in order of priority: originality of thought, depth of reasoning, clarity of expression, and organization." The two West Sound students went to work, and for both of them, the writing process went fairly quickly. The essay didn't require research or citations, just persuasive writing about their personal opinions.
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Hailey's essay, A Caged Freedom: Freedom of Speech for Students, used points that had come up in the many discussions on this topic with her parents. Hailey noted, "I didn't have to do any research on this. I had already thought about this subject a lot." Gab wrote her essay, Speak Up, I Can't Hear You: Allowing Students Access to Freedom of Speech, in just a few days. Gab was surprised and pleased when she learned her essay had placed in the top three in her division. "I wrote the conclusion at 4 in the morning!"
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Finally, the moment in the program came for the awarding of prizes for the Student Opinion Essay competition. Hailey won 2nd prize for Grades 7 - 9: a medal and $250. Gab won 1st prize for Grades 10 - 12: a medal and $350. Both girls were moved by the words of one of the judges present at the event: "Reading the essays by these young people gives me hope for the future, that they will carry forward our commitment to a democracy sustained by the rule of law."
Both students enjoyed being part of the Law Day celebration. Hailey noted, "It was really interesting to listen to everyone speak and see other awards being given to people in the law community." And now the big question. Gab says, "As for what I'm going to do with my money. I would like to pretend I'm just ever so responsible and say something like college or what have you. But I'll probably go for concert tickets." Hailey reports she's been saving to buy something "big" for herself, and the $250 will help a lot with that fund!
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LAW DAY, U.S.A., 2012 ------- BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
When President Dwight D. Eisenhower established Law Day in 1958, he proclaimed it "fitting that the people of this Nation should remember with pride and vigilantly guard the great heritage of liberty, justice, and equality under law which our forefathers bequeathed to us." Today, we celebrate that enduring legacy and renew our commitment to a democracy sustained by the rule of law.
This year's Law Day theme, "No Courts, No Justice, No Freedom," recalls the historic role our courts have played in protecting the fundamental rights and liberties of all Americans. Our courts are the guarantors of civil justice, social order, and public safety, and we must do everything we can to enable their critical work. The courthouse doors must be open and the necessary services must be in place to allow all litigants, judges, and juries to operate efficiently. Likewise, we must ensure that access to justice is not an abstract theory, but a concrete commitment that delivers the promise of counsel and assistance for all who seek it.
Today, let us reflect upon the role generations of legal and judicial professionals have played in building an America worthy of the ideals that inspired its founding. The timeless principles of equal protection and due process remain at the heart of our democracy, and on Law Day, we recommit to upholding them not just in our time, but for all time.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, in accordance with Public Law 87-20, as amended, do hereby proclaim May 1, 2012, as Law Day, U.S.A. I call upon all Americans to acknowledge the importance of our Nation's legal and judicial systems with appropriate ceremonies and activities, and to display the flag of the United States in support of this national observance.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.
BARACK OBAMA ## #
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Some of West Sound Academy's top middle school scholars competed in April in the Knowledge Masters Open (KMO), an academic contest sponsored by Academic Hallmarks, the Durango, Colorado firm that supplies the questions for all Washington State's Knowledge Bowl competitions. Teams from hundreds of schools participated, mostly from the United States, with a few from international schools in Europe and Asia. The Knowledge Masters coach, WSA teacher Kim Uyyek, received a CD from Academic Hallmarks loaded with all of the questions in the mail.
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On the day of the contest, the CD was loaded into a computer and team members worked together to answer 200 challenging questions covering all academic subjects taught at the middle school level. Students can communicate with each other during the contest as they work to answer each question, but no assistance is permitted from coaches or other spectators. Pencils and paper are allowed, but no calculators or books. In other words: this is not easy!
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Coach Uyyek was very happy when Academic Hallmarks notified her of the national KMO results in late April.
The WSA middle school team had an outstanding performance, placing third in Washington State and fourth in the nation in the small school division (total enrollment 1 - 200).
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Congratulations to the participants: Delaney Agodon, Ben Browning, Jonathan Coonan, Jolie Fritzer, Ruby Gsellman, Zoe Moreton, Avalon Munger, Eleanor Uyyek, Tova Levine, Aiden Rain, Ben Silvernale, Espen Swanson, Jackson Vogt, Carter Gale, Madi Gale, Aidan Moore, Brad Rubesh and Peter Silvernale. WSA parent Judy Levine served as assistant coach, and fellow parent Carmen Gale also gave help and support to the WSA competitors.
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Addressing this year's KMO squad, Coach Uyyek said, "You guys are "auk-some"!"
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Poulsbo, Washington – April 28, 2012 – Secondary students from three continents are hoping to come to West Sound Academy (WSA) for the upcoming 2012-2013 school year. The eight students from China, Germany, Ghana, South Korea, Spain, and Turkey are participating in cultural exchange programs organized by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs with the U.S. Department of State.
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These programs give qualified applicants the opportunity to attend a U.S. high school and live with an American host family. The seven girls and one boy who are looking forward to enrolling in classes at the college preparatory school in Poulsbo have already cleared a number of paperwork hurdles - from the Department of State and their home countries - but for their dreams of American schooling to come true they need families willing to host them during the school year.
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West Sound Academy is looking forward to welcoming these students to the school this fall, in keeping with its continuing commitment to international education and diversity in its student body. Since 2005 West Sound Academy has enrolled students from sixteen different countries and currently has about 15% of its total enrollment coming from outside of the United States. WSA students typically come from north and central Kitsap County and Bainbridge Island, but the small class sizes and significant numbers of international students mean everyone can make friends with teens from all over the world.
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Barrie Hillman, West Sound Academy's Head of School, can speak personally about the exceptional rewards to herself and her entire family that have come from hosting an international student. This year the Hillman family (Barrie and her husband Mark, and children Julie and Tyler) has hosted Luyao, an 11th-grade girl from China. Speaking from her perspective as a parent, rather than as a school administrator, Hillman notes, “Hosting an international student for a year is similar to having your first baby. There is never a perfect time to do it; you just have to jump in with both feet and go for it. After the first week, you can’t imagine not having had the experience of meeting such motivated and interesting students as well as learning about his or her culture and welcoming him or her in to your family. It is particularly beneficial to children younger than your host student as they become very close and look forward to travelling to meet the rest of their “family” in a far off country.”
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These students are admitted to West Sound Academy and need host families:
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An 11th-grade girl from Beijing, China. She has been studying Latin Dance since she was very young. She wants to be a writer and loves literature. She also likes to run regularly for exercise. She hopes to attend college in the U.S.
An 11th-grade girl from Bad Oldesloe, Germany. This student loves to study English and Music and has taken French for four years. She plays guitar and piano and loves to sail. She is fascinated with other cultures and travel. She has a close-knit family with two older brothers, a dog and cat.
A 9th-grade girl from Frankfurt, Germany. She loves design, crafting and painting, and volunteers with a teen group. She plans to go to Arbitur, which is the most difficult course of study in Germany.
An 11th-grade girl from Nuremberg, Germany. She has the goal of learning the English language perfectly and is described as cheerful, friendly and polite. She is interested in horseback riding and photography and loves dogs.
An 11th-grade boy from Wa, Ghana. This student from Africa loves to play soccer and volleyball. He participates in debate club and is an avid reader. His mother is a teacher and his family, which includes an older brother and younger sister, runs a farm. His father is deceased.
A 10th-grade girl from Seoul, South Korea. She loves horseback riding and playing the piano. She describes herself as outgoing and wants to go into forensic science when she is older.
A 10th-grade girl from Madrid, Spain. She has two older brothers and is described as optimistic and a problem-solver. She plays basketball competitively and is interested in music and cooking.
A 9th-grade girl from Izmir, Turkey. She says that her biggest dream is to travel all over the world and become a diplomat when she is older. She lives with her father and sister (mother is deceased) and her dad describes her as talkative and social. She likes volleyball, badminton, cooking and painting.
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The school has two options available for local families who are interested in hosting one of these international students. Families can choose to host a student for a full school year, from late August to early June. Another possibility is to host for a half-year, with two families co-hosting one student - one family from late August to January and the second from January to early June. Families do not need to have a student at WSA to host an international student. West Sound Academy is making this opportunity available to the broader Kitsap and Bainbridge communities, and will help host families arrange carpool transportation to and from school and activities with WSA families.
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School officials will help with the process, which involves completing a host family application and agreeing to a background check for the adults living in the home. A site visit by a local coordinator (the student's liaison with his or her placement organization) or WSA representative is a final step before host family approval. West Sound Academy will provide a host family orientation meeting in late summer to help parents get ready for the arrival of the new family members in mid-August.
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