Anna Jensen and Aria Shaffer gave a parting gift to Pacific Cascade Middle School as they moved on to high school last month. They created this painting of education activist and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai and presented it to PCMS Principal Jeff McGowan at their eighth-grade promotion event June 24. Malala is known globally for her work in support of human rights, especially girls’ right to receive an education. The painting will hang in the PCMS commons area, near a similar painting of Martin Luther King, Jr.
More than 1,300 Issaquah School District students finished of their high school careers last month. Gibson Ek High's first graduating class received their diplomas June 12 at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue. Issaquah, Liberty and Skyline students all graduated June 13 at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.
Video of all four graduation ceremonies is now available on the ISD YouTube Channel.
Accompanied by appreciative applause from everyone in the audience, three student artists unveiled their masterpieces for induction into the Kateri Brow Memorial Student Art Collection at the Issaquah School Board meetings on June 12 and June 26, 2019. Superintendent Ron Thiele, congratulated Alina Kim a fifth grade student at Cougar Ridge Elementary, Addison Chong a third grade student at Issaquah Valley Elementary, and Seohyum You, an eighth grade student at Beaver Lake Middle School, and presented each with a check in payment for their artwork.
The Kateri Brow Memorial Art Collection began in 1998 as a tribute to former superintendent Kateri Brow, who championed school art programs during her tenure from 1986 to 1992. Private donors created a fund to allow the District to annually purchase pieces from students and professionally display them for the Issaquah community. Each school year, the Superintendent encourages educators throughout the District to submit their recommendations for the collection and also make selections from the annual PTSA Reflections Art Shows.
The new acquisitions are: “The King of My Life” by Alina Kim, which depicts a snowboarder seizing the day on the mountain, “The One and Only Popcorn” by Addison Chong,a photo collage of a caped dog in a leap and bound, and “Humans Are Not the Only Heros by Seohyun (Sunny) You, a painting that depicts the comfort a child receives from a wonderful pet dog.
To view the Kateri D. Brow Memorial Student Art Collection, visit the Administration Building located at 5150 220th Avenue SE in Issaquah during business hours (7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays).
The blistering speed of the Maywood Middle School Rubik’s Cube Team has earned them Elite Team status, as well as top ranking in the You CAN Do the Rubik’s® Cube Speed League. The team solved 25 3x3 Rubik’s Cubes in 1:34 (one minute, thirty-four seconds) at the Washington State Rubik’s Cube Competition during the 2018/19 school year.
The Maywood Middle School team ranks 1st in Washington and 1st nationally among division 2 (grades 6-8) teams who competed at You CAN Do the Rubik’s Cube competitions during the 2018/19 school year.
“I am incredibly proud of each member of our team for the dedication, enthusiasm, and hard work that was put in to achieve such an amazing time,” said advisor, Ron Ciraulo. “We realized we had a great team this year, when we solved the cubes in under two minutes during our first practice together. We kept shaving off seconds, week after week. Honestly, though, I don’t think any of us thought that first in the nation was realistically attainable. When we got to the state competition, we were placed at a table next to our district rivals from Beaver Lake Middle School. As each team did warm-up runs, our times were both hovering in the one minute, 30 second range, and our excitement began to grow. So, when it came time for the actual competition, both schools had high hopes. In the end, we came out where we did, and Beaver Lake was a few seconds behind us – good enough to place them 4th in the nation this year. It was a great showing for teams from the Issaquah School District.”
Maywood principal, Erin McKee added, “We are fortunate to have Mr. Ciraulo lead our Rubik’s Cube club because it provides a space for our students to build friendships, learn new things and overcome challenges in a positive setting. And certainly our school community is proud of their big accomplishments this year!”
During the timed competition, teams of eight students work collectively to solve 25 Rubik's Cubes in the fastest time. Members of teams who solve the cube in under two minutes could also compete in solo events to solve one cube in the fastest time.
The Speed League is the national leaderboard of the fastest elementary, middle, and high school teams and solo competitors in the U.S. who have solved the Rubik’s Cube during You CAN Do the Rubik’s Cube competitions. The leaderboard shows the rank, school and time of the fastest teams and solo competitors. Results can be filtered by event, state, date, and/or division (kindergarten through fifth grade - division 1, sixth through eighth grade - division 2, and ninth through twelfth grade - division 3).
Visit YouCanDoTheCube.com for Speed League results and to learn more about participating in or hosting a competition.
About You CAN Do the Rubik’s Cube
You CAN Do the Rubik's Cube is an educational outreach program that provides resources and support to schools and youth organizations to teach STEM/STEAM standards and 21st century skills by using the Rubik's Cube. Since the program’s launch in 2008, more than 25,000 teachers and millions of students have benefited from You CAN Do the Rubik’s Cube enrichment activities.
City of Sammamish officials joined with the Issaquah School District’s Board of Directors and administrators for a ceremonial groundbreaking on the land upon which the District’s newest elementary school will be constructed. The school will be located on the Issaquah Pine Lake Road on a portion of a 13-acre site known locally as the Volpe property. The school will be built to house up to 650 students with 24-26 classrooms. Keep up to date on our progress on this and all of our 2016 school bond construction projects on our website.
Photo: Left to Right: City of Sammamish Council Member Pam Stuart; ISD Superintendent of Elementary Education Jodi Bongard, ISD Deputy Superintendent Dr. Josh Almy, ISD School Board Directors Sydne Mullings and Suzanne Weaver; ISD School Board President Harlan Gallinger, ISD School Board Director Marnie Maraldo, ISD Superintendent Ron Thiele, and City of Sammamish Communications Manager Sharon Gavin.