• Students in Terry Derrig’s Business Education class at Lindbergh High School recently made 150 thank you cards for service members in Iraq as part of a Veterans Day project. The cards will be mailed to Army Specialist William Wallace, a young man Derrig has known since he was 10. Wallace will give the cards to members of his unit on Christmas Day.
• Hazelwood Elementary School students recently held a “Kids for Cans” food drive that garnered nearly 850 cans of food. The school’s PTSA included some of the food in Thanksgiving baskets for families and will use the remaining food for Christmas meal baskets.
• Hazen High School senior Lorilyn Roller was recently selected as one of only two students to represent Washington state as part of the U.S. Senate Youth Program, which includes visiting Washington D.C. in mid-April during Washington Week. Lorilyn was selected based on her leadership at Hazen and as a student leader in Washington state. She will have a chance to meet President Obama, members of the Presidential Cabinet and members of the Senate to learn about public service and government. In addition to the week of hands-on government, all participating students will receive a $5,000 scholarship from the Hearst Foundation.
• Students in Hazen High School’s DECA Chapter who serve on the Association of Washington School Principal’s State Leadership Council recently hosted the “Walk with Champions” fund drive at Seward Park in Seattle. The Hazen students managed more than 150 students from across the state at the event and raised more than $2,200 for Special Olympics. Guests included Special Olympic athletes, Renton School District Superintendent Dr. Mary Alice Heuschel, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Dr. Terry Bergeson. This was the first annual event. Hazen students are hoping to increase the size and participants of the event next year.
• Journalism teachers from the district’s three comprehensive high schools recently hosted a journalism conference at Lindbergh High for more than 30 students from those three high schools. Ben Graeber from Hazen High, Kent McCleary from Lindbergh High and Derek Smith from Renton High hosted the Journalism Day to offer district students an intensive, hands-on training in essential article writing and desktop publishing skills. The event connected students with local publishing-community professionals including writers, photographers, advertisers, layout and design experts. Students were able to attend four different sessions, including tips for writing headlines, newspaper layout and design.
• Two Hazen High School seniors in Kerri Dowd’s leadership class have been selected to take part in the annual Macy’s, Seattle Times and KING 5 TV Follow-a-Leader contest. Senior Shelby Lyonais will get to spend a day with Bellevue Chief of Police Linda Pillo, who is also a Hazen graduate. Senior Kevin Martin will spend a day with Tomio Moriguchi, the chairman of the Asian specialty supermarket Uwajimaya. The Follow-A-Leader mentor program is designed to encourage students to develop their writing and communication skills, and to think and learn about various career options. This year’s contest featured about 20 local business and community leaders from the greater Puget Sound. The two winners will also receive a $1,000 savings bond. This is the fourth year that Hazen’s leadership class has participated in and had winners in this contest.
• Seven Hazen High School musicians have been chosen as part of the Washington Music Education Association’s All State and All Northwest Honor groups. The students, selected from more than 7,000 applicants, were placed in groups of about 150. All State Orchestra:
Kent Coburn, acoustic bass. All Northwest Wind Ensemble: Zacariah Shugart, clarinet. All State Symphonic Choir: Dan Lucier, tenor; Kevin Martin, tenor; Kyle Nation, tenor; Mason Catt, baritone; Colin Jones, bass.
• Students from Talbot Hill, Hazelwood, Benson Hill and Maplewood Heights elementary schools recently represented the Renton School District at the Seattle Kids Marathon Run. The marathon is structured to allow children — kindergarten through eighth grade — to complete a full 26.2 mile marathon at a rate that is fun and safe for their growing bodies. It also encourages students to read 13 books and perform 13 “do rights” (good deeds) to be eligible to take part in the run. Deeds performed by the students included:
donating their own money to charity, cleaning the park near their home, picking up litter around school, helping neighbors work in their yard and helping carry groceries.
• Renton High School language arts teacher Jessica Buchan and the school’s speech and debate team recently hosted a state-qualifying Speech and Debate Tournament. Twenty area teams participated in the event. This is Buchan’s first year as Renton High’s Debate Team adviser, and staff and students at the school are proud of her leadership skills and accomplishments.
Randy Matheson
Renton School District
