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2-29-16 — Late February 2016 Awards
Feb. 29, 2016
Olathe Northwest Blood Drives Earn High Praise
One year after winning the award for having the largest blood drive by the Community Blood Center, Olathe Northwest High School is again tops in the area.
Olathe Northwest became the first school in Community Blood Center's service area to collect 600 or more pints of blood in one calendar year, by collecting 600 pints of blood at three blood drives this school year. The first was in July, the second in November and the final one was earlier this week.
Olathe Northwest received the award for the largest high school blood drive in the Kansas City region for 2014. The 2014 drive collected 478 pints of blood. The Olathe Northwest Blood Drives are sponsored by the Student Council and occur every July, November, and February.
Nine Students Qualify for State Geography Bee
Seven Olathe middle school students and two elementary students have qualified to compete in the state level competition of the National Geographic Bee which will be held April 1.
- Manas Madhira, an eighth-grader at California Trail Middle School
- Drew Bellamy, an eighth-grader at Chisholm Trail Middle School
- Karthik Kasarabada, an eighth-grader at Frontier Trail Middle School
- Nathan Hurst, an eighth-grader at Indian Trail Middle School
- Madison Krakar, a seventh-grader at Mission Trail Middle School
- Dorian House, a seventh-grader at Pioneer Trail Middle School
- Matthew Trebra, an eighth-grader at Prairie Trail Middle School
- Tanmay Patil, a fourth-grader at Regency Place Elementary School
- Brandon Roupsouay, a fifth-grader at Scarborough Elementary School
Eligible state bee competitors must be in fourth to eighth grades, and must have participated in and won the competition at the school level that involved at least six students.
The National Geographic Bee supports the participation of students with physical disabilities such as vision or hearing.
One champion from each state and territory will advance to the national competition, which will be held May 22-25 at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Rolling Ridge Teacher Published
Rolling Ridge Elementary second-grade teacher Tiffany Smith had her work published in the Kansas Reading Journal. The journal is published by the Kansas Reading Association and includes a book study and project that Smith did last year while completing her master's degree. She was one of five teachers to complete and publish their project titled, "Working on the Comfort Zone: 'Thieving' Resources for Teaching Writing with Informational Text."
Olathe South Band Plays at Walt Disney World
The Olathe South High School Falcon Regiment marching band performed at Walt Disney World Resort earlier this month. The school band, along with band director Chad Coughlin, marched down iconic Main Street, U.S.A., past beloved Cinderella's Castle playing songs and cadences that capture the spirit of Americana.
"It's a special opportunity for them, that they're a part of the Disney magic, and the fact that they get to perform and have a great, large audience," Coughlin said. "Disney is kind of an iconic symbol in our society, and for a lot of these students, it's the first time they've flown, it's the first time they've been here, and it's something I think everybody wants to do, especially as a kid. They're just about done being kids, so this is their last chance to enjoy this type of experience as a student."
Olathe South was selected from applicants across the nation that submitted audition tapes reviewed by world-class adjudicators who evaluate and select schools for the opportunity to participate in a Disney Performing Arts program.
Students are taken on stage and behind the scenes, where Disney theme parks become vibrant 'classrooms' as they discover new techniques and pursue their passions, all while making memories that last a lifetime.
MacFarlane Honored by KCTV5
Victoria MacFarlane, an English teacher at Prairie Trail Middle School, was chosen for the Read To Achieve Award.
The award is sponsored by the Kansas National Education Association, Missouri National Education Association and KCTV5 and gives out $1,000 to five teachers from the Kansas City metro area. MacFarlane was nominated by a student, Tanner Bush, and was chosen as the February winner.
Photo: KCTV-5 morning anchor Alexis Del Cid (far left) joined Victoria MacFarlane, Kansas National Education Association President Mark Farr, Olathe NEA President Kathy Meyer, and Prairie Trail Principal J.J. Libal for the presentation.