THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2008
Students Honored At Dist. 64 Awards Night
It was awards night at the Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 Board of Education meeting Monday night (May 12). Board members said it was the most "fun" event of the year.
The board honored 35 students for academic, musical, and writing achievements. The ceremonies attracted a large crowd to the meeting at Lincoln Middle School, because moms, dads, and other family members attended, many with cameras to record the activities.
Three students were honored for their performance in the Midwest Talent Search sponsored by the Center for Talent Development at Northwestern University. The program offers outstanding middle school students the opportunity to take upper level tests (ACT and SAT) typically reserved for high school students only.
Achieving special distinction were sixth graders Everett Allchin of Emerson Middle School and Kimberly Kawczinski, Lincoln, for their performances on the EXPLORE test; and Adam Smith, Emerson eighth grader, for his perfect score on the ACT reading test.
Overall, 153 students from District 64, out of 439 eligible, chose to participate in the Midwest Talent Search this year.
In music, 24 students were recognized for being selected, following rigorous auditions, to perform with three all-star instrumental music ensembles assembled by the Illinois Music Educators Association (IMEA) from among outstanding students in a 50-school northern Illinois region.
The 24 were: IMEA band - Jeremy Polanski, Allison Curry, Kristina Grandi, Meredith Machon, Alex Pantazi, and Jessica Spratley from Emerson, and Matthew Anderson, Daniel Mleynek, Kaia Parenti, Lauren Porter, and Nicole Romano from Lincoln; IMEA jazz band - Alex Campbell, Justin Coyne, Derek Dare, and Adam Smith from Emerson; and Kaia Parenti and Josh Timm from Lincoln; and IMEA orchestra - Kyle Besetzny, Matt Brendza Celia Petersen, and Soren Ramsey from Emerson, and Matthew Anderson, Renee Kumon, and Ryan Matthew from Lincoln.
Two other students were recognized for unusual musical efforts. Ian Pappas was congratulated for his winning performance on marimba in the winds and percussion category of the junior division in the 12th annual Walgreens National Concerto competition sponsored by Midwest Young Artists. This is the second consecutive year that a District 64 student has won this competition. Ethan Campbell was recognized for competing on piano at the fifth annual DePaul University Concerto Festival for Young Performers, organized by DePaul University's Community Music Division.
In the literary category, six students were honored as winners of the annual Young Authors creative writing competition. Students wrote and illustrated original stories at home, and were selected from a pool of winners at each school.
Honored were: Teddy Khan, Carpenter School, third grade, "The Magic Garden;" Augustin Jonah Kim, Field School, first grade, "Triangle Park;" Ellie O'Brien, Franklin School, grade 2, "Magic Muffin;" Ellen Longman, Roosevelt School, grade 5, "A Dollhouse Adventure;" Danny Touhy, Washington School, grade 3, "The Olympic Mouse;" and Samantha Goldstein, Lincoln, grade 8, "Dear Delilah."