Intermediate school council to meet
Kealakehe Intermediate School Community Council meets at 5 p.m. Tuesday in the school’s library work room. The agenda includes the 2014-15 academic plan; 2014-15 budget and master schedule issues; and filling of council vacancies, which includes one additional parent, two community members and one teacher.
For more information, email Lisa Diaz at lisadiaz@notes.k12.hi.us or call Sydney Gourley at 327-4314.
Student with disability may receive grant
The University of Hawaii at Hilo Scholars with Disabilities Achievement Grant recognizes and honors a student with a disability for his or her superior scholastic performance and who plans to enroll or is enrolled at the UH-Hilo for the spring semester. The recipient may be enrolled either full or part time, must maintain a 3.0 grade point average or higher and is a qualified student with a disability. The application deadline is Dec. 15.
For more information, alternate format request or an application form, contact the Disability Services office at 932-7623, 932-7002 (TTY) or email uds@hawaii.edu.
Parker middle schoolers sign drug-free pledge
Parker Middle School recently participated in Red Ribbon Week, an initiative begun in 1985 by the National Family Partnership. The organization started the tradition of wearing red ribbons as “a symbol of a commitment to raise awareness of the killing and destruction caused by drugs in America.” Parker Middle School coordinator Tina Doherty introduced Red Ribbon Week to help teach drug, alcohol and tobacco effects awareness, which is part of the school’s regular middle school health curriculum.
During a break in the academic day on Oct. 23, the middle schoolers gathered outside and lined up to sign a Drug-Free Pledge promoted by the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, which is “a nonprofit public benefit corporation that empowers youth and adults with factual information about drugs so they can make informed decisions and live drug-free.” After signing the pledge, the students received Red Ribbon Week bracelets and stickers.
Deadline nears for Elks scholarships
The Elks National Foundation is accepting applications for 500 four-year scholarships, ranging from $1,000 per year to $12,500 per year, for graduating high school seniors based on financial need, leadership and scholarship. The deadline to apply is Dec. 6. Applications and details are available at elks.org/enf/scholars or call Joe Reynolds at 334-0077 for more information.
Kudo wins school spelling bee
For the second year in a row Hope Kudo, an eighth-grader at Kealakehe Intermediate School is the school’s spelling bee champion. She out-spelled more than 20 of her peers. Fellow sixth-grade student Desiree Camacho was the runner up.
Both girls will participate in the District Spelling Bee on Jan. 18 at Hawaii Preparatory Academy in Waimea. The district winner will proceed to the state bee in March in Honolulu. The state winner will compete in the Scripps National Bee in Washington.
Parker debate team brings home two trophies
The Parker School debate team traveled to the Nov. 16 St. Louis School Non-Qualifying Debate Tournament on Oahu and brought home two sweepstakes trophies: one for the largest number of ballots won — 88 ballots to second place Iolani School’s 55 ballots; and one for the highest percentage of wins — 67 percent to second place Iolani’s 65 percent.
This was the second straight sweepstakes win for number of ballots won and the first time in Parker School’s history that they swept both sweepstakes awards at one tournament.
The top Parker performances at the tournament were as follows: beginning public forum debate, Brianna Bellatti and Sarah Bellatti scored 6-0 and Hunter Weigle and Hiwa Thompson scored 5-1; advanced public forum debate, Michael Note and Maia Tarnas earned 5-1 and Luke Potter and Jaren Ashcraft, 5-1; novice Lincoln-Douglas debate, Dash Cotton scored 5-1 and Sophie Dommer, 5-1; and championship Lincoln-Douglas debate, Lysha Matsunobu won 6-0, Sivan Najita, 6-0, and Carrie Hiller, 5-1.
For more information, visit parkerschoolhawaii.org.