Museum Pieces Inspire Poetry; Middle School Poets Earn Awards in Ekphrastic Poetry Contest
Congratulations to West Side Montessori Middle School poets, Laramie Reynolds, Isabel Abu- Absi, Lauren Kohler, Pilar Athaide-Victor and Schuyler Stupica! Laramie took first place, and Isabel and Lauren tied for third place in the Toledo Museum of Art’s Ekphrastic Poetry Contest 2011, with Pilar and Schuyler each earning an Honorable Mention.
The girls will be honored at an Awards Ceremony on Friday, May 20, at the Museum.The contest challenged students to write poetry inspired by an object in the Toledo Museum of Art’s collection. Winning submissions will be displayed beside the inspiring artwork.
West Side Montessori Team Heads to DI Global Competition in Knoxville
West Side Montessori’s team of 5th and 6th grade boys is advancing to the Destination Imagination Global Finals Tournament in Knoxville, Tennessee. West Side Montessori’s team, “Insert Name Here,” placed 3rd at Ohio’s State Tournament in Mt. Vernon on April 16. It is an honor and a big accomplishment to make it to Globals. Global Finals is the largest creative problem solving tournament of its kind. Last year 1100 teams attended this exciting event from virtually every state in the United States, as well as teams of 11 other countries – more than 13,000 people celebrating creativity!
Team members Raaghov Agnihotri, Aghiad Daboul, Ryan Gannon, CJ Leonard, Brennor Masters, Antonio Peron and Wyatt Reynolds are fifth and sixth graders who have been working together since October to solve their challenge. Along with their team manager, Becky Gannon, they will head to Tennessee May 28 to compete, trade pins with other kids from all over the U.S and world, and immerse themselves in all forms of creative fun!
West Side Montessori Middle School Sweeps Law Day Essay Contest for Second Consecutive Year
Congratulations to West Side Montessori middle school writers, Lauren Kohler, Marianna Montrie, and Steven O’Neill, for taking the first, second and third place wins respectively in the 2011 Caty Armstrong Memorial Law Day Essay Contest Division III: 7th and 8th Grade. This is the second year that West Side Montessori students have taken the top three Law Day Contest awards.
This year’s topic was “The Legacy of John Adams, from Boston to Guantanamo.” Essays were judged based on format, clarity, style, reasoning, creativity and overall effort. Lauren, Marianna and Steven were each awarded a U.S. Saving Bond and will be honored at the Toledo Bar Association’s Law Day Luncheon, held Friday, April 29. A that time, each will receive a plaque from the Toledo Blade. Lauren’s first place entry will be published in the Toledo Blade.
West Side Montessori Writers Take First and Third Place in Power of the Pen Regionals
West Side Montessori middle school writers brought their “A game” to the Regional Competition of Power of the Pen on Tuesday, March 8, 2011, at Lourdes College. West Side Montessori writers joined more than 200 7th and 8th grade students representing a total of 33 schools in 11 counties.
7th grade team took 1st place overall. Bilal Yassine and Laramie Reynolds scored in the top 15 which qualified them to move on to State Finals at the College of Wooster May 26-27, 2011. Bilal Yassine was awarded Best of Round 2. Team members who competed were: Pilar Athaide-Victor, Steven O'Neill, Kashvi Patel, Laramie Reynolds, Shohan Shetty, and Bilal Yassine.
8th grade team took 3rd place overall. Isabel Abu-Absi and Lauren Kohler’s scores qualified them to advance to State Finals. Schuyler Stupica is an official alternate. Team members who competed were: Isabel Abu-Absi, Grace Beham, Lilly Kaplan, Lauren Kohler, Nicole Rusk, and Schuyler Stupica.
West Side Montessori was awarded the 2nd place trophy in the Sweepstakes Category due to the combined scores of the 7th and 8th grade writers. Both teams were coached by middle school teacher, Mary Brandon.
Congratulations to all the participants and good luck to all the writers moving on to States.
WSM 8th Grade Flutist Earns “Superior” Rating at OMEA District 1 Event
Congratulations to flute soloist Hunter Walden (8th grade), her piano accompanist Drew Wagner (6th grade), and their WSM music teacher Barbara Bauchman for Hunter receiving a “1” rating in this year’s Ohio Music Education Association District 1 Junior High Solo and Ensemble Event. This year’s competition was held at Eastwood High School and Middle School. The pair played “Cantilena”, a Baroque chamber arrangement for flute and piano by George Frideric Handel.
OMEA is nearly 80 years old. And, District 1 encompasses six counties in Northwest Ohio, including Lucas. Students competing in these annual juried recitals perform as either soloists or small ensembles on string or wind instruments, or as vocalists. The “1” rating (Superior) is the highest score out of a possible 5 points. It’s awarded to musicians exhibiting, “An outstanding performance, with very few technical errors and exemplifying a truly musical expression. This rating [is] reserved for the truly outstanding performance.”
Both Hunter and Drew play in the WSM Band, as well as the St. John’s Community Band at St. John’s High School. (Drew plays percussion in the band.) However, this is the first time they’ve performed together as a musical pair, and the first time either of them has competed at OMEA’s annual recital. Barb has taught a long line of student success stories at this event, both soloists and ensembles. And, Hunter and Drew’s performances were no exception!
West Side Montessori Team Heads to State Destination Imagination Tourney
West Side Montessori’s team of 5th and 6th grade boys brought home a first place trophy at the Destination Imagination Regional Tournament, held on Saturday, March 12, at Owens Community College. The winning team, named “Insert Team Name Here,” is made up of Raaghov Agnihotri, Aghiad Daboul, Ryan Gannon, CJ Leonard, Brennor Masters, Antonio Peron and Wyatt Reynolds. Because of their first place win, the team will be advancing to the Destination Imagination State Tournament to be held on April 16 in Mt. Vernon, OH.
Since fall the boys have worked together to research energy cycles in the natural and/or physical world, develop an original three-act circular story that demonstrates knowledge of an energy cycle and create a device that changes as the story progresses. Their skit was funny, packed with facts, and had a very cool device. The ideas and the work were all created by the kids themselves.
West Side Montessori Middle School Dominates at Tiffin Power of the Pen District Competition
West Side Montessori middle school writers swept the Power of Pen District Competition held at Tiffin Middle School on Saturday, January 22, 2011. West Side Montessori’s eighth grade team won 1st place overall and the school’s seventh grade team won 3rd place overall out of 128 contestants total with individual students taking many honors.
Awards were presented to Schuyler Stupica, 1st place 8th grade overall; Grace Beham, 3rd place in overall scoring for 8th grade; Lauren Kohler, 6th place in overall scoring for 8th grade; and Isabel Abu-Absi, 12th in overall scoring for 8th grade and Best of Round 2.
At the seventh grade level awards were presented to Laramie Reynolds, 1st place in the 7th grade overall scoring and Best of Round 1; Kashvi Patel, Best of Round 2; and Steven O’Neill, runner up (honorable mention) for Best of Round 3.
West Side Montessori is proud of all our participants - each student who participated in the 3 rounds of writing placed 1, 2, or 3 respectively in his or her room in at least one round of writing. Every student was judged by room and by grade level. West Side had 12 total participants, each wrote in 3 rounds.
8th level students wrote a total of 18 stories - 9 of which were rated number 1 in their rooms, 4 of which were rated number 2 in their rooms, and 2 of which were rated number 3 in their rooms. So, 15 of the 19 stories were in the top 3. This is an amazing accomplishment!
7th level also wrote a total of 18 stories - 6 of which were rated number 1, 4 of which were rated number 2, and 2 of which were rated number 3. Clearly, 7th grade wasn’t far behind the 8th grade with 12 of their 18 stories in the top 3. None of the 7th level had ever competed in Power of the Pen before, yet they wrote like old pros.
The students are looking forward to advancing to the Regional Competition at Lourdes College in March. Good luck to all participants!
Parents Voted & West Side Wins
Best Preschool 2008
The votes have been tallied and it’s official, for the second consecutive year West Side has the Best Preschool according to the Toledo Area Parent News’ Family Favorites 2008. West Side was named the winner in the publication after hundreds of local parents sent in their votes.
West Side was also recognized for its outstanding summer camp program being named to the number two spot for Toledo Area Parent News' Family Favorites 2008 Best Summer Camp.
West Side Montessori Teams Go Global; Travel to Tennessee for Destination Imagination Finals
Twenty West Side Montessori Center students will join thousands of students from around the world to participate in the Destination Imagination (DI) Global Finals 2009. The three West Side Montessori Center DI teams that will be traveling to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville the week of May 20th, qualified for the global competition following their first place rankings at the state level competition held in Dublin, OH, on Saturday, April 25.West Side
Montessori Center’s DI teams are DI Doodz: Raaghov Agnihotri, Claire Kohler, Janaki Patel, Antonio Peron, Jami Stout, Libby Stupica, and team manager Margaret Kohler; the ReM!x: Nikita Ajmera, Kristen Darah, Angela Jacob, Beth Ann Less, Priyanka Pitroda, Rachel Reeves, Allison Sheehan, and team manager Elaine Sheehan; and That Team: Isabel Abu-Absi, Grace Beham, James Blanchard, Drew Gannon, Lilly Kaplan, Daniel Miller, Laramie Reynolds, and team manager Karen Callinan.
Destination Imagination is a community-based, school-friendly program that builds participants' creativity, problem solving, and teamwork in enjoyable and meaningful ways. West Side Montessori students have been participating in Destination Imagination for years. This is the third time that the school has been represented at the global finals.
Two Middle Schoolers Place In Law Day Essay Contest
Congratulations to middle school students Madeline Kaplan and Kristen Darah for their placement in the Caty Armstrong Memorial Law Day Essay Contest. Madeline placed first in Division III (7th/8th grade) and Kristen placed 2nd.
Students had to compose an essay of 500 words or less examining the following: What is the role of law in fulfilling the promises of the Declaration of Independence? What role do lawyers play in fulfilling those promises? Identify a famous lawyer who has stood up for the rights of others in order to fulfill those same promises, and explain how he/she has done so.
The girls were honored at a luncheon sponsored by The Toledo Bar Association on April 20 at the Park Inn Hotel. In addition, first prize includes a $300 U.S. Savings Bond and 2nd prize includes a $200 U.S. Savings Bond.
Read the girls' submissions below.
Written by Kristen Darah
America. The country of freedom, hope, strength. Full of opportunity, possibilities, change. Most importantly of all, America promises equality. “All men are created equal”, a proclamation that the Declaration of Independence states. But how is it that all people are given a right to freedom? How do they manage to all be treated equally?
The law plays an important role in fulfilling the promises of the Declaration of Independence for equality. Without law there would be violence, discrimination, and injustice. With no law, people would not be able to maintain their right to equality; but fortunately the Constitution has many laws that help to fulfill the Declaration of Independence’s promise of equality. For example, the First Amendment gives people the freedom of religion, speech, assembly, and expression.
But what if your right to freedom or equality is questioned or challenged? Lawyers help us carry out the law by fighting for what they think is right and fair. They give you a chance to not only voice your viewpoint on a case, but to fight to protect your rights. Arguing in court, they stand up for the rights of others in order to fulfill the promises of not only our law, but of the Declaration of Independence.One admirable lawyer who stood up for the rights of others in order to fulfill promises made by the Declaration of Independence is Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She is an advocate for women’s rights, and therefore worked towards equality for all people, no matter what gender. Ruth believes that "women's rights are an essential part of the overall human rights agenda, trained on the equal dignity and ability to live in freedom all people should enjoy” (The Legacy of Ruth Bader Ginsburg).
Ginsburg fought six major cases, and won five of them (Ruth Bader). One of her major cases was Reed v. Reed. A citizen of Idaho, Sally Reed claimed that her constitutional rights were violated by Idaho’s law favoring the appointment of a man over a similarly positioned woman to act as the owner of an estate (Reed v. Reed). Ginsburg, who was defending Sally, won the case. The court’s decision was that Idaho’s law was based only on discrimination and therefore was violating the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment (Reed v. Reed). By winning this milestone case, along with others, Ruth helped form the main structural idea of women’s rights (Ruth Bader), thus helping to fulfill others’ rights to equality.
America, full of freedom, equality, hope. A nation “conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” With the help of our nation’s law and lawyers, America is able to give each of its citizens the right to equality and freedom.
Written by Madeline Kaplan
In the history of the U.S., one of the most hotly contested phrases in our founding documents is “all men are created equal” from the Declaration of Independence. Interpretations of these words have been varied. Who is included in “all men?” Where does this equality begin and end? Those five words have arguably created the most stirring legal debate in American history. There have been countless court cases regarding them, and hundreds of lawyers have dedicated their lives to their meaning.
One such lawyer was Charles Hamilton Houston. In the words of Thurgood Marshall, “[T]hat man was the engineer of all of it... if you do it legally, Charlie Houston made it possible...” (Charles Hamilton Houston). After being discriminated against in the military during World War I, Houston dedicated his life to the civil rights movement. He entered Harvard Law School in 1919 and became the first black editor of the Harvard Law Review. As dean, he built up the Howard University Law School. He became involved with the NAACP and became their Litigation Director. Houston was involved in nearly every civil rights case in the Supreme Court from 1930 to his death in 1950. He argued several cases before the Supreme Court himself, and advised the attorneys of countless others. Houston was even referred to as “The Man Who Killed Jim Crow” (NAACP - Charles Hamilton Houston).
Perhaps his most brilliant legal plan came when the NAACP was readying for a lawsuit against segregation in public schools. It was Houston’s idea to use the inequality of Plessy v. Ferguson, the Supreme Court decision in 1896 that ruled that “separate but equal” facilities were constitutional. He reasoned that the only way to defeat segregationists was to prove that black and white schools were not equal. Although Houston did not live long enough to see the Supreme Court decision on Brown v. Board of Education, Thurgood Marshall, whom Houston mentored for years, argued the case successfully.
Following his death in 1950, Houston’s name faded largely into obscurity. However, his contributions to civil rights are immeasurable. Without his legal genius and commitment to his cause the progress made towards equal rights would not have been so great. One of the most innovative and important components of our democracy is our constitutional flexibility. American laws are not stringent; they are subject to change if the Supreme Court deems it necessary. Houston understood that the required changes to our society could not be achieved without using this flexibility to his advantage, ultimately changing the interpretation of the Constitution. Houston used his intellect, legal prowess, and the law to ensure that “all men are created equal,” and should be treated as such under the judicial system.
