In the week before winter break, students raised $407.63 for Toys for Tots.
Afaga is district spelling champ
By spelling 25 words correctly, including allegory, at last Saturday’s Hawaii Island District Finals Spelling Bee, Waimea Middle School sixth-grader Roland Afaga Jr., was officially declared the island’s champion middle school speller for 2012.
As district champion, Afaga will now compete in the March State Spelling Bee finals in Honolulu.
The title means Afaga successfully out-spelled 27 other middle school students from 14 schools around Hawaii Island including students from Hawaii Preparatory Academy, Kamehameha Schools, St. Joseph’s and Hualalai Academy.
A second Waimea Middle student — Jack Lunchick Seymore — also participated in the district finals and did very well, only to be stumped by the word powwow.
Waimea Country sets open houses
Waimea Country School welcomes interested children and their families to admissions open houses from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday and Feb. 4. The community is invited to come see the campus and to hear directly from the faculty, students and parents about the school’s fully accredited K-6 learning program.
The campus is located at St. James’ Circle in Waimea. Enrollment is now open for the 2012-13 academic year. The priority deadline for kindergarten applications is Feb. 24.
Call 885-0067 for more information, visit waimeacountryschool.org or facebook.com/waimeacountryschool.
Retired military group offers scholarship
The Big Island Retired Military Association is offering a $1,000 scholarship in memory of Mark Allen Traxler to Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps and Civil Air Patrol members. Children of active, reserve and retired military are also eligible.
Contact a high school counselor for details and an application or contact Lt. Col. Norman S. Stahl at dr.norm@hawaiiantel.net.
A complete application must be received not later than March 31 for consideration.
Tanseys graduate from UH-Manoa
Norman Tansey of Kailua-Kona received a master’s degree Dec. 27 during commencement ceremonies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa on Oahu.
His brother, Mason, received his bachelor’s degree from UH-Manoa the same day, according to their father, Larry Tansey.
Tayo wins school geography bee
Isabelle Tayo, a sixth-grader at Kealakehe Intermediate School, won the school-level competition of the National Geographic Bee on Dec. 12 and a chance at a $25,000 college scholarship. The school-level bee, at which students answered oral questions on geography, was the first round in the 24th annual National Geographic Bee.
Tayo will now be going to Honolulu to represent her school at the state bee on March 30.
Jeffrey earns her bachelor’s degree
Stacy Jeffrey has graduated from University of Alaska at Anchorage with a bachelor of science in aviation technology with an emphasis in aviation management and a minor in business administration. She will continue her aviation education pursuing commercial piloting.
Jeffrey is a 2005 graduate of Kealakehe High School. Her parents are Scott and Linda Jeffrey of Kailua-Kona.
Parker takes first in state debate tourney
The Parker School debate team brought home the first place trophy from this year’s final nonqualifying debate tournament held Dec. 17 at McKinley High School in Honolulu. Parker placed first for highest percentage of wins and second for the highest number of wins (Punahou placed first for number of wins).
Twenty schools from throughout the state participated in the tournament, which was a combined speech and debate event. Parker’s team competed in the debate category.
Students inspired to give after reading book
Fourth- and fifth-graders at Kealakehe Elementary were inspired by the book, “Quiltmaker’s Gift,” read to them by their counselor, Joy Personius, two weeks before Christmas break. The book’s message was about the gift of giving.
The students made posters and gave speeches to classes to ask students to give “Quarters for Kids” to help other kids have a merrier Christmas by giving money to Toys for Tots.
In the week before winter break, students raised $407.63 for Toys for Tots.