Schools Roundup
Local high school students captured first place this month at the 1999 American Regions Mathematics League - the most prestigious high school team mathematics competition in the country.
The San Francisco Bay Area's 15-member "A" Team, which included students from Los Altos, Mountain View and Henry Gunn high schools, won first place overall with a score of 187 points.The Massachusetts "A" placed second with 181 points. More than 105 teams worldwide competed in the event, which was held at three sites June 4-5 in Las Vegas, Iowa City and State College, Pa.
More than 65 students representing four Bay Area teams flew to Las Vegas for the competition.
Team coach Ted Alper of Stanford University said students met weekly for 10 weeks preparing for the event. He said students needed to earn 100 out of 150 points on the American High School Mathematics Examination in order to qualify for a spot on the team.
"A" team member Gabriel Carroll of Oakland Tech won first place nationally for the second year in a row with a perfect individual score.
Local students who participated in the competition include: Josh Burton, Gunn; James Leonard, Mountain View; Tzu-Chi Lin, Gunn; Nathan Paymer, Miramonte; Mike Seeman, Los Altos; Wes Battle, Los Altos; Nikhil Gheewala, Los Altos; Brian Love, Los Altos; Martijn Stevenson, Los Altos; Wendy Pang, St. Francis; Hugh He, Gunn; and Yuanli Zhou, Gunn.
Santa Rita recognized for students' aid to Balkans
Santa Rita School in Los Altos recently received the Red Cross' certificate of appreciation for its support of humanitarian relief efforts in the Balkans. As part of the school's annual International Day festivities May 28, the entire student body assembled 500 Friendship Boxes for the American Red Cross to distribute to children affected by the crisis in the Balkans. This is the sixth year the school has participated in the Friendship Box program.
Students raised money through a bake sale earlier this school year to purchase toothpaste, soap, shampoo, crayons, colorful stickers and items to fill the boxes. They also included personal notes.
"Friendship boxes are a wonderful means by which children in the United States can send personal items and messages to children around the world who may be affceted by disastrous conditions," said Jessica Earl, a Red Cross community services coordinator.
The program makes immediate relief possible when "help can't wait," she added.
For more information about the Palo Alto Area Red Cross Friendship Box Program, call 688-0415.
LAHS students negotiate 'world treaties' at Stanford
Students from Los Altos High School faced-off with more than a dozen Northern California high schools recently at Stanford University to negotiate world treaties as part of the Contemporary World History Project's Global Summit. The annual event provides a forum for high school students to meet as delegations representing various countries and discuss environmental, economic and human rights issues.
This is the third year freshmen from Los Altos High's World Studies class have participated in the academic program. Los Altos' 70-member team represented Vietnam this year.
Teacher Carmen Gomez said since the start of the school year her students have negotiated online with the other participating schools. She said the program encourages students to do critical thinking, assume and understand other viewpoints and better understand contemporary issues.
She said students meet face-to-face for the first time during the summit.
"The beauty of the program is that it's anonymous," she said. "All they know is that they are talking about issues. They don't see color, ages or language until the summit. The issues are what's important."
LA student qualifies for medicine forum
Ben Mlynash, who will be a senior at Los Altos High School this fall, was among the select group of high school students chosen worldwide to participate in the 1999 National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine on June 27-July 7 in San Francisco.
Mlynash will have the opportunity to get a first-hand glimpse at the medical profession by mentoring with medical professionals and touring Bay Area medical institutions and research centers - including the University of California, Davis School of Medicine and Children's Hospital, Oakland - during the 10-day forum. The forum will also feature seminars on gentic research, cancer research, AIDS and sports medicine.
The National Youth Leadershp Forum is a non-profit educational organziation that sponsors career-oriented programs for outstanding high school students.
Blach student named teen dancer of the year
Kacey Wulff was recently named Teen Dancer of the Year for California from Rhee Gold's American Dance Awards. She was also named overall winner for Dance Masters of California.
The Blach honors student has been dancing with the San Juan School of Dance in Los Altos since she was 3 years old.
Kacey said she owes her success to her teacher and choreographer.
Kacey will compete for the title of Teen Dancer of the Year in Boston during the American Dance Awards National Competition this July prior to joining the San Juan Sensations in Los Angeles for the Dance Masters of America National Competition.
King's students build 11 homes
A group of 270 school members from the King's Academy in Sunnyvale made its annual trek to Mexico recently where members built 11 homes for families living in Tijuana. The work program is part of the school's Christian outreach program. Organizers say the annual trip teaches students the values of hard work and giving to others.
During their time in Tijuana, the student-, teacher- and parent-volunteers stayed in a 40-tent camp and cooked meals from the school's custom-built chuck wagon.
The group split into work crews that included 19 students and four adults each. Baja Vision, a Christian ministry, built the foundations before the students' arrival, enabling the work crews to complete each house within work four days.
Each house included a front room, two bedrooms and a loft as well as three windows, a front door and electrical wiring.
IN BRIEF: Eighth graders at Egan Intermediate School took a stroll on the "Beach Boardwalk" June 4 at the Youth Center as part of their post-graduation celebration.
The themed-event included a 14-foot ferris wheel that Kenny Forrest of Electrical Vehicle Systems illuminated to give the illusion that it revolved. Forrest, who is known for his illuminated butterfly creations that have appeared in the Lights Parade, volunteered his time.
A team of parents worked for two days on a shoestring budget of $500 to create the boardwalk.