Chase Student On Top Of World Geography Facts
Capital of Zimbabwe?
Longest river in Asia?
Anyone?
When Chase Middle School students need to know an obscure geographical fact, they know where to turn.
Eighth-grader James Keane snagged the title of “school geography champion” this month by beating out, well, everyone.
Keane took first place in the school’s bee, sponsored by National Geographic Society and Sylvan Learning Centers.
The top three or four students in each classroom contest were sent to an all-school bee. In order to beat the competition, Keane, 14, had to answer questions on everything from the population of Iowa’s neighbors to the seas bordering Alaska.
His winning question: What’s the natural disaster occurring on the island of Montserrat. (Volanic eruptions.)
Keane says geography has always come easily to him. Social studies is one of his favorite subjects, he said.
“It’s not like I study a ton,” he said with a grin. “I just know it.”
But to qualify for the state tournament, Keane had to take a 70-question multiple-choice test.
“It was sort of tough,” he admitted. “There were all these places I’d never heard of - these rivers in Russia I’d never even thought of.”
Keane’s still waiting to hear if he’s qualified for the state tournament. State champions receive a trip to Washington, D.C., to participate in the national contest.
The winner receives a $25,000 college scholarship.
In addition to memorizing maps, Keane writes for the school newspaper and is an avid rock climber. He plays soccer, basketball and baseball.
Keane is the son of Dan and Charmaine Keane.
A town springs up in LC’s basement
The library is missing in action and city engineers are screaming for more landscaping materials.
But Lewis and Clark High School teacher Chris Morlan is optimistic the island growing in his classroom will be finished by Friday.
Morlan’s architecture and engineering students are busy putting the finishing touches on their town. The class has spent the entire semester working on the 8-by-12 foot island, which spans four large wood tables in the basement classroom.
Their deadline is this week, when the semester ends.
Engineer students started in September by designing the balsa-wood isle and selling lots to their architect classmates.
“It’s changed many times,” said sophomore engineering student Nick D’Amato. “The original design would’ve been eight tables long.”
The classmates then had a semester to construct a row house to fit their lot.
The island slowly filled with houses, some modern and boxy, others more classical. Some are decorated with pillars, skylights or porches.
The homes are constructed with balsa and bass wood and stand about a foot tall.
Senior Derek Stack started out with a design inspired by homes he drives past on the South Side.
“At first I had pillars,” he said. “But when I heard it was on an island, I switched it around to add a lot of windows.”
“The detail they’ve put into them is much more than I expected,” said Morlan.
For most students, turning their drawn designs into an actual town was a first.
“This is the first time I’ve had a teacher who let us do this,” said senior Chad Nelson.
“It’s the first time the class has worked toward one goal,” said Morlan. “I think it gave them more incentive to know this was a community project.”
The island, as yet unnamed, will be on display in the school’s entryway starting Friday.
Sunset students meet challenge
Students at Cheney’s Sunset Elementary spent three years twisting those little tabs off the top of pop cans. Their work finally paid off.
The school accepted a challenge to contribute to the Airway Heights Lions Club, which was trying to collect a million tabs.
The tabs were turned in by the club for recycling and the money was donated to kidney dialysis and other medical costs for children.
Larry Schrodt, chairman of the Lions Council of Governors, said Airway Heights’ donation of a million tabs was the largest Lions donation ever received.
Bite of the APPLE
District 81 will hold open houses on next Tuesday and Thursday to explain the Alternative Parent Participation Learning Experience program to students and their families interested in participating in APPLE during the 1998-99 school year.
The sessions are scheduled for 7 p.m. in the board room of the Administration Building at 200 N. Bernard. Attendance at one of the sessions is a required part of the application process for parents interested in the program.
APPLE is a parent participation program that requires 90 hours of parent involvement each school year. APPLE serves children in grades one through six. Programs are located at Garfield, Franklin and Logan elementary schools.
For more information, call 353-5258.
, DataTimes MEMO: Education Notebook is a regular feature of the South Side Voice. If you have news about interesting programs or activities at a South Side school or about the achievements of South Side students, teachers or school staff, please let us know. Write: Amy Scribner, Education Notebook, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. E-mail: amys@spokesman.com. Call: 459-5439. Fax: 459-5482.