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Top of the class

Achievers

By Times Staff Writer
Published March 9, 2005

Four Pinellas teachers have received minigrants from Suncoast Chapter 176 of the Council for Exceptional Children. The $250 grants were awarded based on judging of proposals submitted by district teachers.

Sara Carroll of Morgan Fitzgerald Middle School will apply the money toward a high-interest incentive reading program. Carol Dinsdale of Mount Vernon Elementary School will use the money for "Readers Theater," which combines research, writing, reading and performance.

Carol Robinson of Douglas L. Jamerson Jr. Elementary will use the grant to help her students pursue community-based learning experiences. Kevin Voytecki of Richard L. Sanders School will explore instructional content through a Jeopardy! format.

Two Lakewood High School students scored perfect rounds Feb. 26 in a public speaking debate in Osprey. Danielle Shepardson and Ron Overing earned 24 out of 24 possible points to win first place in the public forum competition.

In the same match, Jerry Gray and Lauren Jensen placed second. Tam Tranand and Taylor McKee placed third. Brandee Westfall and Hannah Buck placed fifth.

In the policy debate competition, Rachel Martinez and Pierce Tibma placed first, and Thomas Barrett and John Correa placed second.

Michael Flegiel placed second in domestic extemporaneous speaking. Rachael Rolfe earned fifth place in the battle for best speaker of Congress, House C. Jacob Barrens placed sixth in the dramatic performance speaking event.

Two students from Northside Christian School and one from the Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School were top winners of an all-day vocal competition, sponsored by Florida Suncoast Opera Guild, on Feb. 26.

Jenna Siladie of Northside Christian won first prize of $300. Second-place winner was PCCA student Philip Dvoracsek. Third-place winner was Sadie Frazier, also from Northside Christian.

Students from Countryside, East Lake, Gibbs, Northside Christian, Pinellas Park, St. Petersburg, Seminole and Tarpon Springs high schools entered the 35th annual vocal competition.

The Canterbury School of Florida took first place among Pinellas County teams in the 2005 Tampa Bay Regional Envirothon, a science competition that allows students to apply what they learn in the classroom about natural resource conservation and the environment to real world situations.

Canterbury's team of Nora Brody, Jessica Doiz, Jacqueline Garcia, Sarah Graves and Lacey Haslem excelled in the "current environmental issues" section of the competition with a 15-minute presentation on how invasive species affect cultural landscapes.

The team will proceed to state competition on April 2.

A second Canterbury team that included Stephanie McLemore, Anisha Patel, Anand Prasad, Tyler Sayles and Laura Wasala placed fourth in the competition.

[Last modified March 9, 2005, 00:54:20]