Latest news with #English4
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
OHS junior places 3rd in UIL Spelling and Vocabulary contest
May 22—Shijay Sivakumar, the middle school spelling whiz who made the Scripps National Spelling Bee, is now at Odessa High School and placed third in the state UIL Spelling and Vocabulary contest earlier this week in Austin. Javier Ruiz, who teaches English 4 (seniors) and coaches Academic Decathlon and UIL Spelling at OHS, said Sivakumar is an amazing young man. "He handles his rigorous school load plus devotes time to band and UIL. He is very talented! I hope we get to work together again next year!" Ruiz said. This was Sivakumar's first time making state in the contest and he said his spelling bee preparation in middle school helped him get there. "It was just something for me to ... exercise my interest with spelling," said Sivakumar, now 17. He added that he didn't know about the UIL Spelling and Vocabulary contest previously. "But through high school, I just found out about it, and I started competing," Sivakumar said. According to the UIL website, each year, the UIL Spelling and Vocabulary Contest is based on a different vocabulary list provided by UIL and consists of a three-part test. Part I: A fifteen-minute section of 30 multiple-choice items focused on vocabulary and proofreading. Part II and III: The hand-written spelling of 70 words pronounced aloud to contestants, as well as a tiebreaker section of 20 additional pronounced words, the site detailed. Sivakumar, who will be a senior next year, added that he is pleased with how he did. He added that Ruiz helped him and set everything up. "He told me that he hadn't gone to state in 20 years doing this, and no one ever from the school has made state. So I told myself, okay, I'm going to be the first. And I told myself, I was going to put OHS on the map and do it for him, try and make state, and I did that, so I'm glad, and I also medaled at state, so I'm pretty satisfied," Sivakumar said. Sivakumar is in the International Baccalaureate program at OHS. "I love the IB program. Actually, my friends, we've all gotten super close through the IB program, all of us having the same classes together. ... I couldn't do it without ... my friends and teachers. They've been my biggest supporters throughout everything this year," he added. He said preparing for these contests teaches you a lot of discipline and work ethic. He could try the contest again next year, but he's not sure if he'll have the time with all his IB exams. "I'm going to ponder it (and) see if I have the time to do it before making a decision on that," Sivakumar said. The competition was held at UT Austin and he had a really good time touring the campus so he hopes to go there, Harvard or Brown in no particular order. His sister Shreeya, an eighth grader at the Young Women's Leadership Academy, will be competing in the Scripps bee next week in Washington, D.C. The competition starts May 27. Sivakumar wanted to make a shout-out to her, sending his support and hoping she does "the best she can." He also thanked Ruiz. "He's been ... a big help with all the travel and logistics. I'm glad I was able to make state for him, and I wanted to shout out the IB program. They've helped me so much. My friends and teachers, honestly, I couldn't do any of this without them. (I'm) just so blessed to have all of them in my life," Sivakumar said.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Escambia and Santa Rosa County Student of the Week for March 17-21 announced
Congratulations to Escambia High School's Mah-Kayla Joseph. Joseph is this week's Escambia and Santa Rosa County High School Student of the Week. Joseph won with 50.58 percent of the vote. Runner up Kaitlyn Goyer finished in second with 38.37 percent of the vote. A new week of voting will start on Tuesday, March 24 so make sure to vote! Here's the nomination submitted for Joseph and details on the other nominees: Mah-Kayla Joseph, 12th grade: Mah-Kayla Joseph is a 12th grade student with a 3.87 GPA. She is currently enrolled in English 4, Career Tech Principles, Economics, and Student Government Association. She is also a DCT Student with employment at AC Reed Golf Course on NAS Pensacola. Mah-Kayla's teachers brag that she is an exceptional student with an outstanding work ethic. Ms. Klein-Burson boasted that 'Mah-Kayla Joseph is an exceptional student in my Diversified Career Tech Principles class. She has maintained straight A's throughout the year, demonstrating a strong work ethic and dedication to her studies. Although she narrowly missed passing her Entrepreneurship and Small Business (ESB) certification by just 4.4%, she remains determined and will be retaking it next week. Her perseverance and commitment to success make her a deserving nominee for Student of the Week' Mrs. Styles, Economics teacher added 'Mah-Kayla is a very conscientious student. She's in my Economics class, and has maintained an A throughout the grading period. Based on Mah-Kayla's grades, attendance, and optimistic attitude, she truly deserves to be PNJ student of the week'. Ms. Tullos stated that 'Mah-Kayla is a tremendous asset to Student Government. She can be a leader in any task given to her but also a great team player for someone else's project. She has pride in her school and wants others too as well'. Mah-Kayla's future plan is to study Pre-Med at LSU. She is present at school every day and she is present at work when scheduled. She is successful in working, attending school and staying focused on graduation 2025. Definite Waters, ninth grade: According to his teachers, Definite is relatively new to our school, but has hit the ground running. He is ahead in all classes and maintains good scores. He is making friends and is a great addition to our basketball group at recreation time. He was recently voted student of the month for February. He is friendly and respectful in the classroom. In addition, his ability to communicate with other students is extremely commendable. His teachers noted that they are continuously impressed by his passion for discussion and collaboration and enjoy hearing your thoughts and others' thoughts on our classwork. I'm looking forward to hearing what you have to say as the school year continues. His teachers also noted, 'This student shows incredible motivation and always tries to put their best effort into assignments. This is not only respectable but also inspirational to others. Their continued commitment to education leads me to believe that they're going to experience great academic success. Definite is an excellent student and a pleasure to have in the classroom.' Alyssa Crossley, 12th grade: We are pleased to nominate Alyssa Crossley, a senior in our Pre-Nursing Academy, as our PNJ Student of the Week. Alyssa's 3.8 GPA comes from her hard work and diligence in all her studies. She always has a smile on her face and a kind word or deed for anyone, peer, stranger, or teacher alike. Alyssa is always willing to help others and tries every day to get a little better in all her endeavors. Her career academy teacher notes, ' She has demonstrated tremendous effort and growth throughout the years I have taught her and always brought a focused energy and enthusiasm to class. Alyssa has that combination of a positive attitude and the belief that she can always improve. Alyssa is an outstanding student and individual who supports others in and out of the classroom. Her caring nature and personality allow her to work well with others in a team setting, as she always respects the opinions of others, even when they differ from her own. Throughout the years she has demonstrated not simply an openness to others, but also an empathy for the opinions, feelings, and perspectives of others.' Alyssa plans to continue her education in nursing after graduation, and we are fortunate to be able to call her a member of Jag Nation. Teagan Brown, 12th grade: Teagan exhibits patience as she works with many different people with many different personalities. Teagan is what we would call the "GLUE" in our classroom. She brings everyone together and can make any group of students become productive. Teagan not only has a 4.6 GPA but she just had a starring role in our school play; she gives her best effort in and out of school. Many of the students in class look up to Teagan. I hope they carry on her kindness after she graduates this year. Addisen Miller, 12th grade: Addisen Miller is a Culinary 4 student in the Culinary Academy at Northview High School. She is a dual-certified program completer in the academy. Addisen is a great leader who consistently goes above and beyond to achieve shared goals through strong commitment and a tireless work ethic that inspires others to do the same. She takes initiative and solves problems, pushing through challenges without losing focus. Addisen is a vital asset to the Culinary Arts Academy and will continually be successful in any program or career. Milton High School, 12th grade: Milton High School senior, Kaitlyn Goyer, is a motivated and driven young lady who challenges herself and excels at everything she takes on. Kaitlyn has worked hard to take extra classes, allowing her to graduate one year early. Her courses include Honors, AP, and Dual Enrollment. Although she has challenged herself with a heavier and advanced class load, she has maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA and will graduate in the top 10 of the class. Despite taking extra classes, Kaitlyn has still managed to be very involved in extracurricular activities as well as working at a local restaurant. She serves as the Vice President of Mu Alpha Theta and Historian for Chess Club. She is also a member of National Honors Society, National BETA, Spanish Club, and Asian Student Union. In her spare time, she works as a server at Eurasian Bistro. After graduation, Kaitlyn plans to double major in International Relations and Political Science, after which she would like to attend Law School. With these degrees, she aspires to work in Washington, D.C. or as an ambassador in a foreign country. To prepare for this, Kaitlyn is very motivated to learn languages, having taken Spanish in high school and at PSC, as well as Chinese through FLVS. This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Student of the Week for March 17-21 announced
