ECS Staff, Students Inspire Excellence

Elkhart Community Schools is filled with winners. Our staff and our students are continually being recognized for their outstanding achievement at the local, state, and national levels.   


 
 









For example, Memorial High School student Danny Daher was the state runner-up in Radio Broadcasting at the Indiana High School Forensics Association State Speech Tournament in Indianapolis March 23. 
  
Memorial Speech Team members Elijah Efsits and Alex Kilmer, competing in duo performance, placed 17th in the state.

 

 


Other recipients include:  
Pinewood Elementary School fourth grader Carson Richards placed third in the state in the Fourth-Grade Division of the Hoosier Science Bowl April 6. Carson's project was on distracted driving. Carson also earned a HSEF Award at the Regional Science Fair at the University of Notre Dame in March.

Also at the Hoosier Science Fair, West Side Middle School seventh grader Aaron Russell won the Founder's Award for the Best Abstract for his project on hydropelectric generation. 

Carson and Aaron's awards were sponsored by the Science Education Foundation of Indiana.

The Central High School Winter Guard took third place in Class A at the Indiana High School Color Guard Association State Finals. Team members include Alexus Joiner, Anna Hilliker, Blanca Morales, Breanna Riddle, Christina Berry, Christine Medin, Cindy Diaz, Crystal Garcia, Daisy Rocha, Daniela Ceniceros, Emily Varga, Emma Coates, Javaughn DeGraffreed, Jazlyn Brandon, Jordan Saupe, Jenna Williams, Kaylee Obert, Kylie Stewart, Lauren Weirich, Monica Lopez, Marianna Medina, Marisa Policarpo, Shakayla Moore, Maria Gamez, Savannah Ludwick, Samantha Abbott, Sarah Congdon, Selena Valdes, Sahari Lopez, Seara Louder, Tristen Stahl, Viridiana Delgado, Zack Sem, and Sarai Gonzalez. The guard is coached by Jen Buckholz.


The Central High School Percussion Ensemble placed in the Top 10 at the 2013 Indiana Percussion Association's State Finals in Indianapolis March 23. Central competed in the scholastics open concert class.

Team members include Dayna Arnett, Brayden Bowlin, Tyler Brown, Lauryn Campagnoli, Trent Culler, Joe Hannon, Kurt Hartl, Andrew Hilliker, Xavier Holmes, Carl Jacobson, Gabe Lindholm, Zane Miller, Matt Rice, Sam Sutton,
and Kerrie Taylor


Memorial High School's Taylor Bontrager was a awarded a Gold Key for her photograph at the National Scholastic Arts Competition in New York City. The photo will now be part of the national student exhibit at Carnegie Hall.

Taylor's photo qualified for the national judging after receiving a Gold Key at the Regional Scholastic Art Show in South Bend earlier this year.


A Pinewood Elementary School M.A.T.H. Bowl Team finished in the top 10 of it division in the Elementary M.A.T.H. Bowl (Math Academic Teams for Hoosiers) Feb. 28. Approximately 450 teams competed in four separate divisions statewide. 

Team members include, front row from left, coach Monica Kegerreis, Niya Mitchell, Joe Gard, Michael Huang, and Savion Bias. Second row, Christian Yoder, Samantha Sarber, Spencer Dexter, Ryan Cart, and Sarah Joy. Third Row, Jenni Gill, Claire Milstone, Ted Myers, Sean Wilson, Braden Black, and Elizabeth Weimer. Team member Ellie Malloy is not pictured.


Central High School junior Carol Weirich has been selected to participate in the 53rd annual Indiana All-State High School Band Festival, sponsored by the Indiana Bandmasters Association (IBA).

Weirich, who plays the French horn, earned the honor by participating in a highly competitive audition of more than 750 young musicians.

Members of the All-State Band will participate in a series of activities including seating auditions, sectionals and full rehearsals March 8-10. A grand finale will be presented to the public at 2:30 p.m. March 10 in the Elliott Hall of Music on the Purdue University campus in West Lafayette. Dr. Tom Canev from Ball State University will direct the 165-member Indiana All-State Band.

Four Central High School band members were selected to the 2013 Indiana Music Educators Association Honor Band. The band performed at the IMEA State Conference in Fort Wayne in January.

Central members included, from left, Carl Jacobson, percussion; Carol Weirich, french horn; Joanna Dixon, clarinet; and, not pictured, Samantha Abbott, flute.

Band, orchestra, choir, and other music educators from across the state attended the conference, which was held at the historic Embassy Theatre. 


The Bristol Elementary School Spell Bowl Team captured first place at the annual Regional Spell Bowl held at West Side Middle School Nov. 15. Six of Bristol's eight team members earned perfect scores. 

 

This was Bristol's second regional championship in the past three years.

 

Statewide, the Bristol team placed 14th out of 94 schools.

 

Team members, pictured at left, include, front row from left, Tyler Smith, Jaycee Rossi, Jared Miller, Victoria Cain, and Dakota Delucenay. Middle row, Bryce Hollowell, Caleb Howell, Tori Hartl, Joy Leonard, and Tyon Winters. In the back row are Superintendent b Hayworth and Bristol coach Nicole King.  


Memorial High School freshman Riley Friesner performed with the Bands of America Honor Band in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Calif., on New Year's Day. Riley, a member of the Memorial Crimson Charger Command, auditioned and was selected to perform with the honor band, which included 300 high school and college musicians from throughout the United States. 


   

24 Elkhart students performed in the 2012 All-Region band at LaSalle Academy in South Bend Nov. 20.

 

Musicians from Pierre Moran, pictured at left, include, front row from left, Juliet Clara, Tiyanni Winters, Jay Padgett, and Morgan Bayless. Back row, Ashley Pooler, Noah Yoder, Stacy Dibley, Hannah Myers, and Hayley Tucker, Not Pictured is Morgan Tepe.

North Side: Braden Asoera, Emily Baldwin,  Emily Decker, Brian Mravec, Hannah Sears, and Sadie Sullenger

West Side: Roberto Acosta, Hannah Buckley,  Savannah Cash, Caleb de Leon, and Bryan Jackson

Central High School: Christian Aldana, Glen Hartl, and William Southern




 		Five Elkhart choir students performed in the Indiana Choral Directors Association All-State Honor Choir in Fort Wayne Jan. 19.


At left are Memorial singers David Crume, Daniel Delgado and Tyra Tran.

At right are Central singers Javaughn DeGraffreed and Alexandria Bowers.

 

The Memorial High School Choir program and the Central High School choir and orchestra programs were awarded the 2011-2012 All-Music Award from the Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA).

Memorial's choirs have earned the prestigious honor several times in the 10 years it has been awarded. Central's choirs and orchestra have won won the award every year.


Memorial High School senior Michael Tripepi was selected as a semi-finalist in the Siemens Competition, a prestigious science competition funded by the Siemens Foundation and administered by the College Board. He also placed second at the Hoosier Science Fair on April 6, earning a berth in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Phoenix, Arizona, in May.

 

Michael has been conducting research at the University of Notre Dame's QuarkNet Center since June. His research involves testing the viability of optical diffusers and quartz capillary tubes for use in detecting particles.

Michael and another student intern submitted their physics research work in the team category of the Seimen’s Competition. Their project was chosen as one of the top 300 outstanding research reports from more than 1,600 entries worldwide.

All semifinalists in the competition received a special recognition package and had their names announced in a full page "USA Today" advertisement.

 


After winning gold at the 2012 Elkhart Science Fair, Daniel Linley took his project to the regional science fair at the University of Notre Dame. There he won two awards, a trophy from the ASM International Foundation and a $100 prize from the Notre Dame Physics Club.

But the recognition didn't stop there. Indiana Landmarks chose Daniel as its recipient of the organization's 2012 Youth Preservation Award. The award is presented to an individual or educational program that engages young people in preservation or elevates their appreciation of landmarks. Daniel, now a seventh grader at Pierre Moran Middle School, received the award at the Indiana Landmarks annual meeting in Indianapolis Sept. 8
The Central High School Symphony Orchestra placed fourth at the 2012 State Finals out of more than 90 high school orchestras from around Indiana that entered the ISSMA Organization Contest. The state finals were held in Indianapolis. 


This was the fifth year in a row and the 11th time in school history Central's Symphony Orchestra was a State Finalist.


Memorial senior Nick Hibshman and Central senior Matt Eppers were selected to the 2012 Indianapolis Colts Indiana High School Academic All-Star Team. To be selected for the award, each of the 24 all stars had to have contributed significantly to their football team and be ranked in the top 5 percent of their graduating class. Both Elkhart seniors are ranked in the top 10 of their respective classes.  

 
The state champions also include, photo at left, front row from left, Bethany Miller, photography; Taylor Ingle, medical administrative specialist; Sidney Zollinger, community service; and Vanessa Vance, preschool teaching. Back row, Corey Hoopingarner and Nate Esko, community service; and Jason In, audio radio. (Not pictured is Jonathan Leinbach, winner in audio radio.)

 20 students from the Elkhart Area Career Center received gold medals at the 2012 State Skills USA Skills and Leadership Conference in Indianapolis earlier this month. Each of the state champions earned the right to compete in the national contest in Kansas City, Missouri, this summer.
The state champions include, photo at left, front row from left, Axel Rizzo, health knowledge bowl; Fatima Tamayo, nurse assisting; Abigail Cline, health knowledge bowl; and Bryan Richardson, related technical math. Second row, Paige Webb, health knowledge bowl; Nick Shay, architectural drafting; Reme Sar, nail care; and Roxy Wade, marine service.  Back row, Tyler Hoffman, health knowledge bowl; Ryan Rienks, criminal justice; Josh Shapland, power equipment technology; and Bryton Shreve, motorcycle technology. 

 

 Members of Team ARP, from left, Ian Chambers, Angel 
 Hernandez, Ben Lacher, Braxston Miller, and Tim Zeiger. 
  The team placed sixth at the national championships.		 The Elkhart Area Career Center was the first school to qualify two teams for the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow World Championships last year and it repeated the fete this year. Teams qualify by winning one of the six divisional tournaments held around the country or by posting one of the 12 fastest times at the tournament.
 
The Elkhart teams finished sixth and seventh in the nation. Each of the 10 team members earned a $15,000 college scholarship.

                                                                                                    

The event itself resembles the tear down between rounds at a drag race. Students must properly disassemble the engine using hand tools only with proper detorque and disassembly procedure. Time added penalties for dropped tools, improper disassembly, assembly, and poor sportsmanship, are added. The engines, when reassembled, must fire up and be ready to run. The team with the fastest time, including penalty minutes, wins.

 

This was Elkhart's third time to compete for the national title. An Elkhart team placed second in the nation in 2009, the first year of the competition.