Birchwood receives two grants for the Preschool

Thanks to Director of Advancement Michelle Ehlert, The Bruening Foundation and The Hershey Foundation each awarded Birchwood a $10,000 grant for our preschool. The Bruening grant enabled us to design and furnish the classroom, and the Hershey grant made it possible to construct and equip the preschool playground. Our thanks to Rhonda Franklin for her invaluable help with the interior design and furniture, our maintenance staff for construction and painting, Ben Shumway for landscape support, Peter Debelak for landscape design research, and for Kathleen’s expert work out tting the room, and Christine’s endless research and design decisions.

Broadcom Masters Semifinalist

Congratulations go to Dhweeja D. This is the second year in a
row that she was chosen as a Broadcom Master seminalist.
Seminalists were selected from more than 1,460 applicants.
Dhweeja qualied to enter the Broadcom MASTERS by placing
in the top 10 percent of the participants at the Northeastern Ohio
Science and Engineering Fair (NEOSEF) at Cleveland State
University (CSU).

PBS Kids Go Writing Contest

Ehren C’s story Tacky Turkey’s Big Adventure placed 3rd in
the nation in the 2012 PBS Kids Go rst grade writing contest.
Way to go Ehren!

Governor's Thomas Edison Award for third consecutive year

Once again Birchwood School received the Governor’s Thomas
Edison Award for Excellence in STEM education along with
Birchwood’s science and math teachers Linda Brown  and
Charles Debelak respectively for the third consecutive year.
They were Greater Cleveland’s sole recipients of the award for
their accomplishments during the 2011-2012 school year. Great
job Birchwood, Ms. Brown and Mr. D.

Presidential Physical Fitness Testing

Twenty five students scored at or above the 85th percentile
on each of the five test items of the President’s Challenge
Physical Fitness Test and were awarded with the Presidential
Award. These students are Arjun B, Channin M, Layla N,
Annessa W, Abby M, Grace X, Christine B, Joan C, Sachi
G, Katelyn V, Sofia R, Marissa B, Abeedah H, Nurah N,
Alex D, Maide S, Haley Y, Grace C, Megan P, Maya F, John
H, Mihir S, Keyvan R, Anika R, and Ben L. Twenty eight
students scored at or above the 50th percentile on the fitness
testing and received the National Award. These students are
Mehr B, Sofia B, Amara B, Niah B, Mark K,  James M,
Morgan S, Leah S, Farah S, Isabella D, Anjali K, Tejal P,
Paul A, Dalilia P, Peter P, Josh S, Sylvia B, Tony L, Sean
M, Sami S, Jaden S, Van W, Nikhita K, Sahej B, Vinny K,
Cameron S, Prathna K, and Jorgen K. Great job athletes!

National History Day National Level

On June 10, nine Birchwood students traveled to The
University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland to compete
in the national level of the National History Day competition.
These nine students excelled at the state level and were up
against state winners from all 50 states, Guam, American
Samoa, and the International Schools of Central Asia and
Southeast Asia. Our students had a phenomenal showing.
Joan C  and Sachi G  placed third in the group website
category with their website on the Hough Riots in Cleveland
in 1966. Nate C and Clive C also advanced to the final round
with their group website on the Microchip, placing 13th. Anna
H advanced to the final round with her individual exhibit on
the book Silent Spring by Rachel Carson and placed 14th.
Congratulations to these students for their accomplishments!

WVIZ/PBS Kids Go! Writers Contest

Congratulations to Ehren C for winning first place in WVIZ’s
PBS Kids Go! Writers Contest in the first grade division! His
story, Tacky Turkey’s  Big Adventure, has been sent to the
national level of competition. It can be viewed at
www.ideastream.org/education/writers.
PBS Kids Go! Writers Contest is a national contest designed
to promote the advancement of children’s reading skills by
encouraging students in kindergarten to third grade to create
orginal illustrated stories for submission.

Another Bruening Foundation Grant

After receiving the library grant in
2011, Birchwood recently received a second $10,000 grant
from the Bruening Foundation for the start-up of our Preschool
Program. This is much to the credit of development consultant
Michelle Ehlert who has taken the full time position at
Birchwood as our new Director of Advancement. Michelle
brings a broad range of experience to this position having
worked in a development capacity for organizations such as
University Hospitals, The Pittsburgh Symphony, The World
Affairs Council of Pittsburgh, and the Metropolitan Museum
of Art. See her full bio on our website. Michelle is a wonderful
addition to our team as we move forward with strategic plans
into the future.

NCTE Promising Young Writers Program

Katelyn  V, eighth grader, has been selected as a winner in the
2012 program sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of
English. Open to eighth graders, schools nationwide nominated
276 students. Out of the 85 outstanding writers selected, only
three including Katelyn were from Ohio. Each school is only
allowed a few nominees.  Each student submitted two pieces
of writing, which were evaluated by two judges on the basis of
content, purpose, audience, tone, word choice, organization,
development, and style.

She is “presented with a certificate in recognition of her writing
talents and of the importance of writing,” according to Kent
Williamson, the Executive Director of the program. The results
of the 2012 program are posted on the NCTE website http://
www.ncte.org/awards/student/pyw/2012.

State Science Fair

Vinayak K earned a Superior rating at the State Science Fair on
May 5 receiving a perfect score from both judges. He also won
the Future Physician Scientist Award for an outstanding project
related to the fields of medicine and health science.

National History Day State

Birchwood students had an impressive showing at the state
level of the National History Day competition on Saturday,
April 28. Held at Ohio State University in Columbus, the event
brought together the top place finishers from nine district-level
competitions across Ohio. Twenty-two Birchwood students
qualified to compete at the state event. Against very strong
competition, nine of the students received top honors as national
finalists and will be advancing to the national competition in June
at the University of Maryland.

In the historical paper category, Prathna K was a finalist with her
paper on Nellie Bly, an investigative reporter from the late 1800s
and early 1900s. Also in that category, Maya F qualified as a
national alternate for her paper on Jane Edna Hunter, a Cleveland
reformer from the early 1900s. In the individual website category,
Kavya R qualified as a finalist for her website on revolutions in
Renaissance surgery and anatomy. Dhweeja D was awarded
an honorable mention for her website on the smallpox vaccine.
Birchwood students swept the group website category, with two
groups qualifying as national finalists and one group designated
as the national alternate. Nate C and Clive C were finalists with
their website on the integrated circuit. Sachi G and Joan C were
also finalists with their website on the Hough Riots in Cleveland
in 1966. Ammar L and Michael T were national alternates for
their website on the conservation movement in the early 1900s.
In the group documentary category, Pheby L and Grace X were
national finalists for their documentary on the Montgomery Bus
Boycott. Peter A was awarded an honorable mention for his
individual documentary on President Truman’s firing of General
MacArthur. In group performances, Katelyn V and Alexander I
were national alternates for their performance about investigative
journalists from the early 1900s. Kareem T and Cameron S
received an honorable mention for their performance about
the space race. In the individual exhibit category, Anna H was
a national finalist with her board about Rachel Carson’s book,
Silent Spring.

In addition, Birchwood students received several special awards.
Maya F received two awards, with the first one from the Ohio
Historical Records Advisory Board for the best use of Ohio’s
Historical records in a History Day project. Her second award
was from the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
for “the most outstanding project focusing on an individual who
has contributed significantly to the advancement of freedoms and
the assurance of the civil and human rights of others.” Grace X
and Pheby L received an award from Ohio State University’s
Department of History for their outstanding historical research.
As an additional note, Birchwood alumni Zaeem L placed as the
national alternate in the senior individual website category. He
also received a prize from the National Underground Railroad
Freedom Center. His website focused on the Freedom Rides
in the early 1960s.

Congratulations to all these students for their hard work and
accomplishments! Projects will be on display at Birchwood’s
Parent Night on May 16.

Cricket Art Contest

In January, several first through fourth grade students entered
the Surviving In Nature Art Contest. Congratulations to Sami S
whose underwater scene earned him 2nd place in the Age 10
and Under division. Ehren C earned third place in the same
division for his drawing “Thorny Devil Surviving the Australian
Outback.” Birchwood also had three students earn Honorable
Mentions - Mitch B for “Eagle Flying Over the Ocean,” Paul A
for “Cat Catches Mouse,” and Isabella D for “Tulips and Birds.”
Congratulations to all the winners! Their work was featured in
the April issue of Cricket magazine.

Earth Day Photo Contest

Congratulations to Van W for his winning photograph for the
Earth Day Photo Contest sponsored by the Cuyahoga County
Solid Waste District. The winning photo was announced at a
reception last month. Look for the poster of his adorable photo
“Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Ruff!” hanging in the hallways.

2012 Earthfest Essay Contest

Clive C, eighth grader, won an Earth Day essay contest
sponsored by the Earth Day Coalition. In the middle grade
division, writers had to propose a comprehensive plan involving
school, home, markets, and/or fast food restaurants to encourage
children to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Clive
was eligible to attend the award ceremony at the Metroparks
Zoo to receive his certificate and monetary award.

2012 Future Problem Solving State Bowl Winners

Last month we shared the names of the 26 students who
qualified as state finalists for their performance on the state
bowl qualifying problem on human rights. At the state bowl
these teams grappled with the issue of trade barriers with the
following impressive results: Third Place Team (state of Ohio):
Christine B, Clive C, Alexander I, Kavya R and Second
Place Individual (state of Ohio): Ammar L.

A separate competition which tests spontaneous creativity is
the skit presentation of the team’s action plan. Birchwood’s
teams fared very well. Out of 26 teams in the intermediate
division: Second Place Skit Presentation: Anthony C, John
H, Adam I, Hana L, Third Place Skit Presentation: Prathna
K, Vinny K, Megan P, Haley Y, Top six making the run-offs:
Jorgen K, Cameron S, Shan S, Kareem T.

A huge thank-you to all the parent volunteers who help
us pull off this fun two-day event!

2012 FPS Scenario Writing Competition

Eight seventh and eighth grade students chose to enter the
scenario writing contest, another component of FPS where
they each wrote a 1500-word science fiction narrative related
to any of the topics from this year. Birchwood took the first,
second, and third place in this intermediate category. Vinny
K earned first place for “The Last Stand” about an Indian
rebel in a prison camp who was incarcerated for exposing
highly technological advancement that posed grave risks to
the Indian society. In second place was “Not a Mere Number,”
Naomi’s exploration about human rights from the standpoint
of a clone in servitude to her mistress. Katelyn’s “Twinkle
Twinkle” was third place, set after a Nuclear World War where
a Lower citizen, imprisoned in an underground workstation,
escaped the Uppers. Although the other scenario entries did
not place in the top five, they all received high ranks from the
state evaluators.

2012 Regional Power of the Pen

The regional qualifiers for the Power of the Pen competed
at Hudson Middle School on March 31 with 40 other schools
from several districts. Birchwood team members in seventh
grade included Anthony C, Pheby L, Ammar L, Megan P,
and Michael T who won the first place team trophy. Joan C,
Katelyn V, and Naomi W comprised the eighth grade team.
Individually Pheby L and Ammar  L placed first and eighth
respectively, among the seventh graders, while Katelyn V
and Naomi W earned seventh and tenth place among the
eighth graders.

Additionally, previous pieces written by Katelyn and Megan
which won the district Best of Round Awards earned the Best
of the Best Awards. These girls earned publication privileges
in the upcoming Power of the Pen book and twenty-five dollars
in savings bonds. Birchwood School also came in second
place for the Sweepstakes Award, an accumulation of points
earned from districts and regional for both grades.

The state competition will be on May 25 at the College of
Wooster involving these finalists: Pheby L, Ammar L, Megan
P, Joan C, Katelyn V, and Naomi W.

We thank Mark Gianetta who graciously helped in the tab
room and escorted the students to lunch. In addition we
appreciate Karen Kufahl for volunteering her Saturday to
help us judge the regional competition.

Noetic Learning Math Contest 2012 (3rd-4th)

The third graders
also participated in the Noetic Learning math contest recently.
The Noetic contest consists of 20 questions. The children are
given 45 minutes to complete the questions and each correct
answer is worth 5 points. The top scorers in each class are
recognized on the contest website. Congratulations to Stella
C, who scored 18 out of 20 correct answers. Check out the
second grade math entry for site information and where to
find other top scorers.


Congratulations go to Arjun B, the top scorer in the Noetic
Learning math contest. Arjun scored a fourth grade best 18
out of 20. See the second grade entry for where to view other
qualifying scores.

Noetic Learning Math Contest 2012 (2nd grade)

Recently the second graders participated in the Noetic
Learning math contest. This is a national contest for second
through fifth graders that takes place each fall and spring. The
top scorers are recognized on the Noetic website at http://
www.noetic-learning.com/mathcontest/. Congratulations to
Praveen K, who scored a perfect 20 out of 20 on the contest.
Other top scorers will be posted May 1st.

Harvest for Hunger 2012

Harvest for Hunger Results
The third and fourth grade students ran another successful
Harvest for Hunger Drive during the 2011-2012 school year.
The Classroom Drive brought in $112.60 and close to 300
food items, and students donated $423.83 and approximately
20 food items to participate in the Carnival activities. The
biggest fundraiser this year was the Penny War, which
raised $537.08, for a grand total of $1,073.51 and more
than 300 food items! On behalf of the third and fourth grade
students, thank you to the entire Birchwood community for
your generosity.

Future Problem Solving

Congratulations to the following teams who have earned an

invitation to the State Bowl in Solon on April 20-21. Out of 148

teams registered for the Ohio program this year, 58 teams are

advancing to the next level of this international competition.

Vinny K, Prathna K, Megan P, & Haley Y

Sachi G, Phebe L, Michael T, & Grace X

Anthony C, John H, Adam I, & Hana L

Jorgen K, Cameron S, Shan S, & Kareem T

Joan C, Dhweeja D, Katelyn V, & Naomi W

Christine B, Clive C, Alexander I, & Kavya R

William L and Ammar L - Individual category

National History Day Competition

The district History Day competition was held on March

24 at Case Western Reserve University and our students

had outstanding results. Out of 31 students participating,

23 will advance to the state competition which will be held

at Ohio State University at the end of April. The theme this

year is Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History.

Beginning with the historical paper category, Maya

F placed first with her paper on Jane Edna Hunter, a

pioneering social reformer in Cleveland in the early 1900s

and Prathna K placed third with her paper on Nellie Bly,

an investigative reporter during the late 1800s.

In the individual website category, Dhweeja D placed

second and Kavya R placed third. Dhweeja’s website

was on the smallpox vaccine and Kavya’s focused on

revolutions in surgery and anatomy in the Renaissance.

Birchwood had three place finishers in the group website

category. Sachi G and Joan C took first with a website

focusing on the Hough Riots in Cleveland. Nate C and

Clive C placed second with their website on the Integrated

Circuit. Ammar M and Michael T placed third with their

website on the conservation movement in America. All

three groups will compete at the state competition.

In the performance categories, all of Birchwood's

performances placed and will advance. Megan P placed

second for her individual performance on the Salem Witch

Trials. In the group performances, Katelyn V, Christine

B, and Alexander I placed first with their performance

about the muckrakers in the early 1900s and Kareem T

and Cameron S placed second with a performance on

the Space Race.

In the individual documentary category, Birchwood took the

top three spots. Naomi W placed first with a focus on the

Berlin Wall. Adam I placed second with his documentary

on Joseph McCarthy and Peter A took third with his look

at President Truman’s firing of Douglas MacArthur in the

Korean War.

In the group documentary category, Pheby L and Grace

X took first for their documentary on the Montgomery Bus

Boycott.

In the individual exhibit category, Anna H placed first for

her exhibit on Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring which

started the environmental movement. John H earned an

honorable mention for his exhibit on the Winchester rifle

and will compete at the state competition.

In addition, Maya F received recognition and a cash

award from the Early Settlers Association of the Western

Reserve for her paper on a local topic, and Peter A

received recognition and an invitation to a reception hosted

by the Cleveland Grays for his focus on a military topic.

Congratulations to all these students and good luck at the

state competition on April 28!

Science Olympiad

On Saturday, March 10th, the Science Olympiad Team

competed at CSU. Team members Alia B, Avi B, Megan

S, Grace C, William L, Jane N, Farah S, Channin M,

Anika R, Annessa W, Elizabeth P, Emma P, Cameron

K, Maya D, Abigail M, Nikhita K, Olivia S, Sahej B,

Layla N, and Asim S were accompanied by Mrs. Sayad

and Mrs.Samad-DuVall (Anatomy judges), Mr. Poole,

Mrs. McNaughton, Mr. and Mrs. Najeeullah/Landrum,

Ms. Haskins, Ms. Whitlow, Mrs. Busnawi, Mr. Kaderle, 10

Ms. Kohut, Ms. Zwolinski, Mrs. Redi and Mrs. Stewart.

The parent help was wonderful! There were 24 different

events spread out in two buildings and on four floors! The

parents made sure the students arrived at their events on

time and were escorted safely back to Birchwood’s “camp.”

Avi B and Megan S earned 1st place in Aerodynamics.

William L and Annessa W won 2nd place in the Egg Drop

competition, and William L and Avi B took 3rd place for

Don’t Bug Me (Insects). Emma P and Channin M earned

3rd place in Experimental Design and Abigail M and

Farah S placed 4th in Simple Machines. Thank you to all

the students for their hard work!

BEST Science Fair

The BEST Science Fair was on March 24th. Vinayak

K: Practical Heart Health Snapshot for Children using

Anthropometric and Physical Activity Measurements won

first place for the Northeast Ohio Medical University Gold

Award for Clinical Trials Gold Medal and also received the

Cleveland Clinic Department of Biomedical Engineering

Award (Grades 7-10th).

Western Reserve Science Dat

Four students took their projects to Western Reserve

Science Day on March 17: Maya D: Toothbrushes:

Electric vs. Manual. Which one removes more bacteria?

Maya received the Excellence award. Anika R: Test

Effectiveness of Lysol Kitchen Cleaner, Clorox Anywhere

Cleaner, and White Distilled Vinegar on Bacterial Growth.

Anika received the Excellence award. Dhweeja D: Body

composition and sleep patterns in an urban pediatric

population: a prospective study. Dhweeja received the

Excellence award and the Ohio Nursing Association:

Best Health/Nursing-related Project (Middle School)

Award. Vinayak K: Practical Heart Health Snapshot

for Children using Anthropometric and Physical Activity

Measurements. Vinayak received 3rd place Health

and Medicine and advanced to State Science Fair. In

addition, several Birchwood Alumni earned awards for their

projects: Zaeem L: Butea monosperma Flower Extract

Inhibits the Immune Response of Human Osteoarthritic

Chondrocytes in vitro which received an award from the

Cleveland Botanical Garden and an award from CSU

Department of Health Sciences and Anirudh D:

PtSymmetric Boundary Conditions in Quantum Mechanics

was a Grand Prize Winner. Anirudh was selected to attend

The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel

ISEF) the world’s largest international pre-college science

competition in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from May 13-18!

North Eastern Ohio Science and Engineering Fair

After showing their projects to the judges at Birchwood,

students then attended North Eastern Ohio Science

and Engineering Fair March 12-15: Kavya R: From

circles to ellipses to vectors: Improving the accuracy

of predicting Earth’s orbit. Kavya received 2nd place

American Meteorological Society and was selected

to Broadcom MASTERS Middle School Competition.

Dhweeja D: Body composition and sleep patterns in an

urban pediatric population: a prospective study. Dhweeja

received 2nd place Health and Medicine and was selected

for Broadcom MASTERS Middle School Competition,

Cleveland State University Department of Health Sciences

Best Health Sciences Project Award, Cleveland Clinic

Department of Biomedical Engineering Outstanding

Biomedical Engineering Project Award, American Statistical

Association Award, and a US Army Achievement Award for

best Science Project. Vinayak K: Practical Heart Health

Snapshot for Children using Anthropometric and Physical

Activity Measurements. Vinayak received 1st place Health

and Medicine, American Statistical Association - Cleveland

Chapter Award and was selected for Broadcom MASTERS

Middle School Competition, Cleveland Clinic - Children’s

Hospital Award, and Cleveland Clinic - Kaufman Center

for Heart Failure Award.

Birchwood Science Fair

The Birchwood School Science Fair projects were shown to

the judges on March 2 and later to the whole school where

fourteen 5th grade students, eight 6th grade students,

two seventh grade students and one 8th grade student

showed their projects.

Continental Math League Meet #5 Awards

Gold: Peter, Nate, Clive, Dhweeja, Kavya, Naomi,

Vinayak, Ammar, Michael T, William, Anika, Sahej, Avi,

Michael H, Abigail, Kevin, Farah

Silver: Sachi, Alexander I, Cameron S, Kareem, Prathna,

Pheby, Grace X, Maryum, Jack, Grace C, Caroline,

Laurie, Cameron K, Elizabeth, Mihir

Bronze: Christine, Joan, Jorgen, Shan, Katelyn, John

H, Adam, Maya D, Nikhita, Rami, Olivia, Megan S

Math Olympiads Meet #5 Awards

Gold: Nate, Clive, Dhweeja, Kavya, John H, Prathna,

Vinayak, Ammar, William, Anika

Silver: Alexander I, Jorgen, Kareem, Pheby, Maryum,

Grace, Caroline

Bronze: Peter, Christine, Sachi, Naomi, Anthony, Anna,

Michael T, Nikhita, Mihir, Kevin, Farah

MathCounts - Chapter Level

At the Northeast Ohio MathCounts Chapter competition

Kavya R, Dhweeja R, Clive C, and Nate C placed first

in the team competition, took first in the team countdown

round, and Clive C received a perfect score. Vinayak

K placed sixth individually. These same students went

on to the state level of competition and had another

outstanding performance. The team placed first. Clive

C finished first individually, Kavya R placed fourth, and

Nate C placed twelfth. This is the third year Birchwood

has won the chapter competition, the second consecutive

year to be named Ohio’s winner, and the second year

that Mr. Debelak has been named Ohio’s math coach.

Mr. Debelak, Clive, Kavya, and two students from

Cincinnati (the top four finishers in the state) will travel to

Orlando for the National Competition in May

Letters About Literature Round Three

For Letters About Literature, several students made it

into Round Three of the Ohio judging. From 568 Level

II submissions in the middle school grades, 22 pieces or

3.9% were selected. Included in this category are Pheby

L (7th), Joan C (8th), Shan S (8th), and Dhweeja D (8th)

whose letters were chosen for their ability “to express their

inner voice and imagination.” In Level I of this competition

for grades 4-6, Jack B and Grace C, both sixth graders,

were also contenders. They placed in the top 24 out of 495

submissions. In addition, we are very proud of Olivia S, the

only fifth grader who placed among the top 24 entrants in

the state of Ohio. Thus, in both Levels I and II, Birchwood

students make up about one-eighth of the students in the

entire state whose writing reached this high level of judging.

We congratulate these semifinalists for the “quality and

caliber” of their writing. State winners are currently being

determined.

Scholastic Art and Writing Award - Silver Medal

Katelyn V, eighth grader, earned national recognition in

the 2012 Scholastic Art Writing Awards for her memoir

entitled “The Flipped Penny.” This award is presented by

the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers where winners have

been identified by panels of professional writers. From

13,000 regional Gold Key pieces submitted nationwide,

the top 11% were chosen for this prestigious honor.

Katelyn earned a Silver Medal and is invited to the Awards

Ceremony at Carnegie Hall on June 1. We are proud to

have her represent our school in this year’s event.

4th Grade Math CML

Congratulations to the following for their success on the

final Continental Math League contest: Gold Medal: Farah

S, Silver Medal: Channin M, Jane N, and Annessa W,

and Bronze Medal: Tejal P. Great work, Everyone!

3rd Grade Math CML

Congratulations to the following student for their success

on the final Continental Math League contest: Silver Medal

winners: Stella C, Makenah F, and Shruthi R. Bronze

Medal winners: Zuha J, Julie L, Alex M, Tarek N, and

Dan X. Great Job!

Service Update

Though Harvest for Hunger final totals are still being tallied,

the third and fourth graders finished counting the classroom

food and money donations as well as Penny War jars. The

winning classes were the 8th Grade (classroom drive) and

the 1st Grade (Penny War). Congratulations to these two

classes and thank you to all who participated. The third

and fourth grade students recently walked 300 food

items next door to the Bountiful Basement! The food pantry

was extremely grateful for the contribution.

The eighth graders made over $300 at their Bake Sale

during the morning of the last Reading Day. The proceeds

will go toward their class gift. They plan to add framed

pictures of famous leaders alongside the Lincoln picture in

the “leadership stairwell” between the 1st and 2nd floors.

Creative Communications Winner

The essay entitled “Math” that Mihir S wrote in the fall has been selected out of several thousand entries as one of the ten best submitted to the Creative Communications contest from students all over the United States and Canada. Mihir was the only student from Ohio and just the second student in Birchwood history to qualify for this honor. He will receive a free anthology and a $25 prize. Congratulations!

Student of the Week

Joan C has made us proud. She was the Sun Sentinel “Student of the week” in the February 16, 2012 issue. The story highlighted Joan’s sculpture “Twisted,” which received honorable mention from the 2012 Scholastic Art Exhibition.

Continental Math League Meet #4

Gold Award: Peter, Nate, Clive, Alexander I, Kavya,

Dhweeja, Vinayak, Ammar, Michael T, Avi, Maya D,

Michael H, Cameron K, Elizabeth P

Silver Award: Anthony, John H, Adam, Anna H, Prathna

K, Pheby, Grace X, Anika, Sahej, Laurie, Kevin S

Bronze Award: Christine B, Hana L, Haley, Caroline

V, Jack, Grace C, Rami

Math Olympiads Meet #4

Gold Award: Clive, Dhweeja, Kavya, Grace C, Anika,

Farah

Silver Award: Prathna, Vinayak, Hana, Michael T,

Nikhita, Mihir

Bronze Award: Alexander I, Alexander H, Naomi, John

H, Anna H, Adam, Pheby, Ammar, Megan P, Jack,

William, Sofia, Avi, Laurie, Maya D

MathCounts

At the MathCounts contest sponsored by the Society of Engineers, our team took 1st place against some of the best math programs in Northeast Ohio. In addition, we won the individual 1st place (go Clive C!) and several other places in the top 15. See the full story below...

First Place at the Regional Competition

Congratulations to Birchwood’s MathCounts team of

Clive, Nate, Kavya, and Dhweeja. They came in first

place at the Chapter Competition held at Cleveland

State University on March 10. This team will compete

at the state level on March 10 in Columbus, Ohio. In

addition, Vinayak K qualified to be a state competitor

after earning the sixth highest score. These five students

will vie against approximately 400 students at Columbus

State College to make be one of four finalists who

will represent Ohio in Orlando, Florida at the National

Competition.

I would like to make it a point for all of our younger

aspiring math competitors that these students are

not only good mathematicians, but perhaps more

importantly, they are extraordinary workers. They have

spent scores of hours outside of class honing their math

skills as they aspired to be the best. I am quite proud of

them for their efforts and achievements.

Power of the Pen

At the Power of the Pen competition our 8th graders brought home the 2nd place team trophy and the 7th graders, the 3rd place trophy! Katelyn V won 1st place as an individual. You have to read the list of other distinguished honors achieved by our writers below.

Birchwood students competed in Pepper Pike on

February 25, Saturday, at the district Power of the

Pen writing competition where they went up against

fifteen other schools. Students wrote three narratives

to three different prompts in forty-minute sessions.

Congratulations to all the participants who brought home

these coveted trophies and awards:

Third place for the seventh grade team: Anthony C,

Prathna K, Pheby L, Ammar L, Megan P, Michael T,

Haley Y.

Second place for the eighth grade team: Peter A, Clive

C, Joan C, Kavya R, Naomi W, Katelyn V.

Megan P placed seventh among the seventh graders,

while Naomi W, Joan C, and Katelyn V received the

tenth, third, and first place trophies.

“Best of Rounds” went to Megan P in Round 3, while

she and Ammar L each received an Honorable Mention

for the other rounds.

Thank you very much to Mark Gianetti and Antoinette

Abou Haidar who provided much needed help with

transportation and assistance in the tab room.

Continental Math League

3rd-4th Grade Math

Congratulations go out to our recent Continental Math

League medal winners. In the third grade, Shruthi R

earned a gold, while Stella C earned silver. Alex D and

Alex M both earned bronze medals. In the fourth grade,

Tejal P earned gold, Channin M, Farah S, and Annessa

W earned silver, and Jane N earned bronze medals.

Continental Math League, Contest #3

Gold: Nate, Clive, Dhweeja, Kavya,

John H, Adam, Vinayak, Pheby, Ammar,

Michael T, Grace X, William, Anika,

Cameron K, Mihir, Avi

Silver: Peter, Christine B, Alexander, Jorgen, Kareem,

Prathna, Hana L, Jack, Sahej, Michael H, Kevin,

Farah

Bronze: Joan, Cameron S, Naomi, Anthony, Maya F,

Anna, Megan P, Haley, Maryum, Grace C,

Maya D

Math Olympiad Awards, Contest #3

Gold: Nate, Clive, Dhweeja, Kavya, Kareem,

Prathna, Vinayak, Pheby, Ammar, Michael T,

William, Anika, Maya D, Michael H,

Cameron K, Kevin

Silver: Peter, Christine B, Joan, Naomi, John H,

Anna, Adam, Grace X, Grace C, Caroline V,

Avi, Laurie, Abigail, Mihir, Farah

Bronze: Jorgen, Megan P, Amir, Elizabeth

Birchwood Math Team to compete at CSU on Feb 18

The Birchwood MathCounts team consisting of a four student

team – Clive, Kavya, Nate, and Dhweeja – and six individuals

– Alexander, Christine, Vinayak, Ammar, Prathna, and Anika

– will represent Birchwood School at the Northeast Ohio Chapter

level of MathCounts 2012. The group has been working very

hard. We practice on Thursdays from 3:30–5:00 reviewing the

types of problems they will see on the contest. On Tuesdays

from 3:30–4:30 we study old CML high school contest to learn

new strategies. On Saturdays from 9:00–noon we simulate the

actual contest and then review problems we do not understand.

The effort of these students is extraordinary. They are not only

good math students, but more importantly they are hard workers.

Good luck team.

Scholastic Writing Awards

Seventh and eighth grade students received a host of

awards from the 2012 Scholastic Writing Awards in the

new regional affiliate at the Cleveland Institute of Art. Our

students submitted 55 pieces in all different genres and

received 32 awards from honorable mention to silver and

gold keys. Winners were recognized at an award ceremony

on January 7 at CIA.

Here are the results for the seventh graders:

Maya F – Honorable Mention for My Crowning Glory, a memoir

John H – Silver Key Award for Blood, Bullets, and Valor, a short story

Anna H – Honorable Mention for The Tale of Two Twins, a short story

Adam I – Honorable Mention for The Great Flood, a science fiction story

Prathna K – Silver Key Award for Of Friends and Peanuts, a flash fiction story, and a second Silver Key Award for The Store, a memoir

Vinayak K – Honorable Mention for The Ultimate Sacrifice, a short story, and second Honorable Mention for The Fight to Survive, a memoir

Pheby L – Honorable Mention for The Gray Device, a science fiction story, and a second Honorable Mention for Mixed up, a short story

Hana L – Honorable Mention for Amisha: Just Another Story, a short story

Ammar L – Honorable Mention for Savage, a flash fiction story, and a Silver Key Award for Curfew Travels, a memoir

Megan P – Honorable Mention for The Dreams Between, a short story, and a second Honorable Mention for Sadie, a memoir

Michael T – Honorable Mention for Being the New Student, a memoir

Michael W – Honorable Mention for Post Election Violence, a short story

Here are the results for the eighth graders:

Christine B – Honorable Mention for Risotto, a short story

Clive C – Silver Key Award for Mathematical Memories, a memoir, and a second Silver Key Award for Next Computer Revolution, a science fiction story

Joan C – Honorable Mention for Flying By a short story

Dhweeja D – Honorable Mention for Eating Away, a memoir, and a second Honorable Mention for My Brother, a memoir

Alexander H – Honorable Mention for Journey to the Dimension of the Bugs, a science fiction story

Alexander I – Honorable Mention for An Honest Living, a humorous story

Jorgen K – Honorable Mention for Intrepid, a short story

Kavya R – Honorable Mention for Tested, a short story, and a Silver Key Award for My Slam Book, a memoir

Katelyn V – Gold Key Award for The Flipped Penny, a memoir, and second Gold Key Award for Family Photo, a memoir, and a third Gold Key Award for Pandemic, a science fiction story, and finally Honorable Mention for Culinary Catastrophe, a memoir

Naomi W – Honorable Mention for We’re Living in Fiction, a short story, and a Silver Key Award for One Night, a short story

Katelyn V received three gold keys, and her science fiction

piece entitled “Pandemic” was nominated for the American

Voices Award.

Including all the high school writing awards, out of the

17 gold keys awarded, we snagged 3. We were also

awarded 8 of the 33 silver keys, and 23 of the 78 honorable

mentions. We concur with the jurors’ statement in the

program for the ceremony who stated that the “... chosen

works were original, expressed technical skills, and showed

imagination. The granting of the awards became difficult

because of the quality and scope of the work submitted.”

Through the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards program,

the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers provides support

for emerging artists and writers beginning in the seventh

grade. Each year thousands of pieces are submitted to

different regionals where the most outstanding works

advance to the national level in New York City.

Local exhibitions and catalogs/anthologies are available

for viewing at CIA until February. More conveniently,

Birchwood students will have their awards and works

displayed in the second floor of the south wing. Come

and enjoy them.

National Geographic Geography Bee

On Thursday, December 15, Birchwood held the school level

bee to determine which student would represent the school in

the next round of competition. Prior to this, the 4th to 8th grade

classes had held class level bees to determine two competitors

from each grade. Winners at the 4th grade level were Jane N

and Farah S. At the 5th grade level, the winners were Olivia S

and Cameron K. From the 6th grade, William L and Grace X

competed. In the 7th grade, John H and Prathna K were the

class winners. In the 8th grade, Kavya R and Clive C advanced

to the school bee. These ten competitors then faced off in a series

of very difficult geography questions. After a close competition,

we had a winner! Placing third was Farah S. In second place

was Kavya R. In first place, and advancing to the next round of

competition was fifth grader Olivia S. After her win in the school

bee, Olivia took a very challenging written geography test with

70 multiple choice questions. Results should be announced in

March. Congratulations!

American Chemical Society National Chemistry Week Contest

Amir I was the sixth grade winner of the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) National Chemistry Week 2011 chemistry contest for the Cleveland area. Amir’s winning experiment measured the amount of fat released when a hot dog is heated and answered questions about saturated and unsaturated fats and their effects on health.

Sun-Post Student of the Week!

Dharma N has made us proud. She was the Sun-Post Herald “Student of the week” in the January 26, 2012 issue. The story highlighted that she was one of the third-grade winners of the American Chemical Society’s National Chemistry Week 2011 chemistry contest.

Continental Math League

Speaking of the Continental Math League, the third graders recently took their first contest. Three children earned medals--a huge accomplishment for first-time contestants. Congratulations to Stella C, who earned a gold medal (6 of 6 correct answers) and Zuha J and Alex M, who each earned a bronze medal (4 of 6 correct answers.) In the fourth grade contest, Farah S earned gold and both Channin M and Jane N earned bronze. Great job, girls!

Pasta Tales Essay Writing Contest Winners

Some of the third graders and all fourth and fifth grader

students entered the Pasta Tales essay-writing contest,

a national competition sponsored by Olive Garden. The

prompt was a challenging one: If you were given $5000

to further education in your local community, how would

you use it and why? Students had to grapple with issues

like deciding on a realistic idea, establishing a budget, and

laying out their thoughts clearly in a convincing essay of

only 250 words. Writing this essay capped a quarter of

doing mostly non-fiction writing for the fifth graders whose

Letters About Literature pieces were submitted earlier this

month. The younger students have recently written several

story-modeling pieces based on the books Curious George

and Parents in the Pigpen, Pigs in the Tub. All students also

prepared entries for the Zaner-Bloser national handwriting

competition. Class winners were Alex M, Farah S, and

Sahej B.

Scholastic Art Competition

Birchwood had a Silver Key (Pheby L) and Honorable Mention (Joan C) in the Art Division of the 2012 Scholastic Arts Competition. Congratulations