This year's Tri-County GATE Council We Honor Our Own Recipient:
Heather Grosch - Washington Elementary School, 4th grade teacher
(Pictured are Heather Grosch and Teresa Koontz)

Washington Elementary School’s Paper nor Plastic project won first place in California for the Disney Planet Challenge. Washington competed against 350 schools across the nation. Sixth-grade teacher Jackie Bluestein said, “This was a great success for us and we are very proud. Also, we have been awarded the Spirit of Service Award for Waste Reduction from Looking Good Santa Barbara. We will receive our award from the mayor at a luncheon on May 10.” Congratulations to the school’s Paper nor Plastic group, comprised of Ms. Bluestein’s sixth- grade class and Mr. Riley's fifth- and sixth-grade combo.

In addition, Ms. Bluestein received a $300 grant from the Tri-County GATE Council to support this project.

District’s Elementary School Students Place at LA Basin Regional Odyssey of the Mind Tournament

Adams Elementary School Takes Second Place in Division 2
Five students from Adams Elementary School took second place in their division at the 2012 LA Basin Regional Odyssey of the Mind Tournament on Saturday, March 3, 2012, at Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach.

Congratulations go out to the five-member team: Alex Massie and Nicola Parker, grade 2, Montessori classroom
Sophia Thatch, grade 3, Montessori classroom
Abby McKee and Simon Parker, grade 6

Team members returned with medals for each student and a trophy.
The Adams team competed against students in grades 6-8.

The team’s problem was “Ohh-Motional Vehicle,” Division 2. The team’s second place finish earned the students a chance to compete at the California State Championships on Saturday, March 31, at Heritage High School in Brentwood, California.

The team was coached by the school’s 1-3rd grade Montessori teacher, Mrs. Nelson.

Washington Elementary School Takes Third Place in Division 1
Washington Elementary School fifth graders and Odyssey of the Mind teammates, Blake Baron, Christopher Cassriel, Jason Glover, Eric Mazlumyan, Owen Thames, Sam Winner, and Zach Winner took third place in the LA Basin Regional Tournament for Odyssey of the Mind, To Be Or Not To Be in Division I.

Peabody’s Fifth-Grade Students Takes Seventh Place in Division 1
Peabody Charter School’s teams were comprised of fifth graders: Ilette Hill, Grace Mahota, Anuv Gupta, Cassidy Harman-Torres, Maggie McCourt, and Joseph Varela. Peabody took seventh place in Weird Science, Division 1 and also eighth place in Odyssey Angels, Division 1.

Linda Stirling - Peabody Charter School teacher
Robin Sawaske - SBUSD Associate Superintendent
Katie Pelle - La Cumbre Junior High School English teacher
Bill Woodward - Dos Pueblos High School English teacher

(Pictured are: Teresa Koontz, Lynn Rodriguez, Linda Stirling, Sandy Robertson, Robin Sawaske, Katie Pelle, and Bill Woodward)

In December 2011, Village Properties generously granted $500 to the Elementary GATE Program to purchase new books for our GATE Library.

Nathalie Ireland - Franklin Elementary School, 4th Grade Teacher
Leo Borden - SB Junior High School, 8th Grade Social Studies
Sandy Robertson - SBUSD Secondary GATE Coordinator
Teresa Koontz - SBUSD Elementary GATE Program Coordinator received the CAG Distinguished Educator Award
(Pictured are: Teresa Koontz, Robin Sawaske, Leo Borden, Santa Robertson, and Nathalie Ireland

Each year the Mission Canyon Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, located in Santa Barbara, holds contests to encourage young people to learn about America’s history. This year 5th-8th grade students submitted essays on the transcontinental railroad and its effect on America. One of the local winners was Washington’s 5th grader Jackson Eddy.

Barbara Barr - Roosevelt Elementary School, 6th grade teacher

Teresa Koontz - Elementary GATE Program Coordinator
Barry Nitikman - Harding, 4th grade teacher
Rosa Lazarovits, GATE Parent

Jodi Miles - Adams Elementary School, 3rd grade teacher
Judy Edmondson - Washingtion Elementary School, 3rd grade teacher
Carolyn Callahan - SBHS Teacher
Breanna Laks, SBJHS teacher (not pictured)

Janet Imel - Washington Elementary School, 3rd grade teacher
Barbie Evans - GATE Identification Coordinator