Applauding Our Accomplishments
Emerson students doing what they do best
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2010 NENGAJO CONTEST WINNERS
Congratulations to Emerson's Japanese Language Students for their artistic - and often comical - Nengajo (New Year's Card) Contest submissions. The annual competition among state schools with Japanese programs is sponsored by the Japanese Teachers Association of Michigan and the Japanese Consulate in Detroit. Several of Emerson's creative card makers received awards. ELEMENTARY:
Artistic-1st place in all Michigan, Annelore Fleischmann;
3rd place in all Michigan, Jake Hutnik; Original 2nd place in all Michigan, Anya Nayak; Comical 2nd place in all Michigan, Connor Fancett. MIDDLE SCHOOL:
Original 1st place in all Michigan, Emily Newman; 3rd place in all Michigan, Alec Vidovic;
Comical 1st place in all Michigan, Olga Sokolova; 2nd place in all Michigan, Duncan Braun. Top of page
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FOLLOW THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD!
November 2009 - Emerson students Ben Chambers, Ashley Harlock and Alexandra Howell, along with past Emerson Alum, Mackenzie Kimball, show their acting talents in the classic epic, The Wizard of Oz. The Young People's Theater of Ann Arbor production appears at the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre located on the University of Michigan campus.
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2009 BETTER NEWSPAPER CONTEST AWARDS
Members of Iowa Press Association studied over thousands of entries submitted by Michigan newspapers when they judged the 2009 Michigan Press Association Better Newspaper Contest.
Heritage Newspapers' Washtenaw County publications have earned 24 awards in the Michigan Press Association's Better Newspaper Contest, including 12-year-old movie reviewer Ryan Michaels (8), who is now a two-time MPA award winner, grabbing honorable mention for columnist again with his reviews in the Milan paper. Congratulations Ryan! Top of page
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NATIONAL FRENCH EXAM RESULTS
Each year, the 7th and 8th graders take the National French Exam (Le Concours National). This is a standardized test. At the seventh grade level (01A), approx. 8,000 students nationwide took the test. At the eighth grade level, (1A), approx. 25,000 students participated.
Here are our Emerson results:
Seventh graders:
Savannah Rodriquez, 1st in the state and 4th in the nation; Jeremy Glick, 4th in the state and 8th in the nation;
Celia Knapp, 5th in the state and 10th in the nation;
Henry Ellis, 6th in the state;
Kat Marx, 8th in the state;
Sydney Ohl, 10th in the state.
Eighth graders: Daniel Rothschild, 1st in the state, 3rd in the nation;
Tori Johnson, 2nd in the state, 4th in the nation;
Rachel Parker, 4th in the state, 6th in the nation;
Emma Powell, 4th in the state and 6th and nation;
Katherine Loreman, 5th in the state, 7th in the nation.
Shalini Kota, 6th in the state, 8th in the nation;
Dana Johnson, 7th in the state, 9th in the nation; Lalitha Ramaswamy, 8th in the state, 10th in the nation; Shoham Geva, 10th in the state;
Emily Wu, 10th in the state.
Congratulations to our hardworking students! Top of page
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SPANISH NATIONAL EXAMS
Congratulations to world language students who received
recognition for excellent performance on the 2008 National Spanish Examinations. “Attaining any placement or honorable mention for any student on the National Spanish Examinations is very prestigious,” said Kevin Cessna, National Director of the Exams, “because the exams are the largest of their kind in the United States with well over 115,000 students participating in 2009.” The exams are administered each year from grades 6-12, and are sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese.
Silver Award, 8th Grade: Joe Hakim; Bronze Award, 8th Grade:
Evan Chavis; Honorable Mention, 8th Grade:
Chris Klein,
Cecilie Simo,
Shreya Bahl,
Thomas Hadl,
Ben Merte,
Ryan Ferris; Gold Award, 7th Grade:
Julia Doyle***Grand Prize Winner; Silver Award:
Adriana Hassan,
Eitan Rubinfeld,
Gabriela Skifstad,
Morgan Bradford,
Caroline Zubieta; Bronze Award, 7th Grade:
Niket Parikh,
Sajani Desai,
Lauren Lanzo; Honorable Mention:
Sarah Ferris,
Noah Crimmi,
Matthew Shanley,
Annie Rudisill,
Danielle Sarns,
Ryan Michaels. Top of page
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EMERSON KIDS EXCEL AT SCIENCE OLYMPIAD
We’re very pleased to announce that Emerson Middle School students did a great job in the 2009 Science Olympiad. This was the first year our school participated in the Olympiad competition with a full team of fifteen students, and our kids were very successful. Fourteen middle schools from Southeastern Michigan came to Washtenaw Community College last month to take part in the Olympiad. Emerson took sixth place overall, and our kids medaled (1st, 2nd or 3rd place) in six of the 22 events, which included a variety of science tests and challenges. Tim Wilson coordinated a team of ten parent and teacher coaches, to which we offer our most sincere gratitude. Congratulations to the fifteen students who invested extra hours on evenings, weekends and the all day event last month. We celebrate each of the following young scientists: Ananya Mayukha, Emily Wu, Shalini Kota, Shreya Bahl, Emma Powell, Shoham Geva, Mateo Todisco, Chris Klein (8th graders), Duncan Braun, Noah Crimmins, Sam Kidd, Graham Gerdes (7th graders), Sonal Bahl, Nishant Kheterpal and Rahul Gupta (6th graders). We can’t wait to see our returning students continue the great work next year, and to watch our graduating students continue their fantastic science careers! Top of page
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EIGHTH GRADER AWARDED INTERLOCHEN SCHOLARSHIP
Dana Johnson was one of two Ann Arbor Middle Schoolers awarded a 1/2 tuition scholarship for the orchestral program at Interlochen Arts Camp for this summer. Congratulations Dana!
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FIFTH GRADER WINS FILM AWARD WITH "YOU LOVE YOUR DOG"
Nani Wolf was the winner in the "student film category" at the Millers Creek Film Festival on March 13th, at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor. Nani's three-minute, informational film, titled "You Love Your Dog," stressed the importance of picking up after your dog to protect water quality. She won a "Millie" award and a cash prize, part of which Nani has decided will go to the Humane Society, and part to the Huron River Watershed Council. Nani was thrilled by the audience's reaction to her film, and winning the award was the "icing on the cake."
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2009 JAPANESE QUIZ BOWL RESULTS
The students in the Japanese program have been preparing for the Japanese Quiz Bowl, and the results were very impressive. Two teams won 1st place and one team won second place in this state wide competition. Two of the Emerson elementary teams made it to the final and they faced each other. One of the 6th grade teams also won 1st place in the middle school Division I. 7th and 8th students teams did not quite make it to the final, but they competed evenly against high school teams. An Emerson alumni team came very close to the final (they had three-way tie to be the finalist) and they lost by 2 points. Considering alumni students meet once a week privately with me, they did a great job against other high school students who have class every day. If you see these students, please congratulate them for their achievement. Elementary 1st place (team Midori): Tim Arvan, Olivia Popp, Therese Larson, Ethan Tucker, Katy Ross. Elementary 2nd place (team Kuro): Justin Baker, Anna Argento, William Derksen, Philip Ognenovski, Alex Vidovic. Middle school Division I 1st place (team Zo): Emily Newman, Avery Whitaker, Josh Krivan, Olga Sokolova. Top of page
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MICHIGAN ART EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION SHOW
We applaud our Emerson artists whose work was displayed at the Michigan Art Educators Association, Region Three Art Show: Meera Bhagat, Bernie Kellman, Avery Lynd, Emma Nightingale, Olivia Sedlacek , Gabriela Skifstad and Alexis Squires. Four students were finalists and their artwork continued on to Lansing for final judging: 2nd Grader Emma Nightingale - Handmade Paper Collage Bird, 3rd grader Avery Lynd- Wool Felt - Mini Rug, sixth grader Alexis Squires - Oil Pastel, Color study, and 7th grader Gabriela Skifstad - Colored Pencil, Tessellation. From the finalist category, the top 15 works of elementary, middle school and high school were chosen to remain in Lansing as part of the Governor's Show and we are proud to announce that Avery and Gabriela were awarded this honor. We are so proud of all of our students at Emerson and the amazing art that they create! Top of page
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3rd GRADER AND TEAM EXCEL AT DESTINATION IMAGINATION REGIONALS
Jon-Michael Taylor and four 3rd graders from Saline received a First Place in the Destination Imagination Regionals on March 7, 2009. The team chose the most difficult Central Challenge - designing two machines that cooperate with each other and represent two countries. They were required to perform specific tasks within specific zones 20 feet apart and one of the machines had to bear the weight of one of the team members. No manpower or plug in to electric outlets allowed. Jon-Michael's team was the youngest elementary age group competing in this division and will go on to compete in the State Tournament on April 4. Good Luck to all! Top of page
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CLEVELAND INSTITUTE OF MUSIC PERFORMERS
Oriana Gulvezan and Hannah Chesnik from 6th grade, along with a group of kids from Ann Arbor Suzuki Institute, were invited to perform at Mixon Hall at the Cleveland Institute of Music. In addition, they will be taking two classes taught by virtuoso violinist/teacher Steven Sims. They have been preparing for this concert since last October, and we are very proud of their hard work.
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EMERSON'S OWN MOVIE CRITIC
In October, Ryan Michaels (7), became the youngest ever recipient of a Michigan Press Association (MPA) Better Newspaper Contest award. Ryan writes movie reviews that are regularly published in the Saline reporter and the Milan-News Leader. Ryan received honorable mention in the category of local columnist from the 141 year old MPA. Look for Ryan’s movie reviews online at www.ryanthemoviecritic.com. Congratulations Ryan! Top of page ___________________________________________________________________________
OUR 2009 MATHCOUNTS PARTICIPANTS
Congratulations to the 2009 MathCounts participants from Emerson! Daniel Rothschild (8) placed 3rd overall and will advance to the State competition. Niket Parikh (7) placed sixth. Top of page ___________________________________________________________________________
ALL-STATE BAND AND ORCHESTRA MAKE BEAUTIFUL MUSIC
Congratulations to our MS Band and Orchestra members who participated in the All-State Ensembles at the MSBOA Conference in Grand Rapids. They had the opportunity to work with outstanding national clinicians and to perform with students selected by audition from across the state. We applaud your commitment to your music and your interest in seeking opportunities that will help you to grow! All-State Band and Orchestra Participants: Shreya Bahl, Nick Wilson, Alan Zhou, Emma Sandberg, Helen Rucinski, Emily Wu. Top of page ___________________________________________________________________________
2009 NENGAJO CONTEST WINNERS
Congratulations to Emerson's Japanese Language Students for their artistic - and often comical - Nengajo (New Year's Card) Contest submissions. The annual competition among state schools with Japanese programs is sponsored by the Japanese Teachers Association of Michigan and the Japanese Consulate in Detroit. Several of Emerson's creative card makers received awards. Elementary: Artistic - 1st Alex Vidovic;
Original - 1st Olivia Popp, 3rd Christopher Chen;
Comical - 1st Ian Yi, 2nd Kate Moss. Middle school: Artistic - 2nd Ben Gianpetroni, 3rd Elizabeth Kennedy;
Original - 1st Avery Whitaker, 2nd Zane Phillips; Comical - 3rd Molly Gelb. Enjoy Nengajo Contest Artwork here. Top of page
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ALUMNI ACTIVATE THE CURE
Emerson Alumni Paul Riker, Tom McClure, Joe McClure, Erin Spencer, Dory Glauberman, Costa Mavroleon, Stephanie Owyang, Meg Young, Julia Piper, and Elie Piper have helped organize and are participating in an Art Exhibit and Variety Show at Greenhills School. This event will take place on October 24th, 2008 with the Art Exhibit beginning at 6:30 pm followed by a Variety Show starting at 8:00 pm. All proceeds raised from donations and a Silent Auction will be donated to benefit breast cancer research. Congratulations to our Emerson Alumns for making a difference!
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CONCOURS NATIONAL TEST
Congratulations to our Emerson French students on their placements for this year ’s Concours National Test! Bravo to Daniel Rothchild (7) and Katherine Selwa (8) who each ranked 1st in the State in their level! Top of page
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NATIONAL LATIN EXAMS
Congratulations to the following students! Latin One: Graham Gerdes earned an 'Achievement certificate', Latin Two: Matteo Todisco earned a 'magna cum laude' certificate, and Patricia Simmer and Alan Zhou each earned a 'cum laude' certificate, Latin Three: Sarah Olson earned a 'cum laude' certificate. Top of page
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MICHIGAN ART EDUCATION ART SHOW
The Art Department is proud to announce that the following K-8 students had their art work in the Michigan Art Education Association Region 3 Student Art Show held at Siena Heights University, Adrian, Michigan in February 2008: Alex Learned, Gina Vasey, Nila Sabetfakri, Lydia Leonor, Jeremy Glick, Sara Olson, and Jill Hakim.
The show was judged and individual pieces were selected to go to Lansing where a jury chose art works from all over the state to be included in state level shows. Lydia Leonor's Mexican Bark Painting was chosen for the Top 100 Elementary Level Selections and Nila Sabetfakhri's Birthday Cake was chosen for the Top Fifteen works entered in the State Elementary and Middle School Exhibitions! Top of page
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AIMS ART SHOW
The following K-8 students had their art work in the Association of Independent Michigan Schools Art Show at Cranbrook Institute of Science, Bloomfield Hills from March 14 through May 15, 2008: Chava Makman-Levinson, Orion Kleinsorge, Jason Song, Ian Yi, Grant Kehn, Alaina Riker, Jennifer Ho, Sarah Olson, Jill Hakim and Jeremy Glick. This show included 167 pieces of art from Michigan private schools. Congratulations to all of our artists! Top of page
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SOUTHEAST MIGHIGAN SCIENCE FAIR
Shalini Kota (7) placed third in the Middle School Division - Life and Physical Science Experiment at the Southeast Michigan Science Fair, March 7-8, 2008. There were over 80 projects in this category alone. Shalini's project was "What have you been drinking?” She tested many samples of water from Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Dexter (schools and restaurants), London UK and India. She also did bacteria counts at U of M. She wrote about water-borne illnesses, water treatment and conservation. Shalini received a certificate, medal and $100 for the Third place. Congratulations Shalini! Top of page
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2008 MIDDLE SCHOOL REGIONAL SCIENCE OLYMPIAD
The Emerson Middle School Science Olympiad team had nine girls who trained for seven of twenty- three possible events of the Regional Science Olympiad, held at Washtenaw Community College on March 15th, 2008. The events they trained for were: Anatomy, Disease Detectives, Ecology, Meteorology, Mystery Architecture, Stars, and Tower Building. The participants were:
Sajani Desai (6) Shoham Geva (7) Clare Hughes (6) Shalini Kota (7)
Katie Loreman (7)
Ananya Mayukha (7)
Emma Powell (7)
Patricia Simmers (7)
Emily Wu (7)
Emerson teams won medals for first place in Ecology, second place in
Anatomy, and third place in Disease Detectives. Congratulations to all
participants for contributing to excellence in Science at Emerson.
Students displayed great team work, excellent sports(wo)manship, and even
competed in events they had not trained for, to be able to better compete
in the future. Many thanks to Tim Wilson and Dr. Flaherty for supporting the
science olympiad and coaching our team. Many thanks also to all parent
coaches, without whom we could not have participated: Debbie
Loreman, Mike Loreman, Wayne Powell, and Jim Simmers. Top of page
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JAPAN QUIZ BOWL
23 Emerson students participated in the Japan Quiz Bowl at U of M. All Michigan schools with Japanese programs compete in this event. Approximately 450 students in 99 teams competed in divisions based on the hours they spent studying Japanese.
There were three preliminary rounds and the top two teams with the two highest score proceeded to the final round. The 6th grade team won 1st place and the 8th grade team won 2nd place! Our other teams also did very well. Top of page
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MATH COUNTS CHAPTER COMPETITION
Leon Sunstein and Matt Fliegel, under Mr. Hirschmann's coaching, took 4th and 5th
place in the Math Counts Chapter competition on 2/2! Leon advanced to the state competition – way to go! Top of page
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ELEMENTARY CHESS TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS AT MSU
Emerson's Chess Team competed this past weekend at the Elementary Team Championships at MSU. There were a record breaking number of children at the tournament. The Lansing State Journal reported 600 players in attendance! The Emerson Eagles played in the top division (K-6th grade), competing against 24 other teams. We scored 3.5 out of 5 possible points and took 4th place. Sam Kidd, Graham Gerdes, and Niket Parikh all received a Silver medal for winning 4 out of 5 games. Thanks to the parents for their support in the important state event. Top of page
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2008 NENGAJO CONTEST WINNERS
The Japanese consulate with help of Japanese Teachers Association in Michigan, held the New Year Card (Nengajo) Contest. Emerson Japanese students in the elementary and middle school made and submitted cards for the competition. Among all the schools that have a Japanese program, 9 students from Emerson received prizes, including all 6 middle school students who submitted entries. Top of page
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2008 JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC ADVISORY BOARD
Milan Patel was chosen to be one of 15 students from across the country to serve on the 2008 Junior Scholastic Advisory Board. Throughout the year, JS editors will ask these students their viewpoints on topics important to them and their peers. Congratulations Milan! Top of page
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WASHTENAW ELEMENTARY SCIENCE OLYMPIAD
We would like to congratulate the thirty-two Emerson students who participated in this year's Washtenaw Elementary Science Olympiad which was held on Saturday, May 3, 2008, at Huron High School. With over 1400 students participating, our grade 2-5 students represented Emerson well--we are very proud of their achievements. Emerson placed in three events this year: Barge Building Gr. 2 (Alicia Bertsch & Sejal Gunaratnam); Straw Tower Gr. 4 (William Derksen & Ashwin Menon); and Mystery Architecture Gr. 4 (Nate Holden & John Balis). Top of page
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SCIENCE OLYMPIANS
Congratulations to our terrific Science Olympians: David Mozurkewich, Jerry Chen, Rahul Gupta, Milan Patel, Nani Wolf, Olivia Popp, Brendan Spencer, Arjun Lama, Tiffany He, William Derksen, Ashwin Menon, Ethan Tucker, Nate Holden, John Balis, Eli Knapp, John Lee, Alexander Vidovic, Olivia Sedlacek, Nila Sabetfakhri, Truman Stovall, Caleb Burgess, Heidi Schmidt, Tejal Patel, Alicia Bertsch, Sejal Gunaratnam, John Roberts, Matthew Koziol, Alex Wu, Suraj Desai, Giorgio Bruya, Katie Sesi, and Hannah Park Thank you, thank you to our wonderful coaches: Bob Bertsch, Eric Wolf, Gerry Spencer, George Mozurkewich, Stuart Sedlacek, Wendy Roberts, Ul Balis, Laurie-Anne Koziol, Michaela Adams, Julia Mao, Jim Schmidt, Harm Derksen, Ed Burgess, Marcel Vidovic, and Hadar Tucker Thank you to many others who volunteered their time and skills: Jennifer Wolf, Wendy Vidovic, Rachel Dewees, Jan Bertsch, Vibha Lama, InHo Shin, Manda Desai, Wendy Roberts, Marchell Burgess, Grace Yum, Mike Stovall, Kathy Salley, Laurie-Anne Koziol, Colleen Spencer, Linda Xu, Jin Zhang, Joan Gregorka, Lenny Dale. Top of page
