Saratoga News

On Campus

Redwood sixth-graders state quiz champions

Redwood Middle School sixth-graders took first place in the California Thinking Cap Quiz. The winning Redwood student team included Matt Chabrier, Percy Hsu, Kristin Kajita, Stacey Lin, Nolan Marcos, Ryan Olsen, Alice Tzou, Kalvin Wang and Chris Yap.

In the contest, student teams from all over the state answered 100 questions on a variety of academic subjects, with quickness and accuracy counting toward their teams' total score. Redwood fielded a total of seven teams this year, including a seventh-grade team that took second place in the state. The seventh-grade team members were Kelli Bryan, Sue-Tsing Chene, Jason Glasser, Nicole Justice, Tiffany Kim, Janet Lai, Margaret Lai, Michael Lin, Ran Watabe, Leo Yamagishi, Alex Yan and Chris Yang.

In seven years of participation, Redwood has produced four state champions.

Ten SHS seniors make national merit finals

Ten Saratoga High School seniors--Terry Chang, Alice Chen, Joan Cheng, Amy Chu, Allen Lin, Andrew Miller, Jason Min, Ted Siegel, David Yagol and Mia You--have qualified for the National Merit finals this year.

To qualify, students were required to score in the top 1 percent on the PSAT, hit a comparable score on the SAT, show steady achievement in grades and submit an application and references. The finalists are now qualified to compete for scholarships sponsored by numerous organizations that look to the National Merit finalist list when selecting recipients.

Saratoga High School consistently ranks above the national average in producing National Merit finalists. Cheng is also the SHS valedictorian for the class of 1998, and Chang, Chu and Yagol are the three salutatorians.

Saratoga student draws a winner

Ryan Brenner, a fifth-grader at Argonaut School, has been named a national finalist in the KFC/Family Circle All-American Salute to Mothers card contest. Thousands of fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders across the country drew Mother's Day cards which they submitted to the contest, and 51 were chosen as finalists. With a bandage theme, Brenner's card to his mother, Janet, reads, "When I am hurt, you are always there for me."

Each of the finalists receives a gift certificate from Kentucky Fried Chicken. The grand-prize winner will receive $3,500 cash, plus a trip to New York City to see his card displayed in the Empire State Building; the second-place winner will receive $1,500 cash; and $750 goes to third place.

Girl Scouts clean park

More than 200 Girl Scouts descended on Congress Springs Park March 20 and painted benches, pulled weeds and collected litter. It was part of the first Saratoga Girl Scouts Park Beautification Project, which involved girls from six Saratoga elementary schools. Saratoga Mayor Don Wolfe thanked the Girl Scouts and unveiled a commemorative Girl Scout patch. Park maintenance employees then demonstrated safety tips and training.

The patch design came out of a special competition that drew more than 60 entries.

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