Washington Winners at the National Contest

Hello History Day Fans,

Sorry for the long delay, but today was spent trying to recover from jet-lag. That east to west is always a bit tough, but worth it!!

In case you haven't heard, WA did pretty well this year at the national contest. Here's a recap.

Washington State took first in the nation in the Senior Individual Documentary category. The student, Samhita Karnati is from Redmond Junior High School. The title of her documentary is, “What was Promised? Northwest Indian Fishing Rights Debated.” This is one of the top prizes at the national contest, is sponsored by the History Channel and comes with a very nice cash award. Way to go Samhita.

We also took first in the nation in the Senior Group Website category. The students, Jessica Jin, Anastasiya Kirichuk from International Community School in Kirkland. The title of their website is, “Freeing the Elwha: Debating the Future of America’s Watersheds.”

We took second place in the nation in the Senior Group Documentary category. The student’s, Maya Balakrishnan, Tara Balakrishnan, Anand Raghuraman, Tian Kisch, and Raluca Ifrim. The students attend Redmond High School. The title of their documentary is, “From Isolation to Empire: The Aftermath of the Spanish American War.” 

We took third place in the Junior Individual Website category. The student, Megan Messer attends Timbercrest Junior High in Woodinville. The title of her website is, “The Treaty of Versailles.”

As a state delegation we took 54 students to College Park to compete this year, and that amounted to 36 actual projects with some being in the group category and some being in the individual category. Of the 36 projects, 14 made it into the second or final round. As you have read above, we had 4 category winners and it should also be noted that we had 2 juniors and 1 senior project that finished in 4th place, just out of the medals. 

This was a really fun year for Team Washington as everyone supported one another and everyone had a great time. Team cohesion was strong and evident as was seen in the audience of finals rounds competitions. WA team members really turned out in support of their fellow team participants. 

Really proud of Team WA this year and looking forward to next year. 

Thank you all and have a great summer.

Seniors big day...

Howdy History Fans,

Today was the follow up to yesterday's big senior day with the senior finals for documentaries and performances. We had two docs and two perfs to watch and boy were they great! The two performances did a great job and got some really nice crowd applause as did our two early morning docs. The kids were very excited after their judge times and were also relieved to have it done. They are now just waiting to see the results tomorrow at the big awards ceremony.

After that we all pretty much left campus to enjoy our last afternoon of sight seeing in DC before the big reception held at the National Museum of American History. The reception was also quite nice with a picnic style dinner provided to all of the guests. My rough estimate would be somewhere over 3,000 people attending the event. It was a lot of fun to stroll through the museum and see the 50 or so exhibits that were transported over to the museum first thing this morning.

We are now getting ready to start the 6th annual multi media festival in the dorm lounge. I hope people can stay awake after that long day today. We are also going to pass out the awards for the dorm door decorating contest. :-)  Should be lots of fun.

Happy History Day everyone!

History Day from the Other Side

Hi Everyone, This is Len taking over for a bit. This is my second trip to the National contest and it is just as crazy as I remember it. There are a ton of kids here and the atmosphere is crackling with so much energy it could probably power a small town if it could be harnessed.

I've spent the last two days going out an supporting Team Washington and I'm not at all biased when I say we bring some great kids who have a ton of talent. Tomorrow we are all going down to support the Senior Finalists and then hitting the town for the Night at the Museum Reception at the American History Museum. I'll be sure to take my camera so we can post some pictures of Team Washington partying it up museum style.

Wish us luck! Team Washington out.

Another fine day...

Hello Washington History Fans,

More GOOD NEWS from College Park to report. We have four senior projects moving on to finals tomorrow!! Way to go seniors!

In the finals for group documentary we have our Redmond, (Redmond High School) team beginning the day at 8:45, followed by our individual documentary from Redmond, (RHS) taking center stage at 9:15. Then we will move on to see our first of two group performances of the day. On tap at 10:30 we have our team from International Community School, (Kirkland) followed at 11:30 by our Coupeville, (Coupeville High School) team. Good job seniors and good luck in finals.

Today was also a busy day for our junior finalist with their final round competitions happening this evening. We did our best to fill the audience with as many Washington delegation members as we could and all competitors had strong team support.

Weather today was ideal, calm and in the 80s for most of the day with a slight breeze in the evening. Couldn't ask for a more perfect weather day.

It's been another long day here in College Park and we have a long day ahead of tomorrow as well. After the senior competitions we are all leaving for DC to take in the last bit of sight seeing before heading over to the National Museum of American History for an evening reception. We have a senior group exhibit from Stanwood that will be on display all day at the museum. Truly an honor to be selected to display their exhibit and we are all very proud of them.

Until tomorrow...

Happy History Day everyone!!

Monday - Junior excitement...

Hello Everyone,

Exciting day today for our juniors!! We had 4 projects make it to finals!!  Way to go Team WA!!!

Two of our group documentaries, one individual documentary and one group performance have moved on to the next round and will compete Tuesday night in finals. :-)

Tonight was also the student dance and if you have been following the action on our Facebook page, you have probably seen a few of the pictures from all of the excitement.

We are now being treated to a two thousand year old traditional Indian dance. The girls are actually practicing for performance this upcoming Saturday when they return to WA.

It's getting late here and time to sign off.

Until tomorrow...

Go Team WA!

Sunday at the National Contest

Hi Washington History Fans,

Today was a busy day on campus and in DC.

On campus today we saw some real busy activity in the exhibit hall with juniors and seniors setting up their exhibits and I'm happy to report that all of the Washington students got their exhibits in place and looking good! Go Team WA! The students were also busy getting themselves registered for the contest before tomorrow. The The Stamp Student Union was a mad house of activity!  FUN!!

After everyone finished with busy time on campus they all headed for DC and a fun day of sight seeing before catching the night tour tonight. From what I've been told, it was a great tour. We had 90+ people divided between the two buses and everyone had great things to say about the tour. Check out some of the pictures on our Facebook page. www.facebook.com/washingtonhistoryday

While everyone was in town, I stayed behind and represented Team WA at the opening ceremonies. Being the only WA person in the crowd I was thankful to have my friends from Wisconsin by my side cheering loudly when Washington state was announced. :-)   Thanks WI!

The night is winding down and there's still some pretty active button trading in the halls.

Big day ahead of us tomorrow. Juniors on parade!! Go Juniors and Go Team WA!!!

Watch for tomorrow's update!

We made it...

Hello Washington History Fans,

Happy to report that most of team WA has arrived safe and sound here in College Park. We do have a few people missing luggage though, sure hope it arrives soon. Hard to live out of a carry-on.

The heat is as you would expect it to be, HOT and humid, but we are adapting well. We are also making new friends with the other states in our building and the kids are frantically trading buttons as you'd expect. They are trying to figure out who has the coolest buttons and how hard it will be to get the Oregon button!

It's getting late here and we are all crashing out for the night. Big Sunday tomorrow with a morning meeting, exhibit set up, registration and of course more button trading. The night will culminate with a fun evening tour of monuments!

Thanks to everyone and more later,

Team WA

National Contest around the corner...

Hello Washington History Day fans,

Here we are in the final week before leaving for the big national contest in College Park, Maryland, are you ready? Do you have your tooth brush packed? What about your fan? Or sunscreen?

It's Tuesday and in Olympia the temperature is 57, while in College Park the temperature is 90! Be ready for some hot weather and high humidity. Check the ten day forecast to get a better idea of what kind of clothes to bring. Be sure to also bring your comfortable walking shoes as you will be lots of walking next week.

We're in the last minute preparation stages here and looking forward to a fun and exciting trip this year.

See you all very soon.

Go Team Washington!!

2011 State Winners!!

Hey Washington History Day fans, check out the complete list of winners from the 2011 Washington State History Day contest held May 7, in Bellevue.

 Follow this link for 1-6 place along with all of the special award winners.

http://www.washingtonhistory.org/historyday/results/2011winners.aspx

Go team WA!!!

History Day State Contest information...PLEASE READ

History Day Teachers:

This email contains information you, your students and their families need to ensure a successful and enjoyable Washington History Day state contest. Please read it carefully and distribute it to your students and their families. We are looking forward to welcoming all 1,500 of you at Bellevue College on Saturday, May 7.

ARRIVAL:  For directions to Bellevue College, click here: http://bellevuecollege.edu/about/around/directions/main/.  At the very least, you should plan to be on campus one hour before your judging time.

When you arrive on campus, proceed to the registration tables in the lobby of the Gym (see attached campus/parking map). We suggest you park near the Gym, since that is the venue for the awards ceremony (the last event of the day), in lots 16, 17, or 18. Do not park in the parking garage, as it will be closed. Please refer to the attached campus/parking map for additional parking options (lots 6, 8, 10 and 12 are good options).

REGISTRATION: Students and teachers EACH need to pick up their own registration packets at the check-in tables in the Gym lobby. Please allow enough time to do this; your packets contain everything you need for the day. If you have outstanding fees, your registration will be held in contest headquarters so that payment can be made. Registration is open Friday night 5-8:30PM, and Saturday morning 7-10:30AM (after 10:30AM, registration moves to the lobby of Building C).

T-SHIRT SALES: History Day t-shirts will be on sale Saturday morning during registration in the Gym lobby. Please remember to bring cash or check only. There is a limited number available, so please get yours early before they are all sold out.

EXHIBIT SET-UP: The Gym will be open for exhibit set-up on Friday from 5-8:30PM and Saturday from 7-9:15AM only. Do not wait until the last minute to set up your exhibit; the gym will close promptly at 9:15AM for judging. Students must set-up their own exhibit; adult assistance is allowed only for exceptionally heavy or awkward pieces. Contest staff will monitor the Gym to ensure rule compliance. Exhibit students should bring seven (7) copies of their title page, process paper and bibliography. Three (3) copies should be left with the exhibit just before judging begins on Saturday; judges will take these with them. After the preliminary round judging ends, students should return to their exhibits by 1:45PM and leave three (3) copies for final round judging in the afternoon. The extra copy is for emergencies—and there are always emergencies, so be sure to bring enough copies with you.

GENERAL SCHEDULE: The general schedule for the contest is attached. Please print, copy and distribute as needed. The schedule provides important information about judging times and policies, meals, and public viewing of exhibits, websites and papers.

JUDGING: Exhibits, paper and website judging is closed to the public. All category judging begins at 10AM. Paper and website students need no paperwork; the judges already have it. Exhibit students will be called in a few minutes before their judge time by a volunteer stationed at the Gym door. This is your opportunity to freshen the exhibit, fix any loose ends, etc. Judges will introduce themselves and usually ask students to wait for a few minutes while they read the paperwork and look at the exhibit. Then they’ll conduct the interview. Each judging slot is 15 minutes long.

In performance and documentary categories, audience is welcome to attend but may not ask questions. Cell phones must be turned off and talking should be kept to a minimum to ensure that every student is offered the same opportunity and respect. In the preliminary rounds, performance and documentary students are allowed five minutes to set up, ten minutes to present their projects, and five minutes to tear down. Judges typically ask questions during the last five minutes. Students in these categories should bring seven (7) copies of their title page, process paper and bibliography—three for the morning round, three for the afternoon round if they advance, and one for emergencies.

The final round judging begins at 2PM, and interviews are not conducted in any category; the project must stand on its own. Students present their performance and/or documentary, including time for setup and tear-down, but there are no questions. Audience members are encouraged to attend all rounds and to cheer on all students.

FINALS POSTING SITE: Performance and documentary finalists will be posted in the cafeteria (Building C, ground floor) at approximately 1:15PM. Students who are advancing to finals should note their presentation time slot and proceed to the appropriate room to prepare. Room schedules will be posted in Buildings C, L, R and the Gym for easy navigation; sandwich boards will be set up around campus as well. Paper, website and exhibit finals are not posted; winners are announced at the awards ceremony.

MEALS: If you signed up for meals, tickets will be in the registration packet of the person who paid for the meals. Do not lose the tickets; they are not replaceable and are your only means of access to on-campus meals. Lunch is served 11:30AM-1:30PM; dinner is served 4:30-6PM. If you did not sign up for meals, you may purchase them on site ($11 lunch, $13 dinner). All meals will be served in the Cafeteria, ground floor of Building C. In addition, the coffee shop in the lobby of Building C will be open all day; it features a full espresso menu and assorted pastries and snacks. Vending machines are available in most buildings as well.

CAMPUS EVENTS: Bellevue College and its History Club have put together a number of great events to welcome History Day contestants to campus.

·         On Saturday, you’ll have the opportunity to meet with historians, librarians and archivists from around the state at the History Day Research Buffet, 2-5:30PM in the Cafeteria. This is a great chance to learn about different repositories and their resources, and get one-on-one advice about research.

·         Also keep an eye out for our own History Day photographer, Gwen Schweitzer. She’ll be snapping pics throughout the day.

AWARDS: The Awards Ceremony begins at 6:30PM in the Gym; doors open at 6PM. Sit with your teammates and cheer on everyone who completed a History Day project! Awards generally last 90 minutes. When awards end, only teachers may pick up packets with their students’ evaluation forms. Immediately after awards, the top finishers, their parents and teachers stay behind to talk about the national trip. This generally takes about 45 minutes and is absolutely essential.

CODE OF CONDUCT: History Day participants are guests on the Bellevue College campus and are expected to behave according to the codes of conduct of their schools and the NHD Rule Book. Contest coordinators may disqualify any student who violates this rule.

CONTEST PROGRAMS: Complete contest programs will be available for download from the Washington History Day website about three days before the contest. To keep printing costs down, we will not be offering printed programs this year; if you want a complete contest catalog, download and print it from our website here: http://washingtonhistory.org/historyday/events.aspx; it should be available there by May 3.

WHAT IF I LOSE THIS EMAIL? Never fear, this entire email will be posted on our blog, www.wahistoryday.blogspot.com.

Teachers, your students’ schedule will be sent in a separate email following this message. Please distribute to your students and their families.

As always, if you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Thanks, and happy History Day!