Mr. Van Cleve Recieves National Honor

Sage Ridge School History teacher Rob Van Cleve has been accepted to the highly selective George Washington Summer Residential Teacher’s Institute in Mount Vernon, Virginia. Mr. Van Cleve, who has been teaching at Sage Ridge since 2002, was selected from a pool of hundreds of his peers from across the nation. During the week-long institute, Mr. Van Cleve will not only immerse himself in the history of one of our nation’s most important historical figures, George Washington, but he will also continue to hone his teaching skills. Mr. Van Cleve will be designing a lesson plan about George Washington that will be disseminated to history teachers across the country, in addition to hosting a workshop for local teachers about what he learned at the institute. Mr. Van Cleve is very excited about the experience particularly because it will allow him to better contribute to his community. He said, “My U.S. History and U.S. Government students will benefit greatly from my deeper understanding of the times of George Washington. Besides learning the content, I am equally interested in learning new and engaging ways to share the information with my students. Above all, my excitement about my experience will be the greatest benefit for my students.”

Sage Ridge Debate Teams Qualify for Nationals

Over the weekend, the Sage Ridge School Debate Team participated in the Northern Nevada Forensics League National Qualifier competition hosted by Reno High School. Four Sage Ridge School students, Grant Gabriel (’13), Leah Willis (’12), Mac Cronin (’13), and Kristen Lowe (’13) qualified for the National Tournament in Indianapolis on June 10th. These accomplishments are the most recent in a long string of successes for the Sage Ridge School Debate Team. Earlier this year, the team won a State Championship and brought home several individual championships.

The National Forensics League is dedicated to facilitating “speech and debate activities as a means to develop a student’s essential life skills and values,” according to their website. Their debate tournaments help empower students “to become an effective communicators, ethical individuals, critical thinkers and leaders in a democratic society.” For more information visit www.sageridge.org and www.nflonline.org.

Sage Ridge Debate Team Takes State!!

This weekend, the Sage Ridge School Speech and Debate team won the small school Nevada State Speech and Debate Championship, held at Douglas High School in Minden. The Sage Ridge team narrowly defeated Moapa Valley by one point, so the performance of each-and-every member of the team was vital. Sage Ridge’s victory unseated Moapa Valley, the defending champion for the past six consecutive years.
Sage Ridge students Mac Cronin & Kristen Lowe won the 2012 Policy Debate Nevada State Championship, finishing the tournament undefeated, while teammate Leah Willis took second place in the Lincoln-Douglas Debate tournament. These exceptional performances contributed to Sage Ridge School also winning the Policy Debate Team State Championship. This title was based upon the combined performance of Kristen Lowe, Mac Cronin, Hayden Shaw, and Brad Gephart.

Sage Ridge Biology Students on the Cutting Edge of Medicine

On March 1 and 2 students from SRS attended the professional conference, Genomics: The Future of Medicine, in La Jolla, California. Students heard expert speakers covering topics such as cancer research, stem cell research and therapy, diagnostics based on whole genome sequencing, new technical equipment, and more.

Sage Ridge Debaters Mac and Kristen are going to Nationals!

We want to congratulate Sage Ridge students Kristen Lowe and Mac Cronin on being selected to participate in the 2012 NDCA Championship Policy Debate Tournament, one of the few National Championship tournaments held each year. Kristen and Mac were selected as a team by an executive committee to be one of 100 to 120 teams that will be accepted to participate. This is not only the first time a team from Sage Ridge has earned this prestigious recognition, but also the first time that any team from Northern Nevada has been invited to participate.

Kristen and Mac’s hard work exemplifies the commitment to academic and personal excellence that is Sage Ridge’s mission, and their character serves as a testament to what hard work and dedication can accomplish. We are proud to have Kristen and Mac as members of this community and want to celebrate their tremendous accomplishments. From everyone at Sage Ridge, we wish you the very best at the NDCA tournament in April! We know that you will represent yourselves and this community well.

The NDCA (National Debate Coaches Association) Championship debate is one of the few national tournaments that awards a National Championship accolade. Teams are selected from only the very best policy debate teams from inter-state competitions. Each team accrues points throughout the year at tournaments and is selected for participation based on their exemplary performance throughout the debate season. Kristen and Mac have worked tirelessly in pursuit of this recognition and even spent seven weeks of their summers training at the University of Michigan. The NDCA debate is hosted by UNLV on April 14 – 16, 2012.

Leah Willis, National Merit Scholarship Finalist

We wish to congratulate Leah Willis, a Sage Ridge senior, who has been selected as a National Merit Scholarship Finalist! This special award recognizes Leah’s academic excellence and personal accomplishments over her entire high school career here at Sage Ridge. Out of the 1.5 million entrants for the National Merit Scholarship, only 15,000 are recognized as finalists, based on their exceptional academic record spanning all four years of high school, their high test scores, and their recommendations from school officials. This is a truly remarkable accomplishment. From everyone at Sage Ridge School, we say, “Congratulations, Leah!” It is much deserved.

Laura Hayes to Swim for Dartmouth

Congratulations to Laura Hayes, Sage Ridge senior, who was recently informed that she will be swimming for Dartmouth in the fall! Not only will Laura be matriculating at one of the nation’s most respected universities, but she will also be swimming at the highest collegiate level and competing with some of the best swimmers in the country. Laura’s accomplishment reflects her commitment to academic, personal, and athletic excellence. The Sage Ridge community wishes Laura the best of luck at Dartmouth. Congratulations, Laura, we are very proud of you for all that you have accomplished!

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Megan Urbano Takes Third at Poetry Out Loud

Congratulations Meghan Urbano who took 3rd place at the "Poetry Out Loud" competition in February!

In a competition that featured students from six Washoe County High schools, Megan took third place with her recitations of Edna St. Vincent Millay’s “Dirge Without Music” and Mathew Arnold’s “Dover Beach.” The top three competitors were separated by less than one point.

We are exceptionally proud of her accomplishment.

Well Done, Andrew!

Sage Ridge School Junior Andrew Chellman was recently selected to the prestigious Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce Youth Leadership Program. Modeled on the highly successful Adult Community Leadership Program, the Youth Leadership Program selects a few local high school students of promise and helps shapes their leadership skills by involving them directly in various community projects working with various community leaders. Here at Sage Ridge, we are very proud of all of Andrew’s accomplishments and know that his time here at Sage Ridge has helped prepare him for this and other future challenges. The Sage Ridge community extends a heart-felt congratulations and best wishes to Andrew! 

Congrats to the NIAA 2A State Runners-Up and League Champion Sage Ridge Cross Country teams on a great season!

For the first time since 2007, the boys team captured the Northern League Championship. Led by juniors John Dewald, Caesar Garduno, and Andrew Chellman who finished 5th, 6th, and 7th respectively. Senior Andy Ausherman stunned his rivals taking 13th place putting us in position to win.  Junior Luis Martinez running his best race of the season along-side sophomore Garrett Helms ensured the victory charging home in 23rd and 24th place respectively.

The girls team earned their team spot at the State Championship for 9th time in a row by placing 2nd to power house and mountain rival Incline. Senior captain Monica Herrera showed the way with a stunning 4th place finish in a highly competitive girls field. Sophomore Olivia Lowden running in her first ever  X-C League Championship showed that she is ready mix it up with the big girls by taking 8th place. Teammates Savannah Dennis, Josie Sloyan, and Paris Spitzer finished 15th, 18th, and 20th to give the girls a solid victory over rival Sierra Lutheran. Sophomore Rachel Willis also competing in her first League Championship fought a challenging course to earn a 34th place finish.

Update: Both teams earned the titles of 2A First Runners up at the NIAA State Championship! Thanks to everybody that braved the cold to support our teams!

 

Photos from the Cross Country Regional Championship!

Congratulations to Andrew Welcome!

Andrew Welcome has been named a Commended Student in the 2012 National Merit Scholarship Program. A Letter of Commendation from the school and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), which conducts the program, will be presented by the Head of School to this scholastically talented senior.

About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Although they will not continue in the 2012 competition for National Merit Scholarships, Commended Students placed among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2012 competition by taking the 2010 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).

"The young men and women being named Commended Students have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success," commented a spokesperson for NMSC. "These students represent a valuable national resource; recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation. We hope that this recognition will help broaden their educational opportunities and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic success."

 

Congratulations to Paris Spitzer and Leah Willis!

Sage Ridge School is proud to announce Paris Spitzer and Leah Willis have qualified as semifinalists for the National Merit Scholarship award.

The National Merit Scholarship Program seeks out the best students from each state who have taken the PSAT examinations typically during the fall of their Junior year. The test is taken by about 1.5 MILLION students, from which 50,000 students with the highest scores are then selected. Approximately one third of these 50,000 highest scorers then qualify as Semifinalists.

In September, the students with the highest scores receive a notification through the school that they have either qualified as Commended students or Semifinalists.

 “As a community we are pleased these two young women have been recognized for their achievements. We are proud of our distinguished faculty and grateful to our parents for their support of our students.” (Quote by Daryl DiBitonto).

The National Merit® Scholarship Program began in 1955. It is and academic competition which students enter by taking the PSAT/NMSQT ®. The test is administered to more than 1.5 million students every year.  50,000 entrants with the highest PSAT/NMSQT® qualify for recognition.

 

Congratulations to the winners at the National History Day Competition!

Students from Sage Ridge School were State of Nevada winners at the National History Day Competition. Drew, Sophie, and Alexis were the winners of the first of State of Nevada in the junior division with their group exhibit entitled, "The Debate Over Women's Fashion in the Victorian Era". Ashley won for the senior division for her “A Constitutional Injustice: The Boy Scouts of America v. Dale”. Students from throughout the State competed, with local winners going on to compete nationally. The Kenneth Behring National History Day competition was held in College Park, MD June 12-18. Students from all 50 states, the U.S. Territories, and Department of Defense schools competed. Some 2700 students in all participated.

In addition to participating in the competition, the Sage Ridge students and their families toured several historic Civil War battlefields, the U.S. Capital, and the U.S. Supreme Court.