School News & Notes: GB dominates spelling bee

GB, Roseville kids dominate spelling beeRoseville and Granite Bay students dominated the 21st annual Placer County Spelling Bee held last week.Anvita Mishra, a seventh-grader at Olympus Jr. High in Roseville, claimed the Grand Final Award by correctly spelling "geyser," according to a news release from the county office of education.Savitri Asokan, a fifth-grader at Excelsior Elementary School in Roseville, placed second. Third place was taken by Alexander Chew, a sixth-grader from Ridgeview School in Granite Bay. And Vince Marie Cuison, a fourth-grader from Vencil Brown Elementary School in Roseville, claimed fourth.The event, held it Auburn on March 26, drew 50 students from fourth- through eighth-grades, representing 32 schools throughout the county. All of them had already passed a written examination, PCOE said.Anvita, who plans to be a neurosurgeon, gave credit to looking up words with her parents and a love of reading, according to the release. Anvita will now go on to the state championship in May 2009.Supporters aim to honor librarian EstridgeAlumni and faculty members of Roseville High School are coming together to honor its longest-serving librarian.Organizers plan to ask the school board to approve renaming the RHS library after Julie Estridge, the school's longtime librarian who died in 2008. Estridge served in the school's library from 1979 until 2006. During that time, she created a comfortable and welcoming learning environment and contributed greatly to the school's vibrant academics, supporters say.In addition to renaming the library after her, organizers hope to honor her memory by forming a special collection of culinary books and creating a memorial reading area.Supporters have created a Facebook group, "Julie Estridge Memorial at Roseville High School," which currently includes nearly 550 members.Gazette kudos keep comingThe accolades keep on coming for Granite Bay's high school newspaper and its staff.The Gazette took a Gold Crown award presented by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. The honor was one of 19 to presented to school newspapers around the country by the prestigious student journalism association based at Columbia University.The award was presented to students and the paper's advisor, Karl Grubaugh, March 20 in New York.Also earlier last month, Gazette staffer Lauren Grubaugh was named the California State High School Journalist of the Year. The award is presented annually by panelists from the Northern and Southern Journalism Education Associations. Lauren Grubaugh, who is the advisor's daughter, is now up for the national title at a convention later this month in Phoenix.In addition, Gazette staffer Paige Xu is the runner up in the National Scholastic Press Assocation's Honor Roll Scholarship contest, earning her a $500 scholarship.Josephine Kao just doesn't quitDoes this girl ever sleep?Roseville's Josephine Kao – best known for her stunning spelling prowess – has just added another item to her resume.The 13-year-old is one of 32 prize winners for the American Girl and Ophelia Project Stop the Bullying Day poster contest.The effort is designed to bring awareness to national Stop the Bullying Day, which will take place in cities across the U.S. on May 1. It isn't the first honor for Kao. She's on her way to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. after winning the Central Valley Spelling Bee for the Xth year in a row.Two years ago, Kao also designed the UNICEF holiday greeting card.Sixties class wants to find membersMembers of Roseville High School's Class of 1967 are looking to keep in touch with their classmates and celebrate old times. Oakmont graduates are also invited to attend.Students from the class are meeting at 6 p.m. the first Thursday of every odd-numbered month at Bunz & Co., 311 Judah St. The next scheduled meeting is May 7.Organizers are also preparing for a BBQ this summer. For more information, e-mail Joe Almeida at jalameida@surewest.net.Ting earns Dean's List kudosCurtis Ting of Roseville has been named to the Dean's List for fall 2008 semester at Patrick Henry College of Purcellville, Va. In order to be eligible for the Dean's List, students must complete at least 12 credit hours, have at least a 3.75 GPA, have no grade lower than a C- for the semester, and be enrolled in at least one classroom course.In its ninth year of operation, Patrick Henry is a Christian liberal arts college dedicated to the spirit of the American founding.