EDUCATION EXTRA.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Pleasant Hill Middle team wins Brain Bowl tourney

A team from Pleasant Hill Middle School brought home the first-place trophy from the Lane County Middle School Brain Bowl Tournament, held at the University of Oregon last Tuesday.

The final round ended in a tie with Lincoln Middle School of Cottage Grove, but Pleasant Hill survived the playoff with the only correct answer out of the five final questions. Team members were Nathan Boys, Jeff Carr, Danny Oretega-Sterling, Camille Violet, Jessica Way and Katie Watkins. Their coach is Joan Hladky.

Members of the Lincoln team, which took second place, were Leif Korth, Aaron Martin, Dusty DeGeorge, Chris Cates, Janine Arp, Shelby Haakanson, Zach Winsor, Sam Laycock, Trevor Sustaire and Corey Zenuch, with coach Marti Schwarting.

Eleven teams competed, including ones from Oaklea Middle School in Junction City, Creswell Middle School and Kelly Middle School in Eugene.

Area high school students win scholarships

The recipients of the Springfield Education Association's 2006 scholarships are Morgan Daugherty, Jakob Pippin, Rachel Courter, Hailey Durfee and Nastasia Green from Thurston High School and Ryan Bronson from Springfield High School. The scholarships are funded through a portion of member union dues. Many of these scholars intend to become teachers.

The recipients of the Bill and Faith Kinkel Memorial Scholarships are Zachary Smallwood, Nastasia Green and Adam Spencer from Thurston High School and Jose Alberto Garcia-Guiterrez from Springfield High School. Since 2000, the SEA has awarded several such scholarships of $500 to graduating seniors who have completed two years of second language study and who demonstrate a commitment to further study of a second language in college.

The late Bill Kinkel taught at Thurston High, and the late Faith Kinkel taught at Springfield High. The scholarships are supported by donations from Springfield School District staff and community members.

Pleasant Hill boy a finalist in national essay contest

Jeff Brink, an eighth-grader at Pleasant Hill Middle School, was a top finalist in the "My Home the American Dream" contest, which ended in April. The contest was open to all middle-schoolers in the country. Brink won $100, and his essay will be featured in the spring 2006 issue of Scholastic Magazine.

Elmira senior wins EWEB credit union scholarship

The winner of the Eugene Water & Electric Board Employees Federal Credit Union's first Roberta Nelson Memorial Scholarship is Janae Blake, a senior at Elmira High School who plans to study pre-law at the University of Oregon. She is the daughter of Larry and Cheryl Blake of Veneta. The award is named for the late Roberta Nelson, who was the credit union's operations officer for more than 18 years. The scholarship is for family members of EWEB employees.

Two seniors named Rotary Students of the Month

The Springfield-Twin Rivers Rotary Club has named Jennifer Lynn Cunningham, a senior at Springfield High School, and Nastasia Marie Green, a senior at Thurston High School, as Students of the Month.

Cunningham is active in theater and the symphonic, marching and pep bands at Springfield High, as well as Eugene Junior Orchestra and Youth Symphony, Student Class Council, and Rose Children's Theatre.

Green has been active in National Honor Society, varsity golf, community water lab testing and choir. She's also a peer mentor, and was district champion in solo voice for two years and two-time state champion in duo comic acting.

Pleasant Hill student wins DAR essay contest

Teija Stearns, an eighth-grader at Pleasant Hill Middle School, recently won the Oregon Daughters of the American Revolution essay contest.