2025 Scholastic Art and Writing Award Press Release

This year, all the 8th graders and a few high school students at Liberty Bell High School competed in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is the nation’s longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens. Former national award winners include writers such as Truman Capote, Sylvia Plath, Joyce Carol Oates, Stephen King, John Updike, and Amanda Gorman, as well as visual artists such as Andy Warhol, John Lithgow, Robert Redford, and Ken Burns. Every year, thousands of students across the country submit art and writing to several categories for consideration. The three possible awards for the regional competition are Gold Key, Silver Key, and Honorable Mention. This year LBHS students submitted work in the following categories: Short Story, Personal Narrative, Flash Fiction, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Novel Writing, Poetry, and Photography. All the 8th-grade students submitted writing through their Humanities class. A few high school students submitted independently. In the first round, students compete in the Region At-Large West division, which includes students from grades 8-12 in the 13 western states.

This year, LBHS celebrates four Gold Key winners. These individuals earned the highest regional award and their work will now be considered for the national competition. National Medalists and their educators will be honored with a star-studded ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Our Gold Key winners are freshmen Rowan Kelly and Elliot Pixie-Plott and 8th graders Ally Hovee and Izzy Vintin.

Rowan earned a Gold Key in the Flash Fiction category for her piece entitled “In Retrospect”. She also earned a Silver Key in the Short Story category for her piece entitled “Bag of Oranges”. In addition, Rowan earned an Honorable Mention award in Poetry for a poem called “Illuminate”.

Elliot earned a Gold Key in Short Story for a story called “The Protector of Prague”. Elliot also earned a Silver Key in Photography for a piece called “Looking Down To.” In addition, he earned an Honorable Mention in Poetry for a piece called “Gummy Butterflies”.

Ally earned a Gold Key in the Short Story category for her story called “God Killer”.

Izzy earned a Gold Key in Photography for a piece called “Sky Photos”.

Two other 8th graders earned a Silver Key in writing. Lena DeCuir earned Silver Key in the Science Fiction/Fantasy category with a piece called “No Way Out”. Avery Vracin earned a Silver Key in Short Story for her piece called “The Cuppa Comfort Cafe”.

Several students also earned an Honorable Mention award. 8th grader Aria Covell earned Honorable Mention in Poetry for a piece called “Emergency Guide for Saving the Earth”. 8th grader Porter Evans earned an Honorable Mention in Short Story for a piece called “rookie year”. 10th grader Asher Fisher earned Honorable Mention in Poetry for a piece called “Things My Ancestor Once Knew”. 8th grader Sarina Hodge earned Honorable Mention in Short Story

Short Story for a piece called “A Timeless Sight”. 8th grader Caleb Thomson earned Honorable Mention in Short Story for a piece called “The Proud Jamaican”.

The Methow Valley School District Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Boo Schneider to serve as an interim "At-Large" board member. Boo fills the position previously held by Gary Marchbank, who resigned on December 31, 2024, after 15 years of dedicated service to the district.

The decision follows a rigorous selection process in which Boo was one of fifteen applicants for the position. After careful review and interviews, Boo was unanimously appointed by the remaining four board members during the January 30 board meeting.

Following the board meeting, Board Chair Dana Stromberger stated that selecting the right candidate was not an easy task, given the quality of applicants. However, Boo’s 35 years of service as a public educator, leadership role with the Bainbridge Island Education Association, and strong volunteer contributions to the Methow Valley community truly set her apart. Upon learning of her appointment, Boo Schneider expressed her enthusiasm: "I am delighted to join this remarkably strong board. Beyond the immediate warmth and thoughtfulness, there is a clear desire to collaborate and a spirit amongst them that embraces growth. I love that!"

In her new role, Boo will be asked to 'hit the ground running' as she and the other members of the board work closely with Andy Wolf, Superintendent Search Consultant from Northwest Leadership Associates to select a new superintendent. This search comes as current Superintendent Tom Venable prepares for his retirement after 32 years of service in public education.

The Methow Valley School District Board is confident that Boo’s extensive background in education and community leadership will bring valuable perspectives to the board during this important transitional period. Please join us as we welcome Boo Schneider, MVSD Board of Director.

LBHS saw outstanding performances from both the boys and girls wrestling teams this past weekend at the CWB Boys and Girls League Wrestling Championships. Looking beyond the league championships, these highly anticipated events also served as a qualifying meet for next week’s District 5 Wrestling Tournament at Highland (Yakima), where LBHS wrestlers will compete for a spot at the WIAA 2B State Wrestling Tournament.

Although we don't have all of the final results, we are thrilled to share what we know about the standout performances from the weekend:

• Damien Spears took home the CWB Championship, dominating Okanogan’s Austin Morgan with a pin in the second period.
• Cassidy Mowen earned the CWB/CTL Championship for the girls' division, securing a first-period pin over Bailey Pio of Brewster.
• Maeve Belsby took 1st place, winning by a fall over Carly Clark of Tonasket.
• Kady Hammer takes 3rd place and Mazie Gibb and Nova Gehring each placed 4th in their respective weight classes.
• Richie Lara, Javier Lopez-Velasco, Yolo Paz, and Lucien Paz all claimed impressive second-place finishes in their respective weight classes.
• Landon Schmekel, Liam Kiefer, and Alex Ramsay-George secured solid 3rd place finishes.
• Sam Kaltenbach earned 5th place, while Andy Garcia-Lopez and Jayden Covarrubias were fighting for 5th/6th place.

A program is on the rise, these results are a testament to the dedication and commitment displayed by the LBHS wrestlers and coaches.

All eyes will be on the Mountain Lions as they prepare for the upcoming WIAA 2B State Wrestling Tournament, taking place on February 21-22 at the Tacoma Dome.

We look forward to sharing more updates as our athletes continue to display high levels of success, on the mat, in the classroom, and in the community.

Go Mountain Lions!

The LBHS Mountain Lions Boys Basketball team emerged victorious in a thrilling and intense battle on the court yesterday, defeating the #2 seeded Okanogan Bulldogs with a nail-biting score of 54-53. The hard-fought win was a true team effort, with every player contributing to the final outcome.

This victory propels the Mountain Lions into the league finals, where they will face the top-seeded Lake Roosevelt Raiders. The stakes are high, as both teams will be vying for seeding in the upcoming District Tournament.

The league final is set to take place on Tuesday, February 11, at Okanogan High School, with tip-off scheduled for 7:00 pm. Don’t miss what promises to be an exciting and high-energy showdown between two of the league’s best teams.

Go Mountain Lions!

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Liberty Bell High School is thrilled to announce Haida Ikeda as the new Head Coach for Track and Field. Haida has been a dedicated part of the LBHS athletics community, serving as an assistant coach for high school track and field since 2022 and coaching middle school cross country since 2021.

Haida grew up in Issaquah, WA, where she competed in track and field and played soccer in high school. She continued her athletic career at Western Washington University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science while competing on both the cross country and track and field teams, where she also served as team captain.

Beyond coaching, Haida has worked in fisheries and for the Methow Valley School District as a substitute teacher and paraeducator. Recently, she completed a Master of Arts in Teaching (Secondary Science), furthering her commitment to education and student development.

Haida is dedicated to designing excellent training opportunities and fostering a positive and cohesive team culture, all with the ultimate goal of providing every athlete a chance to flourish. Her experience, leadership, and passion for both athletics and education make Haida an excellent fit to lead the program.

Please join us in welcoming Coach Ikeda to this new role—Go Mountain Lions!

Dear Methow Valley Students, Parents, and Community Members,

During the January 16 school board meeting, the board of directors unanimously approved the calendar revisions proposed by the MVSD Calendar Committee. With several weeks of winter season remaining, increasing the possibility of additional school closures, the committee carefully considered how best to balance the needs of our students, families, and the broader community while minimizing disruption to the educational experience.

The final plan is as follows:

• Make up Day 1 on Thursday, June 12 as originally planned and adopted.
• **Make up Day 2 on Friday, March 14 **by repurposing the previously scheduled professional development day (previously scheduled on Friday, March 14) into an regularly scheduled Early Release school day.

This approach honors the 2024-25 MVSD School Calendar that was previously approved and ensures that we remain in compliance with the basic education requirements set forth by OSPI without extending the end of the school year beyond the one planned Snow Day. If further school closures occur between now and the end of the 2024-25 school year, they would be made up by adding the equivalent number of day(s) to the end of the revised school calendar. 

Best,

Tom Venable

Superintendent, Methow Valley School District

Orlo Parkinson and Kyra Hickman participated in the 2025 Poetry Out Loud Regional finals this past weekend. Escorted by Poetry Out Loud instructor, Kelly Grayum and ILC Principal, Sara Mounsey, Orlo and Kyra delivered exceptional performances, with each, "reciting two poems with poise and panache."
Orlo was named one of the two finalists for the state competition in Tacoma, scheduled to take place on March 8. The other finalist is Sydney Frost of Mt. Spokane High School. Sydney was a finalist last year, along with Leki Albright.
Kyra, representing the ILC, recited Abandoned Farmhouse, by Ted Kooser and Meanwhile, by Richard Siken. Orlo, representing LBHS, recited Weighing In, by Rhina P. Espaillat and Istanbul 1983, by Sheila Black.
Noteworthy, Orlo, a sophomore, was the only underclassman competing in the event. The other 8 competitors were juniors and seniors hailing from the Spokane, Okanogan and Walla Walla areas.
Please join us as we congratulate our MVSD students, Orlo Parkinson and Kyra Hickman, Poetry Out Loud advisors, Kelly Grayum and Cam Alford, and thank Methow Arts and the Public School Funding Alliance (PSFA) for their continued support of the arts and our students.

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Dear Methow Valley School District Students, Parents, and Community Members, 

The Methow Valley School District's top priority is to ensure all students feel safe, welcome, and dignified. We firmly believe that student safety and well-being is foundational to their ability to thrive in the classroom. However, like many of you, we've been made aware that the federal government has removed the “protected areas” designation, which previously limited immigration enforcement actions on school grounds. While we are closely monitoring these changes, we want you to know that our school district remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting the well-being of every student who enters our doors.

Our district’s commitment remains the same: every student who resides within our attendance area deserves to feel safe, welcome, and able to learn to their full potential. MVSD Policy 4300, aligned with RCW 43.10.310, limits school involvement in immigration enforcement, which ensures that schools remain safe and inclusive spaces for all students, regardless of immigration status. All school staff recognize the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the privacy of students educational records and restricts the sharing of personally identifiable information (PII) without parental consent. We cannot assist or facilitate immigration enforcement unless legally required, such as when presented with a valid judicial warrant. 

Additionally, MVSD Policy 3226 outlines the protocols for conducting interviews and interrogations of students by law enforcement or other officials within school grounds. It emphasizes the necessity of protecting students' rights and their well-being during such interactions. Specifically, it includes provisions that limit interviews of students sought by immigration agents, requiring proper authorization and adherence to legal standards before any such interview is conducted. 

As we carefully review how these federal changes impact our schools, our priority is to protect students’ privacy while complying with federal, state, and local laws. We will communicate openly with our community if new developments occur. 

Families with additional questions or concerns are encouraged to contact their student's principal, school counselor, or the district office. Further, we've included a list of resources for students and families seeking assistance.

Sincerely,

Tom Venable

Superintendent, Methow Valley School District

**Immigration Resources for Students and Families: **

Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA): https://​studentprivacy.ed.gov/ The administration and enforcement of student privacy laws. Helpful family toolkits are available on this site.

Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI): https://ospi.k12.wa.​us/policy-funding/equity-and-​civil-rights/immigrant-​students-rights-attend-public-​schools Resources from the state to help support the rights of undocumented students at school. 

Northwest Immigrant Rights Project: https://www.nwirp.​org/get-help/ Promotes justice by defending and advancing the rights of immigrants through direct legal services, systemic advocacy, and community education. Phone: (509)-570-0054. Toll-Free: 866-271-2084. Location: 620 N. Emerson, Suite 201, Wenatchee.

Hand in Hand Immigration Services: https://www.​handinhandis.org/ A local nonprofit agency where immigrants can receive accurate, up-to-date information about the citizenship process and clarification of their particular requirements for citizenship. They assist clients, students, and the community, and they provide guidance if they are unable to assist. Phone: (509)-888-4833. Email: info@handinhandis.org 

**Immigrant Legal Resource Center: **https://www.ilrc.org/ ​A national nonprofit resource center that provides immigration legal training, technical assistance, and educational materials, and they engage in advocacy and immigrant civic engagement to advance immigrant rights. They offer printable Red Cards in various languages that help people assert their rights and defend themselves in many situations.

North Central Regional Libraries: https://www.​ncwlibraries.org/latino/ The Latino Services department strives to connect our diverse Latino communities to the resources available in the regions we serve. Our goal is to support our patrons by working collaboratively with library branches and community partners to inform people about our resources and remove barriers to accessing them.The library offers citizenship classes and free resources. Phone (509) 663-1117 ext. 148.