Washington History Day

noreply@blogger.com (Washington State Historical Society) — Wed, 30 May 2012 21:24:00 +0000

Hello Fans of Washington History Day, we are getting closer and closer to the big national contest in College Park, MD, June 10-14. We have a lot of excited students right now getting ready for the big event, and this year we are traveling with a pretty good sized Washington delegation. Go Team WA!

Be sure to follow all of the action here as we provide daily posts and pictures of the contest and dorm life. You can also check us out on Facebook, www.facebook.com/washingtonhistoryday

noreply@blogger.com (Washington State Historical Society) — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:32:00 +0000

Greetings fans of Washington History Day,

We are busily getting ready for the big National Contest, June 10-14 in College Park, Maryland. We hope you are as excited about the contest as we are! Should be lots of fun with several exciting features to the contest this year. But we're going to keep them secret for a little while longer. :-)

Be sure to check back for more updates as we get closer to the contest and be sure to share this link with your friends and family so they too can follow Team WA in College Park!

:-)

History Day State Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Washington State Historical Society) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:48:00 +0000

Hello fans of Washington History Day.
We are now in the closing days of registration for the state contest. I hope everyone's ready!!

We are still looking for judges, if you would like to come out and judge, or know anyone that would be interested, please have them get in touch with Mark Vessey at mvessey@wshs.wa.gov.

Thanks and watch for more state contest updates.

Washington Winners at the National Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Washington State Historical Society) — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 04:04:00 +0000

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...

noreply@blogger.com (Washington State Historical Society) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 01:53:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Washington State Historical Society) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 03:42:00 +0000

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...

noreply@blogger.com (Washington State Historical Society) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 02:59:00 +0000

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...

noreply@blogger.com (Washington State Historical Society) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 03:31:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Washington State Historical Society) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 03:04:00 +0000

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...

noreply@blogger.com (Washington State Historical Society) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 01:57:00 +0000

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...

noreply@blogger.com (Washington State Historical Society) — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 20:25:00 +0000

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!!

noreply@blogger.com (Washington State Historical Society) — Wed, 25 May 2011 17:12:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Washington State Historical Society) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 18:58:00 +0000

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!

How Do Historians Really Work?

noreply@blogger.com (Washington State Historical Society) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:36:00 +0000

At the suggestion of NHD Curriculum Director Ann Claunch, I recently read a fascinating book titled, Ain't Nothing But a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry. Written by historian Scott Reynolds Nelson, it is a compelling narrative of how he tracked down the mythic subject of the well-known work song about John Henry, who was so strong that he beat a steam drill in a contest to dig a railroad tunnel, but then died.

Nelson wanted to find out about the real John Henry: did he exist? and if so, who was he, and why was he memorialized in the song? The book traces Nelson's historical hunt for John Henry, in a story that will keep young readers spellbound. This is how real historians do history, complete with primary and secondary sources, and plenty of dead ends, and it's a great model for History Day projects.

Without giving away the ending, it's useful to reprise one appendix that reviews six steps to being a historian:

Find out what is known already. In other words, review secondary sources.
Check the sources used by the authors of those secondary sources.
Find gaps and disagreements and formulate your own questions. In general, if every interpretation of a historical topic agrees, not enough research has been done. Where do authors differ, and why?
Look for new evidence. As this book makes clear, you don't have to travel to investigate new historical leads. Be open to other explanations, then explore them.
Expand the search. In an excellent section, Nelson describes trying to find certain reports that were presumed lost. By using a variety of search methods, he eventually found them!
Share what you have found. Other readers might point out avenues of research you've inadvertently missed, or even come up with new interpretations of your findings.

Ain't Nothing But a Man is geared toward students, and could be an excellent supplement to beginning history students in grades 6-8. But it's worth looking at no matter how experienced a historian you are. Older readers may also want to check out the 2006 book that resulted from Nelson's research, Steel Drivin' Man: John Henry, the Untold Story of an American Legend, which has garnered multiple awards.

Not many books unpack the process of doing history, and fewer still are able to do so in the context of real historical research. That Nelson does both, and so engagingly, makes this book well worth reading.

Nelson, Scott Reynolds, with Marc Aronson. Ain't Nothing But a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry. Washington, DC: National Geographic, 2008. 64 pp.

Wondrous Washington

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen Schweitzer) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 04:16:00 +0000

What a team! You already saw that the Washington team left DC with an unprecedented number of medals, but more than that, this was a FANTASTIC group. All the kids, teachers, and families were a true pleasure to have along. That sounds like something I'm just saying, but really, this group was the BEST. Fun, good-spirited, smart, enthusiastic, and unparalleled button-traders. What more can you ask for?

Our Wednesday tradition is the Multimedia Festival, where students present their documentaries and performances in a casual setting (usually in pajamas, often without sets, etc.)

A banana is a good stand-in for a sextant. Who knew?

An orange kind of looks like a marine chronometer. Kind of.

Amanda (headless, sorry!), Alana, & Braydon reprise their performance about the radio.

Wednesday was Austin's 16th birthday, so his schoolmates gave him this shirt! And made him wear it! :)

Lauren & I got Austin this pretty sash and a tiny red sports car. It was Nancy's birthday too, so we got her a tiara and a stress-ball (for use during the awards ceremony).

"This presentation is brought to you by the number 3 and the letter B, the letter C, and the letter H." (Finalists--and 12th place finishers--Brittany, Cassie, & Hayley perform.)

Yup, still button trading!

Jackson & Dawson's documentary about the 747.

Justine's performance about Nazi propaganda.

Sarah got all the pins! One each from every participating state & territory!

Tian, Raluca, & Anand presented their documentary about the transcontinental railroad.

After the presentations, several students helped get the orcas ready for Thursday's Parade of States.

Ana & Jessica won the Senior Outstanding State award ...

... and placed 7th overall!

Brittany, Hayley, & Cassie placed 12th for their Sesame Street performance.

Yes, girls, that's you!

Bronze medal!

Emily & Maddy won the special award for immigration history.

Junior Outstanding State Award winner Heni ...

... placed 7th overall.

PBS Teacher of Merit Winner Tricia Billes can really carry off a tiara. (We gave it to her Wednesday night.)

Kalin Goss' documentary placed 11th overall.

Lynette got her last button during the Parade of States!

Yes Nathan, you won a silver medal!

It looks good!

But not as good as 2! (Nathan also won the Legacy Award.)

Samantha's documentary came in 11th overall. Awesome!

Sarah won a special award (Navy History Award) ...

... and placed 6th with her Senior Individual Exhibit.

Wesley & James' Junior Group Exhibit placed 6th overall!

And their teacher, Mrs. Billes, won Teacher of Merit, a huge honor for a history teacher!

This is a good-looking group ...

... and this is a better-looking group ...

... but does it get any better than this? Seriously guys, come back again! Next year's theme is a GREAT one!

-Gwen

History Day Helper & Paparazzo

(Photo DVDs of the trip available by e-mailing me: gwenschweitzer@me.com)

And the Winners Are...

noreply@blogger.com (Washington State Historical Society) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 17:00:00 +0000

Team Washington performed spectacularly well at the 2010 National History Day contest, with 15 students either placing in the top 14 in the country or winning a special award. As if that weren't enough, Sequim Middle School's Tricia Billes was named the 2010 PBS Teacher of Merit, one of the highest national honors bestowed on a history teacher!

2nd - Nathan Maris, International Community School, Senior Individual Documentary
3rd - Abby Burlingame and Ceri Riley, International Community School, Senior Group Performance
6th - Sarah Sadlier, Charles Wright Academy, Senior Individual Exhibit
6th - James Reis and Wesley Gilchrist, Sequim Middle School, Junior Group Exhibit
7th - Heni Barnes, Coupeville Middle School, Junior Individual Documentary
7th - Ana Kirichuk and Jessica Jin, International Community School, Senior Web Site
11th - Kalin Goss, Junior Individual Documentary, Northshore Junior High
11th - Samantha Larson, Senior Individual Documentary, Kentwood High School
12th - Cassie Bliley, Brittany Beaudoin, Hayley McCarthy, Wy'East Middle School,Junior Group Performance

Junior Outstanding State Award - Heni Barnes, Coupeville Middle School
Senior Outstanding State Award - Ana Kirichuk and Jessica Jin, International Community School

Several students won special awards:
Maddy Schei and Emily Najar, Stanwood High School, Immigration History Award
Sarah Sadlier, Charles Wright Academy, Naval History Award
Nathan Maris, International Community School, Legacy Award

Washington students had a tremendous overall showing; every single one placed ninth or higher in the preliminary round, and nine advanced to finals. We'll post a contest debrief in the next day or so, once we get home and get a little sleep. Congratulations to everyone!

Seniors follow trail blazed by juniors

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen Schweitzer) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 03:26:00 +0000

Those of you at home may not know the state staff (Empress Lauren, Washington History Man Mark, Loaner Minion Hallie, and I) try to cheer on each and every Washington student at their judge time. (Documentaries & performances are our priority, but we try to wish students good luck before paper, Web site, and exhibit interviews.)

Sometimes, though, the schedule (and the University of Maryland's huge, beautiful campus) doesn't cooperate. Today was one of those days: 13 of our 16 senior projects were presented between 10-11:40 am. So we apologized to those we just couldn't attend (4 11 o'clock interviews?!?!) and fanned out across campus to cheer on our team.

Paper contestant Lynette (Stanwood) & Lauren chat before her interview.

Connor, Austin, & Adam review their Web site minutes before meeting with the judges.

Justine gets some last-minute words of wisdom from her grandmother, Connie.

Mikael's exhibit is about the bicycle; he's also a wilderness responder!

Prosser's powerhouse trio (Alana, Braydon, & Amanda) gave a spot-on performance about the radio.

Set breakdown is a team sport. WOOSH!

The first time-slot after lunch is often stressful, but Sarah seemed calm as can be. Of course, she knows everything there is to know about the marine chronometer, so why worry?

Abby & Ceri gave a knock-out performance. Though Ceri told the judges that Abby's really "the actress," the audience--and judges--beg to differ. They're both phenomenal and will perform in the FINAL ROUND on Wednesday.

Stanwood's History Day team poses after their judge interviews (teacher Sabrina Shaw in front).

Tian & Anand are 2/3 of the lovely, brilliant, & ridiculously overachieving documentary team from Redmond High School.

Senior individual documentary FINALIST Samantha was the only Washington finalist actually present for finals postings. The other three kids (Nathan, Abby, & Ceri) headed off to the Crime & Punishment Museum because they were so nervous.

Yes, that's right. Our seniors ended up with the exact same results as our juniors: both individual documentaries and one group performance advanced to finals! Congratulations, all! GO WASHINGTON!!

Day 2: Jammin' Junior Judging

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen Schweitzer) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 02:05:00 +0000

Day 2 for the Washington delegation (we ignore--mostly because we forget anything that happened in the fog of jet-lag) is also day 1 of competition: Just Juniors. The seniors scattered to far & wide corners of DC, visiting congresspeople, seeing the sights, and generally relaxing before judging Tuesday.

We'll get to the seniors later. For now, the spotlight is on our junior contingent, all of whom did exceptionally well. Advancing to the national contest is a huge honor, and everyone did incredibly well. Go Team Washington!!!

Shika celebrates after a fantastic performance.

Romessa relaxes after her senior group performance.

Preparation is never done! James Reis & Wesley Gilchrist, with assistance from Teacher of Merit Award Finalist Tricia Billes, prepare for their judge interview (group exhibit).

Christopher Wiley reread his paper ON HIS PHONE. How's that for innovation?

Tricia Billes & Bill Koenig celebrate after his individual exhibit interview.

Junior individual performer Sam Kesala practices setting up his set with expert assistance from school-mate Katie Kibota.

Junior individual documentary FINALIST, Heni Barnes, after presenting her documentary in the preliminary round. Clearly working out her frustration sent good karma off into the universe. :)

Junior individual documentary FINALIST Kalin Goss shares her vast knowledge of modern art with her judges. They loved her.

Prosser's famous "WOOSH" to cheer on Sara Durrant, their teammate.

Sara Durrant rehearses her junior individual performance about satellites. She was great!

A button trading & dorm door decorating report will follow, after Lauren & I write the next edition of The Wash.

Signing off for now,

Gwen (assistant, cheerleader, paparazzo)

Day 1: Jet Lag Zapped, Team Washington Hits the Big City

noreply@blogger.com (Washington State Historical Society) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 04:36:00 +0000

It started at 7:30AM, with the Team Washington orientation meeting on the front patio of Ellicott Hall. After a quick overview of the days to come, most of the group headed into Washington, DC, for a day of sightseeing. But not everyone... the exhibit hall opened early, and soon it was a blur of power drills, hammers, hinges, and duct tape. Lots and lots of duct tape. We're thinking that if you laid all the duct tape used in History Day end to end, it would stretch around the world. More than once.

James & Wesley (of the duct tape), setting up their exhibit.

Team Washington's queens, Emily & Maddie, taking a break from unpacking their exhibit.

Sequim teamwork: James & Wesley help Bill move his board onto the table.

Heather & Rebecca unpack their exhibit.

Team Stanwood (who won't ever have to stand in a breadline, since they're all brilliant.)

Megan & FDR

Maia & her friends.

Teacher of Merit Finalist, Tricia Billes

Team Prosser posing in front of the Washington Monument.

Hayley at the Korean War Memorial

Justine in front of the Washington Monument.

Kalin at the FDR Memorial.

Getting buddy buddy with FDR.

Ryan & Alison at the Vietnam War Memorial.

Sarah at the FDR Memorial.

Coupeville spent the evening writing thank you postcards to their fans. (Awwwww.)

Good night, team Washington fans!

-Gwen the Paparazzo & Empress Lauren

Day 1 photographic recap

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen Schweitzer) — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 10:25:00 +0000

The Prosser Powerhouse arrived wearing snazzy fundraising shirts.

Madison Snaric already has a Guam and Wisconsin button! World domination must be next.

An early entry into the Dorm Door Decorating Contest (Heni & Katie).

Getting to know the Guam delegation.

Getting settled in Ellicott Hall

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen Schweitzer) — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 00:19:00 +0000

Saturday night at the National Contest:
Empress Lauren is at the first of many meetings.
Mark & I are sitting in the 5th floor lounge chatting with students, teachers, and families as they arrive. T-shirts & buttons are being handed out.
Speaking of buttons: Guam is in our dorm. 1 Washington student already has a Guam button. (In other words, we're winning the button race.)
Go Washington!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:U Maryland

Tricia Billes: Superwoman

noreply@blogger.com (Gwen Schweitzer) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 22:25:00 +0000

By now you've seen Lauren's post about Tricia being one of 8 finalists for the Teacher of Merit award. Regardless of Thursday's result, does anyone doubt Washington has the best (History Day and otherwise) teachers in the nation? We have a delegation of 140 (yes, you read that right: 140) Washingtonians attending this year's contest. The students are great, of course, but I blame the teachers. (And by "blame" I clearly mean "thank.")

(Tricia Billes, Teacher of Merit award finalist, during the History Day Advisory Committee meeting earlier this year.)

I'm on my way to DC as I write this (thank you Alaska Airlines for having free WiFi on the plane! Now explain to me why WiFi at LAX costs $8??). Washington History Man & Empress Lauren will be on the red-eye tomorrow so we can be prepared for Team Washington's decent on the U Maryland campus.

Signing off for now,

Gwen

(Team Washington Assistant, Cheerleader, & Paparazzo)

Washington History Day Teacher is Finalist for National Award

noreply@blogger.com (Washington State Historical Society) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 18:43:00 +0000

Congratulations to Sequim Middle School's Tricia Billes, who has been selected as one of eight finalists for the PBS Teacher of Merit Award, the nation's highest honor for National History Day teachers. The winner will be announced at the National History Day national contest awards ceremony on Thursday, June 17. You can view the awards via webcast at the History Channel; it begins at 5 AM PST.

Hooray for Tricia, a fantastic teacher and wonderful person!

DC Beckons--and History Day Students Get their Game On

noreply@blogger.com (Washington State Historical Society) — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 21:19:00 +0000

The countdown is on. We're heading to National History Day with more than 130 students, coaches and family members--it's one of our biggest delegations ever. You need to know what to bring, where to go, and how to find us. Read on, Team Washington!

- Don’t forget to pack: a bath towel, fitted sheet, small portable fan, sunscreen, summer clothes (check the forecast here), and everything you need for your project (touch-up kits, tape, glue, etc.—see page 22 of the 2010 Travel Packet for tips).

- Arriving on campus: Complete information can be found in the Travel Packet on pages 13-15. If you’re coming in via Metro, you can catch the UM shuttle bus at the station and take it directly to Stamp Student Union. Shuttle schedules are on page 13 of the Travel Packet. You can view a Metro map here.

- Checking in to campus housing: Do not go directly to the dorms! You won’t know which dorm you’re in, and you have to get your key card first. Go to the Stamp Student Union and head for the Colony Ballroom on the second floor. Housing check-in at Stamp is 2-8PM. After 8PM, go to La Plata Hall for late check-in.

- Team Washington Orientation Meeting: Join us to meet your staff, get your t-shirt and pins, and get an overview of the week on Sunday morning, 7:30-8:15AM on the lawn in front of our dorm – you’ll be able to go to breakfast right afterward. If you miss the meeting, it’s your responsibility to find out what happened, either from your fellow delegates or from staff. If it’s raining, check the team posting by the elevators for location change information.

- Contest Registration and Exhibit Shipment Pick-Up: After you register for housing and settle in, you still have to register for the contest. Contest registration begins 9AM Sunday in the Colony Ballroom.

- Evening bus tour of monuments: We meet at Union Station to board the buses, and are dropped off at the dorms. Plan accordingly! You’ll meet Gwen, Hallie and Tricia in the Main Hall at Union Station at 5:00PM Sunday, and we’ll provide more details at the Orientation Meeting on Sunday morning.

- Dorm door decorating contest: Who will have the most creative, historical, zany, colorful doors? Bring decorating materials with you. Theme doors are always in style. Prizes will be awarded in a variety of categories, and please note: door judges can be swayed (Washington History Man prefers chocolate; you’ll have to find out what Gwen and Hallie like) Judging is Wednesday night at 7:30PM before the multimedia festival.

- Staying home? Follow us online: We post throughout the contest on our blog. You can sign up to get new postings delivered to your email via RSS feeds, or sign on daily and see what’s new. We’ll also post on Facebook, and Twitter, @WaHistoryDay AND @gwenschweitzer. For you early risers, we strongly recommend watching the awards webcast, streamed live on The History Channel on Thursday, June 17, at 5:30AM PST.

- Last call for Bio Book entries! About eight competing students have not responded to the questionnaire for the Team Washington book. And seriously, is it that hard to choose a favorite ice cream flavor? We’re not talking a history test here, people.

- Keep in touch. Lauren 360-951-6988; Mark 360-791-4723; Gwen 206-696-0377. Please keep in mind that these are our personal cell phones, and we’d appreciate you limiting calls and texts to June 11-17. Before and after the contest, reach us at our emails. Thanks.

Questions? Comments? Drop us a line.

Washington Librarians: Hip. Fab. Best Ever.

noreply@blogger.com (Washington State Historical Society) — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 18:31:00 +0000

Check out this video made by a newly minted graduate of UW's Information School (the iSchool). With librarians this fabulous, is it any wonder that Washington History Day students totally rock?