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Waco-area students advance to National History Day
Seven local students — including five from Tennyson Middle School — are headed to National History Day competition after placing first or second at state last week.
Like the UIL winners I posted about earlier, the Texas History Day competition was originally scheduled for early this month, only to have the swine flu postpone the event until May 20-21.
National History Day will be held in College Park, Md., June 14-17.
Here’s information about the local winners from a release by the Heart of Texas Regional History Fair:
Corey Roberts, an eighth-grade student at Lake Air Middle School, won first place in the Junior Division with his Historical Paper, “Beyond the Great Debaters: Melvin Tolson—Professor, Coach, Journalist, Poet, and Father of the Civil Rights Movement.” Corey is returning to the National History Day competition for the second time.
From home school in McGregor, Ashley Kaul took second-place honors for her Historical Paper in the Junior Division, “Mary Breckinridge: An Individual Who Changed Rural Healthcare.”
Katherine Parker, an eighth-grader from Tennyson Middle School, won first place with her Web Site, “Something for All Girls: Juliette Gordon Low and the Girl Scouts.”
Austin Gorham and Joshua Owens, from Tennyson Middle School, took first place for their Group Exhibit in the Junior Division, “Sanford Fleming: The Man of the Hour.”
Kennedy Sam, also from Tennyson Middle School, won first place with her Individual Junior Exhibit in the Junior Division, “Sgt. Rodney M. Davis: Beyond the Call of Duty”.
Melvin Wall, is another Tennyson Middle School student who won second place with his Individual Exhibit in the Junior Division, “The Navajo Coders: The Silent Heroes of World War II.”
Although only first- and second-place winners advance from the Texas state competition to the national event, several other Central Texas students won distinction at Texas History Day for themselves, their schools and their teachers. Winning third-place, honorable mention, being a finalist in their category, or a special award were the following:
Finalists:
*Lauren Tinney and Madeline Tinney, Senior Group Performance, “Abigail Adams,” Waco High School, Ms. Courtney Copas & Mr. Tony Uzzell, teachers
*Philip Whitney, Senior Individual Performance, “Helen Keller,” Waco High School, Ms. Courtney Copas & Mr. Ken Heller, teachers
*Kristen Chapman, Junior Individual Performance, “Cathay Williams: Standing Alone,” Tennyson Middle School, Mrs. Sherry Mullins, teacher
*Christopher Foytek, Chrishard Buhl, D’Jarvis Lancelin, & Stefan White, Junior Group Performance, “The Slave Narratives of the Works Project Administration,” Tennyson Middle School , Mrs. Sherry Mullins, teacher
Matthew Johnson, Junior Individual Documentary, “Equal Justice Under Law,” Lake Air Middle School, Ms. Mari Pitts, teacher
Special Award Winners:
C.M. CALDWELL MEMORIAL AWARD FOR TEXAS HISTORY: This award is provided through the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Clifton Caldwell in honor of Mr. Caldwell’s father, Clifton Mott Caldwell, a pioneering oil man and banker who also supported the educational programs of the Texas State Historical Association. This award is open to both the paper and exhibit categories and carries with it a $250.00 prize for both the Junior and Senior Division.
Corey Roberts, Junior Historical Paper, “Beyond the Great Debaters: Melvin Tolson—Professor, Coach, Journalist, Poet, and Father of the Civil Rights Movement,” Lake Air Middle School, Mrs. Mary Duty, teacher
David Miller, Senior Historical Paper, “Leon Jaworski,” Waco High School, Ms. Courtney Copas & Mr. Ken Heller, teachers
WILLIE LEE GAY AWARDS FOR ENTRIES ON AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY: Mrs. Willie Lee Gay was a longtime Junior Historian and Texas History Day sponsor at Carter G. Woodson Middle School in Houston and the first African-American commissioner to serve on the Texas Historical Commission.
Corey Roberts, Junior Historical Paper, “Beyond the Great Debaters: Melvin Tolson—Professor, Coach, Journalist, Poet, and Father of the Civil Rights Movement” Lake Air Middle School, Mrs. Mary Duty, teacher
Kennedy Sam, Junior Individual Exhibit, “Sgt. Rodney M. Davis: Beyond the Call of Duty” Tennyson Middle School, Mrs. Sherry Mullins, teacher
THE DESCENDANTS OF AUSTIN’S OLD 300 HISTORY AWARD: The Descendents of Austin’s Old Three Hundred History Award recognizes excellence in writing on the formation of Texas, preferably in the pre-Republic period. Winners received a medal and a monetary prize ($100 for first place, $50 for second place). Sponsored by The Descendants of Austin’s Old Three Hundred organization.
Michelle Herbelin, Senior Historical Paper, “Why the West Was Won: The Life and Legacy of Stephen F. Austin,” homeschool - Waco, Mrs. Patricia Herbelin, teacher
Michelle is also an at-large member of the Junior Historians of Texas and submitted her paper to that program’s writing contest. Her paper placed 3rd and unfortunately she was unable to join us in Dallas to receive her medal and monetary prize. In addition to third place, her paper was chosen to receive the THOMAS RICKS LINDLEY MEMORIAL AWARD, which was established by the friends and family of Mr. Lindley, an avid researcher and Alamo history enthusiast. It recognizes Senior Division papers in the Junior Historians program that demonstrate outstanding research and writing on Texas history topics dealing with the period between 1821 and 1886. First place carries a $300 prize and a year’s membership in the Alamo Society.
Nominees for Special Award from the Institute of Oral History, Baylor University interview: Although Marleyna and Matthew did not receive this special award, it is a great distinction to be chosen as a nominee.
Marleyna Botello, Senior Individual Documentary, “Anne Frank,” Waco High School, rs. Courtney Copas & Mr. Ken Heller, teachers
Matthew Johnson, Junior Individual Documentary, “Equal Justice Under Law,” Lake Air Middle School, Ms. Mari Pitts, teacher
Outstanding HOTRHF Regional Teachers for 2009:
Mary Duty from Tennyson Middle School, Waco ISD
Daniel Pfleging from A.J. Moore Academy, Waco ISD
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By Becky
May 27, 2009 7:29 PM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
Mary Duty is a history teacher at * Lake Air Middle School,* not Tennyson.
By Mary Duty
May 27, 2009 8:41 PM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
Becky is correct. I am a teacher at Lake Air Middle School this year.
Next year, I am looking forward to teaching history at Tennyson Middle School.