What we're proud of
Over the summer, our faculty and staff have the opportunity to enter a different rhythm in their day. With this change of pace, we asked folks to share any proud moments of their summer.
This Saturday students in Seattle will receive new backpacks filled with all sorts of much-needed school supplies, thanks to the efforts of US English teacher, Jenni Baldwin. "The Hopeful Start Drive supports the school-aged youth who live at Hope Place, a women’s and children’s shelter located in South Seattle. This year, I was able to collect donations that exhausted the entire wish list and even add extras like backpacks and stickers. Each school-eligible youth who lives at the Hope Place Shelter will be given a new backpack loaded with all the supplies they will need for the school year."
English teacher Nicole Balin welcomed baby Remy Lou last month. Mom and baby owl plan to visit the campus this fall during their family leave.
Arts Department Chair, Erin Gabriel recently was awarded a sabbatical to explore her passion in vocal performance. This Monday, she treated Overlake colleagues and friends to a recital showcasing her amazing talents and lessons learned during the sabbatical. Here's a recording of her performance.
English teacher, Sarah Gallagher and Assistant Director of Experiential Education, Chrissy Wakeling got married this summer. Congratulations!
Rebecca Moore spent part of her summer abroad studying at Oxford, England with Oxbridge Academic Programs by Worldstrides. "This is my third time joining these programs, and the second time in Oxford," explains Moore. "Each year the programs offer several different tracks, which in Oxford this year included: Literature and the Fantastic (about the Oxford fantasy writers like J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Philip Pullman, etc.), The Library and the Academy, Shakespeare in History, and Leadership Challenges in Contemporary Education. As I had previously taken the Literature and the Fantastic course, which I loved, this year I chose Shakespeare."
Ashley Powel, US Science Faculty recently competed in a dressage CDI with her horse, Nick. "This is an international-level competition that runs under the same protocols as the Olympics," explains Powel. "In fact, these events are how people qualify for the Olympics in a qualification year. This CDI was a qualifier for the Pan American Games."
Congratulations to Ashley and Nick who took home a third-place ribbon! Here is a short article about the event.
Elena Sellers took time away from the busy front office to help her mother settle in the PNW. "I was able to spend time this summer helping my mother settle into her condo in Kirkland. It was a long move from Virginia, so it was very nice we had time together to get her all set up."
Kim Stevens, Overlake's Athletic Trainer and Mike Fine, the MS Athletic Director were invited to the Far West Athletic Trainers Association district meeting to present information on Overlake's very successful Sudden Cardiac Arrest Screening program.
"This group represents athletic trainers from California, Nevada, and Hawaii. It was great to share the why, what we do, and what we have learned with athletic trainers from those states," says Fine.
World Languages teacher Chen Tang has been actively involved with volunteering at her local Buddhism Practice Center. "During June and July, my fellow Buddhists and I dedicated around three weeks to relocate and renovate GuanYin Citta Seattle from Renton to Seattle Chinatown", Tang explains. "Additionally, we accomplished a successful vegetarian diet promotion & Buddhism teaching event at ChongWa Benevolent Association in Chinatown. This event drew 200 attendees and featured complimentary vegetarian meals."
