Fairwood Elementary awarded $10,000 for participation in national Hour of Code campaign | School briefs

Reporter staff

Fairwood Elementary School was awarded $10,000 in computer equipment from the organization Code.org for its efforts around the Hour of Code, a national campaign to recruit 10 million students to try computer science for one hour during Computer Science Education Week.

Fairwood chose to use the award to purchase Windows Surface tablets.

Pam Primiani, of Enhanced Instructional Support, is behind Fairwood’s Hour of Code efforts. She arranged to have each teacher at Fairwood participate in the Hour of Code throughout Computer Science Week, and because Code.org was impressed with her application and her efforts to garner school-wide participation, they wanted to recognize Fairwood’s commitment to computer science education.

“We are honored to receive this award from Code.org,” said Fairwood Principal Patricia Hoyle. “It goes a long way to make technology education accessible to all our students.”

Kent School District’s East Hill Elementary School also was chosen to participate in Computer Science Education Week.

Code.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding participation in computer science education by making it available in more schools and by increasing participation by girls and underrepresented students of color.

Elsewhere

Kent School District is one of seven districts in the state that has been awarded a Beginning Educator Support Team (BEST) grant. The grant funds programs that help beginning teachers grow in their profession. The award will be used to augment the district’s new Teacher-Mentor Program. …

The following Washington State University students from Kent have earned undergraduate degrees for the Summer 2013 semester: Kelsey Elizabeth Bradfield (bachelor of science, psychology); Sarah Ann Cassidy (bachelor of arts, business administration; Tanya Darlene Cohen (B.A., social sciences, cum laude); Meigan Epps Hutchinson (B.S., genetics and cell biology; Shae R Makinster (B.S., biology; Prashant Verma (B.A, humanities. …

Kent’s Nakia Scott (bachelor of arts, sociology) recently graduated from Washburn University (Topeka, Kan.). … Kent’s Don Thomas (master’s of science, counseling and student personnel) also recently graduated from Minnesota (Mankato) State University. …

Western Washington University student Hung Le, son of Phi Le and Hanh Ngo of Kent, received a $2,000 Clark Nuber, P.S. accounting scholarship for the 2013-2014 academic year. The scholarship is generated through the Seattle Business Forum that the foundation holds every year, and is either a recruitment scholarship, awarded by admissions, or awarded by Western’s College of Business and Economics-Accounting.

Le graduated from Kentwood Senior High School in 2009. He is scheduled to graduate from Western in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and Economics and a minor in business administration and communications. Le is a Beta Alpha Psi member, Beta Gamma Sigma recipient and Western’s associated students vice president for business and operations. …

Western Washington University student Kristine Farwell, daughter of Russ and Brenda Farwell of Kent, received a $2,250 CBE Investment Management and Scholarship Fund for the 2013-2014 academic year. The scholarship is to give students a real-life learning experience in the management of investment funds, and to provide endowment for perpetual scholarships for Business and Finance students.

Farwell graduated from Kentlake High in 2010. She is scheduled to graduate from Western in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in economics and political dcience. Farwell is a member of the honors program, Western’s honor roll, a Student Economics Association budget officer, volunteer at Womencare-Domestic Violence shelter and is a receptionist at Dewaard and Bode Appliances.

After graduation, she plans to attend law school or pursue a master’s degree in economics, and pursue a career in international development, sustainability or human rights advocacy.