Twenty-one local students won awards at the Western New York Academic Day held at Houghton College, on May 15. The annual event is sponsored by the Association of Christian Schools International, Northeast Region. Over 700 students participated. Fourteen students from Beth LaRock's 4th-5th grade in Christ Community Church in Brockport plus seven home-schooled students received awards in all five areas of competition: art, math, music, science, and speech. With Christ Community Church enrolling under 60 students, LaRock said the competition with other schools provides a broader experience for her students. "It enables students to be involved in areas we cannot provide in our small school," she said. "They learn how to join with other groups, use their gifts in front of judges and a large audience." LaRock recently received the Brockport "Wal-Mart 2002 Teacher of the Year Award," including $1,000 for Christ Community Church School. David Johnson, a sixth-grader from Brockport, is home-schooled and received "Superior" for his batik painting and "Excellent" for his piano solo. His science experiment, "The Effects of Lubricants on the Performance of Pinewood Derby Cars," received a "Superior" award. His curiosity started with racing the cars. "I have always wondered what is the best lubricant," David said, adding that he used books and the internet to study friction as part of the project. Marcy Johnson, David's mother, coordinated the participation by homeschooled children. "To find things like this gives them a goal to meet with deadlines for preparation and the opportunity to showcase their talent," she said about Academic Day. "The whole experience is such a good learning process." Receiving awards were: •Art - Evan LaRock - Superior, George Barton - Excellent, David Johnson - Superior, Amy VanHooft - Excellent, Luke Nowak - Excellent, Katie Rich - Good, Greta Johnson - Excellent, Emma LaRock - Excellent, Mallory Haynes - Excellent, Ethan Will - Best of Show. •Science - David Johnson - Superior, Katie Rich - Excellent, Ethan Will - Excellent, Levi Peers - Good. •Music - Eric Ritchie - Superior, Piano; Susannah Byers - Excellent, Vocal; Sarah Caffery - Excellent, Flute; Colin DeHaven - Excellent, Voice; Christian Zale - Very Good, Piano; Amy VanHooft - Excellent, Voice; David Johnson - Excellent, Piano; Rebekah Nowak - Excellent, Voice; Adam Nowak - Excellent, Saxophone; Joel Will - Excellent, Guitar; Levi Peers - Very Good, Piano; Luke Nowak - Very Good, Trumpet; Ben Bahr - Very Good, Guitar. •Math - Colin DeHaven, Fifth place. •Speech - Adam Nowak - Excellent, Eric Ritchie - Excellent, Luke Nowak - Excellent, Joe Will - Good. All students are from Brockport except George Barton and Levi Peers who are from Spencerport; Eric Ritchie of Holley; Katie Rich of Albion. |
