News

Luca Valle (SGS '06, Occidental College '10) has been awarded a Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholarship to Indonesia to teach English as a foreign language. He is one of over 1,500 U.S. citizens who will travel abroad for the 2010-11 academic year through the Fulbright Program. "Indonesia is an incredibly diverse nation," says Luca. "So many different cultures, languages, faiths, and traditions can be found in one convenient (but expansive) archipelago, and I think that wherever there is diversity, the opportunities to challenge the way you think increase tenfold." He will be an English Teaching Assistant (ETA) and an unofficial cultural ambassador in a village on the island of Sulawesi. "I will be teaching them about American culture, correcting any misconceptions they might have about the American people, and giving them the chance to hang out with a "real" American for nine months... something very few of them will have had the opportunity to do. I've been told that most of the people in the village I'll be living in have never seen a white person before." Luca is the first student to receive a Fulbright ETA position to this school in Indonesia. "I'll probably have a huge influence on how the program is run, which is very exciting!"

Read US Head Russell Werkman's account of the Senior Class Trip down the Spokane River's rapids in the latest SG Magazine. Don't miss the Photo Gallery that chronicles the wet and wild trip!

The Spring Saint George's Magazine is in the mail and on the website. Our students finished off the school year with an amazing variety of events, trips and performances! View the full Magazine or see individual photos and articles on the Publications page. And don't miss the many links to related photo galleries under Extra Features.

Coach Mark Rickard finished the CDA Ironman Race on Sunday in a time of 13:54:20. That was good enough for 1392nd place after swimming 2.4 miles, cycling 112 miles, and running 26.2 miles. Mark appreciated all of the Dragon supporters who cheered him on. "With 13 miles left, your brain is making you move forward because from the waist down you feel terrible," says Mark. In Seattle, Upper School Head Russell Werkman and wife, Sarah, walked 26.2 miles on Saturday in the Seattle Rock n' Roll Marathon. As part of Team in Training -- coached by cross country coach Josh Hayes and wife Lyssa -- they raised over $1500 to fight leukemia. Way to go Dragons!

The May Term dance class performed an unexpected "Flash Mob" dance in the RiverPark Square atrium for surprised shoppers on Friday, June 4. See the video of their moves on School Tube.

The Spokane Civic Theatre will honor SGS drama teacher Jeanne Hardie at its annual Endowment Awards Dinner on July 16. She will receive the margot and Robert Ogden Lifetime Achievement Award for her work as an actor, director, choreographer, and instructor for the community theatre. Along with performing in a variety of roles on the Civic's stage, she formed and ran for two decades the Box'n'Hat Players, a community musical theatre troupe for students. The awards event on July 16 begins with hors d'oeuvres at 6:30 p.m., followed by the awards and a showcase at 7:30 p.m. of the Civic's next season musical productions. The evening ends with dessert and champagne. Cost is $30 per person, with tickets available through the Civic Theatre's box office. In her nearly 15 years at Saint George's, first as a part-time drama teacher and now full-time, Jeanne has directed, choreographed and coached Middle and Upper School students in annual musical and drama productions. "In the classes I try to instill a love for theater, along with basic performing skills," she says. Congratulations, Jeanne, for a richly deserved honor!

Nik Vishwanath and Sowmya Mangipudi opened state tennis play in Yakima last week with singles wins before exiting in the consolation round semifinals. Sully Blake also representated Saint George's at the state tournament, as did doubles pair Matei Alexianu and Austin Henderson, although all three were out after two losses. Congratulations to all five players and coach Brandon Ferris for a great season!