IContact 20140306

The following message went out to our iContact list on 2014-03-06:

Texas School SCRABBLE Championship

=== Magnolia Vista Team Wins Texas School SCRABBLE Championship ===

Magnolia Vista 8th graders Ben Johnson and Jacob Sass captured first place last Saturday at the Texas School SCRABBLE Championship. These two players had already earned the respect of TSSC volunteers who watched them compete in previous school tournaments.

ABOVE First place winners Ben Johnson, left, and Jacob Sass, right, receive congratulations from Chris Cree, center.

ABOVE Second place winners Daniel Gil, lower left, and Johnny Milo, lower right, are congratulated by Chris Cree.

All 14 of Magnolia Vista's competing team members brought their A Game, a fact confirmed on their T-shirts, and backed up by team members Johnny Milo and Daniel Gil, who took second place.

ABOVE Third place winners Dan Luong, left, and Mark McLean, right, stand in the winner's circle with Chris Cree, center.

St. John the Apostle's 8th grade team members Dan Luong and Mark McLean claimed third place, and as of this week, reports had it that "they are still on cloud 9." NASPA's charitable arm, the NAWGPA Foundation for Youth Literacy, donated funds for the prizes and will help underwrite a lucky team to the National School SCRABBLE Championship. An anonymous donor provided further support. All 4th-8th graders are eligible to compete for the $10,000 first prize at the 2014 National School SCRABBLE Tournament at Hasbro, Inc. in Providence, RI this April.

Over half a million students play SCRABBLE games in their classrooms thanks to Hasbro's National School SCRABBLE Program. Teachers in grades 4-8 use the game to build on vocabulary, spelling, math and spatial relationship skills.

Many of these students who have done well and had fun playing often go on to successful game play against adults on the NASPA tournament circuit. We appreciate the efforts of teachers and parents who support their students' desire to compete in School SCRABBLE tournaments, and we thank them for providing vital support to this program.

— Chris Cree