2025 Scholastic Art and Writing Award Press Release

This year, all the 8th graders and a few high school students at Liberty Bell High School competed in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is the nation’s longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens. Former national award winners include writers such as Truman Capote, Sylvia Plath, Joyce Carol Oates, Stephen King, John Updike, and Amanda Gorman, as well as visual artists such as Andy Warhol, John Lithgow, Robert Redford, and Ken Burns. Every year, thousands of students across the country submit art and writing to several categories for consideration. The three possible awards for the regional competition are Gold Key, Silver Key, and Honorable Mention. This year LBHS students submitted work in the following categories: Short Story, Personal Narrative, Flash Fiction, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Novel Writing, Poetry, and Photography. All the 8th-grade students submitted writing through their Humanities class. A few high school students submitted independently. In the first round, students compete in the Region At-Large West division, which includes students from grades 8-12 in the 13 western states.

This year, LBHS celebrates four Gold Key winners. These individuals earned the highest regional award and their work will now be considered for the national competition. National Medalists and their educators will be honored with a star-studded ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Our Gold Key winners are freshmen Rowan Kelly and Elliot Pixie-Plott and 8th graders Ally Hovee and Izzy Vintin.

Rowan earned a Gold Key in the Flash Fiction category for her piece entitled “In Retrospect”. She also earned a Silver Key in the Short Story category for her piece entitled “Bag of Oranges”. In addition, Rowan earned an Honorable Mention award in Poetry for a poem called “Illuminate”.

Elliot earned a Gold Key in Short Story for a story called “The Protector of Prague”. Elliot also earned a Silver Key in Photography for a piece called “Looking Down To.” In addition, he earned an Honorable Mention in Poetry for a piece called “Gummy Butterflies”.

Ally earned a Gold Key in the Short Story category for her story called “God Killer”.

Izzy earned a Gold Key in Photography for a piece called “Sky Photos”.

Two other 8th graders earned a Silver Key in writing. Lena DeCuir earned Silver Key in the Science Fiction/Fantasy category with a piece called “No Way Out”. Avery Vracin earned a Silver Key in Short Story for her piece called “The Cuppa Comfort Cafe”.

Several students also earned an Honorable Mention award. 8th grader Aria Covell earned Honorable Mention in Poetry for a piece called “Emergency Guide for Saving the Earth”. 8th grader Porter Evans earned an Honorable Mention in Short Story for a piece called “rookie year”. 10th grader Asher Fisher earned Honorable Mention in Poetry for a piece called “Things My Ancestor Once Knew”. 8th grader Sarina Hodge earned Honorable Mention in Short Story

Short Story for a piece called “A Timeless Sight”. 8th grader Caleb Thomson earned Honorable Mention in Short Story for a piece called “The Proud Jamaican”.

LBHS saw outstanding performances from both the boys and girls wrestling teams this past weekend at the CWB Boys and Girls League Wrestling Championships. Looking beyond the league championships, these highly anticipated events also served as a qualifying meet for next week’s District 5 Wrestling Tournament at Highland (Yakima), where LBHS wrestlers will compete for a spot at the WIAA 2B State Wrestling Tournament.

Although we don't have all of the final results, we are thrilled to share what we know about the standout performances from the weekend:

• Damien Spears took home the CWB Championship, dominating Okanogan’s Austin Morgan with a pin in the second period.
• Cassidy Mowen earned the CWB/CTL Championship for the girls' division, securing a first-period pin over Bailey Pio of Brewster.
• Maeve Belsby took 1st place, winning by a fall over Carly Clark of Tonasket.
• Kady Hammer takes 3rd place and Mazie Gibb and Nova Gehring each placed 4th in their respective weight classes.
• Richie Lara, Javier Lopez-Velasco, Yolo Paz, and Lucien Paz all claimed impressive second-place finishes in their respective weight classes.
• Landon Schmekel, Liam Kiefer, and Alex Ramsay-George secured solid 3rd place finishes.
• Sam Kaltenbach earned 5th place, while Andy Garcia-Lopez and Jayden Covarrubias were fighting for 5th/6th place.

A program is on the rise, these results are a testament to the dedication and commitment displayed by the LBHS wrestlers and coaches.

All eyes will be on the Mountain Lions as they prepare for the upcoming WIAA 2B State Wrestling Tournament, taking place on February 21-22 at the Tacoma Dome.

We look forward to sharing more updates as our athletes continue to display high levels of success, on the mat, in the classroom, and in the community.

Go Mountain Lions!

The LBHS Mountain Lions Boys Basketball team emerged victorious in a thrilling and intense battle on the court yesterday, defeating the #2 seeded Okanogan Bulldogs with a nail-biting score of 54-53. The hard-fought win was a true team effort, with every player contributing to the final outcome.

This victory propels the Mountain Lions into the league finals, where they will face the top-seeded Lake Roosevelt Raiders. The stakes are high, as both teams will be vying for seeding in the upcoming District Tournament.

The league final is set to take place on Tuesday, February 11, at Okanogan High School, with tip-off scheduled for 7:00 pm. Don’t miss what promises to be an exciting and high-energy showdown between two of the league’s best teams.

Go Mountain Lions!

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Liberty Bell High School is thrilled to announce Haida Ikeda as the new Head Coach for Track and Field. Haida has been a dedicated part of the LBHS athletics community, serving as an assistant coach for high school track and field since 2022 and coaching middle school cross country since 2021.

Haida grew up in Issaquah, WA, where she competed in track and field and played soccer in high school. She continued her athletic career at Western Washington University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science while competing on both the cross country and track and field teams, where she also served as team captain.

Beyond coaching, Haida has worked in fisheries and for the Methow Valley School District as a substitute teacher and paraeducator. Recently, she completed a Master of Arts in Teaching (Secondary Science), furthering her commitment to education and student development.

Haida is dedicated to designing excellent training opportunities and fostering a positive and cohesive team culture, all with the ultimate goal of providing every athlete a chance to flourish. Her experience, leadership, and passion for both athletics and education make Haida an excellent fit to lead the program.

Please join us in welcoming Coach Ikeda to this new role—Go Mountain Lions!

Orlo Parkinson and Kyra Hickman participated in the 2025 Poetry Out Loud Regional finals this past weekend. Escorted by Poetry Out Loud instructor, Kelly Grayum and ILC Principal, Sara Mounsey, Orlo and Kyra delivered exceptional performances, with each, "reciting two poems with poise and panache."
Orlo was named one of the two finalists for the state competition in Tacoma, scheduled to take place on March 8. The other finalist is Sydney Frost of Mt. Spokane High School. Sydney was a finalist last year, along with Leki Albright.
Kyra, representing the ILC, recited Abandoned Farmhouse, by Ted Kooser and Meanwhile, by Richard Siken. Orlo, representing LBHS, recited Weighing In, by Rhina P. Espaillat and Istanbul 1983, by Sheila Black.
Noteworthy, Orlo, a sophomore, was the only underclassman competing in the event. The other 8 competitors were juniors and seniors hailing from the Spokane, Okanogan and Walla Walla areas.
Please join us as we congratulate our MVSD students, Orlo Parkinson and Kyra Hickman, Poetry Out Loud advisors, Kelly Grayum and Cam Alford, and thank Methow Arts and the Public School Funding Alliance (PSFA) for their continued support of the arts and our students.

Last night, 14 incredibly talented Methow Valley School District students took center stage at the Poetry Out Loud District Finals, competing for a chance to represent the district at the regional level. Among them, Kyra Hickman (ILC) and Orlo Parkinson (LBHS) emerged as the top two finalists, earning spots in the 2025 National Poetry Out Loud Regional Finals in Spokane.

Elliot Pixie-Plott (LBHS), Anja Merkens (LBHS), and Lily Arntsen (ILC) were also recognized as runner-ups and alternates, showcasing exceptional performances throughout the competition.

We also wish to recognize LBHS student Liam Kiefer for his soothing musical accompaniment throughout the event.

After the event, LBHS Humanities and Drama Teacher Kelly Grayum remarked, "I do not envy our judges. The performances were outstanding across the board, with only the slightest differences separating the competitors."

This marks the 13th consecutive year of Methow Valley School District’s participation in the National Poetry Out Loud competition, further cementing the district’s commitment to fostering student creativity and artistic expression. Kyra and Orlo now join an impressive roster of district, regional, and state finalists who have been recognized for their remarkable performances in this prestigious contest.

We invite the community to join us in celebrating the achievements of all the MVSD Poetry Out Loud participants and to acknowledge the dedicated efforts of LBHS Humanities and Drama Teachers Kelly Grayum and Cam Alford, as well as the district’s Poetry Out Loud Coach, Kira Wood-Cramer, our judges, the Merc, the Public School Funding Alliance, and Methow Arts for their unwavering support of the arts and our students.

Dear Methow Valley Students, Parents, and Community Members,

Due to inclement weather and adverse driving conditions, the MVSD is closed today. When our schools are closed, all after-school athletic programs, events, and activities are cancelled. This includes the cancellation of tonight’s Poetry Out Loud event. 

As a result, we will be rescheduling the Poetry Out Loud event. We will work to identify a new date and will share that information as soon as possible. 

In the meantime, stay safe and we’ll see you again soon.

Best wishes,

Kelly Grayum

Teacher

Liberty Bell Junior-Senior High

Elyse Darwood

Principal

Liberty Bell Junior-Senior High

Sara Mounsey

Principal

ILC Principal

Due to heavy snow fall and expected poor road conditions, all MVSD activities, MV Nordic, AAU Basketball and Winthrop Rink Hockey will be cancelled for December 17th..