Kamiakin School 8th Grade Band hosts

prestigious violinist from Seattle Symphony

Members of Kamiakin’s 8th grade Symphonic Band and Orchestra recently hosted violinist, Ada Ash (pictured in chair) who was a member of the Seattle Symphony in the early 1940s.

Ash, who recently turned 93, brought along her daughter and son-in-law as well as her grandson and step-daughter, Steven and Yasaman Koppel, who are the parents of Kamiakin band member Sam Koppel. Sam (pictured, front center) plays baritone and was proud to have four generations of his family present.

Ash told stories about the early days of the Seattle Symphony under the direction of Sir Thomas Beecham. The band and orchestra members listened carefully as Ash spoke of her experiences in the orchestra, favorite composers, her audition and her personal reflections on the importance of music within the schools and each student’s life.

The Seattle Symphony had its first performance in 1903 and is now celebrating its 106th year as one of our country’s most recorded and foremost orchestras.

International Community School ranked No. 1 school in state by Business Week

International Community School, a choice school of the Lake Washington School District, has been ranked as the No. 1 high school in Washington for best overall academic performance by BusinessWeek.

BusinessWeek.com worked with GreatSchools, a San-Francisco-based nonprofit organization that rates schools and provides an online community for parents, and came up with the best high schools in each state in a number of different categories.

Rankings are based on weighted test scores in all categories. The schools with the Best Overall Academic Performance had the best weighted test scores, with math and reading weighted twice as heavily as science. For Washington, the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) was used for the ranking.

“This recognition by BusinessWeek is a welcome acknowledgement of the success that occurs when a well integrated curriculum, an exceptionally passionate staff and a highly motivated student body are combined in the pursuit of deeper understanding,” said John Heil, an ICS Advanced Placement science teacher and Honor Society advisor.

International Community School is open to all students from around the Lake Washington School District, which serves students in grades 7 -12.