Heber students win in countywide academic competitions
IMPERIAL COUNTY – Heber Elementary School District (HESD) students were recently recognized as winners of two countywide competitions hosted by the Imperial County Office of Education (ICOE).
According to a press release from HESD, nine Heber students placed in the top three of their categories in the Imperial County National History Day competition, five of which will be advancing to the statewide competition in Sacramento.
In the countywide Migrant
Speech and Debate competition, seven Heber students earned awards for their work, according to the release.
Per the release, Heber’s winners in the National History Day competition included: Melanie Sandoval, Angelina Hensley, Kymani Hassan, Alessandra Miranda, Katie Gastelum, Sophia Nolasco, Gael Lopez, and Alexa Miranda Fino. Ana Victoria Nava was awarded best-over-all for her presentation of Athena, Goddess of Wisdom.
Heber’s awardees for the speech and debate competition include: Vania Ramirez, Arlene Ochoa, Cristian Nogales, Elizabeth Castro, Cristyn Nogales, Edwin Flores and Vicka Ramirez.
“The caliber of our student presentations and speeches shows that Heber students are being prepared well to become confident leaders and learners,” Juan Cruz, HESD Superintendent, said in the press release. “I’ve long believed that Heber Schools are the Imperial Valley’s best kept-secret and our students are the shining example of why.”
According to the release, ICOE’s Curriculum and Instruction Department coordinates the academic student events, including the Imperial
County National History Day competition. “These events bring rich learning opportunities for students to experience and engage in while preparing for college and career readiness,” it reads.
The Migrant Education Program at ICOE coordinates the annual speech and debate competition “to provide a meaningful context for migrant students to strengthen their English language skills by applying and practicing key syntactic structures and vocabulary in all areas of English language development,” the release reads.
“I’m extremely proud of our students for the hard work they put in preparing their displays and their speeches,” HESD school board President, Pompeyo Tabarrez, Jr., said in the release. “Our students worked many hours to get ready for these competitions and it shows.”
“I’m so proud of our students for their hard work preparing for these competitions,” Heber Elementary School Principal Cynthia Silva said in the release.
“I’m extremely thankful to our teachers and staff who worked with the students to get them ready,” the principal said.