Vernon Elementary kids head to state chess tourney
by Suzanne Pardington, The Oregonian
Thursday March 12, 2009, 9:34 PM
It was the last round of the regional tournament, about the time when Vernon school’s chess team collapses and powerhouse Alameda moves in for a win.
“They were like our nemesis,” said Vernon’s coach, Michael Malone. “We always would come in second.”
But this year, the Vernon players were determined not to let that happen. After a pep talk from Malone, every team member won the last round of games, beating Alameda Elementary for the first time in years.
Vernon, a Portland K-8 school with mostly low-income and minority students, will compete with 550 students from across the state in the Chess for Success State Tournament today and Saturday at the Oregon Convention Center.
The Vernon students are getting a dose of self-confidence from their chess success, along with some valuable academic skills that will help them in high school and beyond.
“We were in shock,” said Brooke Rash, 11, a fifth-grader on the team, after she and her teammates beat their Northeast Portland rival. “It was just a good feeling to win.”
Chess for Success runs after-school chess programs for 3,200 students in 84 low-income schools in Oregon and southwest Washington.
Here is the full article.
They’ll win this year!