Fremont Tribune Local News
Middle school students enjoy playing chess
By Kylie Morrison-Sloat/School to Career Intern
Posted: Wednesday, April 14, 2010 11:00 am
Eighth-graders Riley Beranek and Jared Louden sit at a lunch table in Fremont Middle School on a Tuesday morning before classes start.
Between them are a knight, queen, king and castle. These students are not studying medieval politics. They are participating in chess club.
A cart of chess boards and other games was wheeled to the cafeteria and boys slowly trickled to the table. Eventually, eight boys and one girl were playing or watching several games of chess.
“Life is a game, like chess, that depends on the moves you make,” Chess Club sponsor Diane Johnson said.
Johnson, an eighth-grade science teacher, started chess club about four years ago.
“I started it for students who weren’t into sports or music,” Johnson said.
She did not even know how to play the game and learned from students. She has only won about two games since the beginning of the club.
The club is open to anyone in all three grades and has anywhere from four to 12 students who participate. They meet at 7:20 a.m. once a week all year in the cafeteria.
“It is a good opportunity for students to learn a life skill game, activate their brain cells and meet new people,” Johnson said.
Beranek and Louden enjoy the weekly opportunity to get together and play chess.
“There is nothing else to do in the morning and we like playing chess,” Beranek said.
Source: http://fremonttribune.com
They all must play chess. It’s important for their brains.