Last month Charles Wright’s student newspaper, The Academy Times, became the second Washington state publication inducted into the National Scholastic Press Association’s Hall of Fame, an honor reserved for the nation’s best student newspapers, yearbooks and literary magazines.  Inductees must have earned 10 All-American ratings from the NSPA within an 11-year span. The Academy Times newspaper has earned that rating a total of 14 times in the past 20 years. Read the rest of this entry »

The halls of the Upper School have been buzzing this week with the rumor that the Seahawks drum line, Blue Thunder, might perform at Charles Wright’s homecoming on October 17.  We’re happy to report that rumor is absolutely true!  CWA students Kate Ellwanger, Alex King, Angela Yang and a host of other stomping, clapping, back-up-singing students have recorded their own version of Ben Lee’s song “Catch My Disease.”  Now they’re out trying to catch Blue Thunder on a Seattle radio station.  But, and here’s the catch, they need your votes! Read the rest of this entry »

There are a lot of very talented people working at Charles Wright Academy and the visual arts department is helping everyone discover some of those hidden talents with the Faculty/Staff Art Show.  The gallery at the entrance to the Upper School is now adorned with the work of seventeen CWA teachers and staff members.  There are paintings, quilts, drawings, photographs, pottery, mixed-medium pieces and a number of installations involving home-grown vegetables.  Get a taste of what you’re missing with this photo gallery and then drop by the Upper School to see the real deal.  Read the rest of this entry »

Today is the first day of classes at Charles Wright and the beginning of the school’s 51st year.  For the next nine months, 730 students will call this campus home.  As one Upper School student commented, “It’s a great day to be a Tarrier!” Read the rest of this entry »

Upper School biology teacher Ryan Johnson has done some interesting things with his life, including once riding his mountain bike from New Mexico to Maine. He topped that this summer when he embarked on one of the world’s most challenging adventure races. “If you have not done the Alaska Mountain Wilderness Classic, do not too widely brag about any extreme adventure races you have done,” cautions on the Alaska Alpine Club’s website. “If you have done the Alaska Mountain Wilderness Classic, and survived, you might not brag about things anymore.”

We’re pleased to report that Johnson made it back to civilization with all ten fingers and all ten toes. Here’s his report.

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On Saturday, June 7, Charles Wright Academy celebrated its 45th commencement. The class of 2008 selected retiring English teacher BJ Smith to deliver the faculty address. Student responses were offered by Mary Wakefield, Patrick Philley and Russell Wyatt.

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This was a very successful year for Charles Wright’s athletic program.  Across three seasons, the Tarriers racked up eight league championships, five district titles, and two state championships.  Charles Wright athletes competed at the state level in eleven different sports and nine students returned with top-three finishes.  All-league honors were awarded to 49 Tarriers with seven athletes winning honors in more than one sport.  If all-league golf teams had been named this year, that figure would have been well over 50.

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Charles Wright Chaplain Mike Moffitt has produced a new episode of his podcast Waiting for the Whisper.  In this show he focuses on re-creation in various forms.  He interviews students and faculty about their summer plans for recreation.  He interviews Headmaster Rob Camner and Kit Granum, board member, capital campaign co-chair, parent and alum, about the re-creation of the CWA campus with construction of the new language and performing arts center.  Finally, Moffitt sits down with Emily Rome ’08 to talk about graduation, CWA memories and plans for the future.

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The Seattle Post-Intelligencer today published a guest column by Howard Wouters, a member of Charles Wright’s Upper School faculty who will complete his 40th year of teaching math this week.  In this piece, Wouters tackles the tough question of how parents can improve math education in this state.  “Freshmen at the University of Washington can’t solve middle school math problems.  So said 60 of their professors in an open letter released this spring,” begins Wouters.  “If you thought math was a problem just for those students struggling to the pass the WASL and graduate from high school, it’s time to take a second look.” Read the rest of this entry »

By Jim Dempsey

I have been involved in sports for most of my life.  Throughout my experiences, I have come to appreciate the opportunities that athletics provides to test one’s character.  You know the feeling - there are five minutes left in the match and your team is losing.  How am I going to make a difference?  Or, there are two outs, with two strikes, in the bottom of the ninth with runners on base – your team is down by one run – will you crack under the pressure and go down on strikes, or will you be strong enough drive in the winning runs?  Many know the feeling that I am talking about: when one is put in a pressure situation and has to prove his or her ability to come through in the clutch moments. 

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