Whispering Wind Academy students won several awards at the 4th annual state Mandarin Speech Competition, held last month at Arizona State University, according to a March 9 announcement. The students earned first, second, and third place finishes across multiple grade divisions.
The achievement highlights the dedication of the students and the strength of Whispering Wind Academy’s Mandarin Immersion program. The competition included participants from kindergarten through sixth grade, with Whispering Wind Academy students placing in every division.
In the fifth and sixth grade division, Donovan Beebe-Caramanna and Kiara Shah took first place, while Samantha Anderson and Kian Shah placed second. For fourth grade, Jaxon Keane and Addie Lim won first place; Zach Thompson earned second; Nadia Schrock and Mathieu Carney received third. In the second and third grade group, Laurelin Benefiel and Quinn Sidoff secured first place; Isla Collier and Remi Reim came in second; Ellie Shipman finished third. Kindergarteners Milo Land, Galilea Martinez, Isabel Mejia, and Isla Sobek achieved third place in their category.
Paradise Valley Unified School District promotes anti-racism, equity, and inclusion in its policies and practices, according to the official website. The district also focuses on engaging and inspiring students through quality instruction and dynamic learning experiences per the official website.
Paradise Valley Unified School District operates under a board of school trustees as noted on its official website, serves the Paradise Valley area in Arizona as indicated on its official site, offers community learning centers and magnet programs to enhance educational opportunities as detailed online, and specializes in public schooling within the education sector according to its official website.
“PVSchools is proud of their accomplishments and is committed to fostering dual language immersion throughout the district, and we are incredibly proud of all of our students for their dedication, courage, and hard work. Competing at the state level is no small feat, and they represented WWA and PVSchools with confidence and excellence,” said school officials.
