And the winners were … everybody, one way or another! West Seattle Elementary hosted a state-qualifying chess tournament earlier this month. Chess program coordinator Ritchie Garcia shared photos and this report:
We had 120 participants from mostly 1st to 6th grade. The event had students from more than 40 Seattle-area schools. Over 30 kids qualified to participate in the state tournament that will take place later this year in Tacoma.
In the 1st -3rd grade section, the top schools were Genesee Hill, Stevens, and Wedgwood elementary leading the group. In the 4th – 6th section the top winning schools were West Seattle Elementary, Cascadia Elementary, and Washington Middle School coming in first place. Parents expressed their gratitude for having a state qualifying tournament nearby.
Hosting the event at West Seattle Elementary allows our school to open registration to our lower-income student population for free. Our school also offers a free chess club twice a week to our students. The tournament proceeds help fund the chess program and give more opportunities to our student population.
West Seattle Elementary is hoping to make this a yearly event. WSE is one of the schools that will receive a facilities upgrade due to the recent passing of the levies. It will improve the event in future years as the spacing is very tight for students throughout the year as well as the event.
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