Portland Public Schools

Pigmice, a robotics team made up of 16 students from Cleveland High School and one from Franklin, completed its most successful year with a strong performance at the FIRST Robotics Championships, also known as “worlds,” in Houston, Texas.

The team finished 21^st out of 66 teams in its division’s qualifying matches after going 5-5, and was chosen to take part in the playoffs as part of a four-team “alliance.” The alliance won all four of its quarterfinal and semifinal matches before losing in the finals.

The effort in Houston ended a year in which Pigmice -- which started in 2004 as a FIRST LEGO League team -- qualified for the PNW District Championships for the second time and finished 26^th out of 64 teams.

Teams members from Cleveland were seniors Dexter Carpenter, Colin Hale-Brown, Franklin Harding, Nathan Jesudason and Hunter Key; juniors Brendan Burkhart, Orion Capell, Henry McCreery, Kai Morita-Mcvey and Tucker Ramsey; sophomores Milo Beall, Josiah Chan, Jennifer Kuchar and Marcus Polk; and freshmen Jago Dorn and Victor Huynh. Franklin senior Caleb Eby also was on the team. Cynthia Carrell, JJ Heldmann and Sarah Jesudason served as chaperones.

See a full report on the team’s trip to Houston and season

Lincoln journalists win quiz competition: A team from Lincoln High School won the recent National Journalism Quiz Bowl in Anaheim, Calif. The competition tested competitors’ knowledge of current events, media law and terminology, and civics, and was part of the Spring National High School Journalism Convention.

Lincoln’s team members hold a variety of jobs on the school’s publications. Senior Darina Miroedova is editor-in-chief of the yearbook. Junior Evan Reynolds is news and features editor of the Cardinal Times, the school’s student newspaper. Junior Samantha Howard is director of photography for the Beyond the Flock magazine. And junior Evan Reynolds is a news and features editor for the Times.

Students recognized at leadership event: Several PPS students were recognized at the recent César E. Chávez Leadership Conference at Western Oregon University in Monmouth. Roosevelt High School senior Angela Gonzalez won an Outstanding Leadership Award and played an active role in running the conference, which drew more than 1,900 students, including 250 from PPS.

Franklin High's Monserrat Juarez Cervantes received a $1,000 scholarship from Western Oregon. Cleveland's Heavenly Escobar-Meza received honorable mention for her entry in the poetry contest.

The event featured a day of educational and cultural workshops, visits with college representatives, and leadership trainings by nationally recognized speakers and educators.

See a full set of photos from the event