March 2016
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WIAA Names Tacoma’s Kaikala and Cheney’s Vandine as Give Me 5 Star Students of the Month
3/10/2016
Isaiah Kaikala is an eighth grader at Keithley Middle School and Aubree Vandine is a seventh grader at Cheney Middle School.
Renton, Wash. - The WIAA is pleased to announce Isaiah Kaikala of Keithley Middle School and Aubree Vandine of Cheney Middle School as the February “Give Me 5” Star Students of the Month.
 Kaikala is an eighth grader at Keithley Middle School in Tacoma and embodies the term “student-athlete." An outstanding wrestler on the middle school team, Kaikala, took home his first league championship last season. After narrowly missing out on a second league championship, Kaikala displayed exceptional sportsmanship in his final match.
“He exemplifies the true meaning of never give up,” said Kyle Foster, Keithley’s Athletic Director. “I don’t know if in all of my 24 years of teaching/coaching that I have had a student-athlete that is willing to work as hard as he does, with a perpetual smile on his face.”
He is also a member of the football, basketball and track teams. In addition, Kaikala never misses school, has an infectious positive attitude and is part of the Team Toss’Em Wrestling Club and the Kolt Crew.
 Vandine is a seventh grader at Cheney Middle School and is a shining example of sportsmanship. Vandine is a member of the seventh grade junior varsity basketball team and stood out during a game against a school with a special needs student-athlete on it. Vandine not only wore a special colored jersey so the opposing athlete could better remember who she was guarding, but Aubree coached the athlete, reminding her to run down the court, taking her hand and showing her where to be, displaying amazing sportsmanship and a true sense of compassion.
“I am so proud of the sportsmanship she showed toward a student who needed a little something extra to have a positive experience,” said Cheney Middle School Principal, Mike Stark. “I think what I like the most about Aubree is that she didn’t help her opponent for rewards or special recognition. She helped an opponent because it’s the right thing to do and because that’s just the kind of kid Aubree is.”
In addition to basketball, Vandine is also member of the Cheney Middle School Drama, Orchestra and Summit teams. In the summer, she volunteers at Hoopfest in Spokane and is active in the Parks and Rec department.
The students will be featured on the Activities Matter website and the Middle Level website. The monthly campaign is dedicated to highlighting two middle school students that demonstrate the core principles of the program; honor, sportsmanship, courage, respect, and citizenship.
The Activities Matter website was launched at the beginning of the 2015 school year and is designed to be a resource for member schools and their communities to support the case for interscholastic sports and activities. Activities Matter consolidates a variety of dynamic resources, programs, and original content to highlight the long-term benefits associated with student participation in sports and activities.
To nominate a student for the “Give Me 5 Star Student of the Month” please log into “MyWIAA” and click on the “Give Me 5 Star Student of the Month Nomination” link under “Forms.”
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