For the first time EVER, Los Arboles Middle School has a championship team from the California State competition for National History Day!  This is a huge accomplishment for these girls, and now we need your help to get them (and their families) to the competition in College Park, Maryland, near Washington, D.C., June 14th – June 18th, 2015.

Entered in the category Junior Division (6th, 7th, and 8th grade) Group Performance, the girls told the story of Julia Morgan, the first licensed female architect in the state of California and the designer of Hearst Castle.  The theme for this year’s competition is “Leadership and Legacy in History,” and the title of their play is “From Tiny Bungalows to Enchanted Castles:  Julia Morgan, a Leader for Women in the Workplace and a Legacy of Amazing Architecture.”

Here is our budget (updated May 27th):

Registration: $105 per student and $40 for their teacher/chaperone:  $355 total for registration for the contest.

Room and board at the University of Maryland, College Park, in the student dorms:  $354 per person, or $1,416 for the three girls and the teacher/chaperone.

Flights:  approximately $700 each (flight, taxes, and baggage fees … we have a lot of props to get there).  The actual cost of the tickets for the three girls and their teacher/chaperone was $2,106.60.  Estimated baggage fees $300 for three girls and their teacher/chaperone.

Miscellaneous:  Metro tickets $40 each ($160 total).  

Shipping fee for background prop:  $138, plus $25 handling/storage fee for University of Maryland.  Who knew that shipping a cardboard backdrop would be so expensive?!?!

 We are budgeting $1,300 total for each student, $1,200 for the teacher/chaperone, and $1,200 for each family member, rounding up to account for other miscellaneous expenses and this website’s processing fee.

For three students and one teacher, we need to raise $5,100.  That is our primary goal.

For family members, we need to raise another $2,400.  We would like one parent to go with each student, to share the excitement of the adventure.  If we can raise some, or all of this, to help family members attend with their children, it would be amazing!

For three students, one teacher/chaperone, and a family member for each student:  we need to raise $7,500,

If you would like to make a donation via credit card on this website, please keep in mind that Go Fund Me charges us an 8% processing fee.   If you do make a donation by credit card, perhaps you will consider making it for 8% more to cover the processing fee.

If you would like to mail us a donation, or drop it off at the school, we get to keep it all, and your donation goes further:  

Los Arboles Middle School
Attn:  "National History Day Team Fund"
294 Hillcrest Avenue
Marina, CA  93933

Either way is OK with us.  We appreciate your help so much!!!


Read on for more information about this amazing team of students and their journey to the National History Day competition.


2013 Monterey County History Day winners! 
Gabriella Gallo-Rodriguez (“Gaby G.”), Tara Smith, and Gabriella Flanders (“Gabby F.”) have been working together in the Group Performance category for three years.  Nick named “Team Martha Graham,” they started together in 6th grade.  The photo above is of them winning at the 2013 Monterey County History Day, when the theme was “Turning Points in History,” with their performance about Martha Graham. 

As a part of their research, Gabby F. learned choreography inspired by the style of Martha Graham.  The girls researched and rehearsed after school every Monday and Friday, for the entire school year, plus many holidays and weekends.

 
2014 Monterey County History Day winners!
The following year, the girls had the theme of “Rights and Responsibilities in History,” and they did their project on motorcycle helmet laws in California.  Considered a non-traditional topic for a group of girls, all three have connections with motorcycle riders in their families.  As a part of their research for this performance, they were able interview the state legislator who was the co-author of the universal motorcycle helmet laws for California.  

2014 was Tara’s turn to pick the topic and she included multiple interviews with peace officers and first responders.  To improve their performing skills, the girls all joined the after school Drama Club at Los Arboles Middle School, sponsored by the City of Marina.  The photo above shows them winning at the 2014 Monterey County History Day.  


2015 Monterey County History Day winners!

For their third year together, it was Gaby G.'s turn to pick the topic, and she went with Julia Morgan.  They wanted to feature a local topic and a strong female leader.  They made many field trips to several of Miss. Morgan's buildings, observing how her designs have stood the test of time.  They again won at the Monterey County level and hoped that the third time to the state competition would be the charm ...


2015 California State History Day Co-Champions

A reporter interviews Julia Morgan on the work site (Tara and Gaby G. at California State History Championships, May 8, 2015, William Jessup University, Rocklin, California).



Tara, Gaby G., and Gabby F. being interviewed by the judges in the first round at the state competition on May 8th.  Each entry is interviewed about their research process, their use of primary sources, and the historical context of their topic.

After the first morning of competiton, Friday, May 8th, the judges narrowed the competition from a first round of 22 performances from all over California, to a final round of nine performances.  See page 7 of this link for the final round entries:  
 List of finalists 2015 CA-NHD

That afternoon, the girls performed a second time ... as the very last group of the day.  However, we had to wait until the next day for the results.  Friday was Tara's 14th  birthday, and we were hoping for a BIG present!

At the award ceremony, on Saturday, May 9th, the first surprise was a special award with a $100 prize, from the California Historical Society.  See the first page of this link:  
List of Special Awards 2015 CA-NHD 

The girls had just come back from collecting their special award, when their names were read off as co-champions.  The suprise, elation, and shock was evident on their faces!  Best Mother's Day present ever!  See page 14 of this link for the list of state champions:  
List of State Champions 2015 CA-NHD 



What is National History Day?

Learn about the contest, from the local level to the national level.  Think of National History Day as something like science fair for history students.



It's Time To Go To National History Day!

Learn what the excitement is all about:  a preview of the actual National History Day competition at the University of Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C.



Why Teachers Love National History Day!

Learn about the research process:  turning students into historians.



Helpful Links:

National History Day

California State History Day

Monterey County History Day