Inner-City School Wins National Chess Title
Wilmington, DE (PRWEB) May 15, 2014 -- Thomas Edison Charter School, where over 95% of the students live at, or below the poverty level, competed and won a National Title at the United States Chess Federation (USCF) National Elementary Chess Championship in Dallas, Texas on Sunday, May 11, 2014. The students from Thomas Edison competed against over 35 teams and 230 students from May 9th – May 11th in the K-6 Under 1000 section and tied for 1st place with a Montessori magnet school from Minneapolis, MN. The entire national chess tournament included more than 2,200 students from 37 different states, with over 600 teams competing in 12 sections. Edison was the only school from Delaware competing in the National Tournament, but persevered to bring home Delaware’s first National Scholastic Chess Championship. A total of 25 Edison students, in three different sections, traveled to Dallas for this tournament and to Atlanta, Georgia in April for the Junior High National Chess Championship.
The four players on the winning team from Edison included two males and two females. It is rare when a team that is comprised of 50% male and 50% female wins a National Chess Championship. Cashmere Young, 6th grade, the team’s top player, scored 6 points and tied for 2nd place. Madalyn Yates and Mark Coney, 5th grade, finished with 5 points and tied for 19th place. Shanea Higgin, 6th grade, finished with 4.5 points and tied for 46th place. Thomas Edison is the home of one of the most fierce all-female chess teams in the nation. They have won the Mid-Atlantic All-Girls Chess Championship three of the past four years.
This winning team is led by Principal Salome Thomas-EL, award-winning educator and author of two best-selling books, “I Choose To Stay” and “The Immortality of Influence.” Principal EL is capturing the attention of many by committing to building the emotional resilience and intellectual well-being of children everywhere. Principal EL has been featured on C-SPAN, CNN, NPR, Oprah Radio and The Dr. Oz Show.
Thomas Edison Charter School is "Educating and Elevating Every Student, Every Day, to attend the best high schools and colleges. No Excuses!"
Elizabeth Yates, Thomas Edison Charter School, http://www.thomasedison.charter.k12.de.us, +1 302-420-5588, [email protected]
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