LISD School Newsletter
We got a lot accomplished at our last school work party - and we are ready to do it again! A few hours of your time on Saturday will make a big difference to our school. We have lots of needs: indoor and outdoor work, landscaping, concrete mixing, pothole repair, painting, pressure-washing, etc. Meet up at 10am by the flagpole or show up later and seek out Brady Smith!
Benji Stephenson
What is one of your favorite memories from school? State soccer last year…and also this year. It was a new experience and something that not everybody gets to experience.
What are your plans after high school, and what are you most excited about? I want to travel around and make some money….Europe and also just out of state travel. I am also applying to schools right now. If I like college, I’ll stick with it and get a degree.
What do you hope your life will be like in 10 years? I want to be living comfortably somewhere nice…somewhere different. Hopefully by then, I’ll have accumulated all the money I’ll need in my life.
Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your freshman self? Start taking risks and be yourself. Don’t get stuck doing something just because it’s comfortable.
What is a favorite book, movie, song, or show that tells us something about you? My favorite show is Breaking Bad. It’s perfect in that you’re getting so much and yet so little information, and you end up rooting for the bad guy. I think it means that I can be sympathetic.
Who or what inspires you? I wouldn’t say a single person inspires me, but having people around that get me to be a better version of myself….that’s inspiring.
When you’re not in school or working, how do you like to spend your free time? Doing small things that are helpful to me in whatever I’m into at that time. Like for track this year, I’ll spend time free working on mobility work or stretching or other things to improve.
In what ways do you want to have a positive impact on the world in the future? I want to be a person who brings out the best in other people.
What else do you think people should know about you? I might seem closed off sometimes, but I think I’m a pretty approachable person.
Nikolai Kazakov
What is one of your favorite memories from school? State soccer championship last year. It’s hard to beat that one. Getting to compete with all my friends was really cool.
What are your plans after high school, and what are you most excited about? I plan to go to a four-year college next year in state and I’m thinking about something in the engineering field. I’m also really excited about the Japan trip, but that’s happening before graduation.
What do you hope your life will be like in 10 years? I hope to be successful in my career and have the freedom and ability to travel. I want to enjoy my life and have some financial freedom.
Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your freshman self? I would tell myself that I don’t need to focus on every single assignment as if it is a final exam. That’s a way to burn out. I would manage my time differently…spending less time on smaller assignments and focus more on the bigger assignments.
What is the most meaningful assignment or project given to you by a teacher? My 9th grade portrait of an elder project was most significant because it allowed me to see what someone else’s entire life is like. I interviewed Marion Speidel. My grandparents knew her. I learned a lot about how her work and her hobbies were similar.
What is a favorite book, movie, song, or show that tells us something about you? The Little Prince gave me the idea that our perceptions of things can change without us realizing it. I feel like I do look back introspectively about how my initial perception of something might be different now or different when I look at it from another angle.
Who or what inspires you? My grandparents because they focus on goals or what they’re working on, rather than any negatives. When I’m like this, it helps me be productive. I don’t like being stressed about things I don’t need to be stressed about.
When you’re not in school or working, how do you like to spend your free time? I like to practice songs on my guitar, sometimes read books, play video games, and I just usually like hanging out with friends.
In what ways do you feel you have had an impact on your community? As far as the school community goes, I’ve been ASB treasurer for four years, and I helped coach youth soccer last fall.
In what ways do you want to have a positive impact on the world in the future? One of the things I really value is honesty. I want to encourage others to be honest too, even though it can be difficult sometimes.
Lopez Island School District
Brady Smith, Superintendent
Martha Martin, K-12 Principal
The Lopez Island School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employee(s) has been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator, and Title IX Coordinator Sarah Rucker; Section 504, Mary Fordham. OR contact by phone, 360-468-2202, OR mail to 86 School Rd, Lopez Island, WA 98261.