Robbie and Jordan Montasser, Houston, announce the birth of their son, Robert Parker Montasser, born Dec. 30, 2006, in Austin, Texas. He has a sister, Ryleigh, 2. Maternal grandparents are Kathy and Terry Bright. Paternal grandparents are Gina and Jerry Davis. Great-grandparents are Robert and Darlene Bright, Lawrence; Harold Carpenter, Kansas City, Kan.; and Joy Carpenter, Dallas.

¢Joshua and Dawn Bright, Duncanville, Texas, announce the birth of their son, Jackson Kole Bright, born April 9, 2007, in Duncanville. He has a brother, Jadon, 6. Maternal grandparents are Carole and Russell Williams. Paternal grandparents are Kathy and Terry Bright. Great-grandparents are Robert and Darlene Bright, Lawrence; Harold Carpenter, Kansas City, Kan.; and Joy Carpenter, Dallas.

¢Cole Reams, a student at Quail Run School, won eighth-place trophies in the K-3 Blitz and K-6 Bughouse Championships at the Elementary National Chess Championships, conducted May 11-13 in Nashville, Tenn. The Quail Run team of Sam Stephens and Aaron Simon also garnered the 22nd-place team trophy in the K-6 Blitz Championships. Several other players from Cordley and Quail Run schools also competed in the seven-round National Championships, in various sections.

¢The Duke University Talent Identification Program is honoring several area seventh-graders who scored well on college-entrance exams. After earning high scores on grade-level achievement tests, the students also took the SAT or ACT test.

The list includes students who earned scores equal to or better than half the college-bound seniors who took the tests. They are recognized at State Recognition Ceremonies.

A Grand Recognition Ceremony at Duke University honors students who received scores equal to or better than 90 percent of college-bound seniors who took the same tests. Those students’ names are marked with an asterisk. Area students include:

Bishop Seabury Academy: Alexandra Hoopes and Maryanne Smith.

West Junior High: Daniel Clausing, Emily Melton, Kylie Rovenstine and Sisira Srisutiva.

South Junior High: Alyssa Crider.

Southwest Junior High: Carolyn Bandle, Nicholas Cohen, Dawson Conway, Leslie Cunningham, Bailey Frei, Amber Hicks, Kelsey Kilburn, Maiko Kitaoka, Adelle Loney, Allison Morte, Nicholas Shaheed, Alan Shi and Joshua Song.

Lexington Trails Middle: Philip Kaul and Austin Showen.

Basehor-Linwood Middle: Russ Clark, Garret Kahle and Alec Smith.

Patton Junior High: Caroline Patelli.

Tonganoxie Middle: Tyler Stockman, Ben Williams, Wesley Williams and Colton Young.

¢Lia DeRoin, Lawrence, was named to the Dean’s List for grades achieved during the winter quarter at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. Students named to the list earned a grade point average of at least 3.75. DeRoin is a senior in the School of Music.

¢Merry Chadwick, Lawrence, performed on a tour in Iowa with the Cantorei Choir at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn. Chadwick, a senior, is an alto in the choir.

¢Alex Jordan Webster, Lawrence, has been admitted to the Honors College at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, and received a Regents’ Distinguished Scholarship and a Vocal Performance Scholarship. Webster, a senior at Lawrence High School, plans to major in biomedicine and vocal performance.

¢Ian Adkins, Lawrence, performed with the Valparaiso University Saxophone Quartet during a chamber music recital on May 1. Adkins, a senior in music education, played the tenor saxophone at the recital. He is the son of Perry and Kaye Adkins. The university is in Valparaiso, Ind.

¢Ryan Bodensteiner, Lawrence, received the Anne L. Christensen Memorial Scholarship for the 2007-2008 academic year from the College of Education and Human Sciences at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. Bodensteiner is a 2004 graduate of Free State High School and is studying elementary education. He is the son of Kim Bodensteiner.

¢Kondja Kamatuka and Marissa Ballard, both of Lawrence, received scholarships for the fall 2007 semester at Pittsburg State University. Kamatuka, a sophomore in music education, received a vocal scholarship. Ballard received the Family and Consumer Sciences Alumni Achievement Award and the Pittsburg State Academic Achievement Award. She is a freshman in family and consumer sciences education.

¢Dulce Hernandez Shultz, Lawrence, received the Rick Angulo World Experience Award at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H.

The award is given to a student whose intellectual openness, enthusiasm and impressive performance embodies the spirit of Dartmouth’s off-campus programs.

¢Oskaloosa High School announces its Students of the Month for April: Mitch Boucher, a freshman; and Derek Brey, Sasha Glanville, Kristin Henry and Emily Heston, all juniors. They were recognized for their positive contributions in the school and community.

¢Alioune Kane and Joseph Sicilian, both of Lawrence, were part of a team of business students at Kansas University that earned first place in the Redefining Investment Strategy Education portfolio competition. The group outperformed teams from more than 40 universities across the country. The KU students won in the “Hybrid” category of the competition, conducted in April at the University of Dayton in Ohio.

The students participated in KU’s Applied Portfolio Management classes in spring and fall 2006. The class manages a real investment portfolio now valued at $2.4 million.

¢Carmen Caffey, a student at Lawrence High School, is a winner of the Choose Respect “Express Yourself” essay contest sponsored by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

Kansas youths ages 11-16 submitted essays on the topic of how youths make respectful choices. The Choose Respect Initiative focuses on assisting youths in choosing healthy relationships and avoiding behaviors that could lead to dating violence.

¢Kayla Fox, a freshman at Northland College in Ashland, Wis., has been named to the Dean’s List for grades achieved during the spring term. To qualify for the list, students must have a grade-point average of at least 3.5. Fox is a 2006 graduate of Lawrence High School and is double-majoring in visual arts and peace, conflict and global studies.