A group of McKay students in our CTE Engineering classes participated alongside college students during the global event, Invent for the Planet through Texas A&M. Our McKay students worked 48+ hours at PSU’s engineering building and were placed on various teams Friday night based on given problem statements. Each team invented and prototyped a solution throughout the day Saturday and Sunday. The entire event wrapped up Sunday night. Multiple McKay High School students were on each of the top three teams. Click this link to read the article in the PSU Vanguard.

1st Place Team

1st Place – Airport Travel
Jose Ceja Lopez
Juan Munguia Gutierrez
Evan Pelagalli

2nd Place Team

2nd Place – Smart Cities – Transportation
Luis Espinoza-Cortes
Juan Macias
Lily Strayer
Zeus Vasquez-Flores
**Two other PSU students

3rd Place Team

3rd Place – Sustainable Air Travel
Lesly Rojas
Misael Torres-Pimentel

Ninety students who participate in Oregon’s YMCA Youth and Government program took  their seats in the Oregon Capitol House and Senate Chambers on Friday, February 7 and Saturday, February 8. They represented delegations from area high schools, including McKay, Dayton, Newberg, Sherwood, West Albany, South Salem, and West Salem.

The program is an annual 3-day intensive educational experience unlike any other. It allows students to practice parliamentary procedure and actively participate in a mock legislative process. Working with volunteer advisors at their schools, delegates learn how to write bills, work in committee, and debate on the chamber floor.  They serve as legislative officers and elect a youth governor.

McKay’s Andrew Kalmen served as the Speaker of the House with Raquel Marquez Guerrero serving as Clerk of the House and Luis Marquez Guerrero as House Sargent-at-Arms. The McKay delegation consisted of eight awesome students who represented McKay well: Andrew Kalmen, Raquel Marques Guerrero, Luis Marquez Guerrero, Lesly Rojas, Lesly Tenorio, Cleome Jones, Viviana Diaz Martinez, and Misael Torres Pimentel.

Way to go Scots!

On February 2nd, McKay’s Future Business Leaders of America chapter participated in the Willamette Valley Region Skills Competition competing against 10 other schools. Even with a small group The Scots proved to be fiercely competitive throughout the event.

Notable successes in the individual events were Miguel Morales earning 3rd in Intro to FBLA. Stephanie Urenda took 4th place in Job Interview and Intro to Business Communication. Additionally, in a loaded advertising event McKay earned the top spots with Cynthia Lor getting 1st and Viviana Diaz at 2nd place.

In Group events, the Scots had similar levels of success. Jesus Barocio, Jose Alvarez, and Crystal Nguyen placed 3rd in Banking and Financial Systems. Danilo Gutierrez and Jordan Cousineau also took 3rd for the Scots in the Business Ethics category with Jordan placing 2nd in Healthcare Administration. In the Management Decision Making event Cesia Olvera, Chau Nguyen and Cynthia Lor placed 3rd.

Perhaps the highlight of the event, first year members Brayan Cruz and Nathan Lor got First Place with their E-Business Plan, with Brayan also getting 1st in the Computer Problem Solving capping off a great event for the Scots with all members qualifying for the State Competition in Portland April 2-4, 2020.

Thursday, Feb 6, 2020 our FFA students competed in various public speaking events. Students had to research, and write their own speech on an agricultural topic. Memorize it, and present it to a panel of judges. Speeches had to be a minimum of 5 minutes, to a maximum of 8 minutes.

Here are their results

Sophomore Prepared Public Speaking:
Samuel Schuster: 4^th
Ethan Miranda: 5^th

Advanced Prepared Public Speaking:
Mena Drakeley: 3^rd

Extemporaneous Public Speaking:
Ethan Miranda: 4^th

Congrats to all!

Students from McKay will be doing stand-up routines along with an improv group in McKay’s Annual Laugh Your Scots Off on February 14th in McKay’s Auditorium. Five dollars general admission. Come for a night of laughter describing the daily high school life.