A Winning Season: Celebrating the Growth of Our Chess Team

Our amazing Mi Escuela Montessori Chess Team! We are so proud of these students for their hard work, sportsmanship, and a fantastic season. Congratulations to all our players!

This year marked an incredible and successful season for the Mi Escuela Montessori Chess Team. What began just two years ago with a single player has grown into a thriving program of 20 students from PK through 8th grade, all learning, competing, and growing together. Throughout the season, our students demonstrated perseverance, strategic thinking, and excellent sportsmanship while proudly representing our school and community.

Chess offers tremendous benefits for students beyond academic skills. While the game strengthens critical thinking, concentration, and problem-solving, it also builds confidence, patience, and resilience. Just as importantly, the chess season created a strong sense of community. Families gathered together on weekends to support their students during tournaments, cheering them on and celebrating their progress. These moments helped build friendships and connections among students and parents alike, making chess not just a competition but a shared community experience.

Behind every great chess player is a community of support. Our families spend their weekends cheering on their children, building friendships, and creating a strong school community together. Their dedication and encouragement make this team possible!

We would also like to extend a special thank you to the Boone family for their generous support. Their sponsorship of our Friday Chess Elective helped ensure that all students, even those not in the team, had the opportunity to learn and participate in chess during the school week. Their generosity has played an important role in helping this program grow and giving our students the chance to develop new skills and passions. Thank you, Mrs. Powers, for inspiring students every Friday!

Our team finished the season strong at the Polk Scholastic Chess Championship Tournament on Saturday, March 7. Nineteen of our twenty players qualified to compete in the championship tournament alongside 461 PK–12 students from across Polk County-an incredible accomplishment for our growing team.

We are proud to celebrate several outstanding achievements from our players:

• The Mi Escuela Montessori Guppy Team (PK–1 Grade) finished 2nd place overall for the entire season. HUGE congratulations to Jacob Lozada, Jack Bateman, Noah Lopez, Luna Martinez, Rio Martinez, and Coach Nancye Blair Black!!

• Jack Bateman qualified for the Guppy Championship Division (top 16) and finished 2nd place among all Guppy players.

• Jacob Lozada also qualified for the Guppy Championship Division, placing among the top 16 competitors.

• In the Elementary (4–5 grade) Section E, Maverick Tawkoyty finished 3rd place at the final meet.

  
  

Throughout the season, every one of our players achieved personal bests and remarkable improvement from earlier tournaments and from last season. More importantly, they played with determination, integrity, and a strong sense of teamwork.

Season highlights included:

• Tournament 1 (October): Guppies Team took 2nd place, and one player placed 2nd overall in the Guppy Division.

• Tournament 3 (December): Guppies Team took 2nd place.

• Tournament 4 (January): Guppies Team took 3rd place, and one player placed 2nd overall in the Guppy Division.

  
  

We are incredibly proud of all of our chess players for their hard work, dedication, and sportsmanship throughout the season. Their growth reflects not only their effort but also the support of their families, coaches, and our school community.

A special thank you to our incredible chess coach, Nancye Blair Black, for generously volunteering her time, organizing practices and tournaments, and supporting so many of our students throughout the season. Her dedication, patience, and love for the game have helped our players grow not only as competitors, but also as confident thinkers and teammates. We are truly grateful for the heart and energy she brings to our chess community.

Sign-ups for the next competitive chess season will begin in August. If your child loves chess or would like to learn and compete, watch for announcements at the beginning of the new school year. We look forward to building on this momentum and having another amazing season next year!

Congratulations to the entire Mi Escuela Montessori Chess Team on a fantastic season!