Chess Club

 

  

about lakeridge chess club

 

Lakeridge Chess Club welcomes players of all ages and abilities- including kindergartners. 

 

Our Chess Club is run by the PTA and is the largest program on Mercer Island with about 80 kids from all grades participating. The Club meets on Fridays, right after school from 3:45-5:00 pm with 2 Chess Masters and other amazing coaches with many years of chess coaching experience. Our program runs from the end of September through early May. In March, our Chess Club will host a local tournament that we encourage all members to participate in and our season ends after the Washington State Elementary Chess Championships, in which many of our players qualify and attend. 

 

 

 

  
  

2023-2024 details

 

REGISTRATION for 2023-2024 IS CLOSED.

Thank you for your interest in our program. We currently have over 105 students registered.

 

We are not accepting late registrations any longer in order to create an optimal learning environment. Please contact Ly-Lan McCarthy to be added to the waitlist. LTWMcCarthy@gmail.com 

 

If there are any openings we would welcome all students interested in learning chess.

 

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The registration fee is $350 per player. Please register early to enable us to know how many students to expect and staff accordingly. Our program does fill up! Last year there was a wait list.


The registration deadline is Friday, September 15, 2023 at 10 pm.

Please login to your account to view the Registration Form. 

Late registrations may be accepted, only if there is space in the program/classroom and at the discretion of the coaches/staff. A $50 LATE FEE will be charged. 


The first class will be held on Friday September 22nd at 3:45pm, directly after school. An email will be sent a few days before to confirm where your student's class will meet. Typically, classes are organized by grades. In the past Kindergarten had a separate class and we combined grades depending on enrollment numbers (for example last year we had 4 coaches teaching a Kindergarten class, a 1st grade class, a combined 2/3 class, and 4/5 class. However, this may change from year to year.

 

The club meets on Fridays (excluding holidays and half days) from 3:45-5:00 pm starting on September 22, 2023 and running through May 10, 2024. There will be 21 sessions. Our season concludes after the Washington State Elementary Chess Championships on May 4 in Pasco, WA. Every participant will receive a T-shirt to represent Lakeridge proudly at local chess tournaments. The last session will be a Pizza Party and include a Trophy Parade to celebrate a successful year.

 

Chess club will meet on the following dates:

September 22, 29

October 6, 13, 20, 27

November 3, 17

December 1, 8

January 5, 26

February 2, 9

March 1, 8, 22, 29

April 19, 26

May 10: Pizza Party

 

Lakeridge Chess Tournament: March 23, 2004: When possible, Lakeridge Chess Club organizes a WA state qualifying tournament. Save-the Date for the Lakeridge Chess tournament to take place on March 23, 2024. All members are encouraged to participate and we will be reaching out to all families to help volunteer to make the event a success! Last year we had about 300 students register.

 

Volunteering is Required: As a PTA-run organization, each participant is required to have a parent/guardian over 18 volunteer at least 3-4 times during the year. The volunteer dates will be assigned and it is your responsibility to switch dates with another volunteer if you can not make your assigned days.

Each class will need 2-3 class managers. One manager will be in charge of email communication. The other 2 managers will volunteer to come to chess for every other class to ensure continuity, consistency and cohesion between students, coaches and volunteers. Please let us know if you can help out as a class manager!

 
Volunteer Paperwork: MISD requires all parents volunteering in the schools (even after-school programs/events) to complete Volunteer Paperwork. Please plan to have all the documents completed at least 1 week before your volunteer date. It is recommend that paperwork is submit at the beginning of EVERY school year. Please drop off your paperwork in the Main Office with Greta Stednick. It can also be scanned/emailed or sent in with your child. Please note that ALL paperwork is required EACH school year. If you've completed the paperwork at a different MISD school, please let Greta know- it is not necessary to complete it again if you have a student at Island Park or in the upper schools. 
 
The Volunteer Paperwork includes:
Background Check form and copy of Driver's License
Volunteer Questionnaire
Volunteer Release
Confidentiality Agreement
 
Links to all can be found on the MISD website.
Any questions, should be directed to Greta Stednick: greta.stednick@mercerislandschools.org
 
 
PTA Membership: The Lakeridge PTA organizes the Chess Club. Please show your support of the school and the programs offered by purchasing a PTA Membership and donating to the Ask Campaign (in the Parent Pack). Without community support, the special events and programs at Lakeridge would not be possible for our student's social and academically enriching experience.
  

Refund Policy: If a student chooses to withdraw from the Club after registering and before the first class starts, a 5% tuition process fee will be charged. If a student chooses to withdraw after the first class, a 10% tuition process fee will be charged. After the second class, no refunds will be given.   

 

If the tuition poses a financial hardship and you would like to request financial aid or scholarship please contact Ly-Lan McCarthy before completing the registration form.

 

Chess Club Contacts:

Ly-Lan McCarthy LTWMcCarthy@gmail.com

Shelly Hirschowitz 5he11y@comcast.net 

 

  

 

 

By completing the Chess Club Registration, YOU ARE AGREEING to adhere to the Club policies that include: fulfilling your assigned volunteer requirement (3-4 times per year), completing the MISD volunteer paperwork prior to your schedule date, and agreement with the refund policy. After the registration process is complete, weekly email communications by the Club leads/managers, and/or coaches will include student and primary contact information with the Volunteer Schedule to other members of the Chess Club. Photos of Chess Club participants in class and tournaments will be taken for the Lakeridge yearbook and shared with Club members and may be used by MISD. Disrespectful behavior, by students and/or parents, to other students, parents, coaches, and staff is not tolerated and the students will be removed from the program. 

 

Please DO NOT REGISTER for the Lakeridge Chess Club if you are unable or unwilling to adhere to these policies.

NO REFUNDS WILL BE GIVEN and students will be asked to leave the program if student/families do not meet the Club requirements. 

 

 

 

  

Lakeridge Chess Tournament

Save-the-Date: March 23, 2024 @ 8:45 am

 

Location: Islander Middle School, 7447 84th Ave SE, Mercer Island

 

 

Click HERE to register!