Chess Club
2022-2023 Chairs: Gelareh Golanbar, Rongzhi Lu, and Emily Liu
Medina Elementary has one of the largest, most award-winning Chess clubs in the Northwest! For the 2022-2023 school year, Chess Club will keep having in-person classes on Wednesdays. Registration only opens in September, for the club sessions from Oct. 2022 to mid May 2023. This year's registration will start on September 14th and sessions start on October 5th. Please stay tuned to our announcement on PTA Byte Newsletters. Get your questions ready and meet us on the 8/30 Back to School Day!
We are calling for full time volunteers! If you are interested in being a parent volunteer, please contact chessclub@medinapta.org.
Registration
Registration opens: Wednesday, September 14, 2022 at 8:30am.
This Registration is for the school year 2022-2023.
We have different levels for K-5 kids: Beginner, Beginner to Intermediate, Intermediate, Intermediate to Advanced, Advanced (Grade 4-5 only).
How to Register: Medina Chess Club is for PTA members Only. Please purchase/renew your PTA annual membership before registration day. Otherwise you cannot find the registration form on 9/14. Find the Chess Club registration form in My Family's Forms/Paperwork once registration opens. Complete the form and payment. You can choose to send a check. If the spots you want are all sold out, please join the waitlist.
IMPORTANT: To register, you must agree to all Chess Club policies on the registration form. Read the policies.
Cost: $450 for regular class, $550 for 4th/5th grades advanced 1.5 hours class (Fee covers coach's fees. )
Club Meetings
Chess Club meets Wednesdays 12:30-1:30pm (12:30-2:00pm for the grade 4-5th advanced class).
Chess Club meeting dates:
Month | Dates |
---|---|
October |
5, 12, 26 (No session on 10/19) |
November |
2, 9, 16, 30 (No session on 11/23) |
December |
7,14 (No sessions over Winter Break) |
January | 4, 11, 18, 25 |
February |
1, 8, 15 (No sessions in Mid-Winter Break) |
March |
8, 15, 22, 29 (No session 3/1) |
April |
5, 19. 26 (No sessions in Spring Break) |
May |
3, 10, 17 |
All dates are tentative. If we must cancel a Chess Club session, we will email parents with as much notice as possible.
Please email chessclub@medinapta.org if your child will not be able to attend a session.
CHESSkID.COM
2023 Medina All City Tournament
2023 Medina All City was held on March 26th. It was a big success with 250 participants from 66 schools. Medina got 1st place in Team award.



2023 All Girls Queen’s Quest Chess Tournament
2023 All Girls Queen’s Quest Chess Tournament was held on 1/28/23 at Medina Elementary. 118 chess players attended this event including 26 girls from our school.
Susan Polgar Foundation National Open
The 17th SPFNO chess tournament was held in Bellevue on October 22-23, 2022. More than 30 Medina students participated in this great event! Medina Team won 1st place in K-3 group and 4th place in 4-12 group. Congratulations!
National Elementary Championship
The National Elementary (K-6) Championship Chess Tournament was held in Columbus, Ohio on May 13-15, 2022.
The Medina Elementary chess team, represented by Ted W, Michael X, Ares W, and Michael Z, scored 17.5 points in the 7-round tournament and won third place in the K-3 championship section! Congratulations!
Washington State Chess Tournament
The Washington State Championship Chess Tournament was held in Tacoma on April 30, 2022.
The Medina Elementary team placed 2nd in the grade 1-3 section and 1st the grade 4-6 section! Congratulations!
Medina Elementary was represented by: David P, Liana B, Vijay U, Adrina B, Aida E, Aiden W, Ananya T, Daniel D, Ethan W, Harry P, Kavir A, Owen Y, Pari G, Sakash A, Ted W, Alexander T, Christian L, Derek W, Jamie H, Michael X, Michael Z, William H, Aaron Z, Alison D, Bogdan G, Derek W, Derrick S, Sanjay U, Vivaan M, Yiheng Y, Daniel P, Emily H, Haoyun Z, Michelle Z.
Presidential Scholastic Chess Tournament
The Presidential Scholastic Chess Tournament was held on February 21, 2022 at the Redmond Marriott. 8 students from Medina Elementary played in this tournament and helped our school win the 1st place team trophy. They are Ares W, Sanjay U, Ethan Z, Emily H, Victor F, Vijay U, Ananya T, and Brian H. Congratulations!
Susan Polgar Foundation National Open

Policies
FEES: I agree to pay all fees by Wednesday, October 3rd, 2022
ELIGIBILITY: Our afterschool clubs (including Chess Club) are ONLY for CURRENT-ENROLLED Medina students with ACTIVE Medina PTA membership. You must enrolled with Medina Elementary school at the time attending the club and have a valid Medina PTA family or individual membership for the 2022-2023 school year. You agree that if your kid is not currently enrolled with Medina Elementary school OR do not purchase PTA membership by the first class, your child will be withdrawn from Medina Chess Club with no refund.
REFUNDS: I agree to the following refund policy: If parents decide to withdraw from a class after registering for the class and before the first class starts, a 5% tuition process fee will be charged. If parents decide to withdraw from the class after the first class starts but before second class, a 10% tuition process fee will be charged. After second class, there'll be no refunds.
PICK-UP: Our parent classroom volunteers are required to stay until the last child is picked up from class. Please respect our volunteers’ time by picking your child up promptly at 1:25 (pick up for Advanced class is 1:55). If you wish to permit your child to sign him/herself out from class and walk/bike home, you must complete the Medina Elementary Chess Club Permission Slip to Walk/Bike Home found on our website, medinapta.org, and return it to our Chess Club Co-Chairs.
BEHAVIOR: Parents and students are expected to behave respectfully to each other, their coaches, and anyone associated with Medina PTA and the Chess Club. If we feel you or your student’s behavior is disruptive, or you or your student are consistently disrespectful, we reserve the right to withdraw your student (after sufficient warnings) with no refunds.
ABSENCES: If my child will not be at chess club, I will email chessclub@medinapta.org prior to that day’s chess class start time. I understand that two unexcused absences may result in removal of my student from the club without refund.
SAFETY: You agree to follow, and instruct your child to follow, all Bellevue School District, Medina Elementary, and Medina PTA safety protocols, including hand hygiene, assigned seating, distancing, masking, and staying home when sick. If you or your child do not follow safety protocols, we reserve the right to withdraw your child (with sufficient warnings) with no refunds.
2021-2022 RECAP
2020-2021 RECAP
2019-2020 RECAP
Congratulations to all the students that participated in the first ever online Washington State Chess Championship Tournament in May. Medina Elementary took FIRST PLACE in the 1st-3rd grade and 4th-6th grade team awards. We want to thank you and your children for another great year of the Medina Chess Club!