EC Magazine, Winter 2020

WINTER 2020

EC Magazine

I N S I D E E A ST S I D E C AT H O LI C

EC MAGAZINE Inside Eastside Catholic

WINTER

2020

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From Our Instructional Coach

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From Our President

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In the Classroom

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Alumni ProďŹ le

10 Beyond Textbooks 12 Alumni ProďŹ le 14 In Our Community 16 Celebrations 18 Class Notes

ON THE COVER Junior students from Campus Ministry Leadership class spent the day at Camp Terry in Preston for hands on learning about environmental stewardship.

Pictured l-r: Lillian Steffen, Natalie Ellis, Joseph Taylor, Fabiana Pulido (with saw), Jameson Smith (with hat), Michael Jimenez, Justin Moss

OUR MISSION Eastside Catholic School is a Catholic faith-based educational community where students learn to integrate their thinking and believing in ways that encourage intellectual excellence, nurture relationships and inspire a life of leadership and service to others.

BACK STATE

- -BACK KTO K CHAMPS! CONGRATULATIONS to our football team

on their epic 20-12 State Championship victory over O’Dea! This is the fourth state title for the Crusaders in the past six years. ROLL CRU!

EC MAGAZINE WINTER 2020

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From Our Instructional Coach

Nudging Towards Excellence “Each person holds so much power within themselves that needs to be let out. Sometimes they just need a little nudge, a little direction, a little support, a little coaching, and the greatest things can happen.” — Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks head coach In my 15 years of teaching middle school science, my strongest teaching strategies, ideas and resources have come from insight gained from my peers and colleagues. I believe that teachers learn best when they learn from each other, when they collaborate and build on collective knowledge and experience.

That’s why after 12 years of teaching at EC and the recent completion of a principal’s certification program, I have stepped into the new role of instructional coach at EC. In this role, to use Pete Carroll’s words, I’ll be nudging good teachers into excellent ones.

Most people have had a coach in their life who has helped motivate and inspire them to reach their potential. Whether an athletic coach talking to a team at halftime, a teacher giving advice to a student, or a life coach strategizing with a client in the business world, coaches help ignite the sparks that help people improve. A good coach brings out the best in a person; a good coach helps a person be better than they think they can be.

Since the start of the school year, I have been the “coach,” working with our all-star faculty to reach and exceed their potential. I am currently guiding eight new teachers in their transition year at EC. Being new to teaching or teaching in a new environment can be daunting. For all teachers I suggest strategies and resources for classroom management, propose ideas for lesson organization and recommend alternative teaching techniques. With one foot in teaching and the other in administration, my experience helps me

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to understand the specific needs of individual teachers while keeping an eye on the organization’s overarching goals.

Just as some games are tough and coaches provide encouragement to push through, I’ve supported our teacher team with positive notes, snacks and feedback to cheer them on through a tough work week. Being there for teachers is one of the most critical elements of my new role. Knowing you have someone on your side who is there to ease the unknown and brainstorm strategies is reassuring.

Instructional coaches provide support for teachers and foster team collaboration, which in turn benefits our students. Coaching is an essential component of professional development. It begins with building strong relationships which leads to reflection, growth and risk taking that improves learning for our students. A school of teachers sharing ideas with the help of a mentor creates a learning community that sets itself apart.

Our team-approach to teaching unites us as a faculty and, in turn, creates stronger educators and a more dynamic classroom where exceptional learning can happen.

–Erin Vickers I n stru c t i ona l C oach

From Our President

Dear Eastside Catholic Community Members,

S

afety is a vital key in our mission to provide an educational experience that is positive and rewarding for our students and our faculty and staff. We define safety as physical, mental and spiritual wellness. At Eastside Catholic, we are committed to building upon our already robust combination of resources and hope you will join us in this effort as we make safety and security a focus of the upcoming Making a Difference effort at the STARS Gala Auction on April 4.

As a community, we believe investing in and planning for the overall wellness of our students and faculty and staff offers the best learning environment and will lead us into a positive future: • Counseling: Whether students are worried about grades or a personal crisis, our school counselors (four high school and one middle school) are here to support our students and help to provide a positive path forward in a place that students feel safe.

• Physical Wellness: Eastside Catholic staff includes two licensed nurses as well as an athletic trainer. From assessment to implementation, our team works with the medical community and families to ensure our students receive the care they need.

• Training and Education: Our goal is to better position and prepare EC to respond to a range of emergency events such as earthquakes, fire or intruders, to keep individuals safe and to save the lives of others.

• Campus Security: Enhancements to our campus are fundamental to providing an environment of exceptional education and safety. We are continually evaluating and making necessary physical and technological improvements to buildings and grounds to keep current with best practices for school safety.

Our goal is to raise $300,000 at this year’s auction for the Making a Difference effort. Half of these funds will be used for building enhancements that can hopefully help us more closely monitor and screen entrance for guests. The other half of the funds will establish an endowment to provide funding for student resources related to mental health and staff professional development to ensure our staff has the most current training to best serve our students.

Please join us in raising the resources to ensure the safety of our students now and for years to come. We thank you in advance for your commitment to our students, and we can’t wait to see you at the auction.

–Gil Picciotto P re s i den t

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In The Classroom

BA , Wi tten berg U n iversi t y Master ’ s deg ree from U n iversi t y of Wash i ngton G rew u p i n La ke Oswego, O regon Fu n fac t : pa r tici pates on a n ad u l t synch ron ized swimming team Favor i te resta u ra n ts: Sa m ma m ish Café , Cheesecake Factor y Favor i te food : Ita l ia n or A mer ica n Favor i te m usic : Ch r istia n m usic , S pi r i t 105 .3

Leslie Meier

When did you know you wanted to be a teacher? How long have you been teaching?

I have been teaching for 22 years! I knew that I wanted to be a teacher at the age of 11. At the time, I thought I wanted to teach third grade, but I soon realized that I was better suited to teach upper elementary and middle school students. I come from a long line of educators. Although that probably had some influence on my decision to become a teacher, I didn’t want to be a teacher because many in my family were educators. I wanted to be a teacher because I enjoyed school, the structure of school, and helping others. I’ve always felt that teaching is my calling.

Is there a teacher or teachers who inspired you?

My seventh-grade social studies teacher believed in me. She saw me as a capable 6

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student when I saw myself as a poor reader and writer. Even though she was a social studies teacher, she taught me to create outlines and author a five-paragraph essay.

Frau A. was my German teacher in high school and she made learning German fun. I was impressed with the way she could make a language seem easy to learn successfully and teach a wide variety of students.

When did your interest in teaching math develop?

I’ve always enjoyed math! In college I had a dual major in elementary and special education and as a result, I had an area of concentration rather than a minor. My area of concentration was in mathematical sciences. I enjoyed taking extra science and math classes, so it was a natural fit. I taught special education and elementary education for the first 10 years of my teaching career.

However, as I made the move to middle school, I decided that I’d like to teach math since that is the subject I enjoy the most.

Do you have a favorite concept or class to teach?

I enjoy teaching Algebra! Seventh graders start to learn about linear relationships in the spring and I enjoy teaching that part because the math is so much different than anything they have experienced. They start to see how they can use the power of math to solve problems, work with variables, tables and graphs. I also enjoy teaching all our non-linear algebra courses.

What is your favorite part of teaching?

My favorite part is the whole cycle of teaching. The planning, the whole class lesson, helping students in small groups and

“I wanted to be a teacher because I enjoyed school, the structure of school, and helping others.

I’ve always felt that teaching is my calling.”

one-on-one, and then assessment. It’s great to see students learn and make progress through this cycle, and I’m always trying to tweak the way I teach or the curriculum I plan to help the students learn and understand the content better.

What is your most challenging part of teaching?

Time. There is never enough time to teach all the content, create creative lessons and help students.

How have you seen math change over the years? Or the way it is taught?

When I was in school, math was procedural.

You learned the procedure and then you applied it to word problems. The major difference now is that we want the students to understand where the procedures come from. We want them to understand the

math conceptually, not just blindly follow procedures like I did when I was younger.

If students understand the meaning of the math, then it will be easier for them to apply the math to a variety of situations.

Is it difficult to motivate students who do not see math as one of their strengths?

Sometimes it is hard to motivate them.

I find that with the proper support, all students can learn math. So, students who do not see math as a strength may simply need to get the proper help. Once they stay after school for extra help or get the support they need in EMC, they start to have success. And once they see that their hard work led to math learning, then they become more motivated to learn. This is one of the reasons I’m so passionate about our EMC program.

How do you collaborate with your department?

I enjoy working with my middle school colleagues. When I teach the same course as Mrs. Procel or Mr. Fraley, we stay at the same pacing and teach the same lessons.

We talk about the lessons as needed and plan our assessments together. Also, sometimes one of us will teach math to a student, but the other teacher will have the student in EMC. As a result, we talk several times per week about the student’s needs and how we are helping them.

What are your favorite things to do in your free time?

I enjoy spending time with my family, reading and skiing. I also compete nationally on an adult synchronized swimming team once or twice per year.

I’ve been participating in synchronized swimming since I was 10.

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Alumni Profile

#He Was A

CRUSADER FIRST

In only a few short months, MATISSE THYBULLE ’15, went from being a college student-athlete to moving across the country to play in the NBA. atisse was an impact player for the Crusaders while in high school from 2013-2015.

His junior year, the team finished as the state runner up and they took third place at State his senior year. Matisse said playing in the State Tournament was one of his favorite memories from high school, “That was pretty cool. Granted we lost but it was the first time EC had been to the state tournament in forever.”

Following high school graduation, Matisse moved on to play and study at the University of Washington. He played all four years for the Huskies, and in 2019 as a senior he was recognized

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as the top defender in the nation earning the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award and the Lefty Driesell Award. He also earned First-Team All-Conference honors in the Pac-12 and repeated as the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in communications.

Looking back on the impact of Eastside Catholic on his college days, Matisse said, “I remember in college this feeling that I was well-prepared. And I mean that in terms of basketball and in school. I felt my high school

experience prepared me for the workload and the demands of being a student-athlete which was honestly really nice.”

Matisse was selected in the first round of the 2019 NBA draft with the 20th overall pick. He is currently playing for the Philadelphia 76ers where he’s become a fan favorite on and off the court in a short time. EC Athletic Director Stacey Stoutt isn’t surprised. “I don’t think Philadelphia had any idea what they were getting when they signed Matisse. He is the total package. Not only is he a skillful player, he is a person of high character who is kind and generous. He is someone who always wants to learn and is an artist, on and off the court. It is no wonder the city has embraced him and his contagious smile the way they have.”

As far as transitioning from a college student in Seattle to an independent adult in Philadelphia, Matisse said, “It’s been a huge learning curve of just having to grow up and take care of myself, by myself.” But despite the challenges of moving and setting up a new apartment, he said, “I really like living by myself. It’s been good.” Of the transition from college to pro basketball, Matisse said, “On the court it’s just a constant. We play almost every two days, in a season that’s 82 games. And I’m coming from a [college] season that was 35-40 games and we’ve already surpassed that. Being able to go out every couple of nights and be able to perform at the highest level you can achieve has been hard, but also exciting. I think I’ve been able to adjust pretty well.”

Asked if he has free time to explore his new home base, he said, “I had some time to explore the city when I first arrived, but it’s harder now with my schedule. I really like Philadelphia. I think it’s a very underrated city. I keep learning more about it and it’s great.”

As a 76er, Matisse is now a recognizable face on the streets of

Philadelphia and elsewhere. Of the newfound attention, he said it’s been a learning experience. “Being in the NBA has changed the public’s perception of [me]. I haven’t changed—my occupation, my circumstances have changed. So, trying to get comfortable with that has been an adjustment. I wouldn’t say that it’s completely normal for me for people to notice me on the street and ask for pictures and stuff, but it is exciting. The idea that I can have an impact on people just by meeting them is a cool feeling. It’s a blessing really.”

In a short time, Matisse has become a key part of the 76er’s rotation, averaging 18 minutes, 4.6 points, and 1.2 assists per game.

Continuing the defensive excellence he showed in high school and college, he also averages 1.4 steals/game which is second on the team.

Outside of basketball, Matisse said that photography is his favorite pastime. And others have taken note. While at the UW, his work was featured in the UW Go Huskies Magazine and he was recently interviewed for a “Through the Lens” feature shared by the 76ers organization where he was quoted, “I feel very proud of, not what I’ve created because it’s already here, but my interpretation of it. It’s cool to say ‘I did that’.” He was also paired with levitation photographer Erick Hercules in the “Behind the Jersey” online series where professional athletes connect and collaborate with talented individuals to build on their personal interests.

Asked if he knows yet what he might like to focus on with his expanded public platform, Matisse said he’s just taking time to figure things out. “Every week, every day I’m learning new things. This year, I feel it would be a good opportunity to learn as much as possible.

There is so much at this point that I don’t know. It would be hard for me to say now that I want to do this, be this, provide this.”

Last summer, Matisse found time to stop by our summer boys basketball camp and talk with the campers—which was a thrill for the kids. We hope to see him around campus again soon and we wish him the very best in his new career.

BOYD ’09 EC BASEBALL JERSEY RETIRED On October 12, 2019, the Eastside Catholic School Athletic Department hosted a ceremony on campus retiring the baseball jersey of Matt Boyd ’09. The event highlighted Boyd’s career and accomplishments on the field and his humanitarian work through the nonprofit, Kingdom Home.

Boyd was a standout baseball player and three-year letter recipient at EC from 2006 to 2009. After graduating, he continued his education and baseball career at Oregon State University.

Although drafted his junior year in the 12th round by the Cincinnati Reds, Matt completed his senior year at OSU and helped the team advance to the College World Series. Also that same year, Matt was named All American, was drafted in the 6th round by the Toronto Blue Jays, earned his college degree and met his wife, Ashley. After briefly playing for Toronto in 2015, he was traded to the Detroit Tigers. Matt has pitched for Detroit the past four seasons and has compiled a 31-45 record with a 4.82 ERA. EC MAGAZINE WINTER 2020

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Beyond Textbooks

ROBOT

TH E

Ll F E

By Robotics Coach Jillian Kelley

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•••••••••••••••••••••

••••••••••••••••••••• When I was 15, I shocked my friends and family by joining a competitive robotics team. As a quiet kid who never had much interest in school, I remember the look on my mom’s face when I told her I wanted to spend an additional 20 hours a week working on a robot at school.

Fortunately, my sudden interest in electronics was supported by my parents, and before long, I held a leadership position on the team. Although I was shy and self-conscious, I quickly gained the confidence to become adept at public speaking and began teaching other students how to handle themselves in official presentations and business meetings.

My story is a prime example of the impact FIRST Robotics has on nearly a million students worldwide and is my inspiration for running and expanding the competitive robotics program at Eastside Catholic, known as REC, or Robotics at Eastside Catholic.

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded over 30 years ago by acclaimed inventor

Dean Kamen. You may know Kamen as the creator of the Segway, advanced bionic limb technology and those awesome touch screen soda machines that have entirely too many flavor options.

Like many other teachers, I advocate for the importance of team activities for students of all ages. Being part of a team teaches a myriad of skills such as problem solving, creative thinking, interpersonal communication and leadership. When a student joins a team focused on an area of personal interest, the rate of development in these areas tends to grow rapidly.

FIRST is comprised of four leagues based on age brackets that allow access for students of all backgrounds to a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) education and also allow students to experience the possibilities of engineering. FIRST connects students from over 30 countries into a unique global community. Although robotics is a major component of FIRST, anyone on the hundreds of thousands of teams around the world will tell you it’s about more than just a robot; it’s about creating leaders in our future generations.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Eastside Catholic currently has two competitive high school teams: FTC and FRC. The FTC team (FIRST Tech Challenge) was started by our exceptionally talented Computer Science and Mathematics Teacher Danielle Maletta. In the FTC league, students in middle and high school create robots that fit into 18-inch cubes to compete against each other in a specific game.

This fall, we expanded our program to the middle school— inviting experienced seventh graders and all eighth graders to join.

Our middle school students have shown fantastic progress since the August 2019 program launch and entered two completely functional robots in their first competition in November 2019.

This year marks another exciting change in EC robotics—the foundation of a high school FRC (FIRST Robotics Competition) team. FRC is the most senior league in FIRST where students design, build and program 150-pound robots to compete in rigorous, predefined tasks. Students are not only judged on their robot, but also on their community involvement and commitment to make STEAM education accessible to all students.

To that end, thus far, our student-led business team has raised nearly $20,000 to help run the team and make it accessible to all that are interested. A notable accomplishment! Two enterprising team members, sophomores Damilola Dada and Julia Stebbins secured a $6,000 grant from FIRST WA this fall as part of the monies raised.

All these years later, my mom still attends every competition, now for the teams I coach, wearing gear and cheering my students on! And, every time she sees my former robotics coaches, she gets emotional as she thanks them for their leadership in a program that changed my life.

Through my efforts with both the middle school REC team and the high school FTC team, I hope that I can motivate my students similarly to how my coaches affected my journey through the FIRST program—by helping students become the best version of themselves while inspiring them to embrace challenges and become leaders.

•••••••••••••••••••• EC MAGAZINE WINTER 2020

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Alumni Profile

Josh Marti

Alumni and current parent Josh Marti ’92 finds time to give back to organizations that supported him on his journey.

What are your favorite memories at EC? Believe it or not, I loved “work study” for tuition assistance. I worked each summer with Tom the janitor maintaining the sports fields and serving those warm cookies and pizzas in the lunch line. Needless to say, Tom and the lunch ladies were some of my best friends by graduation. After years of dragging fields by hand, and being an innovator out of laziness, I built the “Draggin’ Slayer” out of a VW bug and donated it to the school … for a tuition break of course.

Religion class with Mrs. Parsons was another favorite. She held a mean meditation every other week and we could bring the music. Every time I hear Alphaville’s “Forever Young” on the radio, I get a little nostalgic.

Senior year baseball, where despite having a blown arm that prevented me from playing, Coach Papsideros added me to the team for moral support. I gave the final “We 12

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Team” speech at the banquet and remember that season fondly as we rallied around the loss of Paul Beyer’s dad at one of our games.

How did your time at EC prepare you for college and beyond?

I was terrible at doing homework in math class with Mrs. Sternoff and she created a homework star chart for just second period class to “motivate” me. It worked by helping me realize someone else was investing more in me and my math education than I was. I started doing my homework and the daily star chart routine magically went away.

Why did you choose electrical engineering as a major?

When I graduated EC, I had already tackled a ton of academic and personal challenges and I felt ready to do anything.

I always wanted to be a CEO and felt I understood the world of business from my

time as a paperboy, gas jockey, bank teller, bartender, ditch digger and every other job that will never make you famous. It made sense that if I wanted to create things by leading smart engineers, I needed to at least attempt to understand their language. So, when I asked the Bellevue College (BC) registrar what degree returned the highest engineering salary, she said electrical engineering. I checked the box and never looked back.

What was your first job out of college and what led you to Point Inside?

After earning an associates degree in engineering from BC, I transferred to Seattle University to complete my BS degree in electrical engineering.

Seattle University Engineering has a great Capstone Program called Senior Engineering Design. Senior teams are partnered with leaders from local companies to provide solutions to

real-world problems. My project was a turn signal system for Kenworth trucks, and I learned a lot. Even better, they hired me into their R&D program after my project was complete. While there I discovered my passion for innovation and launching innovative ideas.

After Kenworth, I spent six years learning GPS while working for Qualcomm in Silicon Valley. Kari and I remained in Bellevue and welcomed three of our four daughters while I traveled to California every week. Then the Great Recession in 2008 hit and our fourth daughter was on her way. We’re still not sure which one rocked us more! I was determined to prove that you can create awesome things during a downturn.

One day at lunch with a group of friends at Joey’s, we talked about what GPS technology was going to disrupt next. Sitting across from Bellevue Square we thought “someone’s going to have to map the indoors.” The next day, I talked to my boss and left my job to co-found Point Inside with my friends. I spent the next 10 years as the CEO and raised $10 million to build the world’s best indoor mapping company.

What are you currently working on?

I’m now working at United Rentals.

I was hired to help make the machines automatically guide themselves from point A to point B on a job site so we could take the driver out of the cab and assign them to a higher-level function. If you’ve ever been in the Snoqualmie Valley, you may have seen our Bobcats driving themselves around our test facility. I enjoy the work and get to deliver hundreds of thousands of panels at solar farms using driverless Bobcats.

What has made you want to support EC and Seattle U? As we all move up in our career or sign our kids up for sports, you start to notice

The “Draggin’ Slayer”

how many people it takes to make things happen. For me, it was that sense of duty to pay back the organizations that made my life so enjoyable.

What drew me to founding the alumniled Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Advisory Board at Seattle University was a desire to advance women in STEM. The dean and department chair made women in engineering a clear priority. I saw a chance to shape the future lives of girls, like my daughters, and took it. Women in ECE numbers are up almost 25% and we’re making electrical engineering cool and attainable, regardless of gender.

Like Seattle University, Eastside Catholic is a very special place. You don’t realize it as a student, but it’s the friendships you forge for a lifetime that make it so special! Within just the first week of founding Point Inside, I called Brad Baumann ’92 to open a bank account, Brian Kenny ’91 to find office space and Kevin Schreck ’89 to listen to our pitch to map Bellevue Square. We even hired a handful of young and old EC alums in sales, marketing and engineering knowing we all shared a special bond.

It’s this very same alumni bond that fuels my desire to support EC students, past and present. You never know when you might need a little help from your friends.

You have two children attending EC. How is their experience like your own?

Different?

Perhaps the biggest difference between my and my daughters experience is that Jenna ’28 and Sara ’26 don’t have their mom looking over their shoulder every day. My mom spent the better part of two decades at EC as the attendance office administrator. Personally, I think she spent so much time in the principal’s office that they started to pay her.

Everywhere I go I see the same values, the same warm attention to students and the same great mission and Catholic education accepting of all faiths.

At my daughter Jenna’s pre-homecoming picture event, not only did my wife and I meet new and awesome parents and kids, we also reconnected with alumni who had freshmen in Jenna’s class—Sarah Gregg ’95 and Ben Powell ’95, Dirk Nevelle ’88 and Steve Bender ’93 all had students there.

Every tailgate, sporting or friend event seems to bring an old connection back to life and we’re thankful that EC made it all possible. Go Cru!

There are many ways you can make a difference.

By making a gift to the Eastside Catholic School Annual Fund, you: • Advance academic excellence • Accelerate STEAM education through innovation and technology • Invest in students through tuition assistance • Elevate performing and visual arts programs • Support vibrant student life and faith development

Donate online at eastsidecatholic.org/give or call 425-295-3028

Thank you for your generosity!

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In Our Community

Servant Leadership in Action

By High School Religious Studies Teacher LYNN KITTRIDGE

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A

t Eastside Catholic, one of the primary goals of our Campus Ministry Leadership (CML) class is to develop students into compassionate servant leaders. As part of this class, each year, during the study of the Sacrament of Confirmation, we lead students in a Service Immersion Day. Confirmation marks the beginning of our mission to live adult Christian lives and a service day helps us take our Christian values out into the world and also assists our students in fulfilling their yearly service hour requirement.

This year we began our service immersion day with Mass before leaving. It was a terrific way to start the day praying with funny Father Marcin Szymanski, OP. The service project for this semester’s immersion day centered around environmental stewardship with a theme of interconnection —how care for Creation is actually care for each other including care for the most vulnerable among us—the poor, the disabled, the marginalized.

Before boarding the buses to travel to Camp Terry, the YMCA camp located in Preston, we reflected on several passages from Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home, Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment and human ecology. We set three goals for the day: Wonder and Awe, to spend time reflecting on the beauty of Creation; Connection, to spend time reflecting on connections with others, with Creation and with God; and Do Something, to take part in some small act of service.

Upon our arrival, we walked to the Preston Food Bank, adjacent to the camp. A CML class mini food drive was held before the service day and students brought food donations along. As we delivered the food, the food bank director talked with students about the food bank’s role in the community and how the environment affects the most vulnerable Snoqualmie Valley residents, especially during the cold winter months.

After returning to Camp Terry, students split into two groups.

One group worked with Mountains to Sound Greenway on habitat restoration removing invasive, non-native plants, like blackberry

and English ivy which destroy trees, and worked to build a split rail fence for the purpose of protecting a re-planted area near the Raging River. The students were amazing, building hundreds of feet of fence which included digging post holes, setting the posts, inserting the rails and stabilizing the fencing, all with many swings of a 15 pound sledge hammer.

Simultaneously, the second group of students challenged themselves with activities focused on the themes of connection, balance and communication. They participated in the Y’s version of Bullring, an initiative exploring how our actions are connected.

Another challenge course initiative, Whale Watch, focused on balance and communication—this challenge was one students could have done all day! At the end, they spent some time reflecting on additional quotes from Laudato Si’.

The service immersion day included 65 students from CML classes, along with four parent chaperones and two amazing moms who brought lunch. EC faculty who attended included High School Principal Barbara Swann, Campus Minister Kate Brown, Science Teacher Shonna Siegers and myself.

After a hot lunch of delicious BBQ chicken sandwiches, the two student groups switched tasks. At the end of the day, we closed with Prayer for the Environment from Laudato Si’ before heading back to campus.

The Eastside Catholic Touchstone of Servant Leadership comes alive during our service immersion days, challenging students to see the world from distinct perspectives, teaching them the value of service in their local community and the connections and impact each person has in this world. Reading the reflections turned in by students at the end of the day showed the spiritual and emotional impact of the service immersion day.

Want to learn more? Pick up a copy of Laudato Si’ by Pope Francis. The encyclical examines consumerism and development and their connection to environmental degradation and climate change, calling all people of the world to take “swift and unified global action.”

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Celebrations

TWO of EC’s most respected science teachers stepped away from the classroom at the end of last year to begin new chapters in their lives.

With a combined tenure of 46 years at EC, we want to thank them for their dedication, their leadership, and their many years of friendship.

SCIENCE

PIONEERS Laurie Matthews

began her teaching career at Eastside Catholic in 1994. Her 24 years in the Science Department were filled with innovation and dedication. Laurie retired at the end of 2019 but we are blessed that she continues to be a part of EC through her mentoring of teachers in the Science Department.

When Laurie first started teaching at EC there were only two upper level science courses. One of her greatest accomplishments happened when the Class of 1999 were sophomores. As Laurie tells it, “After a year of biology, they begged me to add a secondyear biology course. I proposed the addition of AP Biology to the administration and went to the AP Biology Institute at Stanford to learn how to implement the course (EC teachers Lisa Snow and Megan McDermott were in this group). These science scholars were correct in identifying this need—each year since 1999, 40-50 students take the AP Biology class.” With Laurie’s guidance another six upper level science courses were added to the curriculum.

Her leadership allowed students to take their learning beyond the classroom. Laurie led spring break trips to Costa Rica and Belize. She worked with students on conservation projects such as cleaning up beaches with sea turtle nesting sites and helping restore native vegetation in clear cut areas. For fifteen years, Laurie took AP Biology students to the Student BioExpo. This science fair was an incredible opportunity for students to showcase their talents and interact with scientists who conducted research in areas they were passionate about.

Working with interested, motivated and kind students alongside gifted teachers who care so much about their students was Laurie’s favorite part of teaching at Eastside Catholic. She is also grateful and honored to continue to be a part of her student’s lives, such as being at the ribbon cutting ceremony for a new Swedish clinic across from EC, led by her former student Dr. Jessica McHugh ’01. Hearing about her students’ accomplishments in the field of science or in their career of 16

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choice continues to be a source of pride and happiness.

We wish Laurie the best as she takes time to be with her two children and continues to use her extraordinary skills to help our teachers and students.

Marcy McCorriston

spent most of her career at Eastside Catholic. She was working at Fred Hutch for the Science Education Partnership program, an educational outreach program that provides teachers with curriculum and materials to bring biotechnology into the classroom, when Laurie Matthews attended the summer workshop for teachers. Marcy and Laurie quickly became friends. When Marcy finished her master’s in teaching, Laurie encouraged her to apply for a teaching position at EC. “I was impressed with the EC teachers on the interview committee, the questions they asked and their overall knowledge and passion for education came through so clearly in the interview. I decided to take the job offer and ended up staying for 22 years,” said Marcy.

It is fitting that Marcy and Laurie retired at the same time, given their accomplishments were largely intertwined. Her relationships with her students are Marcy’s most treasured memories of her EC teaching experience.“I have been fortunate to work with many amazing colleagues to create a science program that engages students in actively learning about science. Many of these students go on to major in science fields in college. Although not all of them loved science class, I feel as though I was able to connect and support most of them.”

Creating an environment that was welcoming, encouraging and engaging allowed students to learn and succeed in Marcy’s science classes. Marcy not only connected with her students in the classroom but also on retreats, sporting events and other school programs. Her compassion and caring inspired students to do their best. Graduates speak fondly of their time with Marcy and her ability to inspire in her students an appreciation and curiosity for science.

Laurie Matthews

Marcy McCorriston

EC MAGAZINE WINTER 2020

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Class Notes

Lindsey DiJulio ’18

Kate Suhrbier ’08

Kari Lynn Claussen ’88

Kyra Didier ’15

Nicolas Orsillo ’11

Chevy Walker ’12

2008

Kari Lynn Claussen plays golf with

Emily Lucas recently joined Nike as

the Special Olympics of Washington and for the past 22 years she has been a skier with Outdoors for All on the Ski Hawks Racing Team.

the global communications editor for Nike News.

Matt Siderius recently celebrated 11

Do you have a new job?

A new address?

A new child?

Want to get involved?

Send an email with any updates to alumni@ eastsidecatholic.org.

Colin Floyd ’12

1988

1999

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Kyle Conley ’13

years at his job where he works as an administrative assistant. In April 2017, he became a godparent to his nephew.

2003 Justine Martin works at Zee Medical Service as an office assistant. She was recently nominated by her job coach for the Microsoft Supported Employment Program Advisory Council. In her free time, she takes watercolor art class and continues to be involved in Special Olympics as she has for the past 19 years. Justine is also involved with Celebrate Recovery Run for Your Life.

2005 Will Eskridge has had a wonderful year. He is a proud uncle and will have another niece or nephew at Easter.

He continues to enjoy his job at a Microsoft Café which he has held for the past seven years.

2006 Michelle Head Perez married David Perez of Davie, Florida on December 29, 2017.

Kate Suhrbier was recently married to the love of her life, Brian Howard by Fr. William Heric. For their honeymoon, they flew to Boston and drove across the country through 23 states to their condo in Bellevue. Kate is beginning her eighth year as an instructional aide at Sacred Heart School and was recently accepted to the University of Washington where she will be working toward a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education.

2010 Nile Kramer and Hailey [Odegard] Kramer were married September 23, 2019 in Sammamish where they reside.

2011

eastsidecatholic.org

School. He graduated as a 2nd Lieutenant and is leading a platoon with the Low Altitude Air Defense (LAAD). He is stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina.

Chevy Walker graduated from Portland State University in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a minor in psychology. While attending PSU, he helped Portland State’s football team break multiple NCAA records and secure the best overall record in school history. He recently launched his own business, Chevy’s Enhanced Sports Performance, with a focus on positive reinforcement and a mission to inspire other athletes to pursue their dreams. You can check him out at cespathletics.com.

2013 Hannah Christie, who holds a master’s

Kramer ’10 were married September 23, 2019 in Sammamish where they reside.

of science in orthotics and prosthetics from Baylor College of Medicine, traveled to Guatemala with One World Unity Project and made and fitted prosethics for people in need.

Nicolas Orsillo and Lauryn Watkins

Kyle Conley married Brittley Barrett

Hailey [Odegard] Kramer and Nile

were married on July 19, 2019.

John Winslow received his Master of Divinity degree from the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry in May 2019. He is now in his chaplain residency at Stanford Health Care.

2012 Colin Floyd graduated from Western Washington University in 2017 and joined the Marines’ Officer Candidate

18

Nile Kramer ’10 and Hailey [Odegard] Kramer ’11

on October 12, 2019 in Leavenworth, Washington.

Brandon Engman and Sarah [Lewis] Engman were married on July 13, 2019 at Holy Family Catholic Church in Kirkland.

Logan Mahoney graduated from New York University in December 2019 after earning a Masters of Science in communicative sciences and disorders.

Justine Martin ’03

Brandon and Sarah Engman ’13 Hannah Christie ’13

Zachary Tan ’16

Emma Abraham ’16

Daria Frost ’17

2014

2016

John Charters recently received his

Zachary Tan graduated from Boston

MS in physics from UCLA. In fall 2019, he began the physics and biology in medicine Ph.D program through UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine. This is a five-year doctoral program, followed by a two-year medical residency. John’s current area of research is in the next generation of MRI scanners.

University in 2019, with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He is currently pursuing a dual master’s degrees from Dartmouth College in globalization and creative writing.

2015 Brad Barrett graduated from Gonzaga University in August 2019 with a degree in business administration with a focus in operations management/supply chain.

Kaitlyn Carmody graduated from Linfield College in May 2019 with a degree in elementary education with an ESOL endorsement. Fun fact, she is currently teaching fifth grade at St. Joseph’s in Issaquah, the same elementary school she attended.

Kyra Didier graduated from Chapman University in May 2019, earning her bachelor’s degree in business administration with a double emphasis in international business and marketing and a minor in French.

While at Chapman, Kyra participated in two study abroad programs, visiting 44 countries in the process. Since graduating, she has been working as an HR specialist at PACCAR Parts. In her spare time, she runs her own fashion blog, Didier du Jour.

Emma Abraham recently graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Arts in political science.

2017 Daria Frost is in her third year at

Five alums from the Class of 2017 stopped by before Christmas break to have lunch with a few staff members who are also their parents and family friends! LEFT TO RIGHT: Cameron Gross, Emma Siegel, Caroline Sonnen, Sarah Bosworth, Henry Gilchrist, Erik Soldenwagner

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the University of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland and was recently accepted into the master’s program where she will be studying international relations.

She enjoys the St Andrews tradition of wearing a red cloak to formal dinners, holidays, events and graduation.

2018 Former member of the EC three-time state champion cheer team, Lindsey DiJulio is now a cheerleader at Gonzaga University.

For more details: eastsidecatholic.org/calendar

Upcoming Eastside Catholic School Events March 1 March 4 March 18 March 26-29 April 4 April 9 April 25 May 20 June 5 June 8 June 10 July–August

Options Program Alumni Event High School Choir Candlelight Serenade Spring Band Concert Spring Musical—Cinderella STARS Gala Auction Holy Thursday Prayer Service Grandparents and Special Friends Day Art Walk Baccalaureate Class of 2020 Commencement Eighth Grade Promotion Summer Camps and Programs

David Pritchard played for the University of Washington football team as wide receiver during the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

2019 Barret Albright is currently attending UCLA and will graduate in 2023.

Michael Williams is currently a music performance major at the Butler School of Music at the University of Texas-Austin.

IN MEMORIAM To the following members of our EC community who have died, but whose spirits live on always in our hearts.

Marc Goudeau ’87 John Heily, alumni parent (’88, ’90) Michael Fisher Johnson ’94 Neal Shively, alumni grandparent Lualima Tuimauga, parent Denise Webber ’88

EC MAGAZINE WINTER 2020

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EASTSIDE CATHOLIC Eastside Catholic School 232 228th Avenue SE Sammamish, WA 98074 eastsidecatholic.org

Eastside Catholic School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship, tuition assistance and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.