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saturday FEBRUARY 7 | sunday FEBRUARY 8 2015
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SUNDAY BREAKFAST
social scene
Prue Beidler’s volunteer work even extends to government. P.42
More than 1,100 enjoy Children’s Ball. P.16
SPORTS
Lake Forest Academy’s Tessy Onwuka making a name for herself. P.22 Follow us:
No. 122 | A JWC Media publication
NEWS
mandated test spurs complaints By emily spectre
D
istrict 36 held afternoon informational sessions about the exam at each of its five school on Jan. 29. Superintendent Trisha Kocanda was present at The Skokie School session to answer questions about the exam, while Skokie Principal Kelly Tess gave a presentation and also answered questions. Superintendent Kocanda’s concerns about the exam recently made it into The Washington Post. PARCC is a standardized test that replaced the ISAT. Tess provided parents with an overview of the exam, explaining that it will contain a literacy and math section and all testing will be done by computer. There will be two testing periods, one in March and another in May, and grades 3-8 will take the exam. Each school’s technology lab will be closed during the testing period, for approximately eight weeks total, and the district esti-
mates that 13-14 hours of instructional time will be lost for each grade. District 36 is mandated by the state to implement the PARCC exam. Tess stressed that while the District is committed to complying with state mandates, it acknowledges “this test continues the over-emphasis on standardized assessments as evaluation tools for students and schools.” One parent questioned why Illinois is one of only 10 states to require this exam. Kocanda explained that each state has its own reason for choosing not to implement this test. Regardless, every state is required to give a standardized test of some kind. Many parents wanted to know if they could opt out of the exam. Tess explained that the school is required to offer the exam to all students, and so if a Continues on page 12
Anna Maria Viti-Welch and Dr. Steve Devries at Anton’s Fruit Ranch. Photography by Joel Lerner
Staying healthy is heart of the matter BY BILL MCLEAN
Anna Maria Viti-Welch was at her computer at her Highwood office, days after returning from a relaxing vacation in Mexico in April 2013. A sensation near her heart
made her stop what she was doing. Something was burning. “I remember feeling overwhelmed,” the Lake Forest resident and president of The Viti Companies recalls.
She stood up. She headed straight to her assistant’s office. “Do I look OK?” Viti-Welch asked her assistant. Viti-Welch still did not feel right. The assistant drove her boss
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to Highland Park Hospital, a 1.4mile trip. Viti-Welch had considered calling for an ambulance. A potential scenario made her reconsider. Continues on page 12
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