Reporter ISSAQUAH | SAMMAMISH
Friday, March 1, 2013
www.issaquahreporter.com
Lame names Sammamish can’t find permanent title for SE 8th Street Park
Principal Mike Williams stands with teacher Pat Barry. Barry teaches family consumer science, what was once known as home economics. The majority of her pupils are boys because two-thirds of Echo Glen’s population is male.
BY KEVIN ENDEJAN KENDEJAN@ISSAQUAHREPORTER.COM
LINDA BALL, Issaquah & Sammamish Reporter
A PLACE OF HOPE
Echo Glen Children’s Center looks to guide troubled youth on a better path LBALL@ISSAQUAHREPORTER.COM
K
ids who are sent to Echo Glen Children’s Center in Snoqualmie arrive broken.
Many arrive with substance abuse issues. Some have been sexually abused and in turn have become abusers themselves. Others have committed very serious crimes. To gain admittance, visitors must be buzzed in and pass through a metal gate. They are advised to leave everything in their car except keys and absolute necessities. “You’d be surprised at what can happen if you put your purse down,” the receptionist says. Once inside, there is a metal detector. But there is also a lot of hope and love for those in this state-run medium/maximum security facility for juvenile offenders. The residents – there are about 150 of them at the center – still must go to school. Since 1967 they’ve been taught staff from the Issaquah School District. Today that includes 15 teachers, six educational assistants and a library tech specialist.
School here is like many others. There’s a fully-stocked library. The facility has a large field for football, soccer and baseball. There’s a gymnasium and even an indoor pool. However, unlike at most schools, each teacher has a panic phone in the classroom. The average reading level when the students arrive is seventh-grade and the average math level is fifth-grade said principal Mike Williams. “They come here a few years behind on their education,” Williams said. Williams said this year’s average student age is 15.2 years of age, with an average reading level of 8.27, about two years behind grade level. The average math level at 6.37, is three and one-half to four years behind grade level. Both scores are an improvement over last year’s scores, he said. It’s important to note these are averages since some students ability is as low as first-grade, and some are as high as post-secondary. “Many classes have ranges that span several grade levels, making it quite challenging for the teachers,” he said. LaShae Lee is in her first year at Echo Glen, teaching math, language arts and Washington State history to the maximum security kids, all boys, ages 13 to 16.
The classroom is within a fenced structure; she has staff in the room with her. “I’ve never been frightened or challenged,” Lee said. Some of her students are at a first-grade math level, while others are at ninth grade. Reading levels range from second grade level to college level. “It’s a big variety of student ability,” Lee said. A mother of teenagers herself, Lee said her students’ humor and attention span is pretty similar to her own teenagers. “Only these boys have gaps of knowledge they didn’t get growing up,” she said. “Bits and pieces are missing.” In the family consumer science classroom, the day before Valentine’s Day, the smell of freshly baked cupcakes wafts through the SEE ECHO GLEN, 11
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BY LINDA BALL
PPY HOUER! BEST HAE SID ON THE AST WEEKEND BRUNCH: $4 Mimosas $5 Marys.
The Sammamish City Council was prepared to give SE 8th Street Park a new, permanent name during its Feb. 19 meeting, but drew a blank. A committee consisting of land donor Mary Pigott and others from the city staff, council and community whittled choices down to four for the council’s review. The list included Backyard Trails Park, Sammamish Backyard Park, Sammamish Trails Park and Owl Pond Park. “Something like Soaring Eagle Park has an action word in it that really captures the essence of what we’re all about,” councilmember Nancy Whitten said. “I don’t feel any of these names do that, and this is going to be something that’s with us for a long time.” Others on the council agreed the names weren’t ideal. They did, however, come to a consensus on a name from a previous list — Big Rock Park. “It was the favorite of the school children, it was the favorite of everybody,” said Tom Vance, the lone councilmember on the naming committee. The name was scratched from the list because the city of Duvall already has Big Rock Park, which violates parameters set by Piggot. Under her rules, park names cannot conflict with names of places or parks in surrounding communities. SEE PARK, 9 lands
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