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FEATURE | Author begins ‘Creativity in Motion’ series [8] CRIME ALERT | Redmond Police Blotter [3] See Our Special Section Pages 13-15
SPORTS | Redmond High FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013 football preview [16]
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Microsoft’s Ballmer to retire within a year the thing outside of my family and closest friends Microsoft CEO Steve that matters to me most,” Ballmer announced last Ballmer said about his Friday morning that he’s retirement. He looks retiring within a year, forward to continuing as and he plans on making one of Microsoft’s largest the most of his remainowners. ing time on Microsoft’s board with the board of direccorporation that tors has appointwas founded in ed a special com1975. mittee to search He’ll step for its next CEO. down after his John Thompson, successor is chothe board’s lead sen, he noted independent diSteve Ballmer in an email to rector, will chair employees. the committee, “There is which includes never a perfect time Chairman of the Board for this type of transiBill Gates, Chairman of tion, but now is the right the Audit Committee time,” Ballmer said. “We Chuck Noski and Chairhave embarked on a new man of the Compensation strategy with a new orgaCommittee Steve Luczo. nization and we have an The committee is working amazing senior leadership with Heidrick & Struggles team. We need a CEO International Inc., a leadwho will be here longer ing executive recruiting term for this new direcfirm, and will consider tion.” both external and internal Ballmer will continue candidates. to serve as CEO and will “The board is commitlead Microsoft through ted to the effective transthe next steps of its trans- formation of Microsoft formation to a devices to a successful devices and services company. and services company,” “This is an emotional Thompson said in a press and difficult thing for release. “As this work me to do. I take this step continues, we are focused in the best interests of [ more BALLMER page 3 ] the company I love; it is STAFF REPORT
Hands all over at Great Day of Play
Players from a pair of Redmond teams go head to head during a 3-on-3 basketball tournament held last Friday at Redmond’s Great Day of Play at the City Hall campus. The tournament included boys and girls teams in grades three through eight. The event also featured a 5K run and walk along the Sammamish River Trail. More photos on page 11. ANDY NYSTROM, Redmond Reporter
Redmond High School parent launches math-based Ellipisis Academy SAMANTHA PAK spak@redmond-reporter.com
Elly Sarwono’s oldest daughter has always enjoyed math, but the things she learned in school weren’t always challenging enough. So Sarwono began playing math games with her daughter, eventually inviting some of the girl’s
friends to join them. “It’s really not fun playing games with your mom,” Sarwono said. She started playing these games when her daughter — who will be a junior at Redmond High School this year — and her friends were in kindergarten, and by the time the kids were in fourth grade, they were
BACK TO SCHOOL
getting more serious about these after-school sessions. So Sarwono asked the principal at the time at Norman Rockwell Elementary School in Redmond — where her daughter was enrolled — if they could hold meetings at the school. The result was Math in Action, an after-school program at Rockwell that went beyond the math games to include compe-
titions. The students participated in competitions throughout the Seattle area including Math is Cool, Math Olympiad and Math Kangaroo. “I told (the kids), if you work hard, you can do these competitions,” Sarwono said. “They worked really hard.” Since Math in Action began in 2007, others outside of Rockwell have wanted Sarwono to bring
the program to their school. And this is the first year she will do so in the form of Ellipsis Academy, a math-enrichment program Sarwono developed from her years as a parent volunteer running Math in Action. Ellipsis is currently for fourth and fifth graders and offered at Rockwell as well as John James Audubon Elementary School in Redmond. Sarwono said
she hopes to expand it for second through eighth graders. Now that Sarwono has developed her program into a business, the cost is $165 per child, per semester. She is also offering classes at the Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center, which range from $325-345 per child, per semester. Sarwono said tuition for the [ more SCHOOLS page 14 ]