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COMMUNITY | Check out our special parenting and camps section [10-11] CRIME ALERT | Redmond Police Blotter [9]
COMMUNITY | Easter egg hunts will take place this weekend in Redmond. [8]
FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015
A DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING
Hall of Famer
Brigitte Tennis of Stella Schola Middle School was honored at last Friday’s assembly in the Rose Hill Middle School cafeteria. SAMANTHA PAK, Redmond Reporter
Stella Schola’s Tennis to be inducted into National Teacher Hall of Fame SAMANTHA PAK spak@redmond-reporter.com
At the end of the school day last Friday, Brigitte Tennis led her eighth-grade class to the cafeteria at Rose Hill Middle School in Redmond. She had been told that her students’ netbook computers needed to be updated for the upcoming state testing and techs from the district would be onsite to do the work. But when the class arrived in the cafeteria, they found the remaining students from Stella Schola Middle School — a Lake Washington School District (LWSD) choice school that shares a building with Rose Hill — seated in chairs facing the stage. And unlike Tennis’ students — still dressed in their lab coats from an earlier frog-dissection lesson — none of the sixth- or seventhgraders had their computers with them. This was because everyone was gathered to recognize Tennis as she had been selected to be inducted into this year’s
“I live and breathe education. I would choose nothing else.” Brigitte Tennis National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF) — an honor that took her completely by surprise. “(Rose Hill principal Erin Bowser) did a fabulous job disguising everything,” said Tennis, who has worked for LWSD since 1981 and founded Stella Schola in 2000. Bowser admitted that while she was excited to hear the news about Tennis receiving the honor, she was not excited to plan the surprise. She said Tennis always schedules things far in advance and down to the minute. Bowser said she made sure to check Tennis’ calendars to make sure not to disrupt the schedule. Bowser said she decided to go with the netbooks idea because she thought if the
“request” came from the district level, Tennis would have no choice but to comply. “I thought that was the only option,” Bowser said with a laugh.
A VALIDATING HONOR
Tennis was nominated by a parent of a former student. That former student is now about 26 years old, she said. NTHF notified her about the nomination in the fall of 2014. Following the nomination, Tennis said she had to fill out an application form, write a few essays from prompts that were provided and produce a three-minute video that was supposed to encompass her as a teacher. She originally captured two hours of footage that had to be pared down for the final cut. Two former students — now freshmen at the University of Washington — helped her edit the video. [ more TENNIS page 6 ]
FEATURE | Carolan retires from Redmond Fire Department [2]
Police on the lookout for assault suspect A 21-year-old female fight off her attacker and contacted Redmond the suspect fled westpolice at approximately bound on Redmond Way 8:50 p.m. on Monday and towards Kirkland.” reported that she The victim was assaulted described the by an unknown suspect as a male in the 14200 Hispanic male, in block of Redhis 30s, approximond Way. mately 5-foot-8 The victim and 140-160 reported she was pounds. He was Police sketch of walking home wearing a black assault suspect. along Redmond beanie, black Way when the sweatshirt and suspect apdark jeans. A proached her from behind sketch artist was able to and grabbed her around meet with the victim and the waist, according to a complete the attached press release from Redsketch. mond Police Department The case is under Assistant Chief Kristi investigation by RedWilson. mond police detectives. If “The male suspect told anyone has information the victim he wanted to regarding this case or can have sex with her and assist in identifying the attempted to drag her into suspect, contact detective the woods,” Wilson wrote. Rebecca Atkinson at (425) “The victim was able to 556-2654.
Hopelink unveils first-ever impact report, ‘Building a Stronger Community’ ANDY NYSTROM anystrom@redmond-reporter.com
Hopelink unveiled its first-ever impact report last week to a roomful of its partners, local public officials and community leaders who all have a hand in supporting the Redmondbased community action agency. As she addressed the crowd at the Redmond Marriott Town Center on March 24, Hopelink Vice President of Community Services Meghan Altimore’s passion poured forth as she noted: “Everything is grounded by our vision, our vision of a community free of poverty. Our mission is to promote self-sufficiency, to really help people make lasting change, and so every effort that we have has got to be pointed in that direction.” [ more HOPELINK page 6 ]
New pediatric dental office in the heart of Redmond specializing in the treatment of infants, toddlers and teenagers. We accept most major insurance plans! Including Premera, Washington Dental Service (WDS) and Delta Dental 1278374
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