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FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 2015
A DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING
Zorn zeroes in on football talk
Former Seahawk connects with Medical Teams International
LWSD students succeed on new state tests SAMANTHA PAK
ANDY NYSTROM
spak@redmond-reporter.com
anystrom@redmond-reporter.com
During the 2014-15 school year, students in Washington — including those in the Lake Washington School District — were faced with a number of new state tests. These tests were part of the new Smarter Balanced Assessments (SBA) and in English language arts and math. For science, the students still took tests under the Measurements of Student Progress (MSP) system. The new SBA tests were more rigorous than previous testing.
In football terminology, Redmond’s Medical Teams International (MTI) has a potent strategy along with an offense, defense and special-teams members. When the global relief and development organization steps onto the world’s field, its players serve people affected by disaster, conflict and poverty, regardless of religion, nationality, sex or race. Its offense consists of saving lives and meeting the critical health needs of vulnerable and suffering people in countries like Lebanon, Uganda, Liberia and Nepal. On defense, MTI strives to improve health-care access and the quality of care to those in need. Its special-teams lineup features professional volunteers and provides urgent and preventative dental care to people in Washington and Oregon. That MTI strategy was presented to donors on Aug. 20 at an event at the organization’s Mike and Kathy Holmgren Center in Redmond. The gathering was highlighted by a private
our success rate at meeting the new standard was about 25 percent higher than the state average. I am especially pleased that in many grades and subjects, over 50 percent of students scored at an advanced level.” Kathryn Reith, director of communications for the district, added that with the new testing, students are rated on a scale of 1-4, with one being the lowest and four being the highest. “We have lots of kids at level four,” she said, indicating that not only did these students meet the standards (a level three) but exceeded them. In grades 3-8 English language arts, the percentage of LWSD students meeting the new standards ranged from 79 percent in third and sixth grades, to 84 percent in fifth grade. At the state level, the percentage of students meeting the standard ranged from 52 percent in third grade to 58 percent in fifth grade. [ more TESTS page 9 ]
SCHOOLS NEWS
Former Seattle Seahawk quarterback and NFL coach Jim Zorn stresses a point during his “Football 101” chalk talk on Aug. 20 at Medical Teams International (MTI) in Redmond. ANDY NYSTROM, Redmond Reporter “Football 101” chalk talk by former Seattle Seahawk quarterback and NFL coach Jim Zorn, who, along with his wife Joy, has been involved with MTI for many years. Jim did a public service announcement for Northwest Medical Teams, now known as MTI, in 1979, and last November traveled with a volunteer team to a remote village in Guatemala to build 33 latrines for the residents during their weeklong stay.
“The reason we are involved is because of the tremendous compassion, the help, the very intelligent aid they give to so many people around the world. Even in our own back yard, and then many other countries, it’s ongoing work and then they also are ready to jump on any type of disaster,” Zorn told the Reporter before the event, which was attended by people who purchased the auction item at a Field of Dreams fundraiser in June.
Jim and Joy have joined the Holmgrens in continuously championing MTI and donating funds to the charitable 501(c)(3) organization, which was founded in 1979 and sports 2,500 volunteers globally. The Zorns enlisted former Seahawk Steve Largent and his wife Terry and a host of others to travel to the Guatemalan village, which didn’t have any electricity, running water or plumbing, Jim said, adding [ more MTI page 9 ]
MEETING AND EXCEEDING STANDARDS
LWSD school results showed that district students performed well on the new state standardized tests. “Lake Washington continues to perform at a rate significantly higher than the state average,” said superintendent Dr. Traci Pierce in an LWSD press release. “In most grades,
No bridge too far for local wildlife SAMANTHA PAK spak@redmond-reporter.com
It has been a little more than a year since construction on the wildlife crossing has been complete. And since then, a couple of readers have written into the Reporter, inquiring about the bridge’s usage. The crossing is 40 feet wide and stretches 120 feet across Northeast Novelty Hill
Road between Redmond Ridge Drive Northeast and 234th Place Northeast. The bridge was completed in May 2014 and Rick Brater, who is a road engineer for King County, said they have seen a high use of the crossing. Brater said they have situated cameras along the structure and they have seen that animals have been utilizing the crossing on a
daily basis. “It’s being used by a diverse group of wildlife,” he said. The animals that use the crossing include deer, bobcats and coyotes. Brater added that deer have been using the bridge immediately after the crossing was complete. He said typically, it can take up to 3-5 years for a wildlife crossing to really become [ more WILDLIFE page 9 ]
A coyote uses the wildlife crossing that stretches across Northeast Novelty Hill Road between Redmond Ridge Drive Northeast and 234th Place Northeast. Courtesy of King County