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January 15, 2014
COMMUNITY
SAMMAMISH REVIEW
Teacher recognized for exceptional work in math By Neil Pierson
There’s a stigma surrounding math instruction that Nancy Pfaff doesn’t quite understand. She often hears students and parents say they’re not good at math. That’s puzzling, she said, because few people say they’re poor at reading. Getting students to change their thinking – to enjoy math and excel at it – has been her passion for three decades. “There’s a lot of bad feelings about math,” she acknowledged. Pfaff, who has worked in the Lake Washington School District for 26 years, has a somewhat unusual job this year. She spends three days a week at Blackwell Elementary School in Sammamish, and two at Thoreau Elementary in Kirkland, where she works with highly-capable students in the Quest program. She sees children from across the district one day a week through the pull-out system designed to enrich general education. “They do their basic math and reading in their home schools, and then I work on advanced skills to keep them engaged and pushed in learning,” Pfaff said.
than 20 years, said she has a skill set that few teachers can claim. “What she brings to Blackwell is just a real understanding of ways in which to reach and teach gifted students,” Eaton said. “Her willingness to share with her colleagues and provide them ways to think about kids and teach gifted kids – they learn in different ways, have different characteristics and different needs.” Prior to arrivContributed ing at Blackwell Nancy Pfaff, who teaches math three days this year, Pfaff a week at Blackwell Elementary School, had spent much was recently named a state recipient of of her teaching the Presidential Award for Excellence in career with gifted Mathematics and Science Teaching. students. But during the 2011-12 Blackwell Principal Jim Eaton, school year at Mann Elementary who has known Pfaff for more in Redmond, she was part of a
Entrepreneurs push community service needs at Eastlake By Neil Pierson
At Eastlake High School, members of the DECA club are involved in community service projects at various points of the year, and last week was one of those times. DECA is a national organization for high school and college students looking to boost their business and marketing skills. At Eastlake, students try to find causes in their own back yard they can use for both altruistic and personal gain. From Jan. 7-13, Eastlake DECA gathered new and used clothing from students, then brought it to the Union Gospel Mission in Seattle. The mission is a Christian organization that “provides emergency care and long-term recovery services to hurting and homeless people in the greater Seattle area,” its web-
site states. Eastlake DECA members compete annually in competitions, and did well last April when 17 students traveled to the international DECA event in Anaheim, Calif. A public-relations campaign is one project this year’s club is working on, and junior Madelyn Mendlen said the clothing drive resulted from an overarching theme DECA identified – not many Eastlake students participate in community-service activities. “Students at this school are very busy, and they don’t realize the importance, I think, of drives like this, and what the end result is,” Mendlen said. “They just see, ‘Oh, I’m giving my clothes to this person, another student, and then it’s done. See DECA, Page 7
team-teaching approach that a lot of work for Pfaff – she had proved highly successful. to drum up letters of recommenIn the mornings, she taught dation, videotape her classroom math to two sixth-grade classwork, and prove she was going rooms overflowing with 34 stuabove and beyond by providing dents each. In the afternoons, she math instruction outside of the worked with fourth-, fifth- and regular school day. At Mann, Pfaff and her sixthsixth-graders who were trygraders hosted a math night, ing to pass the math section of where they demonstrated varithe Measurements of Student ous games Progress exam. “It was “It was probably one of they used during class. almost like a my best years of teach- It was a way middle-school model in an ing. We did really good to show math be learned elementary,” things with those kids, can with a “playPfaff explained. “I taught all the even though it was two ful approach,” rather than math, one of really big classes.” flash cards and my teammates – Nancy Pfaff, drill sheets that taught all the often leave social studies, Teacher – students “terriand another fied,” she said. taught all the In the evescience. nings since 2009, Pfaff has also “And it was probably one of been working at City University my best years of teaching. We in Seattle to help students work did really good things with those toward their teaching credentials. kids, even though it was two Those are the kinds of things really big classes.” A former colleague nominated PAEMST award winners are made of, and Pfaff was named Pfaff that year for the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence Washington’s 2011-12 PAEMST recipient for math on Jan. 3. in Mathematics and Science Teaching. See PFAFF, Page 7 Receiving a nomination meant
Cadets collect food
Contributed
Members of Cadet Troop 52123 show off the 320 pounds of food they collected Dec. 6 and donated it to Tent City. Pictured are Emma Bolz, Emilie Kyes, Ananya Rao, Ishika Mukherjee, Kaiya Smiley, Emma Rowley and Dany Villalobos.
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SportS
January 15, 2014
SAMMAMISH REVIEW
Eastlake boys fend off Ballard rally, improve KingCo standing By Neil Pierson
Even after making 7 of 8 attempts from the free-throw line to ice his team’s Jan. 7 victory, Eastlake High junior point guard Jordan Lester remained humble. “A lot of the guys on our team can do that,” Lester said. “It was just my turn. I was just in the position to shoot the free throws, but it’s not really my role. It’s just kind of whoever gets the ball.” Lester’s clutch shots helped Eastlake hold off a late Ballard rally, and the Wolves escaped with a 67-60 win over the visiting Beavers in a Class 4A KingCo Conference boys basketball game. The Wolves stayed hot after winning three games at the Estancia/Tustin Coast Classic in southern California. They improved to 7-4 overall, 3-2 in KingCo play, and have positioned themselves for a good playoff seed. See WOLVES, Page 9 Photo by Greg Farrar
Photo by Greg Farrar
Jordan Lester, Eastlake High School junior point guard, looks to a teammate for an outlet pass while being double-teamed by Ballard during the first quarter of their Jan. 7 basketball game.
Mason Pierzchalski, Eastlake High School senior guard, looks for two of his 15 points while being defended by Ballard senior guard Morris Fortmann during the second quarter Jan. 7.
Youngsters wrestle well as Eagles defeat Spartans By Neil Pierson
It wasn’t the ideal situation for Robert Steil to wrestle his first varsity match, but the Issaquah High School senior was up to the task. With their regular 220-pound starter, Terrance Zaragoza, out of commission, the Eagles turned to Steil to pick up some points in their Class 4A KingCo Conference dual against rival Skyline. Steil didn’t disappoint, dominating Henry Bainivalu for the first two periods and collecting six team points with a pin in 4 minutes, 38 seconds. Steil’s victory helped Issaquah build a 36-0 lead, and that proved too much for the Spartans to overcome as the Eagles won 45-31 on Jan. 9 at Skyline High. Did Steil feel butterflies as he walked to the mat for the first time as a varsity wrestler? “Yes – especially with a guy that was bigger than me, and taller than me,” he said. “But I
just fought hard, kept going until the end, and I won in the end, so I’m happy.” Steil nearly pinned Bainivalu late in the first period, but settled for an 8-4 lead. He had another near fall in the second period and increased his lead to 15-7, then quickly turned Bainivalu onto his back for the final time early in the third period. Steil said he’s had help from two teammates – Ruben Orta and Hunter Hurley – to improve his techniques this season, but his strategy was quite simple against Bainivalu. “First thing – don’t get pinned,” Steil said. “Second thing is just drive, drive, drive, grab a leg, get him on his back and just keep pushing.” The Eagles opened the dual with six straight victories. At 182 pounds, Chance Gunter needed only 40 seconds to pin Tim Tran. After a forfeit win for William Noguiera at 195, Steil’s pin made See WRESTLE, Page 9
By Greg Farrar
Joseph DeMatteo (top), Skyline High School senior, keeps the pressure on Issaquah junior Brandon Vrinceanu on the way to a pin in the second period of their 145-pound bout Jan. 9.