By the
Trout Lake Newswriters
Sarah Burr Arnold, 395-2669
Sean McGroarty, 395-9394
Kira Fogarty
Sofie Brubaker
Up here in the Trout Lake Valley, the dog days of summer have long past, but the "bear days" of winter have set in. Ursus Troutlakicanus
, or the Trout Lake Bear, can be spotted roaming aimlessly through town, in a post-holiday stupor. Having sufficiently gorged ourselves on holiday delights, many of us enter the new year with a few pounds of extra insulation. Some of us have let our whiskers grow longer -- as a defense against the cold, or just from sheer neglect. Though we may have grand ambitions for the year ahead, our inclination is often to find a warm spot in which to slumber, riding out these dark and damp days. But now is not the time to retreat from the world. It is the time to gather your strength, resist that urge to watch another movie on Netflix, and get outside in the fresh mountain air. Your inner bear will thank you, trust me.
The Trout Lake School robotics team hosted a dinner and a demonstration of the robot. The team is seeking sponsors for the 2013 competition. If you are interested in being a sponsor, contact the school.
And we are hoping that the Cabin Fever Festival will occur as usual, although no news about it has been received as yet.
Reading The Laker which is the magazine written and published by the students in Trout Lake school, I learned that the students in the school are acing both the SAT and the Washington State standardized testing. According to the Principal's Corner column written by the superintendent Doug Dearden, in the last four years in SAT Critical Reading and Math composite scores "Trout Lake students scored 112 points higher than the national average and 68 points higher than students in Washington State."
Also according to Doug, when Trout Lake students take the 10th grade Washington State standardized tests they score above state averages and have every year since 2001.
What an impressive effort by the students and teachers of the school and what a wonderful testimonial to the benefits of good public education. Our levy dollars are being put to good use.
The Laker distributed for free and available at the Grocery store provides good written and pictorial coverage of events that have happened at the school. It also includes essays written by the students on various subjects which are always interesting because of the wide variety of unanticipated subjects. The magazine is a great way to keep informed about the school and its activities.
It is interesting that apparently we live in a well educated state as well. Doug also mentions that Washington State has the highest SAT scores in the nation when more than 50 percent of the students take the test. One of those factoids that cause one to feel good about and proud of the state in which we live.
Trout Lake residents are invited to sponsor two Honduran students, Yeltsin and Lidenis Rubi Reyes. Yeltsin was part of the Trout Lake community last year, hosted by Bruce and Cheryl Keller, while he received medical treatment and attended Trout Lake School.
He and his twin sister, Lidenis, have hopes of attending high school, but public education in Honduras stops at the seventh grade. The initial cost for high school is $820, with a cost of $482 per month, thereafter. A donation of $10 per month is encouraged, but any amount, including a one-time donation, is appreciated. Checks may be dropped off at the school, or mailed to Karen Smith, P.O. Box 56, Trout Lake, Wash., 98650.
Donations may also be mailed directly to the Olancho Aid Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 15, Rockland, MA, 02370 (All checks should be made to the Olancho Aid Foundation Inc., and marked "for Yeltsin and Lidenis Reyes.") For more information, please contact Stephanie Stevens (395-2275) or Karen Smith (395-2170 Home, or 395-2571 at the school). All contributions are tax-deductible.
Trout Lake news writers, Sean McGroarty and Sarah Burr Arnold.
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