Three students and three parents spoke to the School Board this week, sharing about the work that two committees have done to begin changing the Tahoma School District to make it a more equitable, welcoming and safe place for all students and staff. 

“We want student voices to be heard,” THS junior Aliaya Nesru said, asking that the district incorporate student experiences and opinion in each decision that affects students, to help encourage lasting change through collaboration.

The six representatives are part of a group of 50 students, parents, community members and staff who have been working together, along with Tahoma Director of Equity Emilie Hard, to lead the way toward the equity goals identified by the School Board and Superintendent Mike Hanson. 

“This isn’t a project,” Hanson said, thanking the committee at the end of the presentation. “This is a pathway that you get on and don’t get off.”

The representatives of the larger committee began with a discussion about the distinction between equity and equality. Equality aims to ensure that everyone gets the same things in order to enjoy full, healthy lives -- and, it only works if everyone starts from the same place and needs the same things. Equity involves trying to understand and give people what they need to enjoy full, healthy lives, because needs vary by individual, they explained.

“Equality and equity doesn’t mean that we’re taking anything away from anyone,” parent and committee member Alicia Busch said. “It’s making sure everyone has what they need.”

In addition to student voice, which Nesru spoke to, the committee’s other five main areas of focus will be:

Professional development began this summer. Dr. Caprice Hollins of Cultures Connecting, is supporting staff learning in cultural competency through training in awareness, knowledge and skills. District administrators and leaders, each building staff and the School Board have participated in an initial virtual training with Hollins about diversity, our own racial identities, uncovering biases and stereotypes. Sessions with some classified staff are yet to happen. 

Hanson shared with the board and the community that Tahoma is also participating in two collaborative groups about equity: one includes 18 districts from the state of Washington, sharing information and ideas, and the second includes districts from five states that will be discussing best practices around equity and social-emotional learning.

On Dec. 8, the School Board members participated in an initial equity session with Hollins. She told the board members and community members in attendance that the work the district is beginning starts with each individual in our community. It’s something we all need to participate in because it takes everyone working together to dismantle systems of racism, she added.

There are four bodies of work to engage in: awareness, knowledge, skills, and action/advocacy.

Hollins talked with the board members about listening for understanding, and asking someone who is sharing to explain further. It’s also important not to try to “fix” what someone is sharing about, but rather to offer support or simply thank them for sharing. Another key objective is to create space for different voices, to take risks by engaging in conversation, and to expect and accept non-closure. “No matter how much you lean in, the conversation is often going to end up feeling unresolved,” Hollins said.

Conversations about race and equity are not comfortable, but we (our society -- our community) need to have them. “Is my comfort more important than someone else’s pain?” she asked. Board members, staff members and community members who attended the meeting had discussions in breakout rooms as part of the session.

“We practice, and when we practice, we get better,” Hollins said. “Whenever I feel the most discomfort, that’s when I lean in.”

The district has an equity page available here, and we will continue to share updates about the committee’s work, the professional development, curriculum review and other areas of focus in equity.

When school buildings were closed in March due to COVID-19, the district pushed pause on important work being done by the Citizens Housing Advisory Committee. That work will resume in the new year, with members studying how best to relieve crowding at some buildings, whether any slight adjustments or tweaks are needed for in-district attendance boundaries, and what the district’s long-range student housing plans should include.

As part of the district’s work to ensure that there are enough seats available for students at all schools:

While the committee is examining how best to house students in the short-term, it is also working on a long-range plan, and will make recommendations to the School Board. Public input will be sought as part of the process.

In January, TES Principal Jerry Gaston, who co-facilitates the committee, said, “Our end goal is really pretty simple: To decide how to house students in this growing and award-winning school district.”

Before COVID-19 halted the committee’s progress, members last year examined demographic data, projections, enrollment counts and other facts, as well as making site visits to schools to look at the current uses for different spaces -- as an example, at Cedar River Elementary School, they saw the stage, which was being used as an art classroom, and the commons/lunchroom, where some of the Future Ready Foundations classes are taught. They looked at access to restrooms, gyms, lunchrooms and common spaces during passing time. At each site, staff noted that storage is an issue; using Cedar River as an example again, the RAP program has books that many teachers need to access, but nowhere convenient to store them, so they are organized in file cabinets in a hallway. Overcrowding causes problems in common spaces such as playgrounds, gyms and lunchrooms at many buildings, the committee noted. They are considering whether spaces can be used creatively.

The committee will need updated demographic information, current enrollment numbers, a report about any ideas on successful remote learning strategies that could potentially be helpful in the future, and information about planned new housing within the district. The district hopes to have new demographic data available in the next couple of months. Enrollment is down across the district, and dropping each month. In a survey, about half of the families who unenrolled their students said they either plan to return or would consider returning.

A January meeting is planned for the committee, which includes parents/guardians, staff members and community members. 

Tahoma High School student Kylie Castleman acknowledges the wisdom expressed by the Founding Fathers as they wrote the Constitution but does not excuse them for tolerating slavery.

“Pen and paper doesn’t always transfer over to real life as easily as one would hope," Castleman wrote in an essay that garnered first prize in this year's Voice of Democracy contest, conducted by Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Maple Valley-Black Diamond Post 5052. She is among several Tahoma School District students who shared their views on America in this year’s patriotic essay contest.

Bill Stephens, U.S. Army veteran and Quartermaster of VFW Post 5052, praised this year’s essay entries. “There have been instances when I have felt actual chills” when reading the essays, he said. Stephens thanked King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn for securing a grant that increased prize money for this year’s contest.

Tahoma High School teacher Allison Agnew encourages students to enter the contest each year. The 2020/2021 Voice of Democracy high school award winners for VFW Post 5052 are:

The first, second and third place essays proceed to the next level of competition.

At Maple View Middle School, teacher Laurie Harrington promotes the middle school version of the contest, called the Patriot's Pen, annually to her Social Studies classes. This year’s “What is Patriotism to me?” essays were won by: Jack J. for first place and Daniel M. for second place with Santi W. and Sophie S. recognized as runners up.

Jack’s inspiration for his essay “was the hard times we are enduring right now. Yet there is still light at the end of the tunnel. And we are succeeding in finding the vaccine.” 

Principal Bill Weis and Assistant Principal Robert Talbert had the fun and privilege of personally delivering the award envelopes to each middle school student. 

Unique to Washington state’s VFW Posts is an essay contest for grades 3 through 5. Glacier Park student Sofia K., won this year’s VFW Post 5052 award for the second year in a row and also claimed second place in the district competition.

Students demonstrate being Self-Directed Learners as they develop their patriotic essays outside of class assignments. Adrian O’Donnell related the question of the founders’ vision to the current state of the nation and wrote, “I don't think this country is what the founders envisioned but if we can connect and understand that we are allowed to have different opinions without hating each other, we can begin to love each other once again.” 

Shelby Williams offered this view of America: “We are not currently living in the country the Founding Fathers envisioned, which has both helped and harmed our nation as a whole. I believe that the 14th Amendment is a pivotal aspect of the America we know today and continues to redefine what makes an American citizen.” 

Faith Piatt also wrote that she sees a nation that is much different than what the founders had in mind: “I don't believe that this is the country the Founding Fathers envisioned at all. Our country was built on respect, and freedom, but we are now so divided that respect is thrown out the window and freedom is being challenged. ... as long as we respect each other, that's all that matters. I believe that only then can the roots the Founding Fathers put down be revived.”  

In second grade, Ben Dolby remembers his music teacher, Paul Sayan, introducing him to Green Day’s song, “Good Riddance” on guitar. Little did Ben know that five years later he would be performing in a band and recording music in a studio.

Ben, who is in seventh grade at Maple View Middle School, and his older brother, Jack, started the band and met their third bandmate, Elliott Collamore of Enumclaw, after a local summer gig. Jack attended Lake Wilderness Elementary, Cedar River Middle School and Maple View Middle School before transferring to Eastside Catholic High School. All three originally started out performing cover songs at Dace’s Rock ’n’ More Music Academy in Maple Valley, then after Elliott joined the band they began wowing the crowds at street fairs, bazaars and private parties. More recently during quarantine, they have performed for people waiting for their meals at food trucks.

They say the next logical step was to start recording, and their first single is called “What to Say.” The band’s style is a combination of punk, rock, and grunge, and they draw their inspiration from a wide variety of groups including, for Ben, Green Day, Foo Fighters and ABBA; for Jack, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots and Nirvana; and for Elliott, Eddie Van Halen.

Thinking back to music class with Mr. Sayan, Ben said that Green Day made a big impression on him. “That was the first time I ever heard a punk band. It really stuck with me that entire year. I listened to that song over and over and then that entire album,” he said. “That really sticks out to me as the first time music felt centrally important to me. Now I can't imagine my life without music. Thank you, Mr. Sayan!”

Ben plays the drums, Jack plays the guitar and sings lead vocals, and Elliott plays the guitar and sings backup vocals. The trio is currently seeking a bass player.

The band’s name was a brainstorm from Jack, who thought of it three years ago, combining “disaster” and “masterpiece.”

“We get a lot of people mentioning that it’s a cool name,” Ben said.

Because of social distancing requirements, Disasterpiece recently had a mobile launch party throughout parts of Maple Valley to celebrate the release of their single. Although it wasn’t the huge release party that they wished they could have, they were glad to have the chance to see their fans, even from a distance, Ben said. The band hooked up an amp to play their music, and they and their fans threw confetti.

To learn more about the band or check out samples of their music, click here: https://www.disasterpieceband.com/  

Katrina Montgomery will serve as president of the Tahoma School Board in 2021, following annual reorganization of the board during its Dec. 15 business meeting.

Montgomery received unanimous approval from her colleagues. She accepts the gavel from Tami Henkel, who held the position during the past year. The Board also chose Malia Hollowell as vice president and representative to Teaching and Learning, and Pete Miller as legislative and general fund representative.

In other business Dec. 15, the Board:

Other policies reviewed by the Board included:

Due to the district’s remote learning status, our Teaching and Learning staff members have been working on revamping our assessment protocols and timelines for highly capable testing for the 2020-2021 school year. Second-grade students who have parent/guardian permission to be screened will receive that screener remotely during the school day. Nominated students in grades K, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 will most likely be tested on Saturdays in small groups where they will wear masks, adhere to social distancing, and follow any other recommended safety measures at that time. These tests will take place on computers at testing locations yet to be determined. Here are additional details:

Grade 2: All second-graders are eligible to participate in the CogAT screener, which is the first step in qualifying for the TSD highly capable programs. Families will receive permission slips via Skyward at the beginning of February; those forms are due electronically by Feb. 19. Test dates for when students will participate in the CogAT screener are yet to be determined. 

Grades 5, 6, and 7: Nominations for our highly capable ELA-SS program will occur from Jan. 1-27. Please return these forms promptly Jan. 27 so that our staff can prepare for the testing procedures. We plan to test students at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 6. Nomination forms are available on the highly capable page of our website. 

Grades K,1, 3, and 4: Nominations for highly capable elementary programs will occur from March 1-31. We anticipate testing these groups of students on Saturday, April 17. Please access the nominations forms on the highly capable page of our website. 

Members of the District Safety Committee met virtually last week for a regular quarterly meeting.

Topics of discussion included regular drills, emergency utility shut offs, a review of employee and student accident reports, safety reminders from the Puget Sound Workers’ Compensation Trust and more.

The committee includes representatives from local police and fire, from each school building and department, as well as district safety officers, principals and deans, district administrators and a School Board liaison.

The Be SMART for Kids campaign is providing information to families about the importance of safely securing firearms to reduce injuries and deaths from accidental shootings and as a deterrent to suicide. Be SMART is a resource cited by King County’s Lock it Up program that promotes safe storage of firearms.

SMART is an acronym for:

According to information from Be SMART for Kids, access to a firearm is a significant risk factor for youth suicide. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth in Washington state, and firearm suicide is a leading method. In King County, 75% of firearms used in child suicides were stored unlocked. Additionally, when it comes to suicide, the organization reports that 90% of suicide attempts with a gun end in death, while only 4% of other means are fatal.

Be SMART for Kids and Lock it Up offer information and resources about affordable, effective ways to properly secure firearms in the home. 

Due to Winter Break, Friday, Dec. 18, is the last day of free meals being served curbside, for Tahoma students and any children 18 and younger, via a USDA program, at Lake Wilderness Elementary and Tahoma High School. For times and other details, click here.

Tahoma's meal service will resume when school is back in session on Jan. 4. If you need food assistance during break, please contact the Maple Valley Food Bank & Emergency Services.

To check out what's on the menu, click here.