In this issue:
Equity work begins with listening
Graduation: A celebration like no other for Class of 2020
Special Services update
Plans being made to return, collect items
Superintendent contract approved
Spotlight on TES: Seahawks visit
News briefs
Coming up in Bear Country
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Equity work will begin with listening
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As the nation reacts to the horrifying death of George Floyd, who was asphyxiated while in police custody in Minneapolis, Tahoma School District is listening to its students, parents, community, staff and experts to find a path that will lead to racial equity.
Protests held locally and across the nation serve to underscore the anguish felt by people of color at inequalities that continue to plague our nation. The killing of Floyd has ignited a simmering cauldron of anger, resentment and fear among Americans of color whose lives are disrupted by the prejudice and privilege that continues to exist among white Americans. We respect and support those who are calling for an end to this unequal existence and offer our heartfelt empathy and apologies to those whose lives are disrupted by racism.
The district does not just want to listen. We are committed to action -- to confronting racism and driving it from our schools. Efforts to improve equity were already underway before buildings were closed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Before we share more about what we have planned, we want to acknowledge that we have a considerable amount of work ahead of us. And, this article is not meant as a standalone communication, but rather as one piece of an ongoing conversation about how we can -- and will -- do better together.
Last fall, interim Superintendent Mike Maryanski and incoming Superintendent Mike Hanson began meeting and having conversations with community members about experiences that some of our students, staff and parents have had in our buildings. They shared some examples of inequity with the School Board members, who said they support the work and asked for more information. Teachers, staff, and administrators were also grateful for the opportunity to listen and learn during two sessions hosted by the Middle Schools of Tahoma PTA, called “Let’s Talk About it: Black & White.”
Some students and staff members have also shared with us about experiences that some of our students of color have had. We thank those who have come forward to talk with us about these unacceptable experiences. We’re listening, and working to provide a safe, welcoming environment for all our students, staff and families.
We have received support from Emilie Hard, who spent six years working on equity in the Issaquah School District. We will also be working with and receiving guidance from Dr. Caprice Hollins of
Cultures Connecting, who helps organizations learn and have important conversations about race and equity. Those conversations will help guide our growth and improvement as individuals and as a system, using restorative practices, cultural competence, and understanding implicit bias to learn about inequities and how the district can become anti-racist. Restorative practices are an alternative to traditional school discipline, focused on building healthy relationships and a sense of community to prevent and address conflict and wrongdoing.
In February, the School Board directed staff to create an equity ad hoc committee for the purpose of working with directors, principals and other district staff on systemic bias. The committee’s work was due to start in April, but was paused by COVID-19. Professional development will begin in the fall, along with work around restorative practices.
Yesterday, a small group of district leaders had the opportunity to hear from some students and parents in a virtual meeting about what they have been thinking, feeling and hearing over the past week since the killing of George Floyd and after two Tahoma students posted a racist video to social media.*
“There’s a lot to be learned, and we can begin with listening,” Hanson said.
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Graduation: A celebration like no other for Class of 2020
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The Tahoma High School graduating class of 2020 in the traditional beginning of year photo, which is featured each year in the yearbook and graduation program.
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Roll out the blue and gold -- it’s time to bedeck the town, your vehicles, yourselves and your social media accounts in the colors of Tahoma to honor our beloved graduating Bears!
On Wednesday, June 10, the Tahoma High School Class of 2020 will graduate in a most unusual way. Instead of the traditional ceremony at White River Amphitheater, seniors will end their high school days on the THS campus as part of a day-long celebration that follows strict guidelines made necessary by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Class of 2020 has “grit and resilience,” Principal Terry Duty said. “Every time we’ve asked our seniors and senior parents for something around graduation, they’ve come up with a way to make it extra special.”
“When we said they had to wear a mask, they said ‘Fine -- we’re gonna wear a mask, but they’re gonna be really cool masks.’ When we said graduation was going to have to be very different, they said ‘Great -- we’re going to make it different, and it’s going to be the best day, ever.’”
Beginning at 11 a.m. and ending at 7 p.m., the ceremony will follow a precise schedule that permits graduates to take one last walk through their school. Students will arrive at a scheduled time and be dropped at the east entrance. Each senior must wear a facemask. They will then take their final walk as students through the decorated building with another senior, at a safe distance, and exit the west end. Their parents or guardians will drive to the parking lot behind the football and track complex and await their graduate; parents will be permitted to watch their graduate on stage from a designated viewing area.
After leaving the school building, seniors will walk past the athletic fields before arriving at the football and track complex, where they will remove their mask, walk across a stage to pick up their diploma cover, turn their tassel, replace their mask and quickly leave to rejoin family as graduates. The student and family then will leave the campus via Kent-Kangley Road SE.
While no spectators will be permitted at the football and track complex or elsewhere on campus, we know that the community is eager to help us celebrate our incredible graduates. We're grateful for your support and love for the senior class of 2020, and we’re sharing ideas for how to participate as part of this message.
Photos will be taken of each graduate on stage, and a video compilation of the graduation will be created and shared with Tahoma graduates and families. Other traditional elements of the graduation ceremony, such as music and speeches, are being recorded and will be posted online at 7 p.m., at the conclusion of the ceremony.
Senior class co-presidents Nic Olson and Peyton Raybon help lead portions of the virtual ceremony. Olson said that when school buildings closed in mid-March, he and his classmates couldn’t believe that the closure would be very long, and imagined that graduation would be a constant because it was months away.
“Everything has moved slower than we expected. Finding out we’re still able to have graduation was a big relief. We’re very thankful that we’ll be able to do it,” he said. “We’ve worked so hard for 12 years. We finally made it. The world has thrown a lot at us, but we were able to roll with the punches and we’re coming out strong.”
Raybon said that the class of 2020 is filled with intelligent people, who are fighters, and that they have weathered a series of challenges together over the past four years.
“I think honestly that we’re going to be okay, and that it made us more thankful for what we already had,” she said. “I’m hopeful that we are able to appreciate the time that we did have together even more because of this.”
Community members who wish to honor the Class of 2020 are encouraged to display blue and gold decorations and signs on June 10. We invite you to join us by wearing blue and gold, and hanging decorations or signs in the windows of your homes, businesses and cars. A special graduation frame is available for Facebook users on the Tahoma High School and Tahoma School District Facebook pages. If you take photos of yourself in your best blue and gold spirit wear and would like us to share them on social media, please PM them to our Facebook page, our Instagram account or email them to
TSDMessages@tahomasd.us.
The Maple Valley City Council
created a proclamation declaring June 10 “Tahoma High School Class of 2020 Day,” urging citizens to wear blue and gold to recognize and honor the class of 2020.
This year’s traditional Senior Awards Night was celebrated via video. If you missed it,
please click here.
The public is asked to stay away from the high school campus on June 10 to avoid group gatherings, which would violate state and county guidelines for this event. Thank you for understanding, and for helping us to celebrate this exceptional class of students graduating during the midst of such an unprecedented time.
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THS staff members volunteered to deliver honor cords to students who earned them. The cords are being delivered over the course of four to five days.
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As Tahoma School District and the state move forward in planning for fall reopening under the guidance of the Department of Health, the district will be specifically planning for students with special needs. Tahoma is capturing the strategies that have been useful for students and families as well as seeking additional supports to strengthen its efforts to provide specially designed instruction. As safety guidance and the impact on access to campuses becomes more clear, the district will share that information with families and staff members. The planning will address instruction to allow students to make progress on IEP goals, evaluation needs, and rescheduling of any delayed meetings.
Tahoma’s teachers, speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, vision, hearing, and behavior specialists, and paraeducators have been working with students with Individualized Education Programs remotely; implementing the Continuous Learning Plans developed with families this spring. In addition, annual individualized education plan (IEP) meetings that could be held occurred in online settings with families.
“We value our partnership with students and parents, and invite them to contact us to talk about their student’s education and any outstanding questions or concerns they may have,” said Annette Whittlesey, Special Services Director.
Recently, students who have ESY (Extended School Year) identified in their IEPs, have been contacted regarding a remote schedule for July, as staff and students currently are not able to access buildings in person. The district will continue to monitor state guidance for summer access in addition to the planning for fall.
“We endeavor to improve services and outcomes, despite barriers brought on by remote learning,” Whittlesey said. She invites parents to
contact her or their service providers with questions that have not been addressed or input in regard to Continuous Learning Plans and the reopening plans for the district.
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Plans underway to return, collect items at buildings
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When schools closed in mid-March in reaction to the state’s Stay Home, Stay Safe response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many Tahoma students left items at school or took learning materials home for remote learning. Schools will begin returning those items during the next two weeks and also will collect books, Chromebooks and other materials that were loaned to students.
Each school building is notifying families about how they will return and collect items. Student belongings will be distributed according to a schedule, so please follow the instructions provided by the school. In every case, schools will follow health guidelines for personal protective equipment and social distancing to ensure proper hygiene.
At elementary schools, teachers will gather student items from classrooms and place them in labeled bags for curbside pickup, which will occur between June 12 and 17 as designed by each school.
Middle schools are sending information about picking up yearbooks and other items, with pickup times beginning next Thursday for Summit Trail and Friday for Maple View.
Tahoma High School sent its plan to families on Wednesday and separate communications are being made by individual departments, such as music and PE, to arrange pickup of equipment and other items. Any additional student items can be picked up when students are permitted back in school as the state enters later reopening phases. High school students and families are being asked to return books and other learning materials at curbside drop points during specified times. Yearbooks, athletic letters, awards and paperwork will be mailed to students.
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New superintendent contract approved
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The Tahoma School Board on Tuesday voted unanimously to approve a three-year contract for Incoming Superintendent Mike Hanson, who will officially begin his duties as superintendent on July 1.
Hanson will have a standard administrator’s contract of 260 days, and will be paid $235,000. His contract also includes 30 vacation days, 12 sick-leave days and 12 paid holidays. The board
announced its selection of Hanson as the next superintendent of Tahoma School District in February. Since that time, he has been working out of the district office to ensure a smooth transition to his new role.
Hanson and Interim Superintendent Mike Maryanski have worked together to lead the district during the closure of school buildings due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Formerly the principal at Shadow Lake Elementary School, Hanson began teaching for Tahoma in 1997 as a high school science instructor and is a proud Tahoma High School alum.
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Spotlight on TES: Seahawks player visits virtual class meeting
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When students in Doug Lapp’s fifth-grade class logged on for their class meeting last week, a special guest joined, too.
Seahawks tight end Luke Willson chatted with students, answered questions and was an excellent guest, Lapp said.
“It was more than I expected. I have had Seahawks players meet my class before, and Luke was by far the most engaging with the students,” he added. “Luke even told a story about one of the students he knew.”
Student Carson K., whose dad Erik works for the NFL team and arranged Willson’s appearance, said “I thought it was funny that he shared a story from when I was 5 years old, that I rode my scooter around the locker room yelling that there was a fire (even though there wasn't). I don't even remember doing that.”
Having Willson join the class meeting was fun, Carson said. “I was so happy that Luke agreed to join our meeting. He is a great guy and was so nice to everyone.”
The visit came about during a unit on persuasive writing. Each year, Lapp teaches his students how to write a professional, effective and persuasive letter. Then, they research colleges and choose which institution(s) they would like to send a letter to, asking for some college swag. This year, he adjusted the assignment slightly, and asked students to pick celebrities to contact.
“I was inspired by John Krasinski’s SGN (“Some Good News”) and decided to see if my class could invite a famous person to one of our Google Meets,” Lapp explained.
The classmates sent their persuasive invitations, then waited and hoped for a response.
“Fortunately one of my students’ fathers is the equipment manager for the Seahawks and when the assignment went out he and his wife set this up,” Lapp said. “Luke answered all manner of questions about football, what he’s been doing, his sports background.”
Willson also passed a Canadian spelling challenge from Lapp: “Since my grandmother and mother were born in Saskatchewan I challenged him to spell the (name of the) province.
Other interesting questions from the conversation were:
Q: Which player would you like to most have on the Seahawks?
Willson: “Jimmie Graham. Even though he plays the same position, he is my best friend in the league.”
Q: What has been your favorite play as a player?
Willson: “The two-point conversion in the NFC championship game against the Packers. There were two plays that would be called. One that I was the primary target and one I wasn’t. They called the one I wasn’t. So I started blocking and then things sounded wrong so I went out for a pass and Russ lofted the ball my way for the 2 points.”
Fifth-grader Callie A. said having Willson join the Google Meet was “really cool.”
“I have never really talked to someone famous. He was very nice and funny. I really enjoyed talking to him,” Callie added. “It was really inspiring to hear him tell us to work hard for what you want in life.”
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Work continues while awaiting state “options” for fall
Officials with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Washington State Department of Health are expected to provide a “menu of options” next week detailing possible ways that districts across Washington may reopen in the fall.
While Tahoma is still awaiting that guidance, planning for possible scenarios is continuing. The district has four work teams, including Public Health and Safety, Mental Health and Wellness, Human Resources and Continuous Learning.
We will update families and staff again next week after hearing from state officials. We expect our planning and preparation for the fall to continue in the coming weeks and months. If you have questions, please reach out to your child’s teacher, principal or the district at
TSDMessages@tahomasd.us.
Attention freshmen runners
The Tahoma Cross Country team is looking for students interested in participating in cross country in the fall. "Tahoma XC" has more than 100 participants each year.
"You don’t have to be the best runner; we just want those that enjoy running," coach Jeff Brady said. "We have some great summer workouts to join in, so don’t wait until fall to get started."
Those who are interested or have any questions are invited to contact Brady at
jbrady@tahomasd.us.
High school students invited to apply for student board representative
Each spring, Tahoma School Board chooses high school students to represent their peers at School Board meetings. The representatives give reports to the board about issues and events, and also answer board questions when they ask for feedback about topics on their agenda.
This year, there are four student board representatives, but the board has decided to increase the number to five next year. Incoming juniors and seniors are invited to apply, and students in the Running Start program are also eligible.
The current student representatives to the School Board have performed their usual duties and have also participated in many meetings such as the district’s COVID-19 Task Force.
To be considered, students may
download this application and submit it by email to School Board Director Val Paganelli at
vpaganel@tahomasd.us, who serves as the board’s liaison to the student board representatives. The deadline is June 10.
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COMING UP IN BEAR COUNTRY
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TUESDAY, June 9
WEDNESDAY, June 10
Tahoma High School graduation, a celebration for graduates and immediate family only following guidelines approved by health officials. See related article above.
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The Tahoma School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination:
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Title IX Officer
Director of Human Resources
25720 Maple Valley Highway
Maple Valley, WA 98038
425-413-3400
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ADA Coordinator
Director of Human Resources
25720 Maple Valley Highway
Maple Valley, WA 98038
425-413-3400
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Section 504 Coordinator
Director of Special Services
25720 Maple Valley Highway
Maple Valley, WA 98038
425-413-3400
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25720 Maple Valley-Black Diamond Rd. S.E., Maple Valley, WA 98038
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