Tahoma school leaders welcomed Friday’s announcement by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that classroom physical distancing rules for students are being adjusted from 6 feet to 3 feet. But Superintendent Mike Hanson cautions that the decision will not result in immediate changes, as many questions and planning work remain.

“This is exciting news,” Hanson said. “We look forward to having all students return to in-person learning, but we want to ensure that this change is implemented safely. We anticipate that this announcement will affect how we plan for the start of the 2021-2022 school year but won’t change our hybrid learning plans this school year. We will be working with our public health partners and collaborating with other school districts. As we learn more, we will share information with our school community.”

The CDC continues to emphasize that school districts should work with state and local health officials regarding COVID-19 protocols. The state Department of Health is reviewing the CDC decision, and will likely advise school districts of any adjustments to their recommendations soon. The state Superintendent of Public Instruction also is reviewing the new guidelines.

The 6-foot distancing requirement is the reason that schools are using hybrid schedules, since classrooms are not large enough to accommodate all students if they are seated 6-feet apart. Reducing the distancing requirement would allow schools to have more students in classrooms and could make it possible for all students to return to in-person learning on regular schedules, rather than hybrid. The CDC announcement states that students still would be required to wear face masks, wash their hands frequently, and observe other now-familiar health and safety protocols.

National news reports of escalating hate crimes against Asians or people of Asian ancestry have increased in recent weeks. The recent shooting in Atlanta that killed eight people, six of them Asian women, is just one of the alarming and increasing acts that have targeted Asian Americans and immigrants.

We acknowledge that these acts are hurtful and create fear for our Asian students, families, staff members and community. Tahoma stands with all people of Asian descent in the United States and around the world. We condemn hate and violence against any person due to their race, ethnicity or identity.

Tahoma is committed to educating our students about issues of race and identity, with the goal of creating an empathetic environment where all students and families thrive.

Bear Metal’s robotics season was in full swing last spring, until the pandemic closed schools. The FIRST Robotics organization canceled competitions the day before the Bears’ first match, and Tahoma High School robotics team members were forced to leave the shop so abruptly that they didn’t have time to disassemble their robot, sort parts or prepare for their return.

A year later, the Bears are back in the shop, following all the necessary COVID-19 protocols, and very happy to be building, creating and tackling challenges together. “We’re ecstatic. We’re excited that we can be here,” adviser Darren Collins said.

The team is bringing in alternating cohorts of students, and have specific groups that work in the shop and other groups that work out in one of the outbuildings near the athletic fields. Most of the team’s designers are working from home.

They are nearing the end of the fabrication stage, machining a handful of final pieces. The rest of the robot has been assembled and is being refined. Bear Metal has already submitted their entries for the Game Design Challenge and the Innovation Challenge. In the coming weeks, they’ll submit additional demonstrations via video. Then, they’ll wait to find out how they fared.

This year’s robot, “Bear2-D2,” is lighter and more efficient than last year’s, which was heavier and built for defense, with some added elements that were specific to last year’s challenge.

In a typical year, Tahoma’s team tests their mettle at local events that include 30 to 40 teams. Usually the top 64 teams proceed to the Pacific Northwest Championships, and then the top teams move on to the World Championships. 

This year, the FIRST organization not only adjusted the structure of competition this year, but also themed the annual challenge based on the circumstances. It’s dubbed the “INFINITE RECHARGE at Home,” and calls for a 12-minute virtual presentation to judges, as well as a skills competition where teams demonstrate what their robots and drivers can do during a series of challenges. They will be competing virtually with teams from around the world.

The other two virtually based competitions that are judged against global competition are Game Design Challenge and FIRST Innovation Challenge. The Game Design Challenge asks teams to create their own FRC game and compete against 25-30 other teams globally for judged awards and an opportunity to share their game idea with FIRST Robotics Competition game designers. The second is the Innovation challenge, in which teams identify a real world global issue and develop an innovative solution. The in-person Pacfic Northwest Championships and World Championships have been canceled for this year. 

On one recent afternoon, junior Alex Brown was working on organizing pieces and parts in the shop, and said he is grateful for the chance to be there in person. “It’s definitely different. It’s nice to talk to my friends and get some hands-on building, because at home, it’s just not the same,” Brown said.

Nearby, junior Evan Moffett was assembling a hopper based on designs that the team created when they were working virtually. He agreed that it felt good to be back in the shop together, rather than working remotely via computer.

In the adjacent fabrication shop, junior Daniel Dimascio was working on the computerized milling machine to create parts. The students learn how to program the path for the machine to follow when it mills the pieces. “I really like it,” Dimascio said. “(The shop) was a place I really liked to be. I came here every day during build season.”

One major impact that the pandemic’s disruption will have on the team is that by next year, about 75 percent of the team will have never been to an in-person competition, Collins said. So, there will be some rebuilding ahead. But, the increased Zoom meetings and virtual collaboration also led to a reunion of all 12 of Bear Metal’s former leaders, something Collins said he hopes will become an annual event.

At the team’s space in one of the outbuildings at the high school, students were working on replacing a mount for a camera and switching encoders for their drivetrain. Many of the elements were specifically designed to create a more maneuverable robot, said Vice President of Competition Lily Oliphant, a junior.

President of Competition Ryleigh Weston said “It’s definitely interesting coming back -- everyone was figuring out how to interact with each other” in light of the protocols and restrictions.

“We’ve had to be more organized: When we come into the shop, how do we optimize our time when we’re here?” said Weston, a senior. “We’ve been taking stuff home to work on as well,” she said, noting that she has taken the whole robot home several times to complete additional projects. “Considering the circumstances, I feel like we’re doing pretty well.”

Tahoma School District is likely to return to pre-pandemic enrollment levels over the next year, according to a demographic report that was presented to the School Board during a work-study session March 18.

Demographer William Kendrick, Ph.D.,was hired by the school district to report on enrollment and population trends and projections. In addition to the School Board, the district’s Student Housing Committee attended the meeting to listen and ask questions. The Student Housing Committee began meeting again in February, after last spring’s pandemic school closures halted its work. The committee is working on a 10-year plan to examine how to best accommodate student enrollment growth, and also will make recommendations to the School Board about any needed “tweaks” or adjustments to current in-district attendance boundaries.

Kendrick began his presentation by pointing out that all Puget Sound area school districts lost enrollment over the past year, due to changes in response to COVID-19. Tahoma’s current enrollment is about 4.9% less than in the 2019-2020 school year, compared to the King County school district average of a 3.3% reduction. Most of Tahoma’s enrollment decline occurred in grades kindergarten-5.

“The pandemic and the lack of in-person schooling had a severe effect on elementary learning,” Kendrick said.

After pointing out that birth rates, housing construction and population growth are the main indicators for projecting enrollment growth, Kendrick said Tahoma also has more students per household, on average, than every other King County school district, which he said is an indication that there is a higher percentage of families with school-age children in the district than there are in other districts.

Population growth in the region appears to be less than before the pandemic, but he said there is still growth as well as movement of people to different communities. He said Tahoma is likely to add students at a higher rate than many other King County school districts. Housing construction and affordability attract people to the area; home sales are strong in the region. 

“I think there’s a good shot you’ll at least get back to where you were in 2019,” Kendrick said. “And who knows. … you could see a little bit of a pop there if you get back to mostly normal school.”

In forecasting enrollment through 2030, Kendrick offered low, medium and high forecasts. The low growth forecast pegs overall district enrollment at about 9,000 students in 2030, compared to 8,400 now. The medium projection is for 9,800 students; the high range estimates there will be 10,500 enrolled.

The information provided in Kendrick’s report will be used as the district makes plans for next school year and beyond. 

Women, especially women of color, historically have been discouraged in a variety of ways from being in the STEM field. The path to a career in STEM is riddled with challenges. Once the entry into the field is accomplished, staying there is complicated by a lack of support. The Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) club at Tahoma High School seeks to promote and support women and underrepresented individuals in Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) career fields.

“Women must show defiance in the face of historical expectation," said Kaiea Higa, a junior at THS. "Women are often discouraged from STEM careers for numerous reasons, and WiSE combats this by simply existing. Our community doesn't just provide recognition of brilliant women, but it also inspires them to pursue their personal interests."

Junior Madhumitha Sridhar added, “Women in STEM face a myriad of challenges and the lack of inclusion and representation discourages young girls from taking part in it. My hope is that we are able to continue to establish this space where, in unison, we are able to disintegrate the societal norms and persist in bringing more equality to workplaces and schools.” 

Speaking specifically about THS’s WiSE club, junior Onyie Okoye said: “What I found most exciting about the club was the atmosphere. I try to participate in a lot of STEM-related activities and classes, but often it can get overwhelming, and I question whether my involvement will benefit me enough in the future to be worth my time. Whenever I go to a club meeting, I am motivated to continue on.”

Senior Ezza Sohail said she’s excited to be in a “group of other like-minded women who are interested in science and engineering.”

The WiSE club members said they have been inspired by preeminent scientists such as: Marie Curie, the first woman Nobel Prize winner; Katherine Johnson, a NASA mathematician; Rosalind Franklin, discovery of the DNA double helix structure and Ada Lovelace, the world’s first computer programmer. Isaac Newton, with his work in calculus, physics and astronomy, was also included in the list of inspirational scientists. Having a representation of different inspirational people fits the club’s mission to promote equality and diversity.

Last month, the club members had the opportunity to attend a virtual conference. One of the topics that resonated with several of the attendees was about “Imposter Syndrome.” Okoye describes it as a feeling “as though I don't belong, or that I'm not on the same academic level as my peers. However, most of that feeling is baseless -- it comes as a result of constant comparison against others rather than actual inadequacy. The lesson I've learned is to not entertain it too much, since it will only hold you back. It's important to remember even the most intelligent people experience it as well.”

WiSE club President Sanjana Sanjay said, “A lesson I learned that still resonates with me is that we should always be present, inspire, and empower others in whatever we do.”

Melissa Mackey, AP Chemistry teacher at THS, serves as the club advisor. Mackey said that while the club is currently all women, it is open to boys and nonbinary people interested in participating, stating, “we are very inclusive and don’t want to exclude anyone interested.” The goal of the club is to promote equality and dissolve biases in the STEM industry. An illustration of the need for this club is a statistic from the Society of Women Engineers (SWE): in 1960, about 1% of the engineers were women, in 2013 that number only grew to about 12%. Of those about 8% are white. Women of color are a significantly underrepresented part of the STEM professionals.  

Remote learning has actually opened the opportunity to host a Zoom webinar for anyone in the school interested in attending a guest speaker presentation. Sanjay encourages interested students to attend upcoming events with WEPAN, Women in Engineering ProActive Network, Microsoft Senior Project Manager and more. To find out details, either contact Mackey at mmackey@tahomasd.us or through the club’s Instagram: @tahoma_wise.

Another of the club’s goals is to mentor younger students, both boys and girls, to “foster curiosity in younger kids,” states Mackey. They are finding ways to make these connections to develop foundational mentorship relationships.

New members are welcome; contact Mackey at the above address for more information.

The Four Corners area is just a bit greener, and the intersection of Maple Valley Highway and SE 240th Street is more colorful, thanks to the artistic vision of Two Tahoma High School students.

Integrity Land, Inc. hosted a contest for high school students, to find artists whose works would be featured on the wraps adorning utility boxes near the Enclave development and the Marquee development. Sophomore Hailey Sato’s submission was selected for the Four Corners location.

“When I found out I had won one of the prizes I was incredibly surprised but also extremely excited to create something at this scale, and when everything was finished it was so amazing to see it at full scale,” she said. “This is definitely the biggest art project I've ever done and I learned so much, I am still very grateful for the opportunity.”

Creating art has been a part of Sato’s life for as long as she can remember. While watercolor has long been a favorite for the 15-year-old, she said she also enjoys digital art, graphite and charcoal sketches.

“I started fairly young and learned some of the basics by watching my parents draw on occasion, but I am mostly self taught. I didn't take art classes until recently. When I was younger I would try to draw scenes from my favorite movies or places I had been to -- I actually still practice like this from time to time,” she said. “My parents have been very supportive of the hobby so I've had the opportunity to experiment with many mediums and I am very grateful for that.”

Before starting this design, Sato said she came up with several thumbnails and concepts. 

“The final project was a sort of an amalgamation of the ones I ended up liking the most. The original sketch was actually more focused on the interactions between nature and mankind. It had some concrete buildings and manmade structures in the background like bridges with greenery and wild animals sprinkled throughout, but because the theme was nature itself I decided to focus more on that,” she said. “There were also many species that didn't make it into the final piece. I focused on local animals but the Pacific Northwest has a vast variety of fauna so I narrowed it down to the ones that were most common to the Maple Valley area. I ended up doing a lot of research on our local environment and used pictures I've taken on walks or hikes as my main references. The final product is very different from my usual style. I wanted to focus on bold colors, lines, and highlights because it would mostly be viewed by passing cars so I wanted it to be visible from far away. That was probably the most challenging part for me.”

The second student whose artwork was selected is junior Phoebe Chien. The idea for her scenes came from a few sources, Chien said. “A few years ago, Maple Valley was selected by the Family Circle Magazine as one of its annual top 10 best towns and cities in the United States for families. From this, I decided to focus on the concept of family and thought about how familial love doesn't just apply to humans, but to animals as well! I chose animals that are spotted in Maple Valley to inform viewers about our wildlife,” she said. “There are great recreational things to do in Maple Valley, which is why I included activities such as biking and fishing in the art. Our community is also environmentally-aware so I depicted people planting trees and included local vegetation like cattails, salal, and, of course, maple trees.”

Chien has been drawing since she was very young, and has taken numerous classes. “Almost every summer, I fly back to Taiwan, and I enroll in art school for the several weeks I am there.” In the realm of digital art, she is self-taught. “Although I do traditional art the majority of the time and I'm much more skilled in traditional art, I think I like digital art more! Having an ‘undo’ button does wonders, and the lines and colors are much cleaner. Digital art is very different from traditional art but I enjoy both! I hope to get better at digital art in the future.”

While she is not certain what field she wants to go into, she is interested in art, design and possibly working in the animation industry.

Chien said she was “elated” when she found out her artwork was selected for this project, and also surprised. “It felt amazing to see the final result,” she said. “I’m grateful I had this opportunity to use my art skills to serve our community.”

After a recent virtual competition at the local level, 12 members of the THS DECA team advanced from the Area 5 competition to the state level. “All twelve of our students represented THS with pride,” said John Hawley, this year’s DECA adviser.

“The Area, State, and International (ICDC) competitions have been entirely on Zoom this year which has made it challenging for all students as the “normal” competition has a role play portion in which students interact face-to-face with a judge that has industry experience in their respective event,” Hawley said. “This year, all competitors make a 10-20 minute video (depending on their event) in which they provide solutions for their role play. Our entire chapter has been incredibly supportive of each other through this new process as they have worked through best practices and troubleshooting issues.”

The 12 club members who competed include:

Rylie Benjamin – Apparel & Accessories Marketing

Hewan Berhanu – Marketing Communications

Alyssa Chambo – Apparel & Accessories Marketing

Stella Coffaro – Personal Financial Literacy

Debra Erdenemandakh – Entrepreneurship Startup Business Plan

Gurtej Grewal – Entrepreneurship

Gurtej & Tanveer Grewal – Entrepreneurship Innovation Startup Plan

Kuraisha Khan – Sports and Entertainment Marketing

Makaylee Kurpius – Retail Merchandising

Olivia Lutz – Restaurant and Food Service Management

Zoey Mann – Restaurant and Food Service Management

Mia McDunnah – Principles of Business Administration

Two of those students will advance from the state level competition to internationals: Khan and Coffaro. 

The THS Speech and Debate team competed at the Online National Qualifying Tournament for the Western Washington district. This tournament determines which teams in the South Puget Sound region will qualify to compete at the National Tournament (online) this June. 

Qualifiers include:

• Mathieu Chabaud and Shelby Williams; Public Forum Debate

• Haley Huff and Serena Pasion; Duo Interpretation

• Debra Erdenemandakh; Informative Speaking

• Tanveer Grewal; Original Oratory 

Three students also qualified as alternates: Saanvi Mehrotra, Caroline Quevedo and Esther Prabahkar.

“The competition at an online tournament is always different than in person. I compete in the two events with the most engagement with other competitors, public forum debate and extemporaneous speaking,” said Chabaud, a junior. “While the social atmosphere of tournaments is missing, there's also something to be said for being able to relax and eat lunch in peace in between rounds.”

One of the biggest obstacles online this season has been engaging judges, and being able to communicate with partners, he said, noting that their team overcame these challenges through lots of practice.

“I really wasn't expecting to compete at nationals in debate,” Chabaud said. “While it was always in the back of my mind that we might qualify, I really expected to win a few rounds and eventually lose two and be disqualified. It's both unexpected and a great opportunity to have qualified to nationals.”

Team member Pasion said, “These competitions and tournaments were certainly not what the speech and debate team hoped for. We recorded our speeches and sent them in. We were unable to view our competitor's speeches, so the only thing we got out of each tournament were our scores and ballots. However, with that in mind, it gave the speech and debate team more opportunities to learn from each other.”

“As a captain on the team, I was able to see, firsthand, teammates helping teammates. Even though everything was online, friendships were created and a supportive atmosphere was formed. As for competing at nationals, I am thrilled,” she continued. “I am a junior and my duo partner is a senior, so this will be our last hurrah. This will be our first and last time competing at nationals together, so it is certainly bittersweet. Even though speech and debate was not what we anticipated, my duo partner and I were still able to create a lot of fun and meaningful memories this season -- together and with the team.”

Tahoma has seen more cases of COVID-19 in recent weeks than the district has experienced previously, as well as the first case of suspected in-school transmission. There have been eight positive cases among students and staff members attending for in-person learning, activities and athletics so far this month, as of March 18.

Additionally, when one of Tahoma’s nursing team spoke with the Department of Health on Monday, the department official mentioned that they are seeing an increase in the number of cases in Maple Valley, and that they have seen cases affecting whole families in our community.

The district is excited to be welcoming back additional middle school and high school students in a hybrid learning model in coming weeks, and asks students, families, staff members and community members to continue to be vigilant about mask-wearing, social distancing, good handwashing and hygiene as well as other health and safety protocols.

With Spring Break approaching, we ask that families use caution if they plan to travel. For a list of countries labeled by the U.S. State Department as “Do Not Travel,” “Reconsider Travel,” “Exercise Increased Caution” and “Exercise Normal Precautions,” click here.

To view a dashboard with information about COVID-19 cases and other key indicators about the pandemic on the local level, click here.

Or, for the daily summary from Public Health -- Seattle & King County, click here.

Beginning Monday, March 22, all hybrid students who ride Tahoma buses will have assigned seats, in order to expedite any needed contact tracing on our buses. Keeping individual students in the same seats whenever possible will help Tahoma drivers and administrators more quickly determine which students are within six feet of any student who tests positive when we review security videos. We will use this information to ensure that the correct students are asked to quarantine. In addition to elementary bus routes, this change will apply to students in grades 6-12 who ride the bus when hybrid learning begins at those levels.

We also want to let families of hybrid students know that if we learn your student was exposed to COVID-19, we will call and ask you to pick your student up from school.

Thank you to each of our families for your understanding and patience as we continue to work toward the best possible protocols and procedures to keep our students and staff members safe.

Tahoma School District is offering free, optional COVID-19 tests to any staff member and any student attending for in-person learning, activities or athletics who has symptoms of COVID-19 or has been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19.

In order to sign up for a test, complete the daily health screening that comes to your parent/guardian or staff email address. A person who has been exposed to someone with COVID-19, or has symptoms of COVID-19 will receive a red "X" screen at the end of the screening. On that page is a link to sign up for the optional test. Follow that link and complete the required information. THEN WAIT for a confirmation email from the address TSDAttestation@tahomasd.us (you will receive an automated confirmation from our testing company, Curative, but you need to wait for the email from TSDAttestation@tahomasd.us).

The email from TSDAttestation@tahomasd.us will include all the details you need for your (or your student's) test including directions and the timing window for testing.

Our testing site is not a walk-up site -- you must be scheduled through our system and have received a confirmation from TSDAttestation@tahomasd.us. All tests take place in the athletic parking lot near the track on the west side of Tahoma High School.

After you request a test, it will be scheduled for the following day, unless demand happens to allow you to be scheduled for the same day.

To watch a video of what the test is like, click here.

The district is planning to begin allowing outside (non-school) groups to rent outdoor fields according to School Board policy and procedure. Use of fields and facilities to outside groups has been closed during much of the pandemic, and rentals of indoor facilities will remain closed to outside groups at this time.

Groups that are interested in renting district fields in the coming months should email Facility & Access Coordinator Mikki Roessler at mroessle@tahomasd.us to find out about an upcoming meeting to discuss the process and plans. After Tahoma School District athletic groups, priority for field use will be given to outside groups that have traditionally used Tahoma’s fields.

Tahoma School District will not be completing health screenings or contact tracing for COVID-19 cases for outside groups. Each group must submit a COVID Safety Plan to the district including how they intend to complete a daily health screening of their participants, coaches and others who will be on site, as well as how they will conduct contact tracing. It is the responsibility of the users to meet all the Washington state guidelines, including attestations and contact tracing.

Tahoma policy and procedures state that groups must have a Facility Use Application completed and on file, along with a Certificate of Liability Insurance, a team roster and a signed Coach’s Concussion Form.

In case you missed it last week, we shared a special issue of the district newsletter, highlighting the longest-standing staff member from each classification of our classified team, in recognition of Classified Staff Appreciation Week (Educational Support Professionals). 

To read about their favorite moments, memories and more, click here.

Free meals being served curbside, for Tahoma students and any children 18 and younger, via a USDA program, at Tahoma High School. For times and other details, click here.

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

Tahoma Varsity Volleyball at Auburn Riverside HS, 7:15 p.m. Livestream available here.

Tahoma Varsity Football at Mount Rainier HS, 1 p.m. at Mount Rainier. Livestream available here.

Varsity Golf (boys and girls) vs. Kentwood High School. Livestream available here.

For additional district events, click here or visit your school's website.