In this issue:
Levy dollars: New mental health services planned
Funding allocation for current levy dollars
THS Outdoor Academy students are effective communicators
TSD buses getting external cameras
District kudos
Spotlight on Summit Trail
School Board news
News briefs
Coming up in Bear Country
What's for lunch?
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Levy dollars: New mental health services planned
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Tahoma School District’s success with a middle school mental health and wellness program funded through a King County grant is inspiring plans to keep it in place and expand to more students.
The program, called SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral To services), is funded through King County’s Best Start for Kids program. Tahoma was awarded a three-year grant that began last school year and recently applied for and received additional grant funds. SBIRT pays for two people, one at each middle school, to work with students. The SBIRT coordinators have contacted every eighth-grade student and have screened more than half of them to identify and assess issues or conditions that might be causing anxiety, or could influence students to use drugs or alcohol or to harm themselves.
“We’re getting data that confirms we have a need,” said Tracy Krause, a Health and Fitness Content Specialist for the district who helps administer SBIRT. “It’s been eye opening.”
Krause said nearly half of the eighth-grade students who went through full SBIRT screening and contact had some level of anxiety, with about 11 percent showing severe anxiety. Those numbers include students who were not showing outward signs of anxiety.
Maple View Middle School Counselor Betty Bernstein said SBIRT “has been terrific. They are identifying kids who don’t ask for help themselves.”
Tahoma wants to continue providing SBIRT even after the King County grant expires. Krause said the school district will need a new funding source for SBIRT when the grant expires. Local funding would come from the Educational Programs and Operations levy, since the state does not provide funding for SBIRT or other mental health programs. “Levy dollars will help sustain this program beyond the grant,” he said.
The district also is looking at ways to further expand mental health services to students, such as by adding school counselors. The district and City of Maple Valley plan to co-fund a shared position that would help coordinate mental health services for the city and school district. Levy funds would support the district’s contribution.
Two mental health professionals who volunteer time to help the school district plan and coordinate student mental health services said they have seen the success that SBIRT has had, and are hopeful that the district can build on it.
David Downing is Chief Operating Officer for Youth Eastside Services, overseeing clinical counseling, substance abuse, and outreach efforts. Downing lives in Maple Valley and volunteers to help Tahoma expand and reshape how it provides mental health services to students.
National statistics indicate that 20 percent of students have mental health issues, but only a small percentage of those students are receiving assistance. Downing said that students suffering from anxiety and depression can’t perform as well academically.
“Schools are not actually able to educate kids unless these supports are in place,” he said, referring to mental health support. He endorses Tahoma’s efforts to expand upon SBIRT and to work with the City of Maple Valley and mental healthcare providers toward a community-based approach to mental wellness. “We do have an opportunity here,” he said.
Carrie Erickson, a marriage and family therapist who works in Maple Valley and Bellevue, also is working with Tahoma to help improve the district’s mental health services. Erickson got more involved with the district last school year when the community was reeling from the deaths of two students and a former student, each of whom died by suicide.
She said the district has recognized that it must find new ways to identify and assist students who are struggling with mental health issues.
“What we were doing wasn’t working and we had to do something differently,” she said “Now we move forward to find out what can work better.”
Erickson said the district’s Future Ready initiative provides the academic path for students, but there needs to be recognition and support for what she calls “Now Ready.” Students need social and emotional support to be successful academically, she said.
“These levy funds will help provide opportunity to help with our kids’ EQ, their emotional intelligence,” she said.
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Funding allocation for current levy dollars
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Last week we shared additional information about how current levy dollars are allocated. This chart is posted to the main levy website, but we wanted to share it directly with you here as well. The levy funds shown here are provided by the existing Educational Programs and Operations Levy, which will end in 2020. The proposed replacement levy on the Feb. 11 ballot would begin collection in 2021.
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To watch a video of one of the "Engage Tahoma: What do local levies pay for?" sessions,
click here.
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THS Outdoor Academy students are effective communicators
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Editor’s note: Each month of the school year, Tahoma asks its teachers and students to place special emphasis on one of the nine Future Ready Skills. Tahoma Matters will feature examples of how those skills are being taught in classrooms. This month’s featured skill is
Effective Communicator
, which can be seen in many Tahoma classrooms year-round.
Researching, preparing arguments on both sides of an environmental issue, refining those supporting statements and debating against a team of classmates helps students in the Outdoor Academy at Tahoma High School stretch their learning and test their skills as Effective Communicators. Outdoor Academy is a course at Tahoma High School that combines English Language Arts, Environmental Science and Health and Fitness.
In general, Outdoor Academy combines subject matter from the three areas in order to provide deeper learning. For example, they have a unit based around the theme of fly fishing, which calls for students to read “A River Runs Through It” during the summer. Teacher Dan Howell said students then practice fly-fishing skills, tie their own caddis fly and finish the unit with a hike to the Green River. There they hone their fishing skills on flowing water, test how healthy the water is for fish by quantitatively sampling nitrates, phosphates, dissolved Oxygen and pH.
Each year, Outdoor Academy students participate in a debate. For the topic in the fall, this year’s assigned topic was “Hydroelectric dams best meet the triple bottom line of sustainability to achieve the Pacific Northwest region’s energy needs.” The groups worked on effectively integrating valid, credible evidence and improving their elaboration skills, said Matt Tucker, who teaches ELA and formerly coached the high school debate team.
“Too often, students learn their argumentative structure, research evidence, write, then turn in the essay and get a score,” Tucker said, “We felt that by having the students partner to each write the affirmative (pro) side and the negative (con) side of this topic, that there is a built-in peer review model because both students have a vested interest in helping their partner’s essay or “case” become stronger.”
The process helps students test the credibility of one another’s evidence, debate the issue and receive critiques. They revise their essays and turn in a final draft, he explained. “On a content level, they grapple with environmental issues to see that original positions on such topics get challenged and discussed, which creates a great mental exercise and hopefully an educational and research-based approach to other issues they may face.” At each stage -- framing arguments, discussing with partners, transferring research and ideas to paper and debating -- students had to communicate effectively.
“Within each round, students had to think flexibly, communicate with their partners, research additional information, and strategize counter arguments, communicating their ideas in front of a volunteer judge who is voting on the clarity and validity of their arguments,” Tucker added.
Sophomore Brendan Hennessy said the debate unit taught him how to connect to a topic so that he could successfully share his ideas with others.
"The most challenging part about the Outdoor Academy debates was comparing information between debate partners, even though we had two different sides of the debate," Hennessy added.
Alyssa Stern, also a 10th-grader, said that the debate project helped her become a more effective communicator in a number of ways, including presenting ideas to a classmate, the judges and other peers. And, the skills students practiced in the debates have been helpful in her other class work, Stern said. “From the debate, I gained better communication skills that help me during presentations, partner work, and even talking to teachers -- or when I am talking to people outside of school as well.”
“The biggest takeaway was listening to what others have said and applying that into the way we present our argument in the next debate,” she added. “The most challenging aspect of the assignment was relating the evidence to the people we presented it to. My peers knew all about the topic, but the judges had zero to little knowledge of the topic. The Effective Communicator Future Ready Skill really came into place through this obstacle and helped me understand how to appeal my case to my audience.”
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In the fall, the THS Outdoor Academy helped plant 200 trees/shrubs, suppress reed canary grass, and transplanted 500 willow cuttings at Newaukum creek in conjunction with King County Parks.
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District bus fleet getting external cameras
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Each Tahoma school bus may soon have external cameras to help police officers cite traffic offenders and increase student safety. The School Board on Tuesday heard an informational report from Director of Operations Tom Misfeldt about a proposal from Verra Mobility to install stop arm cameras on Tahoma buses at no cost to the district.
Verra Mobility currently provides cameras in other districts including Bellevue, Issaquah, Mercer Island, Highline, Seattle and Renton. The cameras are provided and installed for free, because the dollars collected from traffic citations are divided between Verra, the law enforcement agency and the school district. The district would spend any revenue on school safety projects.
“Parents in our community have been asking for this for several years,” Misfeldt said. “Most importantly, our students will be safer with this program. It’s unbelievable how many people run through the stop lights (on buses).”
In order for the project to move forward, the next two steps will be the creation of an Interlocal Agreement with the King County Sheriff’s Department, which will be brought back to the board for its approval, and a contract with Verra Mobility.
If the timing of the process allows, the cameras may be installed on the bus fleet during Spring Break. Each bus will have two cameras: one located just behind the front axle, and one on the outside of the bus at the rear. The camera system automatically records video, which is sent to Verra and then to the sheriff’s office. Verra uses a program called “Crossing Guard.”
For the first 30 days after installation, drivers will be issued warnings rather than citations, Misfeldt said. An estimated 15 drivers per day districtwide don’t abide Tahoma buses’ stop arms. Drivers have been working with sheriff’s deputies to report car license and description when possible. The new technology from Verra doesn’t require drivers to do anything.
Verra has been in business for about 30 years, and provides similar service across the country.
Misfeldt talked to Issaquah School District staff about three weeks after their cameras were installed in the fall, and heard that 160 warnings had been issued in that amount of time.
Board Director Val Paganelli said she would be interested in hearing information about camera enforcement in school zones in the future.
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Tahoma Schools Foundation makes $10K donation to Grizzly Bots
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Tahoma Schools Foundation Vice President Hope Reyes and Treasurer Sue Boyd, center left and center right, with members of the Summit Trail Middle School Grizzly Bots robotics team.
The board of the Tahoma Schools Foundation recently granted $10,000 to the Summit Trail Middle School Grizzly Bots robotics program for 25 laptops with the Autodesk Inventor Computer Aided Drafting system, and a computer cart.
“The laptops you have granted our robotics club are already making an impact on our club, on our school, and soon, in our community,” club adviser Dawn Boster wrote in a thank you email to the foundation.
The Autodesk system is the same CAD that the high school’s Bear Metal team uses, so Summit Trail’s team members will be even more prepared for their transition to the high school team. The Grizzly Bots are in their off season, and are planning an all-girls programming/robotics workshop in the spring, Boster said.
“As a club, we realize that we need to encourage women in STEM. This also feeds into the arc of robotics in Tahoma, as Bear Metal annually hosts Girls Gen robotics competitions that encourage and support women leadership in STEM,” she added. “Our students are also going to continue improving their proficiency in programming LEGO Mindstorm EV3, so that we can mentor younger FIRST Lego League teams, as well as teach new incoming students next year.”
Leukemia, lymphoma awareness event draws huge crowd
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Photo courtesy of Kurt Audette
Members of the Tahoma High School girls basketball team pose with part of the crowd at the Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness event earlier this month.
Earlier this month the Tahoma High School girls basketball team, boosters and leadership students teamed up to host a Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness event during a Friday basketball game.
“The varsity girls basketball team was inspired by their teammate (a 2019 graduate) who is currently battling non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma,” said Kristen VanHoomissen, who teaches leadership at the high school. “The gym was packed. We were standing-room only at the start of the 7 p.m. girls varsity game. The stands and gym floor were filled with students, parents and community members. I have not seen the gym as full as it was Friday night -- ever!”
The event included lime green T-shirts, ribbons, pizza and balloons, and performances by the band and cheer team.
At the end of the night, the Bears beat Hazen 64-54. Their current record is 12-1 in league play.
The leadership class also is helping to plan a “Pack the Gym for Special Olympics” night for a 6 p.m. basketball game on Thursday, Feb. 13 at THS.
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Spotlight on Summit Trail Green Team
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The Summit Trail Green Team presented their Future City, "Drinkwater," at a recent competition with about 35 schools in attendance. The team made their own "upcycled" spirit wear for the event. On the back, the shirts say "Nobody is too small to make a big difference."
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Thousands of years in the future, Drinkwater City sits on the edge of the Chubut River in Argentina. About 100,000 citizens live in Drinkwater, which runs on wind, hydroelectric and solar power. The city trades its surplus power to neighboring municipalities for other goods.
Drinkwater is the brainchild of Summit Trail Middle School’s Green Team, including seventh-grader Hailey S., sixth-grader Lila S., sixth-grader Kaylin W., sixth-grader Paige P. and seventh-grader Emilie H.
The team presented its Future City Project at a competition on Jan. 18. About 35 teams from across Washington participated, and Summit Trail won the “icebreaker social” by interviewing as many other teams as possible during the competition.
The Future City Competition asks teams to create a city model to scale using recycled materials and at least one moving part, as well as a virtual city design, an essay, a seven-minute presentation and a project plan.
“These girls make me so proud,” Green Team adviser Breanna Powell said. “They inspire me!” The competition was a thrilling opportunity to learn more about city planning, land surveying, environmental engineering, public speaking and engagement, project management and resource conservation, Powell added.
Transportation options in Drinkwater include a zipline, which is powered by friction. It also generates some surplus energy via an underground turbine in the main water line that runs under the zipline. Other citizens walk, bike, skateboard or take the bus, the group explained.
The team built the scaled model of Drinkwater City to include a moving wind turbine, using a snap circuit. The Grizzlies’ model incorporates reused and recycled items such as yogurt and shampoo containers, contact lens cases and chip bags, along with hot glue, gorilla glue, paint and fishing line.
“We have a lot of different power sources,” Lila said. “We thought, ‘Why not?’”
The students selected wind, hydroelectricity, solar and water power because they produce energy while also being sustainable choices.
“With all the different power sources, we are shipping excess power to other cities to fund needs in our city,” Hailey added.
The hydroelectric dam they envisioned includes an automated mechanism that senses living creatures such as fish, and allows them to pass through, while collecting any garbage that flows downriver from other settlements.
Housing in Drinkwater is communal, with two to four families in each dwelling, and common kitchens and bathrooms to save resources, Kaylin explained.
Besides selling power to neighboring cities, Drinkwater also uses a “Subaqueous Trade Vessel,” which transports fresh produce and other manufactured goods under the river. In an emergency, it could be used to help evacuate citizens. The team also planned a school, fire department, police department, hospital and recycling center. Bamboo is used for building because it’s a quick-growing, sustainable choice, the team said.
Next, the STMS Green Team plans to work on a “Carton to Garden” challenge, for which they’ll collect milk cartons and plan a project related to gardens and using STEM, art or environmental stewardship practices. The team is seeking new club members, and invites other Summit Trail students to join them at 2:30 p.m. each Wednesday.
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Summit Trail Green Team member Hailey talks about their project during the competition.
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At its Jan. 28 meeting, the School Board:
- Reviewed a proposed lease agreement with Verizon Wireless that would allow Verizon to construct and maintain a communications tower and equipment adjacent to the football field and track at Tahoma High School. The district would receive $18,000 per year from Verizon to lease the land where the tower would be constructed. Once the School Board approves the lease, there would be a 45-day period for public comment before it takes effect.
- Heard an explanation of the process that is used to dispose of or recycle technology equipment that is no longer functional. Equipment that is no longer usable in the district can be disassembled for use as spare parts, sold, or recycled.
- Heard a brief report from Superintendent Mike Maryanski about implementation of changes in the student dress code that went into effect this school year. Maryanski said principals report that the transition has gone smoothly.
- At a special meeting on Jan. 21 to make up for a meeting canceled on Jan. 14 due to the districtwide snow closure, the board:
- Approved school site plans for all schools, which describe plans and progress toward climate, culture, and learning goals.
- Agreed to purchase two portable classroom buildings, which house two classrooms each, at Lake Wilderness Elementary School. The buildings will be used next school year to accommodate rising enrollment. Anticipated cost for the two buildings is $482,451 for purchase and installation.
- Received an update on the district’s ad hoc Housing Committee, which is looking at long-range enrollment and student housing needs as well as short-term enrollment issues. A subcommittee is focused on finding proposed solutions to reduce enrollment at Tahoma Elementary School, which is nearing capacity. Cedar River Elementary also is nearing capacity, though plans are being made to add portable classrooms there in time for the 2021-2022 school year.
- Approved re-roofing Tahoma Elementary School. The low bid, awarded to Axiom 7, is $574,342.
- Reviewed and approved the annual course catalog for Tahoma High School.
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Public Health says risk of coronavirus is low
District nurses and principals have received a few questions and concerned comments about coronavirus. Public Health Seattle-King County sent out the following information, and asked school districts and other organizations to share it.
Risk to the general public is low; however, on the afternoon of Jan. 31, the U.S. Federal government delcared the situation to be a Public Health Emergency, including updated travel and quarantine measures.
Novel coronavirus is a new virus strain that has only spread in people since December 2019 when it emerged in Wuhan, China, Public Health wrote in a press release. Health experts are concerned because little is known about this new virus and it has the potential to cause severe illness and pneumonia in some people. Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises people to avoid nonessential travel to China. Travel guidance will continue to change as the situation changes. You can check the CDC’s travel advisory at:
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices
The Washington State Department of Health last week identified the first case of novel coronavirus in the United States in a resident of Snohomish County who traveled to Wuhan, China. A small number of cases have since been identified in locations around the country.
Experts say reported cases range from mild (similar to the severity of a common cold) to pneumonia. Deaths have so far only been reported in older adults who had other health conditions. Symptoms include fever, cough and difficulty breathing, and may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure to the virus.
There are no specific or additional precautions recommended for the general public; however, steps that can be taken to prevent the spread of the flu and the common cold will also help prevent coronavirus:
- Wash hands often with soap and water; if unavailable, use hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick and avoid close contact with others.
- Cover your mouth/nose with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing.
Grad Night volunteers needed
The Tahoma High School PTA is in urgent need of Grad Night Volunteers.
The Grad Night celebration is organized each year by the PTA, and offers an event that is “safe, sober and spectacularly fun.” Volunteers work each year to plan a “once-in-a-lifetime” celebration.
Needs include volunteers to help organize prizes, the senior gift, snacks and chaperones. The next committee meeting is at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 5 in the Resource Room at the high school. Parents of seniors, juniors, sophomores and freshmen are all welcome; volunteers need to be THS PTA members and be cleared as a volunteer with the Tahoma School District. Graduation is Wednesday, June 10, 2020.
“High School & Beyond Night” slated for March
Students and families are invited to attend “High School & Beyond Night” from 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, March 4 at Tahoma High School. The event will include a pre-session about applying to the University of Washington; a career and college fair featuring apprenticeship programs, colleges, financial advisors, military representatives, employers and more; and breakout sessions about AP classes, apprenticeships, College in the High School courses, financial aid, Running Start, community and technical colleges, and more.
The event is open to all members of the community with children of any age.
For more the schedule and other information,
click here.
Bus drivers wanted!
Are you looking for a flexible, rewarding and vital job in our community? We're hiring bus drivers!
If you are interested, please follow these steps:
- Visit our website at https://tahomajobs.myschooldata.net/ and apply for any of the posted bus driver positions.
- Your application will be reviewed, and you will likely be contacted for additional screening
- After the additional screening, we will meet with you in person and discuss the details of the position.
If you have applied in the past but your application is outdated, please update and renew it online.
Untrained drivers will get paid as they train. The district reimburses for most out-of-pocket expenses, such as getting your endorsements and license. Licensed bus drivers may be eligible for a $1,500 stipend. If you would like to know more or have any questions, please contact Transportation Trainer & Dispatcher Tiffeny Moore at
tmoore@tahomasd.us or 425-413-3225.
If you know someone who might be interested in this event and this opportunity, please feel free to share this information. We look forward to welcoming new bus drivers to #TeamTahoma!
For anyone interested in other positions with the Tahoma School District, our current openings are listed here:
bit.ly/TSDjobOpenings
Tahoma to host Teacher Job Fair Feb. 5
The Tahoma School District will host a Teacher Job Fair from 4-7 p.m. on Feb. 5, 2020 in the Learning Commons at Tahoma High School.
We are hiring kindergarten through 12th grade teachers, counselors, Special Education teachers, Behavioral Intervention Specialists, occupational/physical therapists, and psychologists. At the event, you'll have the opportunity to meet our principals, drop off your resume and ask any questions you may have about working for Tahoma.
Please use the east entrance to THS (off Maple Valley Highway near Les Schwab).
THS PTA Scholarship Application opens soon
The Tahoma Community Partner Scholarship application portal will be open to students at 3 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 3. All applications are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, March 20. The application program is set on an automatic timer and is exact for Pacific Standard Time. Absolutely no late applications will be processed.
The application process will show which sections have been completed and what still needs to be done. Due to letters of recommendation getting spammed or sent to other folders in some email inboxes, we strongly suggest that students keep a close eye on whether the letters have been submitted. Applicants will not be able to see the letter itself, but will receive a check mark next to the progress of recommendation in the profile.
The PTA suggests a timeline of:
- February 7: Finish all basic profile application information and send out recommendation requests
- February 14: Begin all required essays
- February 28: Follow up on recommendation requests and finish all essays
- March 6: Verify requests were returned, recheck all progress and finalize any incomplete items
- March 13: Make all final follow-up calls
- March 20: If not already submitted, make sure everything is complete and submit applications by 5 p.m.
Directors celebrated during School Board appreciation month
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Tahoma's School Board members listen as they are thanked for their time and commitment to students.
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The Tahoma School Board was recognized this week as part of the Washington State School Board Appreciation Month.
Members of the Rock Creek Elementary School student council spoke at the podium, thanking the board for their service. Tahoma Elementary Principal Jerry Gaston thanked the board on behalf of the principals, and Public School Employees Tahoma Chapter President Ruthie Mackie shared that classified employees appreciate the board as well.
City Council Member Erin Weaver and Parks and Assistant City Manager Dave Johnson attended to read a proclamation from the council in honor of the School Board.
Interim Superintendent Mike Maryanski read aloud a proclamation from Governor Jay Inslee recognizing Washington state school board members as "outstanding volunteers and champions for public education."
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COMING UP IN BEAR COUNTRY
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MONDAY, Feb. 3
King County Elections deadline to register to vote or to update registration online or by mail for the Feb. 11, 2020 election.
Application portal for Tahoma Community Partner Scholarship opens (see more information in news brief above).
TUESDAY, Feb. 4
School Board work study session about TEA, Housing Report, Policy 5530
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 5
Tahoma Teacher Job Fair, 4-7 p.m., Tahoma High School Learning Commons
TUESDAY, Feb. 11
School Board meeting, 6:30 p.m., Central Services Center.
THURSDAY, Feb. 13
Pack the gym for Special Olympics basketball game, 6 p.m. Tahoma High School.
MONDAY, Feb. 17
NO SCHOOL, districtwide, Feb. 17-21 for Mid-winter break
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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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