In this issue:
Full-time, in-person instruction planned for fall
Planning underway for graduation, other senior celebrations
Cross country teams capture historic state titles
We the People earns 10th in nation
Season 1 teams earn NPSL all-league awards
Hayden earns 400th win as Bears baseball coach
District Kudos
News briefs
Spotlight on THS art
What's for lunch?
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Superintendent's message:
Full-time, in-person instruction planned for fall
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The rhythm of a school year is something that is familiar and reassuring for students, staff and families. The coronavirus pandemic threw that rhythm out of sync and left us longing for those pre-COVID routines. With six weeks remaining in the school year, thoughts of sunny summer days are being clouded by the uncertainty of what school might look like in the fall. Thankfully, our outlook becomes clearer each day and is changing for the better. When the new school year begins in September, we plan to have students return to their schools and resume regular schedules.
It’s important to note that we will continue to follow COVID-19 health and safety protocols next fall. Students and staff will still be required to wear masks in school and to maintain physical distancing of at least three feet, which is the new guideline from the state Department of Health that replaces the old standard of six feet. The reduced distance makes it possible to double the number of students that can attend in-person, which means regular class sizes and schedules are possible. There will be some situations where more distancing is required, such as during lunch periods or in PE, music or other specialized classes. Daily health checks and frequent hand washing will continue to be required.
A couple of months ago, we asked families for feedback about whether they would be interested in continuing remote learning next fall. We have since learned that a large number of those who once were interested in remote learning have changed their minds. We are assessing that information and will decide soon about how we can best serve those who are not yet ready to resume in-person learning.
Throughout the many changes we have experienced during the pandemic, our commitment is to provide students with quality learning in a safe environment. That commitment will continue to guide us as we look toward the 2021-2022 school year.
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Planning underway for graduation, other senior celebrations
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Tahoma High School’s class of 2021 will be celebrated with pomp, circumstance and personalized fun at their own building -- perhaps a fitting closure for the first-ever class of students to attend all four years at the “new” Tahoma High School. A committee of 12th grade students, parents/guardians and staff members met earlier this week to discuss the results of a senior survey, in which 48 percent of seniors said that their first choice was a ceremony similar to last year’s. Principal Terry Duty asked the committee to keep in mind that the option selected needed to be as inclusive and equitable to graduates and families as possible. The event is also being designed to meet the Washington State Department of Health graduation guidelines.
The other options included graduation in shifts/cohorts with an estimated time of more than 90 minutes (16 percent chose this option) and graduation at a larger venue but with the potential need to change the date of the ceremony (36 percent chose this option). It was also noted that this option was a “long shot.” White River Amphitheatre, where Tahoma’s graduation has traditionally been held in recent years, has not yet reopened and is not returning phone calls. Other venues that THS staff checked into include Cheney Stadium, the Puyallup Fairgrounds and the Showare Center.
In addition to graduation, a “Senior Night” at the Museum of Pop Culture is planned, with elements similar to prom such as photos, but with health and safety precautions in place and no dancing. A car parade to celebrate the graduates is also under consideration, and may include elements such as strategic locations throughout town for community members to congratulate and cheer for the seniors while maintaining social distance. Staff and senior parent volunteers are also discussing possibilities for a “Senior Sunset” event, and parent volunteers are discussing a graduation night event.
Other survey results included:
- 47 percent said it was “tremendously important” to have more than two family members attend graduation; 25 percent said it was “quite important.”
- Seniors said the most important elements of the option that the majority selected were that it was short and more personal (50 percent said that was “tremendously important” or “quite important”); that it gave the opportunity to briefly gather on the field with guests from the graduate’s own car for pictures (66 percent said that was “tremendously important” or “quite important”); and that it included the “Walk of the Graduates” (55 percent said that was “tremendously important” or “quite important”).
A little over half of the graduating seniors returned the survey.
“I’m suggesting we move ahead with Option A (similar to last year’s ceremony),” Duty said. “It’s what our seniors want.”
Option A calls for seniors to sign up for a time slot on graduation day. For each time slot, the event will include a “Walk of the Graduates” through the “Main Street” portion of the building while the family members drive around to the stadium. The “walk” will be decorated with photos of the graduating seniors, messages of congratulations from district staff, and festive decorations such as flowers, balloons and streamers. If they wish, seniors may decorate their own graduation caps (following a few guidelines). Individual photos will be taken by professional photographers, and each graduate will have their name announced as they cross the stage to receive their diploma and turn their tassel. Family members who drove around during the Walk of the Graduates will be parked and waiting to watch their graduate cross the stage, receive their diploma, and pose for family photos. Speeches will be recorded and shared for the graduates to enjoy with their families after the ceremony.
The THS graduation is scheduled for June 11; while the ceremony is not open to the public, we will share details about the graduation parade if those plans move forward.
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Cross country teams capture historic state titles
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From left to right, Theresa Barnhart, Ella Benjamin, Julia Stuard, Anika Nau, Kate Sanders, Faith Martinez, Sara Sanders. Tahoma's girls cross country team placed first as a team among Washington state 4A schools.
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Photo courtesy of Paul Woods
The THS boys cross country team placed first among Washington state 4A schools, with a score of 89.
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For the first time in Tahoma High School history, both the boys and the girls cross country teams won first place in the 4A Washington State Cross Country Coaches Association Virtual Cross Country State Meet. The “virtual” state meet, in which teams ran separately and submitted their times, was open to all 4A schools that wanted to participate and had a complete team.
As a team, Tahoma’s girls scored 36, with Central Valley taking second at 72 and Mt. Si in third at 104. The THS boys scored 89, with Newport (Bellevue) at 97 and Mt. Si in third at 101. In cross country, the lowest score wins. It’s rare for both teams to earn first place in the same year in general, and it appears only two schools have accomplished the feat in the past 20 years: Eisenhower in 2010 and Lewis & Clark in 2017, said Jeff Brady, Tahoma’s head coach.
“My first reaction to all of our times was excitement,” said sophomore Kate Sanders, who placed first for Tahoma’s girls. “I’ve never had so much energy after a race and it was because we were all so proud of ourselves and each other. … None of us would have run or trained as well as we did without each other and our coaches.”
Sanders acknowledged how different this year’s shortened, rescheduled season was from most cross country seasons. “I think the biggest thing that we did to prepare was never stop running. We had no idea how long the off season would be or when an opportunity to race would come so we didn’t take the cancelled seasons as a break but as time to train.”
“In my opinion one of the most important aspects of training is the team and community,” she continued. “We push each other so much, and having each other around makes running so much more fun! When we had to be apart because of COVID, even just the encouragement from teammates and the coaches really pushed us. And getting together for drills, when we could, helped the team to remember to keep training and pushing.”
Individually, Tahoma’s girls took third, fourth, fifth, eighth, 16th, 17th, and 22nd: Kate Sanders, 18 minutes 15.1 seconds Personal Record (PR); Sara Sanders, 18:22.4 PR; Faith Martinez, 18:22.7 Season Record (SR); Anika Nau, 19:05.8 SR; Julia Stuard, 19:27.7 PR; Theresa Barnhart, 19:29.3 SR; and Ella Benjamin, 19:33.9 PR. All of the athletes who raced at state are returning next year.
The boys individually placed sixth, eighth, 20th, 23rd, 32nd, 33rd and 46th: Cameron Stuard, 15:44.3 PR; Alex Kiefer, 15:48.7 PR; Daniel Castelluccio, 16:20.8 PR; Sam Clarke, 16:36.4 PR; Ryan Perkins, 16:54.0 PR; Jack Clarke, 16:54.6 SR; Brody Gustin, 17:11.4 PR. Stuard and Kiefer are seniors and the rest of the state team is returning next year.
“It truly was a challenging year. We had so many season date changes that created a challenge for this coaching staff to really get a program that would have the athletes ready to go,” Brady said. “I can’t say enough about the focus and motivation that Coach (Anne) Hobson, Coach (Jodi) Hoffbuhr and Coach (Brian) Martinez brought to the team.”
Because the state tournament couldn’t be hosted in one location due to COVID-19, the teams that chose to participate ran 3.1 miles (5,000 meters) on the track, which equals 12.5 laps. Tahoma’s team raced on the evening of Friday, April 23. “Running under the lights and being able to watch the determination on their faces for 12 ½ laps around the track was an incredible experience that we don’t normally get to see,” Brady said. “It was a year with a lot of emotions that ended the best way imaginable.”
“Every team in the state had an opportunity to compete, and these athletes stepped up to really perform at the highest level,” he continued. “They brought their best and they are truly champions!”
Hobson said Tahoma’s cross country runners persevered throughout this challenging year, and thrived against all odds. “With grit, determination and eyes on the prize, they worked for a State cross country podium spot. Our athletes ran month in, month out, spring, summer and winter, staying committed,” Hobson said, and added that coaching the entire team is incredibly rewarding. “Being at that Friday night race was a special experience. Every single one of our athletes ran lights out, inspired. They exceeded our collective expectations. It was a peak performance, and the times reflected just how talented this group is.”
“Having a dual State Champion cross country team is a fantastic achievement,” she said, and noted that the whole team contributed to the dual title.
The virtual state title was just “the icing on the cake” after the opportunity to compete this season, Martinez said. “It’s been a tough go for both athletes and coaches this last year with the track season being cancelled last year and the fall cross country season being pushed to the spring. These kids work so hard, and it was a blessing to see them get the chance to compete and put all their hard work to the test.”
“The championship title doesn’t only belong to the 14 runners that had the chance to run the virtual state meet, but every runner on the team because what isn’t seen on race day is the countless hours of miles and training behind the scenes that every runner completes in various weather conditions,” he said. “We have a value that we like to say -- ‘Make those around you better’ and if the 8th, 9th, 20th, or 30th runner on the team didn’t push the top 7 runners on the girls and boys teams, we wouldn’t have the success we had this year by winning the state title on both sides.”
“(We) coaches are so happy these kids had this opportunity and overcame all the obstacles this crazy year threw at them,” Martinez said. “They are heroes in our eyes, and we are so proud of all their hard work in the classroom and on the cross country course.”
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THS We the People Team earns 10th in nation
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This team poster was created by Doug Burnham, who compiled separate photographs of the students into one image.
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As staff and visitors pull into the staff parking lot at Tahoma High School (THS), they’re greeted by banners featuring seniors from academic clubs, including the We The People team members, looking professional and proud.
And, of course, they have every reason to be proud, given the program’s extraordinary history at Tahoma High School and their newest accomplishment, earning the 10th place in the National Finals of the We the People competition.
“This class is so cool,” teacher and We the People adviser Gretchen Wulfing said earlier this year. “This team is incredibly bright, talented, flexible, positive and tenacious.”
The posters featuring team members are a hit with the students and the community. “My family and I really enjoy the posters. This year has been limited in the amount of celebrating that the school and families have been able to do for the seniors, so we really appreciated the gesture,” says senior Maya Cheam.
We The People is an extension of THS’s AP Government class taught by Gretchen Wulfing. The We the People curriculum is an innovative course of instruction on the history and principles of the United States constitutional democratic republic. Schools have the option of participating in district, state, and national competitions to test their knowledge of the Constitution in simulated congressional hearings.
This year’s team includes: Sophia Adams, Samantha Bailey, Amelia Blakely, Eliza Brooks, Maya Cheam, Cami Fairbanks, Hope Hutchinson, Quinn Kelly, Nicolas Mazziotti, Bailey McCallister, Saanvi Mehrotra, Elise Norris, Mekai Owens, Caroline Quevedo, Luke Sherrell, Rachel Simmons, Gabriel Smedes, Caitlyn Thorpe, Marie VandenBosch and Shelby Williams.
Of course, due to COVID-19, they have had the challenge of preparing and collaborating virtually. Senior Eliza Brooks said, “I was so happy that we were able to do so well at Nationals despite the unprecedented challenges we faced this year. I was also happy that our hard work and dedication had been recognized by our judges.”
Wulfing, teacher Mike Seger, and teacher Lisa Monn met students for the first time in person as they met at THS for the virtual State competition in October. From the state competition, they moved on to National level. “These incredible constitutional scholars made it into the Top Ten finals of the We the People National Competition,” Wulfing said.
Speaking of the National competition, Senior Luke Sherrell said, “From the year we had -- only two weeks to meet together to fully prep for nationals -- I’m really happy with Top 10. The whole team worked all on their own time, pulling research and citations that were not only good, but kept the judges edging for more when the time ran out.”
Parent volunteers are important to this club by helping with morale support, volunteering to assist with practice and give feedback as the students prepared for competition. “I would never have imagined the hours these kids put into honing their craft; I applaud them and was excited that they too get to display their talent,” Luke’s mom, Sheri Sherrell said.
Senior Bailey McCallister said she is thankful for the friendships she has made because of We the People. “My unit has become some of my best friends, and that is something invaluable to me and my experience on the WTP team,” McCallister said. “I am hoping that I will be able to apply the constitutional knowledge and life skills I have learned this past year to my future endeavours. Out of all of the skills I have learned, I think being able to effectively communicate and learning how to manage my time will be the two most beneficial.”
The team’s outreach to the elementary schools inspired Cheam. “I have been interested in participating in the civic education program ever since I moved into the Tahoma School district in fifth grade. I watched a WTP class recite a written piece during an assembly about America, and that moment inspired my desire to be a part of the program.”
“Through this program, I’ve gained a much deeper and nuanced understanding about the politics and complex issues that the United States currently faces,” she said. “I hope to apply this to my study of political science and bioethics at Haverford College, where I will be attending this fall. I have aspirations to earn a Ph.D and maybe work in environmental policy in the U.S. government!”
This year’s other top 10 schools included: Mallie L. Walker Governor’s School for Government and International Studies (Virginia), first; Grant High School (Oregon), second; Reno High School (Nevada), third; Wauwatosa West High School (Wisconsin), fourth; Mountain View High School (Arizona), fifth; Foothill High School (California), sixth; Irvington High School (California), seventh; Incline High School (Nevada), eighth; and Trumbull High School (Connecticut), ninth.
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Photo courtesy of We the People
Members of the We the People team snapped a photo in the Performing Arts Center at THS while waiting for their results in the national competition.
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Season 1 teams earn NPSL all-league awards
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Photos courtesy of Kurt Audett
Above: The seniors on the Tahoma Bears football team. Below: The Bears vs. the Decatur Gators.
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Bears finish 3-3 in shortened spring football season
The THS Bears football team won three games and lost three games during the adjusted, shortened season this spring, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m proud of the leadership provided by our seniors in a difficult season,” Coach Tony Davis said. “Their time and efforts provided great examples for our younger players and led to some exciting on-the-field moments.”
Tahoma players earned 13 spots on the all-North Puget Sound League team. Justin Ketzenberg was selected as defensive lineman of the year. Here are Tahoma’s all-league selections:
- First Team: Kiefer Furness, offensive line; Ketzenberg, defensive line; Jake Trost, linebacker.
- Second Team: Heath Riggs, running back; Ketzenberg, offensive line; Marvin Tommervick, receiver; Gavin Garcia, corner; Michael Palandri, safety.
- Honorable Mention: Dylan Shipley, receiver; Troy McKinney, tight end; McCabe, offensive line; Tyler Leick, kicker;
- Special Teams: Braeden Olney.
Additionally, Todd Leick was recognized along with other assistant coaches from the league for offering “above and beyond” support this year.
The team’s captains were Furness, McCabe, Trost and Palandri.
Volleyball players tapped for league honors
The Bears volleyball team received the following All-League honors:
- MVP: Delaney Speer, offensive hitter
- First Team: Rachel Davis, offensive hitter; Lidia Zahajko, libero; Alyssa Thelen, right side hitter.
- Second Team: Zoe Faull, middle hitter.
- Honorable Mention: Emi Heinz, right side hitter
To read the season wrap-up for the other sports, click here.
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Hayden earns 400th win as Bears baseball coach
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Longtime Tahoma High School baseball coach Russ Hayden added to his legacy last Friday, when the team shut out Mount Rainier High School for his 400th victory as Bears coach.
Only a handful of active or retired baseball coaches in Washington state have more than 400 victories. The all-time coaching record exceeds 600 victories. Hayden, who was elected to the Washington State Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2017, said that getting to 400 victories was a personal goal that his team eagerly embraced.
“They were excited for me and they played hard for me last week,” he said. “We had three shutout victories. I just really felt the appreciation of my team. I am really happy they stepped up and played hard all week.”
Hayden retired from his Tahoma teaching position after the 2018-2019 school year, but gladly accepted an offer to continue coaching the Bears. That plan was put on hold in 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic struck. Schools switched to remote learning and canceled sports and activities. Hayden said that having the opportunity to be with his team this spring is something for which he is truly grateful.
“They are doing a great job,” Hayden said. “It’s so fun to be back on the field. Our kids needed that.”
Tony Davis, Tahoma Athletics Director, congratulated Hayden and said his success as a coach goes well beyond wins and losses.
“Russ has led one of the most successful baseball programs in our area,” Davis said. “What I consider his keys to success are his knowledge of the game, his connection with the kids in the program and his concern for his players beyond the baseball field.”
Hayden said his quest for 400 wins would not have been possible without the support of his assistant coaches. Among the coaches who assisted him for many years are Gail Meier, Duane Henkel, Heath Brester, Brandon Oliver, and Chris Sexton. He also tipped his cap to parents and the booster club, which have provided tremendous support. Most of all, Hayden offered thanks to his players. “I have been blessed with so many talented players,” he said. “Tahoma baseball’s future is bright. This is a baseball community.”
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Certificated staff celebrated
May 3-7 marks Certificated Staff Appreciation Week (Teacher Appreciation) in Tahoma and throughout the country. We're grateful to be able to honor Tahoma's wonderful teachers and certificated staff members this week and all year long.
“The professional certificated staff of the Tahoma School District are second to none, and are deserving of celebration every week of the year,” Superintendent Mike Hanson said. “It has been said that trying times reveal character. The character of our staff has time and time again shown that they have an unrelenting focus on supporting our kids and making this a better place for them. We are blessed to be partners with them and our incredible classified staff on this journey.”
To read the full special edition of Tahoma Matters including highlights and photos of certificated staff, click here.
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Transportation receives near-perfect score on full-fleet inspection
Last week, the Washington State Patrol conducted an inspection of Tahoma’s full fleet of 84 buses, and gave them a near-perfect score of 98.9 percent. The item flagged was one rear turn signal on the back of a bus.
“We’ve never, ever had this kind of a score on a full fleet inspection,” Lead Mechanic George Roessler said, and attributed the successful results to the whole team in the bus garage. “It’s a culmination of a lot of work by a lot of people, including the crew that we have now -- the work that they’ve been doing.”
“It boils down to the lube tech position doing their job the way they’re supposed to do it,” Roessler said. The district’s lube tech is Ramona Letko. “She catches all the things that she’s supposed to catch -- and it takes a trained pair of eyes that knows what to look for,” he added. Letko does a great job of bringing any potential problem to the team’s attention.
The other team members are Greg Guest and Carl Roxstrom.
“The partnership with the bus drivers is also an important part of this process, because when they notice things, they know that it will get resolved and taken care of in the shop,” said Sean P. Kelly, Supervisor of Operations for the district.
The Transportation Department uses Versatrans FleetVision to track work orders for buses so that the mechanics see the work orders immediately, whether they originate from their own team or from the drivers. Once each week, the mileage for each bus is entered into the system, which also logs preventative maintenance that is completed and coming up.
Washington State Patrol Commercial Vehicle Inspector Mike Palios told Kelly that the fleet is looking the best it ever has, Kelly said. Each year, WSP completes two inspections of each district’s buses -- one full-fleet inspection that is scheduled and one surprise, unscheduled inspection of 20 percent of the fleet. In December Tahoma received 100 percent on the surprise inspection.
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Washington State Patrol Commercial Vehicle Inspector Mike Palios checks the wipers on a Tahoma bus as lube tech Ramona Letko watches.
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HOSA Club shines during state conference
The Tahoma High School HOSA (Future health professionals) Club members participated in the State Leadership Conference recently. The club is three years old, and adviser Clare Nance said this year was the students’ most successful showing in number of participants and how they finished, despite the competition taking place virtually.
“The kids pretty much did it all on their own. I only provided the resources for their preparation,” Nance said.
Those who finished in the top 10 at state include:
- Jesse Grayson, first, Pharmacy Science*; third, Pharmacology; and eighth, CPR/First Aid Team Event
- Aditi Rana, second, Cultural Diversities and Disparity in Healthcare*; and fourth, Behavioral Health
- Loveleen Tripathi, third, Emergency Medical Technician Team Event*; eighth, CPR/First Aid Team Event; and 10th CERT Skills Team Event
- Manuel Rosales, third, Emergency Medical Technician Team Event*; and 10th, CERT Skills Team Event.
- Erika Rhee, seventh, CPR/First Aid Team Event
- Aileen Park, seventh, CPR/First Aid Team Event
- Justin Bond, eighth, Health Care Issues Exam*
- Hewan Berhanu, ninth, Health Care Issues Exam
- *Students marked with an asterisk will compete at the International Leadership Conference in June.
THS Sports Medicine students test their mettle in contest
Last weekend, the THS Sports Medicine Club had a small team participate in the Washington Career and Technical Sports Medicine Association Spring Symposium & Competition, which had 35 participating schools, and more than 300 individual varsity participants.
Students who recognized include:
- Dasha Volnycheva placed 4th in the Anatomy & Physiology category
- Savanna Ward tied for 5th in the Medical Terminology category
- Shelby Tomlin and Hailey Klemo placed in the top 15 in Medical Terminology and Exercise Physiology categories, respectively.
- Mia McDunnah and Kaylen Straub went completely out of their comfort zone and competed in the “incredibly tough” Oral Practical category against 141 other students, adviser Corinne Lombino said. “On top of two written tests, they had to demonstrate palpation, evaluation, and rehabilitation skills over Zoom to a random proctor. They had no warning as to which specific skills they would have to perform,” she said.
Tahoma students recognized in PTA Reflections Contest
The theme for this year’s Washington State PTA Reflections Contest was “I Matter Because.”
Summit Trail sixth-grade student Maya G.’s piece “ Remix and Flow” won first place in the middle school dance category at the state level and will move on to the National PTA Reflections Competition.
Tahoma High School student Caleb Fruge placed third in state in the High School Film category for his piece, “ Spite.”
We will share district level winners in an upcoming issue of the newsletter.
Maya said dance is her favorite activity. “I feel the best when I am dancing and feel free. I was inspired to do a dance for the theme ‘I matter because,’ because dancing makes me feel the best about myself and is a way I express myself to the world about who I am. This is me.”
She has been studying dance since age 3, and has choreographed her own work before just for fun, she said. “Hip hop is my favorite style of dance. I love hitting beats and grooves, so it was easy for me to come up with the moves of my dance. I take over 3 hours of hip hop classes a week, so I know a lot of songs that are great for grooving out to,” Maya said, noting that she loves to entertain people and help make them happy through dance.
Asked about her reaction when she found out that she placed first in the state, she said, “OMG, no way! I was so happy I screamed!” She hopes that her piece inspires others to dance also. “Put on your favorite music and just dance!”
OSPI cites nutrition staff for 'heroic efforts'
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Shadow Lake students and staff created this display to thank Nutrition Services staff for their hard work. Nutrition Services staff member Leesa Sandiford said her favorite comment from a first-grader was "I hope you bring back the Egg Taco someday!" Sandiford said she imagines the student was talking about omelets.
The Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction recently honored Nutrition Services staff members with the “Extra Mile Award” for “Child Nutrition Hero Day” on May 7.
“Your heroic efforts resulted in over 20 million meals that were served to kids in the first six months of the pandemic,” the office said in a press release. “School staff, child care employees, and community organizations collaborated as the need for meals rose across the state. Meals were distributed not only from school buildings, but also community parks, bus stops, and in some cases, delivered directly to homes by food service staff. Program operators continually revised their operations to meet the needs of families while continuing to provide safe meals that maintained program integrity. CNS staff acted as liaisons between program operators and the USDA to advocate for the changing dynamics communities were facing and advocated for waivers and flexibilities to allow programs to better serve children. OSPI would like to thank the child nutrition heroes who persisted against many challenges during the pandemic.”
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Communications audit to begin soon
The district has contracted with the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) to conduct a full audit of district- and building-level communications. An independent auditor will review websites, newsletters, social media, videos and other forms of communication, and will conduct a series of focus groups to hear from students, families, staff and community members to hear direct feedback as well.
When the audit is complete, we will share the auditor’s report with the School Board and the community. If you have questions about the audit, you may contact the Communications Office at 425-413-3409.
Celebrating Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month
May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month — a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States.
According to information from the National Archives and Library of Congress, Asian-Pacific encompasses all of the Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia (New Guinea, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands), Micronesia (Marianas, Guam, Wake Island, Palau, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, and the Federated States of Micronesia) and Polynesia (New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands, Rotuma, Midway Islands, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, and Easter Island).
Emilie Hard, equity director for the school district, is encouraging teachers and families to explore the many contributions that Asians and Pacific Islanders have made to our culture. The Asian Pacific Heritage website has a wealth of information to explore during this month’s celebration.
TES students build models of DaVinci bridge
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Tahoma Elementary teacher Doug Lapp shared a project that his remote fifth-grade students recently tackled, to create a model of a Da Vinci self-supporting bridge out of craft sticks.
"I was looking for something that my students could accomplish off of their computers and still share their project. It turned into one of those projects that had parents working with their children to build the bridges," Lapp said. "This is the first year I’ve done this project. Our team is trying to find ways to get our remote students involved in science. We sent home the supplies and challenged our students to construct the bridge."
"Thakur (J.) was the first to accomplish the task and send in pictures. His actions spurred others to get theirs done. Kaylin and her dad worked on this, and found that if you soaked the sticks they wouldn’t slip during construction. Noah built one of craft sticks," Lapp continued. "I challenged students to build one of larger materials if they had any around the house. Noah didn’t let me down and found scraps around the house and spent about an hour and a half putting the large one together."
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Noah R. created this large-scale version of a Da Vinci bridge outdoors using materials that he found at home.
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Kaylin V. created this version of the famous bridge out of popsicle sticks.
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Spotlight on THS art students
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Tahoma High School art teacher Kara Oxner shared that art students have recently had the opportunity to glaze some of their ceramic artwork from throughout the school year, and to try out throwing clay on the pottery wheels at school.
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THS advanced ceramics students Lily Oliphant, left, and Myla Fox try their hand at throwing pottery in the art room at the high school recently.
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Ceramics students gathered -- while observing social distancing -- to glaze works that they have created this school year. Pictured are Anna Pucci, Keilyn Magee, Brenna Billings, Elizabeth Tuttle, Emma Darling and Brenna Billings.
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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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The Tahoma Matters newsletter was founded in 2014
25720 Maple Valley-Black Diamond Rd. S.E., Maple Valley, WA 98038
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