Questions, problems in need of solution, celebrations, vital paperwork, essential communication and thousands of other integral pieces and tasks pass through the epicenter of each Tahoma building every day. That hub, of course, is the office. While the school office teams are always critical to the support of Tahoma students, families and staff members, their talents and skill sets have been even more in demand in the past year and a half as they have answered phones remotely, sat in on countless Zoom meetings while also performing their other duties, and completed overwhelming amounts of work.

“Our office staff members at each building are nothing short of incredible,” Superintendent Mike Hanson said. “They are often the first face or voice that a student, staff member or family encounters – both in the good times and in the stressful moments of a school day. Tahoma’s office team members are welcoming, courteous, extremely capable and kind. We are so grateful for their conscientious and consistently dedicated work; this is true at all times, but particularly so in the past year and a half.”

Lake Wilderness Elementary Registrar Yvonne Lucas said that her tasks were expanded to include serving on the LWES COVID-19 Safety Team, which added a large workload. “Other employees experienced the same increase and the scope of the protocols to bring students and staff back into the buildings was larger than anyone predicted,” Lucas said. “As registrar at Lake Wilderness Elementary, I had the privilege of helping both parents and teachers navigate the difficulties of getting their students online in Zoom classrooms and utilizing the class links. It was extremely stressful on both sides and I felt nothing but empathy ... The little joys of getting a student successfully logged on and the relief in parent voices on the phone was hugely gratifying. It was a grueling process, but I like to think we got through it with grace and understanding.”

Tahoma Elementary Principal Jerry Gaston said the office staff members at all the buildings deserve “exceptional kudos.”

“At TES we have three committed individuals supporting every parent, every teacher and every student in being well cared for at every turn. Lisa, Tara and Kathy have over 40 years of combined service to our schools so their expertise is quite incredible. What makes them really special, though, is their positive attitudes and their above and beyond work ethic every minute of every day,” Gaston said. “From early morning and late evening supply pickups week after week all rain or shine to answering every question possible about how each change in our year would look, nothing fazed them and they each continued to laugh and smile every step of the journey. Attestation glitches? New class assignments? Ordering of new signage? Reorganizing and reconfiguring pick up and drop off and kindergarten assessment procedures? Whatever the call, whatever the challenge, it was met each step of the way with grace and a ‘what more can I do?’ attitude. An office staff is the foundation on which all the great teaching and learning of a school can actually happen, and the behind the scenes work of this office staff is something we are all tremendously grateful for having.”

Tahoma High School Attendance Secretary Leilani McFadden said that she missed the interaction with the students. “We aren’t really able to connect with kids like we used to due to the restrictions for safety,” McFadden said.

Next year, she’s hoping that the students, families, staff and community can feel a greater sense of unity and togetherness. “All of us had the pandemic affect us in different ways but we all had to deal with the pandemic. That in itself should be able to help us connect that if we all work together, we can overcome such tough hurdles.”

One of the office teams’ most used skills this year was compassion. “We have to look at it with a view of how this affects their daily life as well, especially if we don’t have a student in school. Empathy is a great value to have during this time, and showing that we understand the parents and where their frustration is coming from usually helps them feel heard and valued,” McFadden said.

Tahoma High School Associate Principal Martin Barber said the THS office staff has been “amazingly awesome” in a year like no other.

“Without their expertise, kindness, patience and compassion for all of our students, staff and parents, we couldn’t have survived this year. The THS office staff has a phenomenal ability to always stay positive no matter how stressful the day gets. They are the first faces that we see as we enter the building, and the last faces we see as we leave; and there is never a time that they don’t have a smile on their face or a kind word for our kids, staff, or community,” Barber said.

In the Shadow Lake Elementary office, a talented trio answers phones, greets visitors and students, and tackles challenges together: Shannon Kiefer, Susan Kelder and Nicole Smith. For Kelder, the hubbub is a plus.

“My favorite time is morning, when everything happens at once; staff coming in who need to be scanned, student attestations, answering calls, answering staff questions, calling parents who have not completed the survey, attendance and oh so much more!” Kelder said. “I have incredible co-workers who truly believe in the word ‘team.’”

Kiefer said she feels that their team stepped up customer service to the whole Tiger community of students, staff, and families on many levels. “The needs and questions were greater,” Keifer said. “We were able to collaborate on creative opportunities for students to connect in hybrid or remote environments, provide communications to families more often, and target unique ways to support staff and families.”

One of the biggest hurdles for families of students attending in the hybrid model -- and, consequently for staff -- was completing the daily health screening, Kelder said. “Not getting the survey, forgetting to do the survey or having to honestly answer questions about student symptoms when they know their kids just have allergies -- but if they are honest, then the kiddo can’t come to school. We just have to remain positive, compassionate and understanding as we are all in the same boat.”

Smith said she misses seeing the students in the library and reading aloud to them. She looks forward to being able to see all the kids again in a little bit more personable fashion. “I think everyone is going to feel so happy to be together and somewhat feeling ‘normal’ again!”

Kiefer added that she even missed the noise, because everything was a bit too quiet for many months. “The laughter and camaraderie was missing for quite a bit. It was nice when more staff came back, and when the sweet sounds of the children returned.”

One family recently sent a thoughtful email that their team appreciated deeply. The parent wrote: “You will never know how much you've meant to our family. Isn't it strange that someone can have such an impact and not even know it. You represent a safe space and a friendly smile to our boys during a very tough year. Thank you.”

Each building office is the heart of the building, helping to be culture and climate ambassadors for the values of the school, Kiefer said.

“Students, staff, and families connect with the office in so many ways. Our number one priority is to make sure people are warmly welcomed and that our ‘customer service’ is top notch. We love our work, and hope that every student, staff member, and parent that interacts with us feels the caring community that Tiger Pride embodies,” she added.

Maple View Principal Bill Weis said anyone who has been to Maple View already knows how amazing their front office team is.

“Like so many of us this year, their roles and responsibilities had to adjust significantly-- from learning how to monitor and communicate attendance according to the method of instruction, Hybrid A, Hybrid B, 100% remote, to masterfully organizing regular mass distribution events of materials for the community, to supporting a brand new, first-year principal,” Weis said. “As our staff, students, and families have had to navigate historically complex, emotional, and challenging events this year — our front office staff has supported and managed all of us with incredible grace. Our ‘North Star’ at Maple View Middle School is: ‘Arms Locked; Hearts Full.’ Our front office staff is the face of this and exemplifies it so well. Thank you Eva Paterson, Treena Fritsch, and Theresa Freeman for the constant, heartfelt and skillful work you have contributed to our MVMS community every day.”

The Tahoma School Board approved a technology plan that increases spending for the 2021-2022 school year. The decision, made at the May 11 board meeting, uses money that was budgeted but not spent during the current year.

A number of adjustments had to be made over the past year to address the rapidly changing needs created by hybrid and remote learning. Similarly, adjustments are necessary for next school year and the revised spending plan reflects those changes, said Kimberly Allison, Instructional Technology Coordinator.

Each spring, Allison and Technology Supervisor Doug Eash prepare a spending plan for the board with input from the district’s Technology Advisory Committee. The committee is made up of community members, parents, and staff. Their role is to provide insight and expertise related to our district’s Technology Plan, which is funded by the technology levy approved by voters in 2020.

The district’s technology team works with the Technology Advisory Committee to update the technology plan, review needs, and recommend a spending plan for the next school year. In the process this year, the committee met at the end of March to weigh in on some of the factors that would impact spending for 2021-22. Of particular note, Allison said, is a revision of the plan’s original “one-to-one” strategy for secondary students to receive their own computer and input regarding which type of student device should be standard. Based on the recommendations and input from the committee, district staff drafted a spending plan and shared it with the Technology Advisory Committee on April 21.

The annual technology budget approved on May 11 proposes to spend $6,127,940, about $1 million more than original projections when the technology plan was drafted in 2019. The additional money will be taken from funds that were unspent during the past year, when schools switched to remote and hybrid learning.

Below are some of the highlights from the revised plan:

The newest addition to Tahoma High School is in a place that is easily viewed by all who pass through the main hallway and offers a prominent salute to students who served in the military. The “Wall of Honor” is in the main hallway with minimal distractions, well lit, and accessible viewing for all.

A parent of several Tahoma alums, Brad Mjelde, says he was inspired more than six years ago by a mural honoring veterans at Mt. Rainier High School, and wanted to see a place of honor at Tahoma High School. He and his friend, Jeff Link, whose son is a Tahoma graduate who attended the U.S. Air Force Academy, started planning the Wall of Honor as a thank you to the Tahoma Bears who have chosen to serve. Cary Collins, Ph.D., history teacher and advisor to the Military club, was invited to join their efforts.

Mjelde and Link presented their idea to Rob Morrow, then-SuperIntendent of Tahoma School District. The hope was to have the Wall of Honor built and installed when the new high school building opened in 2017. The idea was approved, but installation of the Wall of Honor was delayed by other construction and planning priorities.

Tahoma Assistant Superintendent Lori Cloud and the team secured a contractor, David McBride, and Collins found a military etiquette specialist. Together the group designed the Wall of Honor to reflect the spirit of appreciation and pride, as well as honor and patriotism for the Bears who have chosen to serve in the military: Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine.

Per etiquette, nothing is to cover the American flag, so instead a flag motif was designed. The emblems of each service are made of solid mahogany and hand painted. Under each emblem is the number of students that have entered that branch. These numbers will be updated annually. Collins said that there are between 25 and 30 students who are entering into service from the class of 2021, and they will be added to the Wall of Honor. The wall has lights with sensors so that it is always lit. Collins points out: “Those are not just numbers of students. Those numbers connect to names. Those are names of our Tahoma family.”

The display’s location was an important part of the planning process. It needed to be placed where the community can gather and reflect, Collins said. According to the military etiquette consultant, students and visitors needed to be easily able to view it. Located near the east entrance not far from the Performing Arts Center and the east office, community members who visit the school will see the pride and appreciation for the Bears who have entered into service.

“This is exactly what I hoped for,” Mjelde said. He and Link reviewed more than 100 quotes before deciding on this one from President Ronald Reagan: “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.”

The Wall of Honor is focused on those who have chosen to serve and “this is our thank you to them as best we can for what they have done for us,” says Mjelde. Collins said this serves as a “connective piece of pride to our Tahoma Bears that have served. A tremendous source of pride.”

Two Tahoma High School students have been named finalists in the “Leading Actor” categories for the 5th Avenue Theatre Awards. In Washington state, three actors and three actresses were named finalists, and one of each will be selected to attend the National High School Musical Theatre Awards (the “Jimmys”).

Victoria Evans is a Leading Actress finalist for her role as Jo in “Little Women,” and Jake Bennett is a Leading Actor finalist for his upcoming performance as Robbie in “The Wedding Singer.” The students selected to attend the Jimmys will be announced on June 6, while additional 5th Avenue mentions will be announced June 26.

The Tahoma School Board held its annual retiree recognition ceremony as part of Tuesday’s board meeting. For each retiree who was able to attend the meeting, board members read aloud a biography for that employee, and congratulated and thanked them.

To read the biographies, click here.

The Tahoma Bears baseball team tallied a season record of 14-1, and earned the title of 4A/3A North Puget Sound League champions.

“Our team did a great job this season,” coach Russ Hayden said. “We lost our first game of the season in a 10-inning affair by one run. Then went on to win our last 14 games, which included seven shutout victories. Our players worked hard in the winter to prepare themselves and also continued to work hard to improve daily during our season.”

“The future of Tahoma Baseball is very bright as we started 6-7 underclassmen every game. Our team Bear Player of the Year award went to Sophomore Logan Pierce. Logan was 5-0 as a pitcher. He also led the team in batting and slugging percentage, .511 and .911 respectively,” Hayden said.

The Bears fastpitch team had a conference record of 10-1 and an overall record of 12-2.

Tahoma’s boys soccer team posted 6 wins, 2 losses and 1 tie in the shortened season.

“Boys soccer had a great season!” coach Zackary Pittis said. “We started with a loss and a tie and then won our last six regular season games in a row to end the season. The boys worked extremely hard this year, grew together as a team, and persevered through some tough playing conditions. We felt lucky to play after having last season cancelled.”

“We return a strong group and will look to challenge for a top spot in the league again next year,” Pittis said.

The boys swim and dive team ended the season with a record of 4-2.

“This season we had a very small team. We only had 15 swimmers and one diver, compared to 29 athletes last year,” coach Theresa Castaneda said. “We graduated eight seniors and also had several guys choose other sports since we were put in the spring sports season. We are in a building year with new swimmers and new leaders for our team.”

“Next year should be a better year for our record. We are graduating three solid seniors who contributed a lot to our team, but we are gaining a new group of freshmen,” Castaneda said. “I am excited to see what next year brings and hopefully we can race in person and not be limited to virtual meets.”

It was a unique season as most of the meets were virtual and they were not able to compete head-to-head like many other sports due to pool restrictions, she added.

“This was hard on them since they were just racing themselves the bulk of the season. It was hard for them to step up and race when the other team they needed to beat was in a different pool and competing at a different time. All of these changes definitely impacted the energy at meets. The guys also had some pretty tough restrictions on them that the pool put in place that they needed to overcome. As a team, we are ready to get back to normal and be able to compete with other teams.”

The Tahoma High School girls varsity tennis team finished its regular season with an undefeated record. Photos courtesy of Alexa Tomich

Tahoma’s track and field team went undefeated this season, and also won the NPSL 3A/4A meet for both the girls and the boys teams.

Regular season results included:

As announced on May 7, Tahoma students will attend in person on daily schedules when the 2021-2022 school year begins on Sept. 1. District leaders have now determined that it is not feasible for Tahoma to provide a remote learning alternative; that decision came after only a handful of families indicated they would attend remote classes.

Tahoma’s Teaching and Learning Department checked in with families that had expressed interest in remaining in remote learning a couple of months ago to find out if they were still interested. Most said they are no longer interested in remote learning. There may be opportunities for Tahoma students to attend remote learning classes through third-party providers. Teaching and Learning will provide information soon to interested families about remote learning classes offered by third-party providers.

Tahoma schools will continue to follow COVID-19 health and safety guidelines for all in-person classes and activities.

June has been designated as Pride Month and is currently celebrated each year to honor Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and other Queer people by honoring the 1969 Stonewall gay pride march. Tahoma stands in solidarity with our LGBTQ students, parents and staff and celebrates the contributions of LGBTQ citizens to our community, nation and world. The Law Library of Congress has compiled guides to commemorative observations, laws and resolutions related to LGBTQ Pride Month. Learn more at https://www.loc.gov/lgbt-pride-month/about/ 

Tahoma’s Nutrition Services team will offer summer meals from Tuesday, June 29 through Thursday, July 29, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (not on Mondays or Fridays).

Meal kits will be distributed at Tahoma High School, from 10:15-10:45 a.m. at the curb, and from 11-11:15 a.m. on campus.

Tahoma School Board President Katrina Montgomery announced during the May 25 board meeting that she is resigning from the board because her family is moving out of the state this summer.

“We are so grateful to President Montgomery for her service to Tahoma. In addition to her time on the School Board, she made invaluable contributions to our district as a parent, community member, longtime volunteer and staff member,” Superintendent Mike Hanson said.

Montgomery has served on the board since March of 2019, when she was initially appointed to fill a vacancy left by the resignation of Bill Clausmeyer. She represents District 2; voters elected her to the position in November of 2019.

Those who live in District 2 and are registered voters are eligible to serve as a School Board director and may apply for the position. Montgomery’s last date of service will be June 23. The board will discuss a timeline for filling the vacancy at their June 7 meeting.

The person who is appointed to fill the vacancy will serve until after the general election in 2022. School Board members who are elected by the voters of the school district serve 4-year terms. More information about the School Board is available here.

The Tahoma High School Drama production of “The Wedding Singer” opens today, streaming for free on-demand from June 4-13.

“I’m excited about this show because it’s allowed the kids to still create theatre when we couldn’t physically be together, but I am certainly hopeful that this will be our last virtual production and that we can perform in person on future shows,” Director Melissa Bean said. “I am SO proud of their hard work!”

Students filmed this production entirely from home, using cell phone cameras and green screens.

Parents of young children are cautioned that the musical is based on the movie, so there is some PG content (alcohol use and mild adult humor), although the production is using the approved high school edits. To reserve your tickets, go to www.tahomadrama.org and click on “Current Productions.” The ticket link is at the top of the page. For a sneak peek, click here: https://youtu.be/E_KZ9mt_oR8 

The cast includes Robbie Hart, played by Jake Bennett; Julia Sullivan, played by Michaela Jones; Holly, played by Victoria Evans; Sammy, played by Tayte Erickson; Georgie, played by Nichole Peters; Linda, played by Addie Jones; Rosie, played by Hannah Knauss; Glen Guglia, played by Will Aris; Angie, played by Anna Meyers; and ensemble members including Cooper Perez, Josh Miller, Athena Davis and Julianna Chandler.

Each spring, the Tahoma School Board chooses high school students to collaborate as a team to represent their peers at School Board meetings for the following school year. The representatives give reports to the board about issues and events, offer input and answer board questions about topics on their agenda, and report back to students about the work of the district and the Board. Additionally, the student representatives to the School Board are paired with a board director in a mentor/mentee relationship.

This year, there were five student board representatives. The board is currently accepting applications for next school year. Incoming sophomores, juniors and seniors are invited to apply, and students in the Running Start program are also eligible.

The current student representatives to the School Board have performed their usual duties and also participated in many meetings such as the district’s COVID-19 Task Force, community and committee meetings, and other focus groups. Those students who successfully complete their service as a student school board representative receive: letters of recommendation, fulfillment of volunteer hours, conference attendance and cords for graduation.

To be considered, students currently in grades 9, 10 or 11 may download this application and submit it by email to School Board Director Val Paganelli, who serves as the board’s liaison to the student board representatives. The deadline to apply has been extended to Monday, June 7. Selected applicants will be invited for an interview the week of June 14. Further details are in Policy 1231 and its related Procedure.

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.