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All-new Lake Wilderness school proposed
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Conservative management, added state funding made change possible
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Students enjoy recess on the LWES playfield, where the new building will be constructed if the school board approves the new plan next week.
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Plans to extensively remodel Lake Wilderness Elementary School beginning in the 2017-2018 school year have changed. Instead, the Tahoma School Board is considering an alternative: Build a new Lake Wilderness Elementary and open it in September 2017, a year earlier than planned.
The new proposal is the result of cost savings on the new Tahoma High School and other improvement projects, which are being paid for with funds from the 2013 construction bond measure, and additional state construction matching funds. Combined with impact fees from new home construction, the district now has an additional $24.3 million to spend. With $18 million already earmarked for the school, there is enough to build a new school and to pay for demolition of the current school and construction of new playgrounds, parking and bus lanes.
"All along, the hope was to be able to build a new Lake Wilderness Elementary School," Lori Cloud, assistant superintendent, said. "Remodeling would provide us with a good school, but we now have an opportunity to build something much better."
The proposal was presented on Thursday to the Tahoma Bond Oversight Committee, a group of citizens that review construction spending to ensure that it reflects what voters approved when they passed the 2013 construction bond measure. The committee gave its unanimous support to constructing a new Lake Wilderness Elementary. The school board will consider the proposal at its regular meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 6:30 p.m. at Central Services Center. Public comments are welcome.
If approved by the school board, the Lake Wilderness Elementary plan would be put into effect immediately in order to meet permitting and construction schedules and make it possible to open in September 2017. The new school would be a two-story structure built on the upper playfield. It would have a capacity of 750 students, about 300 fewer than at the current school but 200 more than proposed in the remodeling plan. The additional capacity would help the district meet anticipated student-housing needs created by state mandates to reduce class sizes and to replace half-day kindergarten with all-day classes.
According to this plan, students and staff would move into the new building at the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year. The existing school then would be demolished, clearing the way for new playfields and equipment, parking and bus lanes. Cloud said one of the many benefits will be traffic improvements that should help relieve some of the congestion that has become commonplace at the existing school, which was built in 1959 and expanded in the mid-1980s.
Other advantages of building a new school include:
- Cost efficiency: Starting new and not having to deal with existing conditions is more predictable and less costly.
- Space efficiency: Building spaces are designed for needed uses rather than making existing spaces work for the way education is delivered today.
- Energy efficiency: It will be much easier and more cost effective to produce an energy efficient building when starting new rather than retrofitting the existing building and systems.
- Learning environment: A new building will be designed around a healthy and inspiring learning environment. It is more difficult to make an existing building and site support these goals.
- Schedule: The design and construction schedules can speed up without the need to work around existing construction.
- Longevity: New construction will be more durable and long-lasting than building on the bones of the existing structures.
- Safety: Construction-phase safety is much easier to manage. Long-term school safety will be easier to implement.
- Site circulation and organization: New construction will allow more flexibility in laying out the best possible site circulation.
- Aesthetic: New construction provides the opportunity to have a single building aesthetic, rather than being married to the forms of the existing buildings.
In addition to more money for Lake Wilderness, there will be enough cost savings from the high school construction project to pay for several improvements that were listed as alternative bids, which would be completed only after higher priority items at the new high school. Among those are installing artificial turf on the baseball and softball outfields, motorized roller shades on hard-to-reach windows in the high school commons, a metal storage building for track and field equipment, additional foam insulation, adding a large covered area in the CTE yard, two additional batting cages, and more storage for PE classes.
Cloud said the additional funding for Lake Wilderness Elementary and the alternative projects at the new high school are the result of perseverance and good management. She said about $10.5 million in additional state construction matching funds were secured after the construction management company hired by the district, OAC, investigated why the district was receiving less than what district officials thought was possible. That research, and considerable paperwork, confirmed that the state allotment should be higher.
"We were persistent in sharing our concerns and they agreed," Cloud said of the state funding review.
The biggest chunk of additional money for Lake Wilderness comes as a result of the initial success seen in construction of the new high school. Though still in its early stages, site work has progressed faster than expected and with no disruptions, which frees up $17.7 million set aside to handle unanticipated issues.
"We were concerned about the unknowns at that site," Cloud said. "We wanted to be diligent and conservative throughout site preparation. It's been a great team effort."
Superintendent Rob Morrow said the Lake Wilderness proposal is evidence that the district is doing what its patrons expect. "We made a commitment two years ago to maximize every taxpayer dollar after passing the largest bond measure in the history of the school system," he said. "We will continue to do so as we move forward with the high school project and begin the process to build a new Lake Wilderness Elementary School. I appreciate the efforts of our team that has been working on these projects."
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Tahoma students join national 'Project Lead The Way'
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3-D printers, professional design software ignite student interest in STEM fields
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Audrey B., left, and Genevieve A. work together on their engineering journals. (Also of note is the 3-D printer, which is visible in the top left of the photo).
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Big ideas and new technologies quite literally surround the students In Nancy Adamson's design and modeling class at Tahoma Middle School.
At one side of the room sits a 3-D printer.
Above them hang signs that declare, "I think," "I question," "I design," "I invent," "I learn," "I solve," "I struggle," "I try" and "I collaborate."
And, in front of each student sits a new Lenovo desktop computer, capable of running the new engineering software they will learn to use.
Adamson is one of three teachers in the Tahoma School District using brand new curriculum to inspire and engage students in engineering, science, technology and related fields.
"I think it's awesome that we're giving these kids an opportunity to be exposed to S.T.E.M. classes at such a young age," Adamson said. The acronym S.T.E.M. stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
The program is called Project Lead The Way, a national nonprofit that is providing S.T.E.M. curriculum in more than 8,000 elementary, middle and high schools across the country.
Asked what the best part about P.L.T.W. is so far, Adamson replied: "The excitement that I'm seeing from the kids and the ability to provide them with something brand new."
More than a year ago, when former TMS principal Amy Torrens accepted a position as assistant director of Teaching and Learning for the district, one of her tasks was looking at possible curriculum for S.T.E.M. classes, and particularly for middle school students. Along with the S.T.E.M. Oversight Committee, the principals and THS Career and Technical Education staff, Torrens researched the curriculum and checked out the program that was already in place in Enumclaw schools; then reported back to the Middle Level Model Review Committee last year.
"This program is very well researched, and they have the training component for teachers down," Torrens said, noting that Tahoma's teachers received special training over the summer to prepare for the project.
The district is using
P.L.T.W.'s "Gateway" program, which is specifically designed for middle school and junior high students. In seventh grade, students can take design and modeling; eighth graders can start with design and modeling and move on to take automation and robotics. District officials are looking at adding more courses, such as electronics or aviation. At the high school level, Torrens says they may add engineering and biomedical courses when the new high school opens.
Sitting together during a recent session of Adamson's design and modeling class, students Genevieve A. and Audrey B. were working on an assignment in their engineering journals.
Asked what they were most excited to learn more about this year, Genevieve said "Engineering -- I like to design things and build objects to help solve problems."
Later in the class, Adamson introduced her students to Autodesk Inventor Professional 2015, the program they will use this year to design projects.
She showed them a few things she had designed, then demonstrated how to draw basic shapes and extrude them into three dimensional objects. When she released the class so that they could try, several students exclaimed, "Yes!" and made other noises of excitement. As the students figured out how to replicate what Adamson had just demonstrated, many smiled and happily showed their neighbors. Their love for the subject matter and this program -- even in its very beginning stages, is clear.
The computers for the classrooms were purchased using funds from Tahoma's technology levy. Tahoma also paid $10,000 per building to get the program up and running this year. Moving forward, it will cost about $1,700 per building per year, Torrens said.
Over the summer, Adamson and her daughter gave the back corner of her classroom a makeover, painting the walls in bright, contrasting colors.That corner of the room is designed to be a lab where students can build prototypes and models. A tall set of bins holds materials and many types of parts to spark designs.
On the first day, the classmates tackled this challenge: What if TMS had trouble receiving cellular phone service and Verizon Wireless asked for permission to build a cell tower on the back tennis courts? Using 20 pieces of spaghetti, one yard of tape and one marshmallow, students were challenged to build a prototype that could support the receiver (marshmallow) at its highest point, while adhering to several design constraints.
While students build in the new lab space, above their heads hangs one more big idea: A large block of text asking them, "What if?"
To watch a video about P.L.T.W.'s Gateway program, click here:http://ow.ly/SmI1x
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Project Lead The Way's Gateway Program
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KC Executive Dow Constantine visits Tahoma schools
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King County Executive Dow Constantine listens to students at Tahoma High School during his tour Thursday.
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King County Executive Dow Constantine visited Tahoma School District Sept. 17 to learn more about the district and to discuss the Best Starts for Kids initiative levy that will be on the Nov. 3 general election ballot.
Constantine has made it his goal to visit each of King County's 19 school districts to learn about their challenges and celebrations. During his day with Tahoma, Constantine toured two schools, visited the construction site for the new Tahoma High School and had lunch with Tahoma school board members, administrators and community leaders.
The county executive began his day at Tahoma High School, where Tahoma Superintendent Rob Morrow and Tahoma High School Principal Terry Duty explained the district's Future Ready program, which strives to ensure every graduating senior has a viable plan for advanced learning or careers. Constantine expressed considerable interest in programs aimed at helping all students find successful career pathways. Students then showed him the high school's Career Center, where he learned about the many ways students are provided with guidance as they make decisions about their 13th year, the first one after high school.
Constantine also visited Tahoma's We the People civics team and told students that even though he is a lawyer and elected official, he wished he could take the class. "You're very fortunate to have this great program," he said. He also visited the automotive technology class, got a brief demonstration from the school's robotics team, Bear Metal, toured the school's vegetable garden and learned about sustainability programs from three members of the school's Green Team, who served as guides on his visit.
After leaving the high school, Constantine met community leaders and district administrators over lunch at Central Services Center. He briefly outlined the Best Starts for Kids program, which is designed to provide early intervention for children, youth and families to increase access to healthy affordable food, healthcare, housing and employment. He also answered questions and learned about the collaborative relationship between the school district, city of Maple Valley, Maple Valley Rotary Club, Maple Valley-Black Diamond Chamber of Commerce, Maple Valley Food Bank, Maple Valley Community Center, PTSA/PTO, Maple Valley Fire and Life Safety, Vine Maple Place and the faith community.
The tour concluded with a visit to Shadow Lake Elementary School.
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King County Executive Dow Constantine talks during a visit to Tahoma's We the People class.
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Student interns contribute talents to new THS project
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Tahoma graduate Megan Byrne worked as an intern for Skanska this summer.
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Tahoma graduate Erin Horn worked as an intern for OAC Services this summer.
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All summer long, a handful of students have been hard at work on the construction project at the site of the new Tahoma High School.
The district's construction management companies, Skanska and OAC Services, both hired Tahoma graduates to help with the project and give them a chance to learn on the job.
"For the student, nothing compares to work in the field. Seeing how concepts from the classroom can be applied in a real world setting helps bring a context to learning that can't be created anywhere else," said Dan Curtiss, senior project manager for Skanska. "Additionally, construction is a complex profession; it's not just swinging hammers. Field work can help show students the breadth of the industry, showing them how there's likely a spot in construction for them to exercise their interests."
Interns who worked at the construction site for Skanska and OAC this summer included Tahoma graduates Matt Whittlesey, Spencer Hobson, Erin Horn and Megan Byrne.
Providing internship opportunities to Tahoma students and recent graduates is part of an agreement between the school district, Skanska and OAC to provide educational opportunities and training during the construction project. Interns will be part of the work next summer as well.
Byrne is heading into her senior year at the University of Washington, where she is studying community, environment and planning, with a focus in construction management.
"One of the most enjoyable parts of my internship was the fact that almost every day was different. Skanska has done a great job exposing me to as many different aspects of the job as possible," she said, noting that she has learned how to read site drawings, helped with progress meetings and worked in the field.
"The fact that I was excited to go to work every day tells me that I am lucky to have found my future career at such a young age," Byrne added.
Horn, who served as an intern with OAC, is entering her sophomore year at UW. She hasn't declared a major yet, but plans to minor in architecture and said she found the internship very interesting. Horn said she had the opportunity to practice valuable communication skills this summer.
Curtiss also emphasized the need for the industry to bring talented individuals -- and particularly younger employees -- into the profession.
"There is a great future to be had in construction and, with many industry veterans nearing retirement, there is a huge need for talented individuals to replace them," he added. "It's a win-win."
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Fifth-grade band nights announced
Parents and fifth-grade students are invited to attend either of two informational meetings about fifth-grade band. The meetings are for families from all four elementary schools, and will be from 5-7 p.m. Sept. 29 and Sept. 30 at Glacier Park Elementary.
Parents and students may attend either night, but are not required to attend in order to join band. Please feel free to drop in at any point.
Students will have the chance to try six instruments: flute, soprano clarinet, trumpet, slide trombone, baritone and snare drum, all provided by the Music and Art Co. This company was selected to help students sample different instruments, and does have instruments for rent. Parents should of course feel free to rent or purchase from any music company they choose.
Fifth-grade band is offered as a zero hour class before school. To register, visit www.tahomaband.org.
For students who choose flute or drums, the first day of band will be Oct. 5. That group will meet throughout October on Mondays and Wednesdays.
For students who choose trumpet, trombone, baritone or clarinet, the first day of band will be Oct. 6. That group will meet throughout October on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Band classes will meet at 7:50 a.m. in the music rooms behind the main building at Glacier Park. Parents may drop band students off at Glacier Park; or, students may ride their neighborhood junior high bus and transfer from the junior high to Glacier Park. District transportation will be also be provided at the end of zero-hour to get students who attend Rock Creek, Lake Wilderness and Shadow Lake to their home schools.
Families that cannot afford to rent or buy an instrument are invited to contact Steve O'Connell at [email protected] or 413-3700 for information about the district's instrument donation program.
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Homecoming Dance formal wear donation drive returns
The Cinderella Project is returning to Tahoma High School in preparation for the Homecoming dance.
Organized by the THS PTA, the project will accept formal wear donations now through Sept. 24. All donations can be dropped off at the THS main office. To ask questions or make other arrangements, contact the THS PTA via e-mail at: [email protected].
The project is also in need of volunteers.
Formal wear will be distributed on Sept. 24, Oct. 1, and Oct. 8 during lunches and after school until 3:30 on stage in the Multi-Purpose room. All girls must fill out a checkout form first with a parent or guardian signature in order to rent any formal wear.
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District, KCLS partner to boost reading skills
Tahoma School District and Maple Valley Library are partnering to help young readers by offering a monthly reading support program.
The program, called Lifting Literacy, is designed to help students in grades kindergarten-5 improve their reading skills. The reading sessions will be held once a month at the Maple Valley Library; the first one is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 26 from 10 a.m. to noon. The next two sessions are on Oct. 24 and Dec. 12. Two Tahoma reading specialists and library staff will be available to talk to parents and students.
"Parents will have the opportunity to ask questions about how to find a 'just-right book' for their students and ask specific questions to Tahoma District reading specialists on how best to support their readers at home," Shelly Huylar, elementary literacy specialist, explained. "Establishing a partnership with parents is critical in the success of our students."
Huylar said students and parents who attend Lifting Literacy can look forward to having fun as they get reading support. There will be a story time with Sharon Chastain, Maple Valley librarian; a book scavenger hunt with prizes; library tours; and treats.
For details, visit the Maple Valley Library or contact Huylar at
[email protected] or call 425-413-3423.
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Tutor list available on district website
Are you considering hiring a tutor for your student? Tahoma maintains a list of potential tutors as a service for parents.
The district does not make specific recommendations for tutors.
To see the current list, click here: http://ow.ly/Smq9u
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(Courtesy photo)
The most recent donation to the food bank.
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Glacier Park garden benefits food bank
Glacier Park Elementary students (and their families) who worked with teacher Cathy Haws on the school garden over the summer made several donations to the Maple Valley Food Bank & Emergency Services.
Shown in the photo at right is the most recent collection that students and volunteers delivered.
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Tahoma employment open house aims to fill vacant positions
The district will host an employment open house in two sessions on Sept. 22 at Central Services. The open house sessions will be from noon to 3 p.m. and from 5 to 7 p.m.
Tahoma has immediate openings for bus drivers; paraeducators; playground monitors; food service employees; childcare in the before- and after-school Extended Enrichment Program; maintenance; custodians; substitutes for multiple departments.
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Shadow Lake Elementary School fifth-grade teacher Scott Mitchell talks to students during the first spirit assembly of the year recently.
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The concrete for the gym floor was poured this week at the new Tahoma High School.
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COMING UP IN BEAR COUNTRY
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FRIDAY, Sept. 18
Varsity football vs. Federal Way High School, 7 p.m., Maxwell Stadium
MONDAY, Sept. 21
Tahoma Junior High book fair, Sept. 21-25, TJH
TUESDAY, Sept. 22
Tahoma Junior High picture days, Sept. 22 & 23, TJH
Rock Creek Elementary picture days, Sept. 22 & 23, RCES
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 23
Shadow Lake Elementary open house, 6 p.m.
THURSDAY, Sept. 24
Tahoma Junior High open house, 5-8 p.m.
(general open house from 5-6, then parents have the chance to visit each of their student's classes via bell schedule from 6-7:40).
THURSDAY, Oct. 1
Glacier Park Elementary open house, 5:30 p.m.
MONDAY, Oct. 5
Homecoming coronation assembly, 9:50 a.m., Tahoma High School
AND MORE
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25720 Maple Valley-Black Diamond Rd. S.E.
Maple Valley, WA 98038
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Copyright © 2014. All Rights Reserved.
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