Legislators say they support TSD operations levy
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The Tahoma School Board's decision to put two replacement levies on the Feb. 13 election ballot has resulted in many conversations and questions in the school district community. Unfortunately, there has also been some misunderstanding of the purpose for the levies as well as questions about whether they are necessary or permitted in light of the new state funding model, known as the McCleary Decision, approved in July by the state legislature.
Fifth District legislators Sen. Mark Mullet, Rep. Jay Rodne, and Rep. Paul Graves sent a letter to the Tahoma School Board and Superintendent Rob Morrow to clarify whether the school district is complying with the new state funding model. Here is their letter:
November 9, 2017
To: Members of the Tahoma School Board and Superintendent Rob Morrow
From: Senator Mark Mullet, Representative Jay Rodne, and Representative Paul Graves
Re: Tahoma School District proposed levy
We are writing to express our support for your proposed school enrichment levy. We believe that your proposed levy deserves support, and that voters and families deserve to know why.
As you are well aware, the Legislature adopted a bill this year that substantially increases school funding in Washington. The bill also substantially changes how that funding operates. In general terms, the bill increases the statewide property tax levy while capping the amount that local school districts can levy. The result is billions more for schools from the state, with a measure of protection for taxpayers.
The bill has different impacts for different districts across the state, both in the amount of new money from the state and the implications for taxpayers. Property values vary widely across Washington, as does current funding for schools, so it should come as no surprise that the bill affects different school districts differently. We believe it is critical for each district to work through the implications thoughtfully, and to seek local levies only after carefully considering the budget and tax implications of the bill passed by the Legislature.
We are grateful to see that the Tahoma School Board, together with your administration, has done just that. Tahoma currently has a school maintenance and operations levy of $3.00 for every $1,000 of a property's assessed value. The new bill caps local school enrichment levies at $1.50 for every $1,000. The $1.50 levy the Tahoma School Board is seeking thus represents a local tax cut for property owners, while the additional state money provided in the bill will still leave the school district with more money for students. In our view, that is an excellent result.
We therefore are excited to support your levy request, and look forward to working with you to see it passed by voters.
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LAUNCH program aims to help freshmen succeed
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Ninth-grade students in Shawn Martinson's class at Tahoma High School listen during a recent lesson. One student said she appreciates the "class constitution" -- a set of rules the students and Martinson developed -- because they make her feel comfortable and safe.
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When the ninth-grade class joined the sophomores, juniors and seniors at the new high school this year, teachers and staff introduced a new program designed specifically to help them thrive. Called "LAUNCH," (Learning Academies Under Ninth-grade Core Humanities), the effort aims to provide students with skills such as goal setting, organization, time management and relationship-building to help them connect with their peers and staff members.
"It's all brand new, designed and created in part to be a soft start for freshmen so we aren't just dropping them into this huge school with no additional supports," said Associate Principal Chris Feist, who is overseeing the program. "There are more than 600 freshmen in this class -- over a fourth of our school -- so being able to start the school year feeling connected and safe is really important. We wanted to get those kids dialed in."
The freshman success component is built into the humanities courses, including English Language Arts and history. But it also goes beyond the day-to-day, in-class elements: Speakers such as John Norlin from CharacterStrong, and efforts by the Bear Crew leadership students are part of the work as well. And, the new "Power Hour"-style lunch, when staff members meet and mingle with students, helps relationships form as well.
The high school as a whole has a new focus this year on the "Three Cs," and it's the goal of staff and student leaders to make them come alive.
"How do we make 'Community, Character and Commitment' more than just words in our school?" Feist asked. "What does it feel like to make someone feel welcome? ... We're doing deliberate, little things that can reach someone and help them feel recognized even if just for a moment. It's (being) upbeat, positive, smiling and deliberately going out of their way to make someone feel welcome."
Statewide, nearly 23 percent of ninth-grade students have at least one failing grade. At Tahoma, the average is 15.6 percent -- but it's a figure that school leaders want to reduce.
"It's proven over time that this is a high indicator of on-track graduation," Feist said. "We want kids to start strong. This program was deliberately designed to support not just reduction in failing grades -- it'll be working when there are zero Fs in the freshman class. It's a shift in the adult mindset: What kids are capable of."
Parents can help support the effort at home by being deliberate about starting conversations about what being a successful freshman this year looks like, and helping their student create a plan to make that success happen, Feist said.
Some of the elements the LAUNCH teachers have been teaching are from the book "Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens."
Freshman Camryn Elliott said she thinks the "7 Habits" book has a lot of good information. Classmate Michael Piekarski agreed, and said it's helping him recognize how to distinguish good habits from bad ones. Other students said they think the habits will be easy -- and helpful -- to apply to their lives in and out of school.
Adrian Enciso, also a ninth-grader, said the LAUNCH curriculum is applicable in other courses.
"I like what we're doing in the class, because it helps me understand what we're doing in the curriculum," Enciso explained.
Asked about John Norlin's talk, freshman Taryn Lawrence said she really liked the activity at the end, when he asked students to link pinky fingers with a classmate next to them and talk for 60 seconds about a couple of different topics. The other students at the table with Taryn said they felt the same way, and that it was interesting how much you could learn about another student in such a short amount of time.
The program is designed for flexibility so that students can get to know other members of the freshman class besides those on their own LAUNCH roster. For example social studies teacher Laura Venemon and English language arts teacher Matt Brashears are paired, and can swap and mix students for LAUNCH curriculum and activities -- something the students said they think is a great idea.
Freshman Haley Buck said she really appreciates the environment that teachers, and specifically Shawn Martinson, set up in their classrooms. "It's very comfortable. I feel safe there." Asked what makes her feel that way, she mentioned the example of the class constitution, a set of rules that the class established and students signed at the beginning of the year.
Asked whether high school is what he expected, Gabe Compton said: "It's better than I expected. ... Most people say high school sucks." Compton said he is enjoying high school.
Principal Terry Duty said the LAUNCH effort is central to helping ninth-graders flourish.
"Nationally, we know the freshmen year is pivotal to a successful high school experience," Duty said. "We designed LAUNCH from the ground up to best position Tahoma freshmen with the skills they need to be successful through high school and beyond."
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Bus driver saves student using Heimlich Maneuver
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Tahoma bus driver Connie Schmoll will be honored by the School Board at its Nov. 28 meeting for saving a student using the Heimlich Maneuver.
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A veteran Tahoma bus driver's quick response saved a fourth-grade student who was choking on a piece of candy last week.
Bus driver Connie Schmoll was driving about 35 students to Lake Wilderness Elementary School on the morning of Nov. 1 when she noticed unusual activity in the back of the bus. After using her intercom to ask what was going on, a student shouted to her that another student was getting sick. Schmoll saw the stricken student in her mirror and quickly determined that he was in distress.
"Then, one of the kids said to me, 'I think he is choking!'" she said. Schmoll immediately stopped the bus on the shoulder of Witte Road and made her way to the student. Using knowledge gained through cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training, Schmoll performed the Heimlich Maneuver on the student to eject the object that was obstructing his airway.
"I said, 'OK, are you ready for this?' I did the (Heimlich) procedure once. He stood up and said it (the candy) went down."
Schmoll made sure the boy was breathing normally and then moved him to the front of the bus before using her radio to contact Lake Wilderness Elementary and request that the school nurse meet the bus when it arrived. The student was checked by the nurse and found to be OK.
It was only later, after returning to the transportation center and learning that the student was alright, that Schmoll experienced the emotion connected to the incident. It was the first time in 13 years of bus driving that she saved a student from choking.
"It was extremely emotional," she said. "I broke down afterwards and started crying."
Operations Supervisor Tom Misfeldt praised Schmoll for her quick thinking and calm, effective way of coming to the student's aid. He said in his 15 years of school transportation experience, he has never known anyone who used the Heimlich Maneuver to help a student.
The Tahoma School Board will honor Schmoll at its Nov. 28 board meeting.
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Man owes life to little Lola's family, friends
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The Boyer family and friends teamed up to save Marcus Delgado's life after he collapsed during a charity basketball tournament to benefit Lola Boyer, who has a rare heart condition. From left are, Mitch Boyer, Mike Boyer and Lola, Kent Knight, Delgado, Michael Boyer, and Nate Crawford.
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Lola Boyer is not even five months old, but she has already made a lifelong friend in Marcus Delgado.
Delgado was among the many participants in a charity three-on-three basketball tournament at Tahoma High School on Oct. 7 to raise funds for Lola, who has a rare heart condition that requires surgery. Delgado got to know Lola and her extended family more intimately than he ever imagined, when he went into cardiac arrest and collapsed on the court.
Fortunately for Delgado, Lola's grandfather, Mike Boyer, is a Renton firefighter and was at the gym, serving as a court monitor. So was family friend Kent Knight, a captain for Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority. Boyer and Knight ran to Delgado's aid immediately and began cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. Two more off-duty firefighters, Nate Crawford and Michael Boyer, Lola's uncle, assisted. As the firefighters worked to restore Delgado's heartbeat, Lola's dad, Tahoma High School health and fitness teacher Mitch Boyer, sprinted toward the nearest automated emergency defibrillator and brought it to the stricken ballplayer's side.
When it became clear that CPR was not enough, the off-duty firefighters used the defibrillator to shock Delgado's heart into rhythm. Firefighters from Maple Valley Fire and Life Safety arrived shortly after that and Delgado was transported to the hospital by King County Paramedics.
On Nov. 1, Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority commissioners honored Knight with a special award "in appreciation of his actions of performing CPR and utilizing an automatic external defibrillator on a community member while off duty. Because of his and others quick and professional response on October 7, 2017, a life was saved."
Delgado, who spent seven days in the hospital, attended the award ceremony, which was punctuated by many hugs, handshakes, smiles and a few tears.
"It's very ironic that we had that string of events," he said, referring to his decision to play in a basketball tournament to help Lola and then having a heart emergency of his own. "Literally, they will always be in my heart."
Knight said he hopes that the actions that he and the others took to help Delgado will serve to remind people of the importance of knowing CPR and having access to automated emergency defibrillators like those at Tahoma High School.
"Probably, Marcus doesn't survive if that wasn't there for him," he said.
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Students, school communities thank veterans
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Lake Wilderness Elementary fifth-grader Jayla B. poses with her grandfather, John Jefferson, after the assembly to honor veterans. Jefferson served as a sergeant major in the U.S. Army.
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Veterans give high-fives and smiles to students on their way out of the veterans assembly at Lake Wilderness Elementary last week.
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Students and staff members at Tahoma schools recognized veterans who have served our country in special assemblies, receptions and events last week and this week. There is no school Friday, Nov. 10, in observance of Veterans Day.
At Lake Wilderness Elementary, veterans were invited to an assembly, which included the Pledge of Allegiance, a performance of "America's White Table," "My Country 'Tis of Thee," the Armed Forces Medley, and a moment of silence. Many veterans attended, and students and staff enjoyed thanking them. Those in attendance included Matthew Van Der Wal, retired chief Master Sergeant U.S. Air Force; Bob Jay, World War II veteran; John Jefferson, sergeant major, U.S. Army; James Farris, Korean War veteran and Major Von Kays. Others attended but had not RSVP'd, and choir teacher Kimberly McElreath thanked them for their service.
Glacier Park Elementary School hosted an assembly in honor of veterans today, and a parent shared a wonderful video of students and staff applauding veterans including World War II veteran Alice Johnson. Please visit
our Facebook page for the video.
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Outgoing board member offers thanks
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Adam
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It has been my honor and privilege to serve on the Tahoma School District Board of Directors for the last eight years. During my two terms, I have gained a tremendous respect for my colleagues on the Board, the administrators, teachers, staff and support personnel that have made the Tahoma School District one of the best school systems in the state. I have no doubt that the Maple Valley community will continue to be well served by this team. I have learned over these years that we have a very unique working relationship here that is the envy of many other districts in the state.
I thank the Maple Valley community for supporting the 2013 bond measure that allowed us to create world-class learning facilities for our students well into the future. We also are working toward a RegionaI Learning Center that will benefit adult learners both within and outside our community. I am very proud of the positive working relationship between Tahoma leaders, state legislators and the Maple Valley City Council, which was a key factor in acquiring vital property and making these improvements happen.
Regardless of the successful accomplishments with capital projects and relationships, I am most proud of the students, which is the true reason I have served on the Board of Directors. I am always impressed when I have the opportunity to hear our students make presentations at board meetings and when I have attended award events. Most recently, it was gratifying to see the excitement and pride the students displayed when they shared their new or remodeled schools and confirmed a "job well-done" by the community.
I wish my successor as satisfying and rewarding an experience as I have had. It is also my wish that the community continues to support our elected board members that represent you and provide the best education for our young people to ensure that they are indeed Future Ready.
Thank you for your support and I look forward to a bright and successful future for the Tahoma School District!
Tim Adam
Tahoma School District
Board of Directors
Editor's note: Tim Adam's term on the School Board ends in December. His replacement, who voters weighed in on this week, will be sworn in next month.
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First GRC classes to be offered at Tahoma High
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Green River College is preparing to offer seven community education classes in February at Tahoma High School, which is the first step toward the regional learning center component of the new high school.
The classes were chosen in response to a community survey by Green River College and Tahoma School District. Additional classes are planned as the new program evolves, with the goal being 15 classes per quarter.
Amy Torrens-Harry, assistant director of Tahoma Teaching and Learning, said the school district and college have spent many hours discussing and planning the community education classes. She said college officials are excited to be part of the regional learning center and are looking to add more classes. Discussions are underway to bring college-credit classes to the high school, for both high school students and community members, she said. There is no firm timeline for college credit classes, as the college and district navigate through numerous state and college rules that determine how classes can be offered away from Green River's main campus in Auburn.
"It's more complicated than you would think," Torrens-Harry said. "This seems like the best way to build a relationship with the college, by getting to know them and introduce them to the community."
The first seven classes that will begin in early February are: Ceramics I; Beginning Drawing; Crafting the Story; Digital Photography I; Yoga for All; Resistance Band Workout; and Seeds to Sprouts this Spring.
Green River College will advertise the classes in its upcoming winter quarter catalog.
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TEALS volunteers offer computer science support
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TEALS volunteer Ben Bruhl helps a computer science student at Tahoma High School recently, while teacher Kendall Johnson hands back papers. TEALS stands for Technology Education and Literacy in Schools.
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One recent morning in Kendall Johnson's AP computer science class, a volunteer teacher stood at the front of the class, encouraging students to recreate a computer program on the board. The sound of typing joined the music that Johnson had playing in the background.
Ben Bruhl, the TEALS volunteer, exhorted the students to check their work: "How good are you at looking and typing -- looking and typing?" As some members of the class finished programming, he asked them to explain the output they were getting, and then to predict what would happen if they changed the initial value of "x" in their program.
Several times per week, TEALS volunteers help teach in Johnson's class, sharing their subject knowledge with students. The acronym TEALS stands for Technology Education and Literacy in Schools. It's a Microsoft Philanthropies program that helps match high-tech volunteers with schools throughout Washington state and in other areas of the country.
"We are so lucky to have our TEALS Volunteers be a part of our Computer Science Program this year," said Doug Burnham, associate principal and director of the Career and Technical Education program. "It has been a great opportunity for our students to learn directly from people working in industry. Our partnership has already helped to grow interest in our computer programming club, where the volunteers give even more time to our students."
In Johnson's class, Bruhl and a second volunteer, Troy Schuring, circulate to help any students who get stuck. Johnson, who is using the time to hand back papers to students, also pauses to answer questions.
As the students finish with the initial task, Bruhl issues a new one: "Now, I want you to go through here and rip out the guts of the main so that it only does two calls. ... What am I messing with, the formal or the actual?" After changing the requested output of the program to an asterisk, Bruhl then challenged the students to try to make the program "print out" a tree shape made of asterisks.
The class has students with varied skill levels, and in some cases, Bruhl issues a harder challenge. One student, for example, was asked to put together a program that would create the image of a cat, instead of a tree.
At various points in the lesson, students also help one another get past a problem in their coding. It's a class filled with problem-solving, as the volunteer teachers and students help one another find errors when any program isn't giving the desired output. There is talk of loops, nested loops, string fields and multiple parameters. One student gets up and retrieves a textbook from a cabinet to look something up.
"If you type way too much stuff and it doesn't work, then it's hard to figure out why," Schuring said to one student. After the two debugged the student's work, he exclaimed: "Perfect -- don't touch this ever again!"
Bruhl, who has been helping with the THS computer programming club, also volunteers during Power Hour lunch at the high school, helping students who have questions. The high school also has a third TEALS volunteer, James McLaughlin.
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Sports update: Bears battle hard in post-season play
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Cross country
The Tahoma girls cross country team made its 15th straight appearance at the state meet last weekend. Every girl on the team ran a personal record performance, which pushed the team to a fifth-place finish. The boys team made its eighth consecutive appearance, ran strong and finished seventh.
Breanna Glover and Dawson Besst shone among talented and competitive fields, coach Jeff Brady said.
"Breanna Glover ... ran a conservative race and poured it on the last half-mile to finish third!" Brady said. "Her third-place finish and time of 17:52 (5K) are both all-time state bests for a Tahoma girl."
"Dawson Besst worked hard the entire race, running with the front pack," Brady continued. "... Dawson finished seventh overall. (He) finishes his Tahoma career with an all-time state best time for Tahoma of 15:22 (5K)."
Swim and dive
The Tahoma girls swim and dive team will compete at the 4A state championships Friday and Saturday at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way. The meet begins at 2 p.m. and results will be available on the WIAA website at
www.wiaa.com
The girls competing individually are:
Freshman Amelia Blakely, 200 IM and 500 free
Junior Iliana Hammerstrom, 50 free
Freshman Rachel Kloepfer, 500 free
Senior Abby Mattern, 100 fly
Sophomore Emiri Nishizawa, 200 free and 500 free
The state meet adds two swims for students with disabilities to the event list: the 50 free and the 50 back. Freshman Abby Nardella will compete in both events.
In addition, three relay teams will compete, with four girls per relay. The teams will be made up of Blakely, Hammerstrom, Kloepfer, Mattern, Nishizawa, Bridget Duven, Kendra Gibson, Amy Gill, Mylie Hanger, Rebecca Johnson, Sydney Sears and Kiley Zaroza.
Volleyball
The Tahoma volleyball team is on its way to the state tournament today. The players will take on Jackson at 1:30 p.m. Nov. 10 at the Toyota Center in Kennewick.
After winning first place in the North Puget Sound League's Cascade Division and an undefeated league season, Tahoma went on to the district tournament last weekend. There, they beat Graham Kapowsin 3-0 and Bellarmine 3-0, then lost to Emerald Ridge 3-2. They finished the tournament with a win over Curtis 3-1 to take third place in districts.
These players were named to the Cascade Division All-League Teams:
First team: Paige Anthony, Patience O'Neal, Emily Smith
Honorable mention: Shay Jones, Kaia Garcia, McKenna Peters
Football
The Bears football team traveled to Vancouver last week to take on Union High School in a district playoff game, but fell to the Titans 41-14.
The team's conference record was 5-2 and the Bears finished 6-4 overall. Football awards will be announced next week.
Soccer
The Tahoma Bears girls soccer team took on Sumner in their first district playoff game on Halloween, and lost 2-1.
The team's league record was 10-3, with one tie.
The following players were recognized as NPSL Cascade Division All-League members:
First Team: junior Laura Pierson, midfielder; sophomore Elizabeth Basile, defender
Second Team: senior Campbell Nestle, forward; senior Brooke Asbury, midfielder; senior Katie Reeves, defender
Honorable Mention: sophomore Sophie Swanson, goalkeeper.
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District kudos
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Tahoma cheer headed to national competition
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Courtesy photo
Tahoma cheerleaders earned a bid to the national competition after performing well in Bellevue last weekend.
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The Tahoma cheer team last weekend competed in the Universal Cheerleaders Association regional qualifier, and earned a bid to the national competition early next year.
"The girls have been putting in countless hours perfecting their skills and getting ready for this day. It started clear back at camp in July; they worked hard learning the skills and cheers they needed," coach Chuck Chartrey said. "When they took the stage Saturday, you could feel the energy and excitement. They were ready and proved it in the end. The smiles and tears were worth the hard work."
Tahoma's 58 athletes will compete against other states at nationals in Florida in February. They'll compete in three categories: "Super Large Varsity Game Day," in which they were awarded a bid with first-place finish last weekend; "Large Junior Varsity Game Day," in which they were awarded a bid and a high score; and "Super Large Varsity Traditional," in which they were awarded a bid and a high score with first place finish, Chartrey said.
"Not only did our teams place well, we set the mark in the regional competition held last week at Bellevue High School," he added. "Our super large traditional will be representing Tahoma on the state stage, as well, hoping to bring home a state title."
Tahoma band members accepted into international honor band
Twenty-five Tahoma band members recently auditioned and were accepted into the Western International Band Clinic (WIBC), an honor group consisting of four bands with musicians from around the world, said THS director Matthew Cole. The students will work and perform with a professional concerto artist, composers of current band literature, and renowned conductors on Nov. 17-20. Their final concert will be performed in front of an audience of more than 2,000 people.
The students submitted auditions for evaluation by judges from across the country and were selected out of more than 1,100 auditions. From all of the selected musicians from all of the schools, the top 12 will be selected to attend the Australian National Honour Band Festival in Sydney, Australia next summer. Four of the awards are fully paid week-long trips. One of this year's seniors, Dakota Huffman, was selected as an Australian exchange honor band member last year, Cole said.
Students accepted were: flute players Alyssa Callahan, Abby Wooster and Aidan Callen; oboe players Jenessa White and Madison Collins; clarinet players Claire Cunningham, Andrew Jones, George Praggastis, Nicole Stan, Rile Wilmart and Sydney Yamamoto; bass clarinet players Keila Jellings and Ashley Walker; alto saxophone player Jason Parshall; tenor saxophone player Dakota Huffman; baritone saxophone player Lincoln Harmer; french horn player Cameron Plett; trumpet players Marius Falconeer, Calista Mucke and Isabelle Mucke; trombone players Michael Hogg and Trevor Lind. Alternates included Nicholas Myers on clarinet, Robert Potterf on euphonium and Matthew Schreiner on percussion.
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Tahoma elementary students blend art, science
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Photo courtesy of Amber Oosterhof
Tahoma Elementary students had the chance to paint salmon and make prints on cloth.
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Courtesy photo
Third-grade students also got to see firsthand what the salmon's anatomy looks like, when the fish were dissected the day after the art project.
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Art and science worked together in one great unit recently for Tahoma Elementary third-graders, who are studying salmon as part of their Puget Sound unit. To enhance their learning, students are invited to paint actual fish and make a print on fabric. On the second day, the same fish are dissected so that students get to see their anatomy firsthand.
"It's a really great, enriching experience because the kids get to touch the salmon and then dissect it the next day," said teacher Tenaya Williams, who for the past five years taught at Shadow Lake Elementary where the project began. "They also get a keepsake to take home to their families."
Two volunteers who are fish biologists, parent Patrick Morgan and grandparent Craig Olson, visited to help the students examine the salmon, Williams said.
"It's a great educational experience. They dissect it, touch all parts of the inside and touch the eggs," she said, noting that it helps students further understand the salmon life cycle that they have studied. "Of all the things we've done, the kids thought that was the coolest."
Williams shared questions that two students asked during the dissection:
Emma P.: "Why is the heart so small, and why isn't it shaped like a heart? ... Why are their eyes open all of the time?"
James U.: "Why do salmon have so many fins? What are they for?"
Also as part of the third-grade curriculum, students visit the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery on a field trip.
Tahoma Elementary Principal Jerry Gaston said that one of many wonderful things about the new school is that staff members such as Williams came together from more than 12 schools.
"The professional collaboration that has occurred has allowed teachers to draw from the best of each of their backgrounds to offer our students the richest of all possible experiences," Gaston said. "This salmon project exemplifies this so well, and also allows students to show great enthusiasm for and learn from, a multifaceted approach to learning."
Former Shadow Lake Principal Chris Everett, who still does occasional work with the district's Teaching and Learning Department, said that studying the salmon life cycle has been an integral part of the third-grade curriculum for more than 30 years.
"With the Cedar River migration of salmon, this integrated science and art unit has a strong connection to our local community, as well as to the entire Puget Sound region," Everett said. "I was gifted a salmon wall-hanging created by third-graders at Shadow Lake several years ago, that I cherish to this day."
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Secondary schools host Future Ready Day
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Veterinarian Katya Dass-Hillard, of Maple Valley Animal Hospital, advised students to get experience working with animals before committing to veterinary medicine. She said she began working as a kennel cleaner and worked in several different jobs before she decided to pursue veterinary medicine. She said all Future Ready skills are used in veterinary medicine.
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On Oct. 27, students from both middle schools and Tahoma High School got a glimpse into their options in years to come. On Future Ready Day, speakers from a wide variety of fields visited each middle school. At the high school, grades 9 and 10 heard from leadership consultant John Norlin, as well as hearing about different options and pathways after high school. Juniors had their choice of field trips, including the National College Fair in Seattle, Green River College, Bellevue College, Renton Technical College, Bates Technical College, Clover Park Technical College and DigiPen. Seniors had several options, including a job shadow, community service, working on college essays and scholarships or the same field trip options the juniors had.
One fascinating presentation, with employees visiting both middle schools, was the rocket company Blue Origin. At Summit Trail, mechanical engineer David Packard and rocket scientist John Dixon shared a bit of their education and career histories with students, talked about the type of rockets Blue Origin is building, then took lots of great student questions.
"How much would it cost per launch?" one student asked. It's a hard question to answer, Packard said, noting that while a rocket such as Blue Origin's New Shepard might cost about $10 million, there are many other costs such as fuel, employee costs and more. A "ride" on a rocket like New Shepard would cost an estimated $200,000. "It's expensive. It's not a cheap flight," he said, but noted that hopefully in the future the cost will come down due to technology such as reusable propulsion units.
Another student asked what weightlessness feels like.
Dixon, who said he once rode in a zero-gravity plane often referred to as the "vomit comet" during a NASA experiment, described it like this: "The very first feeling you get is a little bit of fear. ... It takes your brain about five seconds to adjust. You dig your fingers into the cushions. ... It feels like a whole bunch of weight you never knew you had is lifted off of you."
Other questions focused on materials used to build the rockets (many different metals and composite materials), how long it takes to build a rocket (about 10 years for New Shepard), and what they might work on next (New Glenn). The aspiring rocket scientists and astronauts also wanted to know what to take in school. Answer: degrees in science, mechanical engineering, and aerospace engineering.
"Anyone can do it," Dixon added. "But, you have to learn the language of it. The language would be math."
Other career fields discussed included architecture, construction, agriculture, sports medicine, restaurants, natural resources, business management and administration, education, finance, health sciences, human services, law enforcement, pilot instructor, firefighting, wildlife biology, engineering, the law, computer technology, marketing and geography.
A selection of the business and organization names represented were Flynn Development, the city of Maple Valley, Dace's Rock-n-More Music Academy, Maple Valley Youth Symphony, UW Medical, the U.S. Air Force, Boeing, FIRST Robotics, Microsoft, NOAA and Blue Origin.
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News briefs
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Elementary conferences begin next week
Elementary school conferences begin next week, when schools will be on half-day schedules Nov. 15-22. Lunch will be served. Schools releasing at 12:40 p.m. are Glacier Park, Lake Wilderness, and Shadow Lake. Schools releasing at 1:10 p.m. are Cedar River, Rock Creek, and Tahoma.
Middle schools and high schools will be on half-day schedules Nov. 20-22. No lunches will be served. Maple View and Summit Trail middle schools release at 11:30 a.m. Tahoma High School releases at 11:10 a.m.
"Our Town" opens tomorrow in high school PAC
It's almost time for the first theatre production on the stage in the new performing arts center at Tahoma High School! "Our Town," a Tahoma Drama production featuring students in grades 9-12, opens tomorrow.
The play shows Nov. 10, 11, 17, and 18 at 7 p.m. and for matinees, Nov. 11 and 18 at 2 p.m.
Tickets available at the door: $10 for adults, $7 for students and senior citizens; $5 for children younger than 5.
Rotary raises more than $26,000 for kindergarten readiness
The Maple Valley Rotary recently raised more than $26,000 to support Tahoma's "READY! For Kindergarten!" program, and specifically to help pay for families in need. The auction raised more than $155,000 overall for all causes.
Incoming Rotary President Ehrin Stumpges of Country Financial said that he selected the "READY!" program as the Fund-A-Need of the year for several reasons:
- The program has a year under its belt in Tahoma, is proven to work and will benefit additional families who might not be able to afford the cost of participating.
- Data shows that kids who start behind, stay behind. "The return on investment is great, and if we can reach these kids at a young age and prevent them from entering school behind," Stumpges said.
- Parental involvement is a critical element of high quality early care and education; this program provides a partnership between the district and parents.
Stumpges said that helping parents access the program is also in line with Rotary's motto, "Service Above Self."
"READY for Kindergarten is a perfect example of a program that we are looking to be involved with," he added. "This is a program that will benefit our community and one that we can help to become self-sustaining for years to come."
To learn more about the "READY!" program,
click here.
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Spotlight on Glacier Park Elementary
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Students in Cherie Sumner's first-grade class at Glacier Park Elementary had a "sun and moon" party to celebrate learning. Here, Jazi L. pauses to smile at the camera.
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The sun and the moon took center stage during a recent celebration at Glacier Park Elementary.
Cherie Sumner's first-grade students celebrated the following sky pattern phenomena that they have been learning about in class out of the new TCI science curriculum:
- It is light during the day and dark at night.
- The sun is not always in the same place in the sky.
- In the summer, it's light outside, but in the winter, it's dark outside.
- You look out of a window. You see the moon. Later that night, you have to look out another window to see the moon.
- You see Orion in one part of the sky. Later that night, it is on the other side of the sky.
And, they rounded out the celebration by playing with "galaxy slime" for fun.
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Coming up in Bear Country
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FRIDAY, Nov. 10
No school, districtwide, in observance of Veterans Day
WEDNESDAY
, Nov. 15
Half-day early release at elementary schools for elementary school conferences, Nov. 15-22, each school building
MONDAY, Nov. 20
Half-day early release for grades K-12 for conferences
THURSDAY, Nov. 23
Nov. 23-24, no school districtwide for Thanksgiving
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What's for lunch?
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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:
Title IX Officer
Director of Human Resources
25720 Maple Valley Highway
Maple Valley, WA 98038
425-413-3400
TitleIX@tahomasd.us
ADA Coordinator
Director of Human Resources
25720 Maple Valley Highway
Maple Valley, WA 98038
425-413-3400
ADA@tahomasd.us
Section 504 Coordinator
Director of Special Services
25720 Maple Valley Highway
Maple Valley, WA 98038
425-413-3400
Section504@tahomasd.us
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