Tahoma Senior High School
Encyclopedia
Tahoma Senior High School (or more frequently Tahoma (High) School or THS) is part of the Tahoma School District #409. THS is a public high school serving grades ten through twelve, and mainly provides for students from the city of Maple Valley, Washington
. The school's class schedule features six periods that alternate in three-period blocks every other day (known as Blue and Gold days). The school is a class 4A school in the North Division of the South Puget Sound League.
examination by a wide margin. A table illustrating the percentage of students who passed the 2007 tenth grade WASL is shown below.
The school offers a wide variety of tech prep, honors, Advanced Placement
, and University of Washington
"college in the high school" courses, in addition to the district's school board-approved curriculum. Students may take courses in automotive repair, video production, theatre, culinary arts, woodworking, metalworking, and business and marketing. These classes take advantage of the school's fully furnished autoshop, advanced video editing equipment, wood and metal shops, student store, and up-to-date computer labs. Advanced Placement classes offered by the high school include Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Statistics, Computer Science A, Computer Science AB, European History, US History, US Government and Politics, Environmental Science, Literature, Studio Art, and Psychology. These classes are usually offered at no cost to the student, and Tahoma High School encourages all students in AP classes to take the Advanced Placement exams corresponding to the classes they are enrolled in. The exams are given in early May. UW "college in the high school" courses that are offered include classes in Spanish, French, geology, English composition, and literature. These classes allow students to earn credits from the University of Washington, and a fee for each class is required. Tahoma High School's Outdoor Academy program which integrates Health and Fitness, Science, and Language Arts, has received recognition statewide for its work in changing the concept of Physical Education.
The present day high school building opened in 1974 as an open concept
school, while the previous building remained as the district's junior high. The open concept design proved unsatisfactory to the faculty at the time, and temporary walls were constructed early in the school building's life.
The next major change came in 1999 when an intensive remodel of the Tahoma Senior High School building commenced. Despite gutting most parts of the building for modernization, the project was done in phases so that the facility could remain open as the district high school. Notable changes made to the campus during this remodel included construction of the present-day 100 wing, installation of an all-weather athletic track, expansion of the administrative offices, brightening of the commons area, application of an exterior brick facade, and complete renovation of the interior of the school, making it aesthetically appealing and technologically up-to-date.
Following voter approval of a $10 million, four-year Instructional Technology Levy in 2006, the Tahoma School District has started to outfit the campus with wireless internet service, Activboard digital whiteboards, and upgraded computer labs.
An interesting side note to this building's history is that it has resided in three different cities without ever changing its physical location. At one time or another, the school building's address has included the cities of Kent, Maple Valley, and now Covington.
; Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA
); Fashion Design Club; Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA); Future Farmers of America (FFA
); Future Filmmakers Club; Green Team; Guitar Club; Hands Up Club (for students of American Sign Language); Interact Club; Japanese Club; Key Club
; Mu Alpha Theta
Math Club; Multicultural/Diversity Club; National Honor Society (NHS
); Newspaper; Orca Bowl (participants in the National Ocean Sciences Bowl
); Outdoor Club; Robotics Team (participants in the FIRST Robotics Competition
); Spanish Club; Speech and Debate; Street Rats; Technology Student Association (TSA
); We The People: The Citizen and the Constitution
; Yearbook; and Young Authors Club.
Notable accomplishments include:
Notable accomplishments include:
, Kentridge
, Kentlake
, Kentwood
, Auburn Riverside
and Gig Harbor
. One of Tahoma's oldest rivals is Enumclaw, but the rivalry has lost some of its intensity since Enumclaw has been moved down to the SPSL Division 3A.
Tahoma's fiercest rivalry is perhaps that with Kentwood High School, owing partly to the mere three-mile separation between the schools. Tensions increased further when Kentwood desecrated the street in front of Tahoma by spray painting the letters "K-DUB" before a football game held on October 14, 2005. The two schools have been a part of some memorable football games in the past couple of years, with Tahoma winning four years in a row, ending with KW winning a last minute thriller in 2009, 21-14. Kentwood won the last meeting 49-3, the largest margin in over 10 years.
Maple Valley, Washington
Maple Valley is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 22,684 at the 2010 census.-History:The area was first settled in 1879 by three men who were improving a trail and brought their families in. When a name for a future community was proposed, the names Vine Maple...
. The school's class schedule features six periods that alternate in three-period blocks every other day (known as Blue and Gold days). The school is a class 4A school in the North Division of the South Puget Sound League.
Overview
Tahoma Senior High School is a suburban school located where the borders of the cities of Maple Valley, Covington, and Kent come together. It is generally viewed as having high academic standards. The Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction reported the school's graduation rate as 87.8% for the 2005-06 school year with a 3.3% dropout rate, while the statewide graduation and dropout rates were reported as 75.0% and 5.7%, respectively, for the same year. Additionally, Tahoma High School consistently outperforms the state average on the tenth grade WASLWashington Assessment of Student Learning
The Washington Assessment of Student Learning was a standardized educational assessment system given as the primary assessment in the state of Washington from spring 1997 to summer 2009. The WASL was also used as a high school graduation examination beginning in the spring of 2006 and ending in 2009...
examination by a wide margin. A table illustrating the percentage of students who passed the 2007 tenth grade WASL is shown below.
| Statewide | Tahoma High School | |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | 80.8% | 90.7% |
| Mathematics | 50.4% | 62.9% |
| Writing | 83.9% | 91.7% |
| Science | 36.4% | 55.5% |
The school offers a wide variety of tech prep, honors, Advanced Placement
Advanced Placement Program
The Advanced Placement program is a curriculum in the United States and Canada sponsored by the College Board which offers standardized courses to high school students that are generally recognized to be equivalent to undergraduate courses in college...
, and University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
"college in the high school" courses, in addition to the district's school board-approved curriculum. Students may take courses in automotive repair, video production, theatre, culinary arts, woodworking, metalworking, and business and marketing. These classes take advantage of the school's fully furnished autoshop, advanced video editing equipment, wood and metal shops, student store, and up-to-date computer labs. Advanced Placement classes offered by the high school include Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Statistics, Computer Science A, Computer Science AB, European History, US History, US Government and Politics, Environmental Science, Literature, Studio Art, and Psychology. These classes are usually offered at no cost to the student, and Tahoma High School encourages all students in AP classes to take the Advanced Placement exams corresponding to the classes they are enrolled in. The exams are given in early May. UW "college in the high school" courses that are offered include classes in Spanish, French, geology, English composition, and literature. These classes allow students to earn credits from the University of Washington, and a fee for each class is required. Tahoma High School's Outdoor Academy program which integrates Health and Fitness, Science, and Language Arts, has received recognition statewide for its work in changing the concept of Physical Education.
History
The first large public school building in the Maple Valley area to serve secondary students was the Maple Valley Grade School, which opened in 1920 and housed grades one through twelve (now home to the Tahoma Transportation Center and the Maple Valley Historical Society). In 1926, not long after the building opened, the Taylor, Hobart, and Maple Valley school districts merged to create a cooperative high school district and purchased a parcel of property for the construction of a dedicated local secondary school. This school, known as TaHoMa High School, opened in 1927 and held both junior and senior high students of the area for many years. After several remodels, this first TaHoMa High School building still exists today as TaHoMa Middle School.The present day high school building opened in 1974 as an open concept
Openconcept
Openconcept is a term generally used to describe a type of architecture which provides a lot of flexible space. There are a few general spaces that are defined using open-concept, see restroom, stairway and changeroom....
school, while the previous building remained as the district's junior high. The open concept design proved unsatisfactory to the faculty at the time, and temporary walls were constructed early in the school building's life.
The next major change came in 1999 when an intensive remodel of the Tahoma Senior High School building commenced. Despite gutting most parts of the building for modernization, the project was done in phases so that the facility could remain open as the district high school. Notable changes made to the campus during this remodel included construction of the present-day 100 wing, installation of an all-weather athletic track, expansion of the administrative offices, brightening of the commons area, application of an exterior brick facade, and complete renovation of the interior of the school, making it aesthetically appealing and technologically up-to-date.
Following voter approval of a $10 million, four-year Instructional Technology Levy in 2006, the Tahoma School District has started to outfit the campus with wireless internet service, Activboard digital whiteboards, and upgraded computer labs.
An interesting side note to this building's history is that it has resided in three different cities without ever changing its physical location. At one time or another, the school building's address has included the cities of Kent, Maple Valley, and now Covington.
Activities
The following extracurricular clubs and activities are active at Tahoma: Anime Club; Art/Photography Club; Band; Choir; Drama; Destination ImaginationDestination ImagiNation
Destination ImagiNation Inc. or DI is a creative problem solving organization for youth and adults. Destination ImagiNation's educational goals are to foster creative and critical thinking, to develop teamwork, collaboration and leadership skills, and to nurture research and inquiry skills...
; Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA
Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America
Family, Career and Community Leaders of America , formerly known as Future Homemakers of America , is a nonprofit U.S. career and technical student organization for young men and women in family and consumer science education in public and private schools through grade 12 across the United States...
); Fashion Design Club; Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA); Future Farmers of America (FFA
National FFA Organization
The National FFA Organization is an American youth organization known as a Career and Technical Student Organization, based on middle and high school classes that promote and support agricultural education...
); Future Filmmakers Club; Green Team; Guitar Club; Hands Up Club (for students of American Sign Language); Interact Club; Japanese Club; Key Club
Key Club
Key Club International is the oldest and largest service program for high school students. It is a student-led organization whose goal is to teach leadership through serving others. Key Club International is a part of the Kiwanis International family of service-leadership programs...
; Mu Alpha Theta
Mu Alpha Theta
Mu Alpha Theta is a United States mathematics honor society for high schools and two-year colleges. It has over 89,000 student members in more than 1,800 schools worldwide. Its main goals are to inspire keen interest in mathematics, develop strong scholarship in the subject, and promote the...
Math Club; Multicultural/Diversity Club; National Honor Society (NHS
National Honor Society
The National Honor Society is a recognition program for high school students in grades 10-12 in the United States and in several other countries...
); Newspaper; Orca Bowl (participants in the National Ocean Sciences Bowl
National Ocean Sciences Bowl
The National Ocean Sciences Bowl is a national, high-school science competition sponsored by the National Oceanographic Partnership Program and managed by the which started in the 1970s. It uses a quiz-bowl format, with lockout buzzers and extended team challenge questions to test students on...
); Outdoor Club; Robotics Team (participants in the FIRST Robotics Competition
FIRST Robotics Competition
The FIRST Robotics Competition is an international high school robotics competition organized by FIRST. Each year, teams of high school students compete to build robots weighing up to , not including battery and bumpers, that can complete a task, which changes every year...
); Spanish Club; Speech and Debate; Street Rats; Technology Student Association (TSA
Technology Student Association
The Technology Student Association is an international Career and Technical Student Organization made up of over 150,000 Middle School and High School Technology Education Students. TSA is the premier CTSO dedicated to STEM Standards: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics...
); We The People: The Citizen and the Constitution
We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution
We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution, sponsored by the Center for Civic Education, is a yearly competition for American high school students held in Washington D.C. The competition is styled as a congressional hearing. Each team is divided up into six units, each composed of three or...
; Yearbook; and Young Authors Club.
Notable accomplishments include:
- Future Filmmakers Club - Student work frequently receives top awards and recognition at local film festivals.
- Robotics Team - F.I.R.S.T.FirstFirst or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one.First or 1st may also refer to:* First , minor summit below the Schwarzhorn in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland* First , mountain in Bernese Alps in Switzerland...
Pacific Northwest Rookie Allstars and 11th ranked in Atlanta Nationals in 2007. Quarter Finalist at the World Championship in 2011. - Speech and Debate - Regularly a strong state competitor, and occasionally nationally competitive members. Won State Speech Competition in 2009, placed 2nd in 2010. Under coaches Matt Tucker, Scott Mercer, and Michelle Sutterfield. In the 2010-2011 school year the team brought on new coach, Kaveh Dilmaghani, after Matt Tucker retired from the team.
- We The People: The Citizen and the Constitution - Washington State Champions from 1994–2006, 2008, and 2010-2011. The teams in 1994 and 2001 placed 4th nationally, the 2008 team won "Best in the West", and both the 2010 and 2011 Unit Five sections of the group won the Best Unit Five Award at the national competitions in Washington, D.C.
- Destination Imagination - The Tahoma Learning Community team from THS competed at Global Finals in the years 2006, 2007 and 2008. The team took 2nd place at Global Finals for their challenge Obstacles, Of Course! in 2008.
- Green Team -The club was awarded the Presidential Environmental Youth Award for EPA Region 10 in 2011.
Athletics
Tahoma students participate in the following sports and athletic activities:- Fall Sports: Boys' Tennis, Cross Country, Football, Girls' Soccer, Girls' Swim and Dive, Golf, and Volleyball.
- Winter Sports: Boys' Basketball, Boys' Swim, Dance, Girls' Basketball, Gymnastics, and Wrestling.
- Spring Sports: Baseball, Boys' Soccer, Fast Pitch, Girls' Tennis, and Track.
Notable accomplishments include:
- Baseball - Second in State, 1986; Third in State, 1987; Second in State, 1988; Third in State, 2003; Fourth in State, 2006; Third in State, 2007.
- Cheerleading - Washington State Champions, 2001 and 2007.
- Cross Country - Boys: Third in State, 2005; Fifth in State, 2006; Third in State, 2007; Third in Nike Team Nationals Regional Championship, 2007. Girls Second in State, 2009, Third in State 2010.
- Girls' Soccer - Washington State Champions, 2001 and 2005.
- Wrestling - Fifth in State, 2007.
Rivalries
Tahoma's main rivals include Kent-MeridianKent-Meridian High School
Kent-Meridian High School is a high school located in Kent, Washington and part of the Kent School District. Its principal is Dr. Wade Barringer....
, Kentridge
Kentridge High School
Kentridge High School, located on in Kent, Washington, is the second-oldest and second-largest high school by area in the Kent School District...
, Kentlake
Kentlake High School
Kentlake High School is a public high school, of more than 2,000 Students in Kent, Washington, USA. It is part of the Kent School District.-History:...
, Kentwood
Kentwood High School (Washington)
Kentwood High School is a high school in Covington, Washington. Kentwood is one of four high schools in the Kent School District. It serves students in grades nine through twelve who live in mainly in the east central region of the district...
, Auburn Riverside
Auburn Riverside High School
Auburn Riverside High School is located in Auburn, Washington. Located next to the White River, the school takes it name from its location. The school opened in 1995 due to overcrowding at Auburn Senior High School.-Academics:...
and Gig Harbor
Gig Harbor High School
Gig Harbor High School is a public high school in the Peninsula School District located in Gig Harbor, Washington.It was created in the summer of 1978 and originally was a 2A school, but is presently 4A...
. One of Tahoma's oldest rivals is Enumclaw, but the rivalry has lost some of its intensity since Enumclaw has been moved down to the SPSL Division 3A.
Tahoma's fiercest rivalry is perhaps that with Kentwood High School, owing partly to the mere three-mile separation between the schools. Tensions increased further when Kentwood desecrated the street in front of Tahoma by spray painting the letters "K-DUB" before a football game held on October 14, 2005. The two schools have been a part of some memorable football games in the past couple of years, with Tahoma winning four years in a row, ending with KW winning a last minute thriller in 2009, 21-14. Kentwood won the last meeting 49-3, the largest margin in over 10 years.
Notable alumni
- Brandi CarlileBrandi CarlileBrandi Carlile is an American singer and songwriter.-Early life:At age eight, Carlile performed a rendition of the country music song "Tennessee Flat Top Box" with her mother. She began to play the guitar and write songs at fifteen. At sixteen, she began to perform as a backup singer for an Elvis...
- Singer/Songwriter and a Class of 2000 graduate from Tahoma, Carlile signed on with Columbia in 2004 and has received worldwide acclaim as one of the Seattle area's most promising new artists. - Derek Eager - Athlete and a Class of 2010 graduate from Tahoma, Summer 2010 - Competed in the World Junior Championships ... Placed second at the USATF Jr. Nationals in the javelin with a mark of 230-6.
- Omare LoweOmare LoweOmare Lowe is an American football cornerback who is retired. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
- NFL Football player and a 1997 Tahoma graduate. - Jens "Little Evil" PulverJens PulverJens Johnnie Pulver is an American mixed martial artist . He was the first Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion and was a coach on the The Ultimate Fighter 5 reality show, which aired on Spike TV. He was formerly signed as a featherweight with World Extreme Cagefighting , which is...
- Mixed Martial ArtsMixed martial artsMixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
Fighter, Ultimate Fighting Champsionship (UFCUltimate Fighting ChampionshipThe Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
) lightweight champion, and former featherweight with World Extreme Cagefighting (WECWorld Extreme CagefightingWorld Extreme Cagefighting was an American mixed martial arts promotion. It was purchased by Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of Ultimate Fighting Championship , in 2006. In its final incarnation, it was made up of 3 weight classes: 135, 145 and 155 lbs. To accommodate the smaller...
). Pulver is a 1993 graduate of THS. - Rebecca Shaw - First officer of Colgan Air Flight 3407Colgan Air Flight 3407Colgan Air Flight 3407, marketed as Continental Connection under a codeshare agreement with Continental Airlines, was a daily U.S. regional airline commuter flight from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey to Buffalo Niagara International Airport in New York State.A Bombardier...
. Shaw was a 2002 graduate of THS. - Erik Totten - NFL Football player and a 1997 Tahoma graduate.