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Tahoma High School

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Tahoma Senior High School
Location
Map
Covington
,
Washington

United States
Information
TypePublic secondary
Established1927
School districtTahoma School District
PrincipalTerry Duty
Grades10–12
Enrollment1,506 (2005)
CampusSuburban
Color(s)Blue and Gold           
MascotBears
NewspaperTahoma Times
Websitetshs.tahoma.wednet.edu

Tahoma High School (THS) is a public high school located in Covington, Washington, serving grades ten through twelve. The school's schedule features six periods alternating on 3-period long days. The school is a class 4A school in the North Division of the South Puget Sound League.

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 this building opened, the Taylor, Hobart, and Maple Valley school districts created 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. This first TaHoMa High School building still exists today, after several remodels, as TaHoMa Middle School.

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 include 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.

Activities

The following extracurricular clubs and activities are active at Tahoma: Art/Photography Club; Band; Choir; Drama; 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; 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:

  • Future Filmmakers Club - Student work frequently receives top awards and recognition at local film festivals.
  • Robotics Team - F.I.R.S.T. Pacific Northwest Rookie Allstars and 11th ranked in Atlanta.
  • Speech and Debate - Regularly a strong state competitor, and occasionally nationally-competitive members.
  • We The People: The Citizen and the Constitution - Washington State Champions from 1994-2006.

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 - Third in State, 2003; Fourth in State, 2006.
  • Cross Country - Boys: Third in State, 2005; Fifth in State, 2006; Third in State, 2007.
  • Football - First in SPSL North Division, 2004-2006.
  • Girls' Soccer - Washington State Champions, 2001 and 2005.
  • Wrestling - Fifth in State, 2007.

Rivalries

Tahoma's main rivals include Kent-Meridian, Kentridge, and Kentlake. 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 taking three of the last five, and the most recent being a 2OT thriller in which Tahoma came out on top, 21-20.

Notable Alumni

  • David Bentrott - Received a baseball scholarship to play Division I Baseball for the University of Washington.
  • Dani Bridges - Received a soccer scholarship to play Division I Soccer for the University of Washington. Four year starter for the Huskies and one of the only players to start every game of her collegiate career. Honored as a second-team All-Pac-10 team selection in 2006.
  • Brandi Carlisle - Singer/Songwriter and a Class of 2000 graduate from Tahoma, Carlisle signed on with Columbia in 2004 and has received worldwide acclaim as one of the Seattle area's most promising new artists.
  • Kevin Kooyman- Received a football scholarship to play division I football for Washington State University
  • Omare Lowe - Football player for the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL.
  • Jodi Palmer - Received a soccer scholarship to play Division I Soccer at Cornell University.
  • Jens "Little Evil" Pulver - Mixed martial arts Fighter MMA in Pride Fighting, UFC.
  • Karl Rainer - Received a basketball scholarship to play Division I Basketball for Oral Roberts University.
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