“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” —John Dewey

Happy Monday TEA Families!!

We have greatly enjoyed connecting with so many of you during the past two weeks -- at Back to School Nights and during morning coffees! We look forward to our last coffee of the month, this Friday morning for Upper School parents - new and returning!! Moving forward, we will host one coffee a month to keep the conversations flowing. Bring your ideas, questions and communiTEA enthusiasm!

Please share your feedback about our recent BTSNs with us:

In this week's edition of the Hawk News, you can read about what Ms. Vero's 1st grade is up to, meet the Brounstein Family, and hear about Ally Chase's transformative experience at the Enrollment Management Conference in Austin. We look forward to an awesome week and as always, feel free to reach out directly or post a comment below!

Ms. Vero’s Red Fox Crew launched their fall and winter project, Amazing Discoveries in Our Own Truckee/Lake Tahoe Backyard: Forest - Plants & The Sky, with an exciting beginning!

The crew started their learning journey at Donner Memorial State Park, where they explored the forest and learned how trees provide food and shelter for many animals. Students had the opportunity to explore the vital connections between plants, animals, and the environment. To deepen their research, the crew visited the Truckee Public Library, where they focused on the Sierra Red Fox, an elusive and rare local species, and the Crew’s namesake! The mix of fieldwork and research is helping the Red Fox Crew uncover the wonders of their own backyard, sparking curiosity and appreciation for the unique forest ecosystem around them. You can check out pictures of the Red Fox Crew here.

Jake joined our 5th grade crew this year, he has proven that he learns best through project-based learning and so we're excited for the hands-on experiences he'll be able to have at TEA and how he'll encounter real-world problem solving in the classroom, during fieldwork and on field trips!

Jake is a real sports aficionado especially basketball and baseball. He honed his skills this summer at a NIKE basketball camp, and a Reno ACES baseball clinic. When the season wraps for those sports, he likes hitting the trails with his dad, and skiing blacks at Sugar Bowl and Palisades. 

About us - Dan, Stephna, Jake, Shiloh (little sister), and our 2 kitties - Tucker and Comet. Dan leads bio-medical device companies by day and is an ultramarathon trail runner. Stephna manages all things kids and loves hiking and yoga. We love calling Truckee home and feel so grateful to have this one-of-a-kind school in our own backyard!

My week at the EMA (Enrollment Management Association) Annual Conference (now E3n) in Austin, TX was nothing short of magical, with incredible networking and learning alongside ~1,300 attendees. There’s something that happens when school professionals gather in person that even our best technology can’t capture—it’s in the sidebar conversations that spark breakthrough ideas and the impromptu problem-solving sessions that actually solve the problem. It was inspiring to learn how to refine and elevate our admissions work. My sessions focused on enrollment growth, marketing strategies, and adopting AI and data-driven tools to guide decisions. Many schools are launching new initiatives such as dual enrollment, tuition adjustments, and scholarships, while parent engagement is being strengthened through onboarding, centralized communication hubs, and volunteer opportunities. Core values and collaboration remain central, with transparency and innovation guiding future priorities. I’m excited to reflect on my notes and experiences and turn them into action items we can bring to life at our school this year.

On another note, I have closed the books on the 2025–26 school year (with the hope that a few mid-year families may still join us) and am ready to start welcoming potential new families for 2026–27 through upcoming tours and shadow days.

This past weekend, our Seniors—Anna, Averi, and Hayden—joined Kristen to represent TEA at the Miles That Matter 5K, staffing our booth. Thank you all for your participation!

We are excited to connect with Upper School Parents this Friday morning in front of the Lower School Office/Conference Room from 8:30-9:30am. With Back to School Night in the rear view mirror, we realize you might have some questions or curiosities. We look forward to connecting with you AND having you connect with fellow TEA parents. Join for cup of coffee or just a chat. RSVP HERE.

This past weekend, 10 TEA Moms ventured into Desolation Weekend - braving the rain and cooler temperatures to visit Tamarack and Aloha Lakes. They wholeheartedly embraced real world constructive adversity in order to connect with themselves, each other and the beautiful Tahoe landscape. Amid the woods, they did sunrise yoga, identity journaling, played a raucous round of chirades and celebrated new communiTEA connections. This annual tradition allows parents to get a taste of what our students experience. Next weekend, Taylor Simmers, DC Larrabee and Skye Allsop will be leading the Men's Mountain Biking Weekend with a stellar group of 15 communiTEA members. We can't wait to hear the stories!!!

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