"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better." - Dr. Seuss

We hope this week’s HAWK News finds you enjoying the beautiful sunshine and warm weather. This edition is filled with updates and opportunities to connect; from volunteer openings in the Lower School Library and the Community Food Drive with Sierra Community House, to late fall athletics and upcoming events like the Celebration of Arts, the AGC Launch ParTEA, the High School Journey Expo, State of the School, and TEA Rocks at Alibi.

While mountain life often feels wonderfully removed from the hustle and bustle, we’re reminded that we’re still deeply connected to events shaping our country. The ongoing federal government shutdown is affecting many of our public lands, including those managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service.

With many staff and scientists currently furloughed, educational programs, field trips, and student research projects on these lands have been temporarily paused. This means that some classes that typically collaborate with rangers, biologists, and forest experts will need to adapt their plans in the coming weeks.

As always, our educators are adapting with creativity and flexibility to ensure students continue to engage in meaningful, hands-on learning opportunities.

In true TEA spirit, we’re meeting these shifts with grit, creativity, and a commitment to growth.

Shelves are freshly organized, and we’ve made room for exciting new books ready to be discovered. Each class will visit the library once a week to explore, read, and check out new favorites. PreK, Kinder, and 1st grade families, be sure to keep an eye out for your child’s brand-new library book bag, which they’ll use to bring books home and back each week. Most importantly, we’d love volunteers to keep library browsing sessions running smoothly. In-class Library Lessons are also back this year, and we’re hoping to launch an open library time during lunch. If you’d like to get involved, please reach out to Ann Zimmerman at tealibrary@tahoeexpeditionacademy.org.

Our Kindergarten and 1st Grade classrooms are bustling with excitement as we explore literacy. Using resources based on the Science of Reading, we implement a research-backed approach that helps students develop strong reading skills through phonics, sounds, and engaging hands-on activities. Our classes team up for combined literacy groups, giving every child the chance to learn at just the right level and move between groups as they progress. It’s wonderful to see our young readers gain confidence and enjoy the process of reading, one sound, one word, and one story at a time!

Our fall athletics season wrapped up in late October with the Tah-Neva Cross Country Championships in South Lake Tahoe. At Kahle Park, hundreds of student-athletes from across Truckee, Tahoe, and beyond competed on a snowy, hilly course under crisp, bluebird skies.

Representing TEA were championship qualifiers Bryce Baker, Emmy Gross, Mara Litchfield, and Paloma Moreno, each running with grit and heart. A special shoutout to Mara Litchfield, who placed fourth in the 8th grade girls division against some of the region’s top runners.

Other fall sports, including Mountain Biking, Golf, and Flag Football, also finished strong. Riders enjoyed perfect “hero dirt” conditions in Nevada City, golfers teed off at Brockway Golf Course under pristine skies, and our flag football crew ended the season with plenty of touchdowns, key defensive plays, and great teamwork.

Middle School Boys Basketball tipped off its season last week with a win over North Lake Tahoe on Tuesday and a close loss to Lake Tahoe School on Thursday. The team is finding its rhythm, learning to play as a unit, and showing a true growth mindset on and off the court. A few roster spots remain for students interested in joining, and there is no better time to start learning the game.

For more information or to sign up, please contact Eric, the Athletics and Activities Director, at emartin@tahoeexpeditionacademy.org.

Go Hawks!

Click on the links below to RSVP and learn more!

Celebration of the Arts | Nov. 19

Annual Giving Campaign Launch ParTEA | Dec. 2

The High School Journey | Dec. 4

State of the School | Dec. 9

TEA Rocks @Alibi Ale Works | Dec. 10

Want an easy way to stay on top of what’s happening at TEA? Use this link to sync school calendar events directly to your calendar and never miss an update.

We’re excited to announce TEA will be supporting Sierra Community House (SCH) by serving as a partner food donation site from November 10–21.

Sierra Community House operates the only food pantry in the North Tahoe–Truckee region, providing weekly support to more than 700 families. Due to recent confusion surrounding SNAP benefits, SCH anticipates a 30% increase in demand for their services in the coming weeks.

Our Tahoe community has rallied to support this growing need, but SCH has reached capacity for both food storage and sorting. That’s where we come in.

TEA will collect food donations at the following locations and times:

If you would like to contribute, please review the donation guidelines below and drop off your items at either Building 1 or the Lower School Roundabout between 9:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. from November 10–21.

Together, we can help ensure every family in our community has access to the food they need.

We accept unexpired, unopened, non-perishable foods that are nutritious and minimally processed.

It is never too soon to start shopping for end of the year gifts. The TEA Swag store is open, and featuring a few, fun new hats which are sure to top everyone’s gift lists. Click HERE to view our featured items.

Place your order by November 21st and we will have them ready for you by December 18th, right before the start of Winter Break. 

What you need to know.

TEA's Association of Parents (TAP) celebrated their monthly meeting today with two special guests: Interim Head of School Christopher Barnes and Board of Trustees Member Mia Poirier. Christopher talked about the importance of sharing our positive stories about TEA; Word of Mouth is our greatest retention and enrollment marketing strategy, and discussed the importance of participation and giving during the Annual Giving Campaign. We hope to see everyone at the AGC Launch ParTEA Pot Luck on December 2nd! Mia shared that the board recently did a retreat focused on governance best practices and they are working hard to develop a path forward regarding campus land stability.

We had a great showing and delved straight into the mind blowing holiday gifts. You will soon see where your TAP donation went on the warm cozy faces of our beloved teachers and staff. Thank you to every TEA Family! TAP will continue serving pizza, stocking staff pantries and being your source for communiTEA!

On November 14, at 3:30 p.m., head to Alibi Truckee for one of TEA’s best ParTEAs. Play and if you win, go home with prizes and some sweet TEA swag! Just $5 per person to play as many games as you can manage! RSVP HERE!

We are delighted to introduce you to the Kind family from Israel, which includes Oren and Zehavit, and their four children: Nadav (17), Shira (14.5), Tamar (9), and Alona (6). They came to Tahoe through the end of the year and will be members of the TEA Family during their stay.

The Kind Family lived in the Bay Area from 2017 to 2021 and has always loved nature, hiking, and skiing. They fell in love with Tahoe thanks to their dear friends, Gil and Moran Shoham, and decided to spend these months enjoying the beautiful community and nature. 

TEA is thrilled to be able to provide this opportunity for our students to make new friends from across the world. The Kind Family is so grateful to the amazing communiTEA for embracing them so warmly and making them feel right at home!

Have Hawk News feedback? Please let us know here.