HAWK News: Collaboration in Action + Ways to Get Involved!

“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.”

— Ryunosuke Satoro

Did you know? LockedIn, the phone-management app TEA recently introduced to help students stay focused, engaged, and present throughout the school day, was developed by high school students who recognized the impact of phone distractions on their own learning.

Tomorrow, one of LockedIn's founders will join our Upper School Town Hall virtually to share the story behind the app, how it works, and why they created it.

Following Town Hall, faculty and Crew Leads will begin collecting phones from students who have not yet opted into LockedIn.

We're grateful to the families who have already embraced this new initiative! We ask all parents and caregivers to reinforce the importance of participating in LockedIn and talk with their students about the benefits of being fully present during the school day.

Together, we can help students develop healthier technology habits and create more opportunities for meaningful learning, connection, and engagement at TEA.

On a recent Friday at lunch, a gaggle of K/1 students teamed up to pull a wagon of speakers across the campus field, some steering and some pushing. They stopped at each group of older students, shared songs, and got cheers and sing-alongs from kids twice their size.

That’s collaboration at TEA: working together and connecting across the grades. Each month celebrates one of our Character Traits, and October belongs to Collaboration. Collaboration was also a goal most of our faculty and staff chose for themselves going into this school year, and you can see it everywhere.

High schoolers are reading banned books aloud to our elementary students, choosing age-appropriate titles and leading thoughtful talks about protection and censorship. The little ones are inspired by literacy, the big ones rise into leadership.

This winter, our 3rd and 7th graders head to Angel Island to camp together. Seventh graders get to practice being “elders”, and third graders get mentors they can look up to.

Our “inch wide, mile deep” curriculum follows the same idea. Students meet big ideas early with wonder, then return years later ready to go deeper with complex, critical thought. Flex Fridays are creating space for STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) challenges that draw on creativity and expertise to grow across grade levels.

Families, you are part of this, too. You show up at TAP and Board meetings, on recess duty, and in classrooms. Your support is felt! Our Grit & Growth Campaign is coming in December, and your generosity keeps all of this rolling.

Please join us for our all-school lunches, Fridays 11:50 to 12:30. Bring your lunch and listen for the wagon.

See you there!

Warmly,

Jessa

Super El Niño Winter? Powder days and turns at Northstar are back! After all, we can see the ski runs from TEA. Here’s to a big snow year! ❄️🎿

Dates and lesson packages are listed below. Northstar has kept price increases as low as possible to help make skiing accessible for our families.

We also have three full scholarships available for those with demonstrated financial need. These are typically divided into six half scholarships to support more student-skiers.

Lesson-only (7 lessons): $428

Lesson + Lift ($43/day lift ticket): $729

4-year-olds and under receive a complementary season pass. 

 

More details and registration packets will be shared later this week!

We’re truly hoping to get even more students on the slopes this season and increase participation across our PreK through 6th grade school communiTEA!

– Eric Martin, Athletics and Activities Dept. 

What does the journey through TEA High School really look like? 

Join us on Tuesday, October 27, from 5:30–7:00 p.m. in Mod 3 at the Upper School for an evening exploring how academic challenge, adventure, and fieldwork prepare students for college, career, and life.

Hear directly from faculty, our College and Career Counselor Katy Watts, as well as current high school students and their parents, about the experiences and personalized guidance that make TEA's high school program unique.

Following the presentation, younger students will enjoy pizza and conversations with TEA seniors, while parents and caregivers connect with senior families to hear firsthand perspectives and advice.

Please be sure to RSVP through the ParentSquare event post so we can plan for space and refreshments. Families can also join via Zoom.

We're excited to welcome the Dornbusch family back to TEA! Adam and Amy are returning to a familiar community as their youngest, Cooper (4), joins our Pre-K class. His older sisters, Ruby (9) and Poppy (7), spent two wonderful years at TEA before moving to Lake Tahoe School, where they are now in fourth and second grade. The family is especially excited that Cooper will be learning with Miss Yvonne and Miss Steph, who also taught Poppy!

The Dornbusches live just down the street from TEA and have always appreciated the school's outdoor approach to learning. They're looking forward to seeing Cooper – a happy, outgoing, and endlessly curious little boy – experience his first taste of “big kid school,” especially the expeditions and school bus rides!

Adventure is a family affair for the Dornbusches. They love traveling the world together, including a recent summer trip to Sweden, Denmark, where they watched a total solar eclipse from a boat. Back home, you'll find them skiing, horseback riding, and exploring Tahoe. Cooper is already cruising down black diamond ski runs and loves anything involving planes, trains, cars, or building with LEGOs and marble runs.

Rounding out the family are two energetic pups, Hugo, a Boston Terrier, and Scooter, a French Bulldog. 

Welcome back, Adam and Amy, and a special welcome to Cooper! We're so happy to have your family as part of the TEA CommuniTEA again!

Mark your calendars! The Grit & Growth Fund Campaign kicks off on Giving Tuesday, December 1, and runs for 15 days. That’s 15 days to be ALL IN for TEA and show our support for the people and programs that make our school extraordinary.

The Grit & Growth Fund supports the heart of TEA, with 100% of its impact focused on the student experience: our fabulous faculty, inspiring fieldwork program, and phenomenal financial assistance program. These are the things that shape our students’ grit, fuel their growth, and make the TEA experience so meaningful.

We’re recruiting Crew Ambassadors this week! If you’re willing to be your Crew’s cheerleader and help rally families toward 100% participation, please connect with your room parent or reach out to Courtenay Wallpe.

TAP had a productive meeting this morning! We had a lovely chat with Shelly Bolen about TEA’s Board of Trustees and her love of our community. She was excited to share that we have two new board members, Kevin Lunney, a TEA father, and Carrie Melguard, a TEA grandmother!

We are collaborating with Student Council on a wonderful community Halloween event that they are putting on at the end of the month.

We also caught up with Jessa to discuss our new kindergarten teacher, Cassie! 

We are still looking for volunteers for lower school lunch duty. It’s a super fun way to get to know our youngest learners in their environment. 

If you are interested in getting more information about our programs and school, please join us at our next meeting on November 9 at 8:45am at the Truckee Airport and look for any of our upcoming community events right here in the Hawk News!

We would also really LOVE for everyone to complete the Parent and Guardian Survey. It only takes a few minutes.

-- TAP Leadership

We're excited to introduce Cassie Garritson, who has officially joined TEA as our new K/1Grade Crew Lead!

Cassie brings a diverse background in education, including experience teaching kindergarten and first grade, special education, health education, and library science. She's also connected to our local education community through her work with the Truckee Tahoe Unified School District.

Her passion for education and the outdoors began early. While still in high school, Cassie helped create *Moms, Pops, Guides and Tots,* a program that brought families together in national parks to explore science and nature. That belief in the power of hands-on learning, community, and the natural world continues to shape her approach to teaching.

Outside the classroom, Cassie is an avid reader, hiker, skier, creative writer, nature photographer, and traveler. She and her husband, a former teacher, are raising their 12-year-old son and a four-year-old Goldendoodle.

Please join us in giving Cassie a warm welcome to the CommuniTEA!

We love celebrating our TEA alumni and the adventures they continue to pursue!

A huge shoutout to former TEA student Zeb Schreiber, who is featured in Window Shopping, the newest ski film from Tahoe-based crew, Truancy!

Join us for a night of incredible skiing, filmmaking, community, and fun! The evening will feature the premiere of Window Shopping, additional ski films, and a raffle with awesome gear from sponsors.

We encourage our TEA families to come out, enjoy some incredible local talent, and support Zeb and the Truancy crew!

Way to go, Zeb! We love seeing our TEA alumni continue to chase their passions and embrace adventure! 💙

Read more about Zeb and Window Shopping on Teton Gravity Research.

Have Hawk News feedback? Please let us know here.