Education

Gig Harbor Now staff are proud to provide coverage of Peninsula School District, Tacoma Community College, private schools and home schools, emphasizing the value and experiences of learning here and beyond.

School District Strategic Plan sets stage for changes to come

Jun 22, 2022 | By:

If Peninsula School District were a corporation, its 2022-26 Strategic Plan would be the equivalent of a long-term business plan. But instead of delivering commercial goods or services, the district is a publicly funded entity. Its “customers” are its more than 9,000 students and their families. Its stakeholders include roughly 600 teachers and nearly 400

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Class of 2022: ‘There’s no time to waste’ after pandemic’s disruptions

Jun 16, 2022 | By:

The Class of 2022 has lived the arc of the COVID-19 pandemic. They began with a normal freshman year. In spring of their sophomore year, schools shut down and learning went entirely online, a benefit to some but a challenge for so many students who struggled with social isolation. High school students across the country

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Discovery Elementary parents demand answers on door safety issue

Jun 10, 2022 | By:

Parents of students at Discovery Elementary School on Wednesday got a chance to sound off about the lack of interior classroom doors, an issue that lately resurfaced as a security concern. Since the May 24 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, Peninsula School District officials have fielded complaints about the school’s “open concept” design, which also

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Salon Day at Henderson Bay leaves students looking sharp for the summer

Jun 07, 2022 | By:

Hair dryers whirred amid a background of relaxing music Monday, Salon Day at Henderson Bay High School. Twinkling lights illuminated black and white curtains in the entryway of what had, until recently, been an ordinary classroom. Staff and volunteers revamped the room for the annual event where students can get a new look or just

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Parents, teachers alarmed about lack of interior doors at Discovery Elementary

Jun 01, 2022 | By:

Special education teacher Wendi Fein was attending a threat assessment meeting this spring at Discovery Elementary School. An actual lockdown occurred during the meeting. Fein’s thoughts immediately turned to teachers and students in classrooms at Discovery that lack interior doors. As everyone hunkered down, she agonized over their vulnerability. The lockdown was lifted without incident.

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With help from 3D printer, students enter Shark Tank

May 31, 2022 | By:

Has this ever happened to you? You’re at a ball game. It’s chilly. You’re wearing gloves, cheering on your favorite team. But instead of a loud clap, your hands go “thud, thud, thud.” Lame. Pioneer Elementary School student Kai Sandoval has the solution for you: The Cold Clapper. It consists of two plastic disks you

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Students measure plastic waste at Kopachuck Middle School

May 24, 2022 | By:

Students in the STEAM Club at Kopachuck Middle School wanted to find out how much plastic waste was generated on their campus. They recently spent a couple weeks collecting empty drink bottles, sandwich bags, food packaging, plastic utensils and other plastic waste during lunchtime. The project was inspired by National Geographic’s Planet or Plastic?, a

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Peninsula School District sticks with plan to curtail Chinese program

May 17, 2022 | By:

Despite efforts by Chinese language students to save Chinese 1 in the upcoming school year, Peninsula School District is going through with its plan to cut the entry-level course because enrollment fell short. Students organizing the campaign hosted a social media push and website, garnering testimonials from former and current students about the relevance and

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Meet Gig Harbor’s Students of Distinction

May 16, 2022 | By:

Gig Harbor Now is posting profiles of each of the 25 Students of Distinction being honored by the Greater Gig Harbor Foundation. The students will be honored during a banquet from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, May 18, 2022, at Ocean5, 5268 Point Fosdick Dr. Find links to profiles of each student below. Overcoming Adversity

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‘Digital citizenship’ a key part of the curriculum at Peninsula schools

May 12, 2022 | By:

Time was, the job of an IT director was all about making sure students had enough devices and that everyone could get online. These days, Kris Hagel, director of digital learning at Peninsula School District, spends his time supporting teachers instructing students about “digital citizenship,” informing parents of ways to monitor and evaluate their child’s

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