athletics

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) Board of Trustees voted unanimously to start the school year August 31 in the first of a four phases - Distance Learning.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - For the past 27 years, Frank Kovac has been with the Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD).

When he landed in South Lake Tahoe Kovac already had spent time teaching at Fairfax High School, Emerson Junior High, James Rutter Middle School, and Paul Revere Middle School, but he found his niche beginning locally at South Tahoe Middle School.

After one year at STMS Kovac took the position as athletics and activities director at South Tahoe High School (STHS), a position he held for five years.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The threat of the coronavirus COVID-19 has prompted more events and activities to be postponed or canceled in the South Lake Tahoe area. At this time there are no confirmed cases in El Dorado, Douglas, or Carson City counties.

Lake Tahoe Unified School District

Both concerts scheduled for this week have been canceled.
All upcoming kindergarten tours have been canceled.
Contact individual schools for on-site meetings.
All high school athletic games and meets have been canceled until further notice.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - "You're the Black Mamba, but I'm the White Mamba," said a trash-talking 13-year-old in 2011 at the Kobe Bryant Basketball Academy in Santa Barbara.

"I would constantly approach Kobe at any opportunity, even when I wasn't supposed to, pestering him to play me one-on-one," says a now 21-year-old Palmer Chaplin. "I berated him with trash talk about how I could beat him and he entertained it, saying stuff like 'that's not a game, that's a destruction."

This week at South Tahoe High School, students started their spring-term classes. Winter Formal is next weekend, and basketball travels to Elko for their next league game.

On Campus
After the three-day weekend, students returned to a new schedule of classes for the last term of the 2019-2020 school year.

“I like the new classes starting because it feels like the first day of school again,” said senior Alex Boyko.

“I like my classes so far,” said sophomore Laura Marler. “This term is definitely going to be easier than my last one.”

The students of South Tahoe High School came back from a two-week holiday vacation with motivation to finish the term and start their new year’s resolutions. Final exams are next week, Winter Formal is coming soon, and winter sports are continuing.

On Campus
Finals are next week on Thursday and Friday, which end the first term of the 2019-2020 year. While students bear down on studying, here are some of their resolutions for 2020:

Senior Nathan Carney wants to listen to a new song every day.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Timing seems perfect to have a fleet of electric buses for the Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD), but trustees have the purchase of just one on their Friday night agenda along with the purchase of four diesel buses.

The Board's annual organizational meeting is set for December 13 at 5:00 p.m. instead of their normal Tuesday meeting. During the meeting, they will elect a new board president and clerk, and elect representatives to El Dorado County School Boards Association and Lake Tahoe Educational Foundation, and assign annual duties for the trustees.

Stress levels were high this week for students at South Tahoe High School. Seniors finish college applications due at the end of the month and sports head off to regional championships.

Seniors
College applications have been an ongoing battle for the seniors this year. Counselors have been working with each student to make sure they are on track. Deadlines are coming up and here’s what a few seniors have to say about it:

Students of South Tahoe High School get ready for spirit week and homecoming. Seniors attend a meeting for college preparation.

On Campus

This week at South Tahoe High School, students enjoyed a short week with Labor Day Weekend and Back-to-School night. Seniors get prepared for their last year at STHS and multiple home games wrap up the week.

On Campus

On Thursday, seniors met in the STHS theatre with school counselors to discuss graduation requirements. With Google slides filled of tips and resources, counselors took questions from seniors, helping them prepare for their final year.

Athletics

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Superintendent Dr. James Tarwater of the Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) has announced he'll retire in one year.

Dr. Tarwater has been with LTUSD since 2005.

During their last meeting on June 11, the Board concluded its annual evaluation of Dr. Tarwater's performance. Though details of that evaluation are not available, they extended his contract one extra year until 2022 until they were notified of his notice of retirement.

At their June 25 meeting, the Board is scheduled to accept his retirement.

At South Tahoe High School, students faced a surprisingly cold week with snowfall. Advanced placement testing finished, spirit week is about to begin, and sports teams reached the state championships.

On Campus
Advanced placement tests ended this week with AP Language and Composition on Wednesday. Stress is relieved, as there are only finals left on June 17 and 18.

Next week is spirit week. With events, such as dodgeball, “manly volleyball” and dress up days, students get to show their school spirit as the school year wraps up.

This week at South Tahoe High School, students had to put their jackets back on, as the weather cooled down. A trio of students will take turns acting as student council president, and a 13-year-old partnership on the baseball pitch comes to an end.

On Campus
Students attended Industry Day on Tuesday to learn about different careers. They heard presentations from a range of companies, including the nutrition department and rehabilitation center of Barton Memorial Hospital.

Students at South Tahoe High School returned from a week-long Spring Break tanned and ready for the final two months before summer. This week was quiet as students prepared for the Black Light Dance, prom, AP testing, and the baseball team played at Reno Ace’s stadium.

On Campus
The Black Light Dance will be held on April 26 at 7:00 p.m. in the Student Union. Students dress up and paint themselves to match the theme. A surprise student DJ will be featured, so bring your glow sticks, Vikings.

Yet another snowfall struck South Tahoe High School, as Spring Break is just around the corner. Students prepared for a busy, stressful week with midterms and college prep testing. Juniors visit Lake Tahoe Community College for a career expo, seniors fight through senior projects, and STHS continues to impress in sports.

In Academics
Juniors at STHS today participates in LTCC’s Career Expo, as part of the CCC 10-year program that’s taught by Julie Cain, a teacher at STHS.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Lake Tahoe Community College held a 90th birthday celebration this week for their first president, Dr. James Duke.

Dozens of past and current leaders, staff, students and community members enjoyed the party for Dr. Duke who started with the college on September, 1974 when a key to a post office box was all there was.

Two more football players out of South Tahoe High School have committed to play for Division 3 schools, both schools that excel in academics as well as athletics.

Caleb Moretti, who moved to STHS from Whittell High School for his senior year, will be going to the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana to play linebacker for the "Fightin' Engineers." Moretti, who carries a 4.2 GPA will be majoring in Computer Science.

The South Tahoe High School Viking Dance Team took 1st place at the Northern Nevada Cheer & Dance Invitational on Saturday February 3, 2018. Their high energy jazz dance received a standing ovation.

“It was the best thing I have seen all day,” said an observer from a competing high school.

All 26 members of this elite dance team have a rigorous schedule of early morning practices throughout the season. In addition to their formidable practice schedule, the dancers also dedicate themselves to training in various styles of dance multiple nights throughout the week.

Carline Sinkler has been selected as the new principal of South Tahoe High School and the community is invited to meet her at the LTUSD District Office on Tuesday, May 23 at 5:00 p.m.

Sinkler comes from the San Francisco Unified School District where she has served as the principal of Herbert Hoover Middle School since 2013.

She was selected by the interview committee with "overwhelming enthusiasm" according to Shannon Chandler, the district's public information officer.

The South Lake Tahoe community came together early in 2016 to raise money for a new Strength and Conditioning room at South Tahoe High, and the investment is already paying huge dividends.

"This room is changing the culture of our school," said STHS Football Coach Louis Franklin. "Having a room like this allows each kid to reach their genetic potential."

Student athletes are getting stronger, injuries are down and they are able to maximize their potential on the court, the field, the pool, or whatever the venue is for their sport. Cheerleaders and dancers also utilize the facility.

The first South Tahoe Middle School convention was complete with delegates, platforms, debates and slates. Every state was represented and the students spent the day Friday much as a participant at the national convention would.

Since the school year began, teachers James Seider and Andrew Losk have been teaching their eighth grade students about civic responsibilities and duties, what it means to be a citizen of the United States and about the political process.

I am running as a candidate for Lake Tahoe Community College Trustee in District 4 because I believe a good education is one of the most important services a community can provide to its citizens.

Lake Tahoe Community College is in an extraordinary and unprecedented position with the passing of Measure F two years ago. I am committed to the prospect of offering students an affordable four-year degree program, upgrading our current facilities, building the University center and exploring the possibility of on campus housing for students.

NFL Hall of Famers, former Major League Baseball players and other sports celebrities will gather July 17-18 to once again pay tribute to the former Oakland Raider at the 8th annual Gene Upshaw Memorial Golf Classic at the Schaffer’s Mill Golf & Lake Club in Truckee, Calif.

Upshaw, who often played in the Celebrity Golf Tournament in South Lake Tahoe, died of pancreatic cancer in 2008 at Tahoe Forest Hospital.

Search teams have suspended the search for a paddle boarder who went missing Friday night off of Obexer’s Marina on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe.

The Placer County Sheriff's Office reported Saturday, June 11 that two days of searching have not recovered Marc Ma, a 20-year-old football player for the University of Nevada Reno (UNR).