school

It’s graduation day at South Tahoe High School, the weather finally turned, and the school’s principal is looking forward to next year.

Graduation
Seniors end their high school journey today at 4 p.m. on the Viking Football Field at STHS. But new adventures await the graduates.

Shyrra Javier is most excited about exploring the world and starting a new chapter in her life. She learned to stay focused in high school.

The Kiwanis Club of Tahoe Sierra in conjunction with the El Dorado County Sheriff's office, South Lake Tahoe Police Department, Lake Valley Fire Department, South Lake Tahoe Fire Department, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, California Highway Patrol, Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition and Blue Zone Sports will be hosting a bike rodeo at South Tahoe Middle School on Saturday June 8 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Soroptimist International of South Lake Tahoe Foundation held their annual Rewards for Excellance Scholarship program on May 22 at Harvey's Convention Center, awarding local high school and Lake Tahoe Community College students with scholarships.

Student honorees and their guests enjoyed lunch while 20 scholarships totaling $18,500 were presented by members Julie Gudaitis, Velma Schnoll, Louisa Boone and Carolyn MacRae.

The awardees:

South Tahoe High School
Kaitlyn Friederici
Hannah Heidel
Jose Leon
Forrest McCann
Rita McCann
Sydney McCarthy

Update 6/6: The precautionary “Boil Water Notice” issued to the East Valley Water System, Skyline Service area has been rescinded. All required bacteriological sample test results indicate the water supply is safe for normal use.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - Residents in the Skyline Service Area of the East Valley Water System in Douglas County are being told to boil water after a computer failure resulted in low water pressure. Authorities expect to rescind the boil water notice by Friday, June 7.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A gathering of the Google Nest team at MontBleu this week not only provided staff with a great team building retreat in Lake Tahoe, but it also provided 150 local youth with brand new bikes.

Hundreds of the Google Nest employees took part in building and giving away the bikes that were presented to youth from the McKinney-Vento homeless program at Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD), the Family Resource Center, Tahoe Youth and Family Services and Live Violence Free.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Twelve more South Tahoe High seniors celebrated their commitment to playing their respective sports after next week's graduation. Nine will be playing baseball, basketball, soccer, and volleyball at community colleges across the state while another three are playing hockey at the next level.

A group of family and friends gathered at the campus to cheer on the following students (alphabetical with sport, school and focus of education):

Noah Dahlen - Hockey with the Pueblo Bulls of Western States Hockey League

Queen Elizabeth requests your attendance to celebrate the 26th anniversary of merrymaking and celebration at the Valhalla Renaissance Faire June 1-2, 2019 at Camp Richardson in South Lake Tahoe.

Travel to a time of revelry and magic. Return to the Renaissance – Return to the Magic! Be a part of history and come in costume, or come as you are and immerse yourself in games, theater, and splendid Renaissance marketplace.

There are two from the Northern Nevada area who competed in this week's Scripps National Spelling Bee in National Harbor, Maryland.

Morgan Salvador, a 12-year-old 7th grader who attends George Whittell High School in Zephyr Cove was Speller No. 284, while Morgan Bumgardner, Speller 275, is a 13-year-old Dayton Intermediate School student. He is listed as being from Mound House. Both students were, unfortunately, eliminated as they worked their way into the finals.

Six interpretive signs are being installed around Lake Baron at Tahoe Paradise Park and the public is invited to their official unveiling on Saturday, June 1 at 10:00 a.m.

The Board of Directors of Tahoe Paradise Recreation and Park District worked with the staffs of the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) and the Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS) and received input from students and teachers at the Lake Tahoe Environmental Science Magnet School to develop the signs.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Join community members help raise money to get South Lake Tahoe kids on bikes this summer.

The Tahoe Fund is partnering with members of the South Lake Tahoe Community to bring 40 new Specialized mountain bikes, helmets and mountain bike coaching to youth at the Lake Tahoe Boys & Girls Club, SOS Outreach, and the South Lake Tahoe Middle School. The bikes will provide kids greater access to trails in Tahoe and the nearby Bijou Bike Park.

Stephanie Zepeda, a 2011 graduate of South Tahoe High School, was recently initiated into the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society. Zepeda was initiated at the University of Southern California.

Zepeda is a 2015 graduate of UC San Diego and now in graduate school at USC.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra (SITS) awarded $12,700 in awards and scholarships on Thursday to students from South Tahoe High, Whittell High, Mt. Tallac High, and South Tahoe Middle School. The students and their families were treated to breakfast as the awards were given to the deserving students.

George Whittell High School Most Improved Eighth Grade Students
Faith Alvarez, James Johnson

South Tahoe Middle School Most Improved Eighth Grade Students
Victoria Capilla, Anthomy Navarro Rodriguiez

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - It currently costs the Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) $1,073,855 a year to provide natural gas, electricity, and water to their nine locations, which is a cost of $ 1.77 per square foot.

They have been looking at ways to reduce these costs through their Sustainability Committee, and now a "Renewable Energy & Sustainability Committee Implementation Plan" has been presented to the Board of Education.

Join Tahoe Valley Elementary School on Saturday, May 18 for tacos, games, and raffle prizes to raise $6,000 to contribute to the Tahoe Valley Elementary School's STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) program and materials.

Games are from noon to 2:00 p.m.
Music starts at 5:00 p.m.
Raffle goes all day.

Tahoe Valley Thunderbird Choir excelled at the Music in the Parks Choir Festival.
The choir consisting of Tahoe Valley Students grades 3 through 5 traveled off the hill to American Canyon High School in American Canyon, California on Saturday, May 11 to be adjudicated. The intention was to provide the students with the opportunity and experience of performing under pressure in the presence of top quality competitors. The result was an outstanding showing that resulted in the choir receiving 1st place in their division and a rating of excellence from the panel of judges.

Western Nevada College's (WNC) Adult Literacy & Language program started a pilot program this spring to help individuals earn college credits toward a nationally recognized credential while improving their basic skills and achieving workforce training in construction.

The pilot program, NV-ACE, provides people with the opportunity to develop the skills required in the in-demand jobs in the area.

Allison, also affectionately known as Allidaughter, was born in Bishop, California to Mary Strobel and Robert Dietz when Robert was the manager of the Mammoth Mountain Inn.

She attended Immaculate Heart High School in Hollywood and graduated from South Lake Tahoe High School. She studied at El Camino College and Lake Tahoe Community College.

Allison was an accomplished sailor spending almost every weekend during her early high school years sailing to Catalina Island.

South Tahoe High School students took the week to promote end-of-year events and commemorate Mental Health Awareness Month. Testing begins, sports end and school spirit is running wild.

On Campus
STHS is taking time to observe Mental Health Awareness Month in May by sending out advice to students, including posting positive comments on social media, writing for fun, and learning a new skill. Here’s what some students plan to do:

Senior Tess Devine is attending therapy more regularly to strengthen her mental health.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - In honor of Mrs. Lisa Maloff's numerous contributions to our community, today the South Lake Tahoe City Council officially renamed a street after her, and issued a proclamation.

In this proclamation, the City extended to Lisa and Robert "Bob" Maloff their appreciation and gratitude for the numerous donations made to the local community. Her philanthropic donations have forever changed the community and her donations
throughout the medical, education, field sports, and family services will touch generations of Lake Tahoe residents.

The memory of Kelly Arnold will be celebrated at a gathering of his friends at the American Legion Hall in South Lake Tahoe on May 15 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Kelly Jay Arnold, 56, of South Lake Tahoe, California died from a brain abscess on April 1, 2019, in Reno, Nevada.

Kelly was born in Greeley, Colorado on March 24, 1963 to Gerald and Dorothy (Bartlett) Arnold. Growing up he was active in Boy Scouts and attended John Evans and Greeley Central High School.

Father John Grace, former pastor of Saint Theresa Catholic Church in South Lake Tahoe, passed away on May 4, 2019, at the age of 98. Father Grace had injured himself in a fall while on a walk near his Al Tahoe residence a few days before his death.

He was born September 18, 1920, to John and Cecilia Grace in the small coal-mining village of The Commons, County Tipperary, Ireland. He was predeceased by his parents and two sisters, Catherine (“Rena”) and Maureen. At the time of his death, Father Grace was the oldest priest in the Diocese of Sacramento.

Learn how trauma affects the brain and tips for improving mental health for adults and their children at the next free community training series at Lake Tahoe Community College on Tuesday, May 7 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

You will leave with tools that build resiliency.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - It isn't every day that 7-year-old Rocco DeFranco begins his day with a ride to Freel Perk for a cup of hot chocolate with Principal Joe Dameral before heading to Lake Tahoe Environmental Science Magnet School (LTESM) to begin his day.

And that was just the beginning of a day that wasn't a normal one for the first grader.

During the school's recent Spring Fling Pasta Dinner fundraiser, Rocco bid on an interesting silent auction item to be Principal for a Day. He spent his savings of $180 on that special day and Rocco was able to collect his prize on May 3.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra (SITS) is hosting "Dream It Be It" on Saturday, May 4 and there are still some spots available for local girls.

Dream It, Be It gives girls the tools they need to achieve their education and career goals through a day of inspirational speakers and activities. The program gives girls access to professional role models as they learn how to set and achieve goals.