Silas High School—Principal’s Weekly Message—February 23, 2025—

Silas Core Beliefs

• Every student can learn and grow at high levels.
• Every student brings valuable prior knowledge to school.
• Every student shall have a trusted adult at school with whom they connect.
• Every student shall have access to guaranteed and viable curriculum.
• Every student shall leave Silas High School prepared for post-secondary options.

The February Equity Theme centers around: TRUTH

Our morals, values, experiences, and choices shape how we see and interact with the world. This lens, or how we understand what is true, is our starting point for making sense of a diverse world and relating to others. It’s important to know that everyone has their own lens for how they view the world and make sense of it. There is no right or perfect lens since each one is constantly evolving. We should be curious enough to learn from others to reshape how we understand the world.

Discussion questions for at the dinner table, in the car, text threads, etc.:

What is something that just don’t make sense to you?

Have you ever had a drastic shift in how you see the world?

Important Dates

Rams, buy your tickets to see FOOTLOOSE!

Our students are excited to present this show. Let’s celebrate some dancing and community building. There are four more shows next weekend.

Flyer and QR code for tickets here: Footloose Poster.pdf

• Wednesday, February 26—Mini-late Start—Staff PLC time
• Thursday-Saturday, February 27-March 1-- Silas Musical! (see link above)
• Monday-Friday, March 3-7—WIDA Testing in Room 210
• Wednesday, March 5—Mini-late start—staff professional development
• Thursday, March 6—Course Selection for Fall 2025
• Tuesday, March 11—COMBEA Band Festival
• Wednesday, March 12—Mini-late start—PLC time

Thursday-Friday, March 13-14—Conferences—class periods 1-3 on Thursday, and 4-6 on Friday, with student dismissal after the third period time slot/lunch

Scholarship Spotlight
If your child is considering college after high school, take a look at our online scholarship database, a collection of different types of awards for all kinds of students: Scholarships - Tacoma Public Schools

Realize Tacoma: Summer opportunity for our students
Our students currently in grades 9-11 can apply now for a no-cost, week-long residential program to help them deepen their understanding of Tacoma’s challenges.

In the program, students spend a week in July talking with local leaders and nonprofit organizations to better understand issues like housing instability, food insecurity and mental health.

This is a partnership between TPS and Annie Wright.

Applications are due March 1. Learn more and apply. 

RamTV News: No broadcast this week due to the short week.

What inspired me this week?

It’s Black History Month!

Members of the Silas Black Student Union (BSU) are featured on the district website. Video is linked below.

Well done, Lovell Miller, Versi Lewis, and Jocelyn Scott!

Silas High School Black Student Union shares perspectives for Black History Month | Story Detail - Tacoma Public Schools

Congrats to our swimmers who participated at the state meet this past weekend!

Our 200-medley relay of Dat Pham (back), Mo Miner (breast), Daniel Dedrick (fly) and Jack Lemieux went into prelims and dropped almost a second finishing 21st. 

Xander Dumas swam the 200 and 500 Free.  He qualified for finals on Saturday. He swam a season’s best in the 200 free prelims and finished 15^th in the finals.  In the 500, he qualified with a season’s best and finished 16^th in the finals.

Seth Balderson swam in the 50 back and 50 free adaptive events.  In the 50 free he just got out touched to finished second.  In the 50 back he blazed to a first-place finish as a State Champion setting not only a meet record, but a state record! GO SETH!!!!!

Nariman Afsoun, Taylor, and Jack Lemieux swam in the prelims of the 50 free.  A fast field was separated by 100’s of a second.  They finished 18^th, 19^th and 23^rd respectively.

Add to those three, Xander for the 200 free relay.  They qualified for the finals and finished 11^th with a season’s best time.

Dat Pham qualified for State in the 100 back.  He finished 24^th and is already looking forward to breaking 1-minute next season.

Our 400 Freestyle relay finished out the long weekend with a season’s best.  Led by Taylor, Daniel Diedrick, Nariman and anchored by Xander, they finished 13^th.

WELL DONE, SWIMMERS!

Also, Mr. Lee will send more information about State Wrestling, and Boys Basketball continues play this week!

Saturday was the final program and judging for the Colored Women’s Club Essay contest with the topic: Black History Means to Me.

Six Rams were awarded for their submissions!

Creative Narrative Winner: 9^th grader Allison Conn--$50 gift card to Wild Fin

Voice Winner: 12^th grader Tina Bullen--$50 gift card to Wild Fin

4^th Place: 9^th grader Emma Martin--$25 cash

3^rd Place: 9^th grader Aiden Carter--$50 cash

2^nd place: 9^th grader Nevaeh McDaniel--$75 cash

1^st Place: 9^th grader Milo Nelson--$100 cash

Keep writing, Rams. And congratulations!

GO RAMS.