Silas High School—Principal’s Weekly Message—May 10, 2026

HAPPY MOTHERS' DAY to anyone who has ever mothered (or yearned to) in any way. We celebrate you!

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 May Equity Theme centers around: Inclusiveness

Inclusiveness is not about speaking for others—it’s about making space to speak with them. Real, lasting change happens when those most impacted by decisions are meaningfully included in making them. Inclusion requires more than good intentions; it calls for intentional action—listening with compassion, owning our biases, and consistently acting with integrity. When we center the voices of those who are often unheard, we begin to build environments where people feel safe, valued, and like they truly belong.

To ponder: How do we balance honoring individual identities while building community and solidarity?

Important Dates

• Tuesday, May 12—Senior Honor Cord Ceremony—6:00-8:00 pm in the auditorium
• Wednesday, May 13—Late start—building specific PLC
• Monday, May 18—Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) Appreciation Day
• Tuesday-Thursday, May 19-21—WCAS Testing
• Wednesday, May 20—Late start—individual classroom time
• Thursday, May 21—PDLT after school in room 222
• Friday-Monday, May 22-26—Memorial Day Weekend—Friday is a snow make up day, if needed.

High School Credit Retrieval Summer School

Dates: June 22 – July 14, 2026

Days: Monday – Thursday

Times: Vary by school

Format: Online only through Edgenuity

Registration: Students will register through their counselor

9th Grade Jump Start

Date: August 25, 2026 
Time: 9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Meals: Breakfast 9:00 a.m. - Lunch 12:15 p.m.

Transportation: Will be provided from the school’s middle school feeder locations. Route times will be posted in July 2026.

Summer Late Nights starts in June

Once again, the community is coming together to offer a fun, safe place for kids to hang out in the summer. On June 22, Summer Late Nights opens for students starting 7th grade through 12th grade in the fall.  They can get dinner every weeknight and participate in open gym and field activities, art and music, and gaming from 5 to 10 p.m.

Summer Late Nights is a free drop-in program. Students can attend as often as they like. I encourage you to register on Compass. You can get more information on our website.

Still time to enroll in Maritime|253

There’s still time to register for Maritime|253! This is a skills center in which students take courses to prepare for a career in maritime-related fields. The brand-new Maritime|253 Skills Center opens its doors this fall and welcome its first class of students.

Students remain enrolled at their high school and spend half their day at the skills center. Courses are advanced, and it is recommended that students be in their junior or senior year to enroll.

Enroll here: Enroll at Maritime|253 - Maritime|253 Skills Center

Buy a Yearbook here: 

https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/prdembd?ref=ZZVAP1ALJ5AQRBG_ZZ5V5L3MZ41TC5Q

RamTV News: RamTv 5/6/26

What Inspired Me This Week?

Ram Day planning—

May 27^th is RAM DAY! Ram Day is a fundraising event (sometimes called a Choose-A-Thon) to raise funds for ASB. ASB (The Associated Student Body) is our student government organization that supports and funds all athletics and activities at school. Ram Day is an attempt at fundraising differently than we have in the past.

Ram Day will feature a morning assembly celebrating our seniors and the accomplishments of Silas students this year followed by an afternoon of choice. All students who raise at least $10 will get their choice of afternoon activities. Students can pick up to 3 different activities (see below for a sample of activity options). Students who do not raise money will go to their regularly scheduled 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th period classes.

Want to participate but unable to raise money? Contact Ms. Hansen (ahansen@tacoma.k12.wa.us) for volunteer opportunities to count towards your overall fundraising total.

Our goal is for every student at Silas to be able to participate. We want this to be a fun day to celebrate our entire Ramily!

Sample of Ram Day Activity Choices and Prizes:

• Activities: Board games, puzzles, video games, trivia, movies, cooking, painting, sports/field day activities, arts and crafts, science experiments, and more!
• Tier 1 Prizes: Secret Silas Tours, Instagram features, pick passing period playlist, student store punch cards, and more!
• Tier 2 Prizes: a month of unlimited Pilates, tennis club membership, free golf, bowling, Rainiers tickets, pizza, movies, and more!

Talk to your favorite Ram about raising finds and see the link and QR code below to donate.

https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/prdembd?ref=ZZVAP1ALJ5AQRBG_ZZ5TMVT9S8VVF5L

Also inspired by Coach Brown and the girls water polo team. They hosted a tournament this weekend and took second place. Thank you to everyone who helped make it a success!

GO RAMS.