Schools

Monday is the first day of school, and most parents will get several forms to fill out for each of their students, but there is one form that many may skip over if they think their children won't utilize it.

Not only does the National School Lunch Program Form give qualifying students free or reduced cost lunches and breakfasts, but it can also mean a few million dollars for the Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) annually.

School starts on the California side of the South Shore on Monday, August 29, are you ready?

Here is a list of the local school start and end times:

STHS starts at 7:55 a.m. and ends at 2:40 p.m.
STMS starts at 7:45 a.m. and ends at 1:55 p.m.
Bijou starts at 8:35 a.m. and ends at 2:45 p.m
Sierra House starts at 9:10 a.m. and ends at 3:20 p.m.
Tahoe Valley K - 5 starts at 9:10 a.m. and ends at 3:20 p.m. TK runs from 9:10 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
Lake Tahoe Environmental Magnet School starts at 9:15 a.m. and ends at 3:25 p.m.

Brad Deeds has been hired as the new Dean of Workforce Development and Instruction at Lake Tahoe Community College where he will manage the college’s various Career and Technical Education programs. Deeds will be over the Fire Academy, Culinary Arts, Commercial Music, Allied Health, the new Adult Education program, and other vocationally-focused departments on campus. He will also oversee workforce development and select instructional programs at LTCC.

The LTCC Board of Trustees gave approval for the hiring at their meeting on Tuesday night.

The commumity is invited to the Lake Tahoe Community College's Class of 2016 commencement on Friday, June 24 at South Tahoe Middle Schoolat 6:00 p.m. 174 students are graduating, 40 with honors, eight with highest honores, 36 with departmental certificates and 61 with a transfer degree that guarantees them a seat in a California State University this fall.

The theme of graduation this year is based on a William Arthur Ward quote: "If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it."

Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) and Sierra Nevada College (SNC Tahoe) are co-hosting an Open House on Thursday, June 16 at 5:00 p.m. in LTCC’s Board/Aspen Room to explore offering an undergraduate bachelor’s degree in Global Business Management from LTCC’s South Lake Tahoe campus. The two colleges are seeking community and student input to gauge the level of interest in the program. As the partnership between LTCC and SNC moves forward, it will bring an accredited four-year bachelor’s degree option to LTCC’s South Shore campus for the first time.

Ryann and Morgan Canfield were recognized during Tuesday's Lake Tahoe Unified School District Board meeting for their commitment to achieving perfect attendance as students.

Ryann, and eighth grader at South Tahoe Middle School, has missed just one day of school in her life, and that was one day in kindergarten so she has eight consecutive years of perfect attendance. Her sister, Morgan, a fifth grader at Tahoe Valley Elementary has had perfect attendance throughout her six-year (to-date) school career, including a year of transitional kindergarten.

During the past three days, students from South Lake Tahoe schools have been participating in Bike to School days as part of the two-week Tahoe Bike Challenge.

At South Tahoe Middle School, students rose to the occasion and came out in big numbers on their bikes each day.

Each participant received a raffle ticket for each day they rode to school. 15 students were drawn daily for a plethora of prizes including Amgen Tour of California shirts and hates, bike reflectors, bells and lights, gift bags and more.

The 2016 NIAA Divisions I-A & III State Boys Golf Championships will be in Pahrump, Nevada starting May 17, and there will be seven golfers from the South Shore on the course.

Whittell's golf team qualified to be one of three teams from the Northern Division to head to State. Golf Coach Steve Maltase will be taking Colin Buchholz, Palmer Chaplin, Alex Byer, Jonathan Duffy, Matt Davis, and Nic Buchholz to Pahrump after their qualifying at Edgewood Wednesday. They will be playing at the Mountain Falls Golf Club both Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) didn't give South Tahoe High the results the school was expecting after the recent visit by the group's visiting accreditation committee, so they have begun the appeal process.

After the committee left South Tahoe High, they told Principal Chad Houck they were impressed with what they saw, so a recommendation for the school to be placed on a two-year probationary accreditation caught Houck and other school district leaders by surprise and was contrary to what they led him to believe while they were in South Lake Tahoe.

There will be three open seats on the Lake Tahoe Unified School District Board of Education this fall when voters head to the polls on November 8, 2016.

Governed by a team of five members, only Board President Barbara Bannar and member Ginger Nicolay-Davis are not up for re-election. Seats held by incumbents Adam Jones, Dr. Michael Doyle and Dr. Larry Green will be on the ballot.

Adam Jones, who represents Trustee Area #1, was appointed to the Board in March 2015 following the resignation of Sue Novasel.

Nominations are now being taken by the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition for the annual Lake Tahoe Bicycle Achievement Awards. Each year, people who have made significant advancements to promoting safer bicycling opportunities for the Lake Tahoe region are honored.

To nominate a candidate (individual, business, agency, or organization), send your nominee’s name and say something about their contributions to Tahoe bicycling. The Bike Coalition’s board of directors will review all nominations and select the winners.

For almost 30 years, Edgewood Tahoe has hosted a golf tournament to help raise funds for local schools, and plans have now been unveiled for the 29th Annual Booster Club Golf Tournament. The first day of this popular event has already sold out, so now is the time to sign up for the May 8 tournament.

This fun filled event includes a chance to win trophies, raffle prizes and a closest to the pin contest, and a hole in one prize.

Its time again for kindergarten enrollment in the Lake Tahoe Unified School District.

Registration for the 2016-17 school year is being held from May 2 through May 6 at all local elementary schools for children will be five-years-old on or before September 1, 2016.

Children who will be five years of age between September 1, 2016 and December 2, 2016 qualify for Transitional Kindergarten (TK), a two year Kindergarten program located at Tahoe Valley Elementary School.

LTUSD is also offering an Early Entry TK program for students born between

The Lake Tahoe Community College and Lake Tahoe Unified School District Boards of Trustees will hold the annual joint meeting on Tuesday, March 22, 2016 at the college's board room, starting at 6:00 p.m.

During the meeting, discussions will be held on several common agenda items.

South Tahoe Middle School Multi-Purpose Field Lighting

The Lake Tahoe Unified School District has changed the school calendar to accommodate the anticipated road closures needed for the upcoming Amgen Tour.

Due to the rolling lane closures at approximately the same time schools are let out, students will get a minimum day on Thursday, May 19, 2016.

Amgen officials said more than 350 of the world’s top male and female cyclists will challenge themselves in Lake Tahoe.

El Dorado County Sheriff's Office responds to calls throughout the county.

The following are calls that only pertain to the South Shore. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at press time and the story will be updated when provided.

2/28
8:55 p.m. - Lost Property - Saddle Road - R/P REPORTED SOME LOST PROPERTY

6:15 p.m. - Domestic Dispute - Alice Lake Rd

10:24 p.m. - Doctor's Case - A 65-YEAR-OLD MALE WAS PRONOUNCED DECEASED

2/29

The iconic Dr. Seuss would have been 112 years old today, and even though not still living, his birthday is celebrated with top hats, green eggs and ham and lots of reading out of his collection of books that has delighted generations.

Theodor Seuss Geisel was born on March 2, 1904 in Springfield, Mass., and adopted the name Dr. Seuss when he was in college.

In honor of his birthday, students at Bijou Community School in South Lake Tahoe celebrated with stories, costumes and green eggs and ham.

The basketball teams from both South Shore high schools are playing in the first round of the NIAA State Basketball Championship, with their first round games Friday.

Whittell Warriors are taking on the Adelson Lions in their Division IV game at 3:00 p.m. at Reed High School in Reno with the South Tahoe Vikings playing the Desert Pines Jaguars at 4:40 p.m. at Reno High. The Vikings play in NIAA Division I-A.

It was a total of eight points that separated the winner from the loser in the three games South Tahoe High played in the Northern Nevada Division 1-A basketball tournament this week.

On Thursday, the Vikings beat Spring Creek 69-66 in the quarterfinals.

On Friday, the Vikings beat Lowry 44-41 in the semifinals.

In Saturday's final game, South Tahoe was matched against Elko. It was another nail biter as Junior Noah Jackson attempted a three-point shot just as time ran out. It hit the rim, but didn't drop in.

The boys varsity basketball teams from both high schools on the South Shore are playing in the Northern Nevada playoffs starting Thursday.

South Tahoe High boys, who are the number three seed in Northern Nevada NIAA Division 1-A, are headed to North Valleys High in Reno Thursday afternoon for their quarterfinal game against Spring Creek at 4:40 p.m. The STHS Vikings are split on the season against the Spartans with one loss, and one win.

What do Stephen King and Andy Warhol have in common with 13 students from South Tahoe High?

They all made it to the finals of the National Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Warhol and King went on the win the national top prize, along with author Joyce Carol Oates and designer Zac Posen.

Could one of these local students be the next emerging star?

South Tahoe High may soon have a new Strength and Condition Center, and the public can make donations to have their name put on the project.

The Sports Medicine program at the school was developed to help train students to assist injured students, and the new plan at the school is being designed to prevent injuries to the student athlete.

Just about a year ago, Lake Tahoe Unified School District Superintendent Dr. James Tarwater was contacted by the Larry King show, In View, to be one of 12 school districts in the state to be featured on the FOX Business Network program.

The show will be a special edition, half-hour program focusing on the state of education, but just released is an eight-minute demo on South Tahoe High.

South Tahoe High School is proud to announce they will be showing the new Warren Miller Movie, Chasing Shadows on January 29th at 7:30 p.m. in the High School Theater.

COST is $15.00 if the tickets are purchased at the school's ASB office. They are $16.50 if purchased through the school's online store at LTUSD.org.