DID YOU KNOW?
Tacoma’s story spans more than two centuries from the time Captain George Vancouver anchored off Tacoma’s north shore in 1792.
In 1870, Tacoma’s natural deep-water port became an attraction that the Northern Pacific Railroad couldn’t pass up, when it made Tacoma a stop on its transcontinental line.
Old Tacoma and New Tacoma merged in 1884 and incorporated as Tacoma. By 1890, the population reached 36,000 people.
Tacoma is home to the Port of Tacoma, the seventh-largest container port in the United States, and it is within 20 miles of the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and 36 miles of the city of Seattle.
Jenise Petrich,
7th Grade History, MS Newspaper, MS Green Key/Admissions
Jenise Petrich teaches seventh grade history and advises the Middle School newspaper, Wright in the Middle. “One of the reasons I love teaching at CWA is because I can connect with every kid in every class, every day,” says Petrich. Her favorite class projects include reading about Lewis and Clark by candlelight and simulating the voyage of slaves on the Middle Passage, while students listen to the stories of those who experienced that tragedy.
“I hope my teaching leaves kids with a passion for the stories of history and that they remember me as an adult who truly liked and believed in each of them,” says Petrich. “I also hope that I can help them find a life-long thrill of learning.”
In 2005, Petrich received the Inspirational Faculty Award from the Parents Association. She was also the recipient of the Stephen J. Bayne Chair of History and Ethics from 2002 to 2005. One of her favorite experiences at Charles Wright was having a former student return to her classroom during his senior internship to explore his own interest in teaching middle school history.
Petrich graduated from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and earned her masters degree in education from the University of Puget Sound. She joined the faculty at Charles Wright in 1998. She has traveled to Williamsburg, Virginia, with fifth graders and coordinates the Middle School Green Key club.
Before embarking on her teaching career, Petrich worked for many years in commercial interior design. She also lived in France for a year and spent several months in both Bangkok and Greece. She spent six months backpacking through Europe and the Middle East. She also used to own and ride a Harley and hopes to do so again soon. Petrich now volunteers at her church. She loves skiing the bird runs at White Pass and visiting museums (it absolutely does not matter what kind). Finally, she spends most of her free time studying history – any history.
Visit her web page
“I hope my teaching leaves kids with a passion for the stories of history and that they remember me as an adult who truly liked and believed in each of them,” says Petrich. “I also hope that I can help them find a life-long thrill of learning.”
In 2005, Petrich received the Inspirational Faculty Award from the Parents Association. She was also the recipient of the Stephen J. Bayne Chair of History and Ethics from 2002 to 2005. One of her favorite experiences at Charles Wright was having a former student return to her classroom during his senior internship to explore his own interest in teaching middle school history.
Petrich graduated from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and earned her masters degree in education from the University of Puget Sound. She joined the faculty at Charles Wright in 1998. She has traveled to Williamsburg, Virginia, with fifth graders and coordinates the Middle School Green Key club.
Before embarking on her teaching career, Petrich worked for many years in commercial interior design. She also lived in France for a year and spent several months in both Bangkok and Greece. She spent six months backpacking through Europe and the Middle East. She also used to own and ride a Harley and hopes to do so again soon. Petrich now volunteers at her church. She loves skiing the bird runs at White Pass and visiting museums (it absolutely does not matter what kind). Finally, she spends most of her free time studying history – any history.
Visit her web page
