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.
Jim Pelander,
4th Grade, Jumping Jaguars
Jim Pelander teaches fourth grade. He works closely with Kate Riede, the other fourth grade teacher at Charles Wright, on Habits of the Mind, a curriculum that guides students to self-evaluate their learning and progress. One of his favorite moments of the year is taking all the students to Pacific Lutheran University so they can present their own analysis to students and professors there.
“Small classes, and great parents and children” are what make Charles Wright special to Pelander. Building independence is a key theme in his class and he looks forward to the spring conference for parents which is led entirely by the students. Pelander hopes his students never forget to take risks and be persistent.
Pelander joined Charles Wright’s faculty in 1982. In 1994 the CWA Parent Association presented him with the Inspirational Faculty Award. He is a graduate of Washington
State University. He has published two articles on education in professional journals and has coached baseball pitchers at the community college level. In addition to teaching, he coaches baseball and the Jumping Jaguars jump rope team. He enjoys camping, yard work and taking care of his car.
Visit his web page
“Small classes, and great parents and children” are what make Charles Wright special to Pelander. Building independence is a key theme in his class and he looks forward to the spring conference for parents which is led entirely by the students. Pelander hopes his students never forget to take risks and be persistent.
Pelander joined Charles Wright’s faculty in 1982. In 1994 the CWA Parent Association presented him with the Inspirational Faculty Award. He is a graduate of Washington
State University. He has published two articles on education in professional journals and has coached baseball pitchers at the community college level. In addition to teaching, he coaches baseball and the Jumping Jaguars jump rope team. He enjoys camping, yard work and taking care of his car.
Visit his web page
