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.
John Lemma,
Upper School History, Knowledge Bowl
John Lemma teaches history in the Upper School. “I hope my students will develop an
interest in history and take a basic historical literacy with them,” he says. “Improved
writing skills and a great ability to reason are objectives too. I try to encourage students
to see that events result from multiple causes; history is not linear. This is the basis of a
liberal arts education, in my view.”
In 2002, Lemma was honored by the CWA Parents Association with the Most
Inspirational Faculty Award. “Without the active support of my students, I could not
have won the award,” says Lemma. “I know my classes are difficult and challenging, so
it does credit to my students who willingly step up to the challenge.”
Lemma completed both his undergraduate degree in history and his masters in education
at Eastern Washington University. He also holds a certificate in teaching English as a
second language from Trenton State University. He has more than 30 years experience
teaching in public and private schools in the American, British and German education
systems. He has lived in four countries on three continents and taught in Dusseldorf,
Germany, Waterloo, Poland, and Bangkok, Thailand. “In comparison, the Charles
Wright community is more willing to acknowledge, celebrate, and credit hard work,” he
says.
At Charles Wright, Lemma has coached the Knowledge Bowl team to the state finals
every year since 2002 and has brought home four state championships. He loves tennis
and was once ranked sixth in the Pacific Northwest by the United States Tennis
Association. He played on a German team for two years, coached champion tennis teams
in Europe, the United States and Asia, and was a member of the board of directors at the
Lakewood Racquet Club for several years. Lemma also enjoys auto racing and is the
race director for the Car Club Challenge at Pacific Raceways.
Visit his web page
interest in history and take a basic historical literacy with them,” he says. “Improved
writing skills and a great ability to reason are objectives too. I try to encourage students
to see that events result from multiple causes; history is not linear. This is the basis of a
liberal arts education, in my view.”
In 2002, Lemma was honored by the CWA Parents Association with the Most
Inspirational Faculty Award. “Without the active support of my students, I could not
have won the award,” says Lemma. “I know my classes are difficult and challenging, so
it does credit to my students who willingly step up to the challenge.”
Lemma completed both his undergraduate degree in history and his masters in education
at Eastern Washington University. He also holds a certificate in teaching English as a
second language from Trenton State University. He has more than 30 years experience
teaching in public and private schools in the American, British and German education
systems. He has lived in four countries on three continents and taught in Dusseldorf,
Germany, Waterloo, Poland, and Bangkok, Thailand. “In comparison, the Charles
Wright community is more willing to acknowledge, celebrate, and credit hard work,” he
says.
At Charles Wright, Lemma has coached the Knowledge Bowl team to the state finals
every year since 2002 and has brought home four state championships. He loves tennis
and was once ranked sixth in the Pacific Northwest by the United States Tennis
Association. He played on a German team for two years, coached champion tennis teams
in Europe, the United States and Asia, and was a member of the board of directors at the
Lakewood Racquet Club for several years. Lemma also enjoys auto racing and is the
race director for the Car Club Challenge at Pacific Raceways.
Visit his web page
