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.
Margo Macdonald,
Middle School/Upper School Art
Margo Macdonald teaches sixth grade art in the Middle School and teaches drawing, painting and design in Upper School. She particularly enjoys the first sixth grade art project of the year, when the students make photo collages of themselves to be hung in the hall for the rest of the year.
“I love the freedom to develop and change my curriculum and approach as the needs of the students change,” says Macdonald. “I once had a student in the Upper School who could not draw a straight line. He was very determined to succeed and so was I. We worked on a program somewhat parallel to the norm and not only was his work successful, he developed his own style which was very exciting.”
“I hope my students are always enthusiastic about trying new things and are willing to think and see in new ways,” says Macdonald. “I hope that they always consider the art world open to them and creativity a part of their lives.”
Like all Charles Wright art teachers, Macdonald is a professional artist, specializing in woven tapestries and paintings. She founded the Two Waters Arts Alliance on the Key Peninsula and continues to serve as a board member, organizing concerts, exhibitions, auctions and other public events. “It is very stimulating to work in a department with other professional artists to bounce things off of and share,” says Macdonald.
Macdonald holds a bachelors degree from the University of Puget Sound. She has also studied at the Rhode Island School of Design and Banff School of Fine Arts. She began teaching at Charles Wright in 2002 when her youngest daughter was a senior at the school. Her husband and daughter Katy are both CWA alums, and Katy teaches photography in the Upper School.
“I love the freedom to develop and change my curriculum and approach as the needs of the students change,” says Macdonald. “I once had a student in the Upper School who could not draw a straight line. He was very determined to succeed and so was I. We worked on a program somewhat parallel to the norm and not only was his work successful, he developed his own style which was very exciting.”
“I hope my students are always enthusiastic about trying new things and are willing to think and see in new ways,” says Macdonald. “I hope that they always consider the art world open to them and creativity a part of their lives.”
Like all Charles Wright art teachers, Macdonald is a professional artist, specializing in woven tapestries and paintings. She founded the Two Waters Arts Alliance on the Key Peninsula and continues to serve as a board member, organizing concerts, exhibitions, auctions and other public events. “It is very stimulating to work in a department with other professional artists to bounce things off of and share,” says Macdonald.
Macdonald holds a bachelors degree from the University of Puget Sound. She has also studied at the Rhode Island School of Design and Banff School of Fine Arts. She began teaching at Charles Wright in 2002 when her youngest daughter was a senior at the school. Her husband and daughter Katy are both CWA alums, and Katy teaches photography in the Upper School.
