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.
Rachel Rippl,
6th Grade English, Reading
Rachel Rippl teaches sixth grade reading and English. “I love teaching middle school students because the kids bring such incredible energy into the classroom and sometimes I get to be twelve again too!” says Rippl.
Rippl particularly enjoys teaching poetry and opinion essay writing. “The students’ poetry reveals entirely new sides of their personalities, both humorous and sentimental,” says Rippl. “They are more comfortable with one another because this is the second unit of the year, usually starting in November, so they take greater risks in expressing themselves.”
“The opinion essays are the final project of the year and it’s exciting to see how far the students have come with their writing. They’ve internalized the steps of the writing process and it comes naturally to revise and edit which seemed like foreign ideas back in September. Many students pick topics that they are passionate about, such as allowing sixth graders to play on school sports teams or protecting the red fox from becoming an endangered species. I enjoy watching them research, interview and argue their opinions.”
Rippl graduated from the University of Washington and earned her masters degree in education from Antioch University in Seattle. She joined the Charles Wright faculty in 2006.
“One of the best parts about teaching at CWA is that the curriculum is fluid,” she explains. “I am constantly re-evaluating the curriculum and making adjustments based on professional development workshops and the current students’ needs.”
Rippl enjoys running and finished her first marathon on her 21st birthday. She bakes birthday treats for the middle school faculty each month and her most popular cake is angel food with whipped cream frosting and fresh strawberries. “Some staff members complain that their healthy eating habits may have taken an unfortunate turn for the worse since my arrival, but most are happy to indulge,” she says.
Rippl particularly enjoys teaching poetry and opinion essay writing. “The students’ poetry reveals entirely new sides of their personalities, both humorous and sentimental,” says Rippl. “They are more comfortable with one another because this is the second unit of the year, usually starting in November, so they take greater risks in expressing themselves.”
“The opinion essays are the final project of the year and it’s exciting to see how far the students have come with their writing. They’ve internalized the steps of the writing process and it comes naturally to revise and edit which seemed like foreign ideas back in September. Many students pick topics that they are passionate about, such as allowing sixth graders to play on school sports teams or protecting the red fox from becoming an endangered species. I enjoy watching them research, interview and argue their opinions.”
Rippl graduated from the University of Washington and earned her masters degree in education from Antioch University in Seattle. She joined the Charles Wright faculty in 2006.
“One of the best parts about teaching at CWA is that the curriculum is fluid,” she explains. “I am constantly re-evaluating the curriculum and making adjustments based on professional development workshops and the current students’ needs.”
Rippl enjoys running and finished her first marathon on her 21st birthday. She bakes birthday treats for the middle school faculty each month and her most popular cake is angel food with whipped cream frosting and fresh strawberries. “Some staff members complain that their healthy eating habits may have taken an unfortunate turn for the worse since my arrival, but most are happy to indulge,” she says.
