Tacoma School of the Arts: Difference between revisions

SOTA Music Box Building
Address	302 S. Ninth Street Tacoma, WA 98402; United States
Owner	Tacoma School of the Arts
Type	Urban
Capacity	≈600
Construction
Opened	2001
Architect	McGranahan Architects

Tacoma School of the Arts
Tacoma School of the Arts
Address
	302 S. Ninth Street; Tacoma, Washington; United States
Information
Type	Visual and Performing Arts School
Established	2001; 23 years ago
School district	Tacoma Public Schools
Dean	Bliss King
Principal	Jon Ketler and Renee Froembling
Staff	35.70 (FTE)
Number of students	608 (2018–19)
Student to teacher ratio	17.03
Schedule	Block
Campus type	Urban
Website	www.tsota.org

Browse history interactively

← Previous edit

Content deleted Content added

VisualWikitext

Inline

Latest revision as of 04:44, 3 March 2024

The Tacoma School of the Arts (SOTA or TSOTA) is the only arts school in the greater Tacoma, Washington, area. SOTA historically only housed grades 10 through 12, but beginning in the 2012 school year, it began admitting students in the 9th grade as well.^[2] SOTA's student capacity is around 600 students.^[3] SOTA was established in the fall of 2001, with help from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.^[4] Classes are housed in multiple venues across downtown Tacoma, in buildings that have historically served many purposes—including a department store, a music store, and a dance studio.^[5]

SOTA, SAMI, and IDEA also offer University of Washington Credits through multiple classes and beginning in 2014 offer over 20 College in the High School classes for credit through Tacoma Community College.^[6]

SOTA was one of three Washington state school winners of the inaugural state Schools of Excellence in Arts Education Award, part of the national program of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Schools of Distinction in Arts Education Awards.^[7] Shortly after, SOTA was one of only four schools in the inaugural year to win at the national level.^{[citation needed]}

Students

Many SOTA projects are student-run, including some aspects of the school's administration.

Students have directed theatrical productions including The Glass Menagerie and The Last of the Darling Brent Girls, the latter also written by a student.^[8]

Departments offered include those of the Visual Arts (photography, graphic design, film, drawing, and painting) and those of the Performing Arts (songwriting and audio recording, instrumental music, singer-songwriter, vocal music, dance, and technical theater).

Daily life and academics

The school day is arranged to have four periods a day, in block periods over the week. Mondays and Wednesdays at SOTA students attend periods 1–4, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays students attend periods 5–8. There are 20 minute passing periods, as classes are held in over 10 different buildings and businesses. Three of these buildings are owned by Tacoma Public Schools and they are all within one square mile. Some classes are housed in the University of Washington Tacoma, Tacoma Art Museum and the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts.

Annual events include mentor day in the park, and SOTA Camp.

For the 2020–2021 school year during which the COVID-19 pandemic was occurring, many students chose remote learning options at SOTA on Microsoft Teams. Students were arranged into two A and B blocks by last name, with A starting in the morning and B starting in the afternoon. Instead of the usual eight classes, students now only had four classes each semester with the entire schedule changing at the end of one. To compensate for the lack of classes, each class that did not already do so awarded one full credit rather than half. Periods 1/5-2/6 took place on Mondays and Thursdays, with periods 3/7-4/8 occurring on Tuesdays and Fridays. Mentor Project Groups (Advisory classes) were also moved from Friday to Wednesday.

Student opportunities

In 2008, SOTA created its own FIRST Robotics Competition team with the help of Team 360 from Bellarmine Preparatory School. They are Team 2557, the SOTABots. Their first year, the SOTABots came in second, won Rookie of the Year in the FIRST Microsoft Seattle Regional,^[9] and went on to get 22nd place in their division in the FIRST Championship.^[10]

Since 2008, the SOTABots have won the Microsoft Seattle Regional in 2010, the Seattle Cascade Regional in 2012, and multiple awards for their Gracious Professionalism and their safety practices.^[11]

Notable alumni

**Staff**
Name	Position	Notes
Jared Pappas-Kelley	Video & Screenwriting Instructor	Co-creator of Toby Room magazine and curator of ArtRod
Brent Hartinger	Creative Writing Instructor	Author of the award-winning banned-book Geography Club
Garth Stein	Creative Writing Instructor	Author of The Art of Racing in the Rain

**Students**
Name	Year of Graduation	Notes
Madelaine Petsch	2012	Actress in Riverdale
Gabriel Mooney	2015	Artist; Ghoulavelii
Ellia Coggins	2017	Model

In popular culture

Several SOTA buildings were used in the film 10 Things I Hate About You; the guitar store in the film is now part of the SOTA music department, as well as Club SOTA,^[12] an all-ages club hosted by the school.^[13]

Sister schools

The Tacoma Science and Math Institute, or SAMI, opened for the 2009–2010 school year. Industrial Design, Engineering, and Arts, also known as IDEA was opened in the 2016–2017 school year. They are both the district's other magnet schools, with a schedule and concept similar to SOTA.^[14]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Tacoma School of the Arts". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
^ Tacoma School of the Arts thenewstribune.com March 8, 2012^{[dead link‍]}
^ "Tacoma School of the Arts - Tacoma, WA". Retrieved December 2, 2023.
^ Kent Allen. "The Gatekeeper - Patty Stonesifer brings a new style of leadership to philanthropy". Archived from the original on December 13, 2013.
^ Tacoma School of the Arts (TSOTA)
^ "UW in the High School - Schools". www.uwhs.washington.edu. Archived from the original on June 22, 2010.
^ City Briefs May 26-June 2 tacomaweekly.com ^{[dead link‍]}
^ Tacoma School of the Arts - Events
^ Fontaine, Scott - School of the Arts headed to world competition, The News Tribune (23 March 2008)
^ Fontaine, Scott - SOTA robotics team prepares for national competition, The News Tribune (1 April 2008)
^ FIRST Official Team History - [1], FIRST Official Team History (27 March 2012)
^ Venues: Club SOTA, The News Tribune
^ Driscoll, Matt - Pay to play - no way, Weekly Volcano (28 February 2008)
^ "Home". tsami.org.

External links

[NCES-1] "Tacoma School of the Arts". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved May 29, 2020.

[2] Tacoma School of the Arts thenewstribune.com March 8, 2012^{[dead link‍]}

[3] "Tacoma School of the Arts - Tacoma, WA". Retrieved December 2, 2023.

[4] Kent Allen. "The Gatekeeper - Patty Stonesifer brings a new style of leadership to philanthropy". Archived from the original on December 13, 2013.

[5] Tacoma School of the Arts (TSOTA)

[6] "UW in the High School - Schools". www.uwhs.washington.edu. Archived from the original on June 22, 2010.

[7] City Briefs May 26-June 2 tacomaweekly.com ^{[dead link‍]}

[8] Tacoma School of the Arts - Events

[9] Fontaine, Scott - School of the Arts headed to world competition, The News Tribune (23 March 2008)

[10] Fontaine, Scott - SOTA robotics team prepares for national competition, The News Tribune (1 April 2008)

[11] FIRST Official Team History - [1], FIRST Official Team History (27 March 2012)

[12] Venues: Club SOTA, The News Tribune

[13] Driscoll, Matt - Pay to play - no way, Weekly Volcano (28 February 2008)

[14] "Home". tsami.org.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2022}}
 {{Infobox school
-|name = Tacoma School of the Arts
+| name = Tacoma School of the Arts
-|image = [[File:Tacoma SOTA logo.jpg]]
+| image = Tacoma SOTA logo.jpg
-|established = 2001
+| motto =
+| motto_translation =
-|type = Visual and Performing Arts School
+| address = 302 S. Ninth Street
-|principal = Jon Ketler and Renee Froembling
+| city = [[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]]
-|Dean of Instruction = Liz Minks
-|city = [[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]]
+| state = [[Washington (state)|Washington]]
+| zipcode =
-|state = [[Washington (U.S. state)|Washington]]
-|country = United States
+| country = United States
+| coordinates =
-|district = [[Tacoma Public Schools]]
+| established = {{Start date and age|2001}}
-|schedule = [[Block scheduling|Block]]
+| type = Visual and Performing Arts School
-|campus = [[Urban area|Urban]]
+| principal = Jon Ketler and Renee Froembling
-|enrollment = Roughly 60% of applicants
+| dean = Bliss King
-|students = Around 600 (20% out of district)
+| district = [[Tacoma Public Schools]]
-|website = [http://www.tsota.org tsota.org]
+| schedule = [[Block scheduling|Block]]
-|free =
+| campus_type = [[Urban area|Urban]]
+| campus_size =
+| enrollment =
+| ratio = 17.03<ref name=NCES/>
+| staff = 35.70 (FTE)<ref name=NCES/>
+| students = 608 (2018–19)<ref name=NCES>{{cite web|url=https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=5308700&SchoolPageNum=4&ID=530870002846|title=Tacoma School of the Arts|publisher=National Center for Education Statistics|accessdate=May 29, 2020}}</ref>
+| website = {{URL|www.tsota.org}}
 }}
-The '''Tacoma School of the Arts''' ('''SOTA''' or '''TSOTA''') is the only arts school in the greater [[Tacoma, Washington]] area. SOTA historically only housed grades 10 through 12, but beginning in the 2012 school year, it began admitting students in the 9th grade as well.<ref>http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/03/08/2059136/tacoma-school-of-the-arts-adds.html</ref> SOTA's student capacity is around 650 students.<ref>[http://www.archachieve.org/RealWorld2/SOTA/index.html Tacoma School of the Arts - Tacoma, WA]</ref>  SOTA was established in the fall of 2001, with help from the [[Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation]].<ref>Allen, Kent - [https://www.usnews.com/usnews/biztech/charities/articles/8stone.htm The Gatekeeper], ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]''</ref>  Classes are housed in multiple venues across downtown Tacoma, in buildings that have historically served many purposes—including a [[department store]], a music store, sausage factory and a [[dance studio]].<ref>[http://www.goodsmallschools.org/resources/SOTA_School_Information.pdf Tacoma School of the Arts  (TSOTA)]</ref>
+The '''Tacoma School of the Arts''' ('''SOTA''' or '''TSOTA''') is the only arts school in the greater [[Tacoma, Washington]], area. SOTA historically only housed grades 10 through 12, but beginning in the 2012 school year, it began admitting students in the 9th grade as well.<ref>[http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/03/08/2059136/tacoma-school-of-the-arts-adds.html Tacoma School of the Arts] thenewstribune.com March 8, 2012{{deadlink|date=September 2023}}</ref> SOTA's student capacity is around 600 students.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.archachieve.org/RealWorld2/SOTA/index.html|title=Tacoma School of the Arts - Tacoma, WA|accessdate=2 December 2023}}</ref>  SOTA was established in the fall of 2001, with help from the [[Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usnews.com/usnews/biztech/charities/articles/8stone.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213090224/www.usnews.com/usnews/biztech/charities/articles/8stone.htm|archive-date=2013-12-13|title=The Gatekeeper - Patty Stonesifer brings a new style of leadership to philanthropy|author=Kent Allen}}</ref>  Classes are housed in multiple venues across downtown Tacoma, in buildings that have historically served many purposes—including a [[department store]], a music store, and a [[dance studio]].<ref>[http://www.goodsmallschools.org/resources/SOTA_School_Information.pdf Tacoma School of the Arts  (TSOTA)]</ref>
-SOTA and SAMi also offer University of Washington Credits through multiple classes and beginning in 2014 offer over 20 College in the High School classes for credit through Tacoma Community College.<ref>[http://www.uwhs.washington.edu/uwhs/partner/schools.asp]</ref>
+SOTA, SAMI, and IDEA also offer University of Washington Credits through multiple classes and beginning in 2014 offer over 20 College in the High School classes for credit through Tacoma Community College.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uwhs.washington.edu/uwhs/partner/schools.asp |title=UW in the High School - Schools |website=www.uwhs.washington.edu |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100622023501/http://uwhs.washington.edu/uwhs/partner/schools.asp |archive-date=2010-06-22}}</ref>
-SOTA was one of three Washington state school winners of the inaugural state Schools of Excellence in Arts Education Award, part of the national program of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Schools of Distinction in Arts Education Awards.<ref>[http://www.tacomaweekly.com/news/city/city_briefs_may_26_june_2/]</ref> Shortly after, SOTA was one of only four schools in the inaugural year to win at the national level.{{Citation needed|date=June 2017}}
+SOTA was one of three Washington state school winners of the inaugural state Schools of Excellence in Arts Education Award, part of the national program of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Schools of Distinction in Arts Education Awards.<ref>[http://www.tacomaweekly.com/news/city/city_briefs_may_26_june_2/ City Briefs May 26-June 2] tacomaweekly.com {{dead link|date=December 2023}}</ref> Shortly after, SOTA was one of only four schools in the inaugural year to win at the national level.{{Citation needed|date=June 2017}}
 ==Students==
 Many SOTA projects are student-run, including some aspects of the school's administration.
-{{Infobox Theatre
+{{Infobox venue
-|name           = SOTA Theatre
+|name           = SOTA Music Box Building
 |image          =
 |image_size     =
 |caption        =
-|address        = 1102 S. A Street, Suite 200 Tacoma, WA 98402         = [[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]]
+|address        = 302 S. Ninth Street
+Tacoma, WA 98402
 |country        = United States
 |designation    =
@@ Line 38: / Line 48: @@
 |architect      = McGranahan Architects
 |owner          = Tacoma School of the Arts
-|capacity       = ≈500
+|capacity       = ≈600
 |type           = Urban
 |opened         = 2001
@@ Line 49: / Line 59: @@
 }}
 Students have directed theatrical productions including ''[[The Glass Menagerie]]'' and ''The Last of the Darling Brent Girls'', the latter also written by a student.<ref>[http://www.tacoma.k12.wa.us/schools/hs/sota/calendar.htm?event=677659 Tacoma School of the Arts - Events]</ref>
 Departments offered include those of the Visual Arts (photography, graphic design, film, drawing, and painting) and those of the Performing Arts (songwriting and audio recording, instrumental music, singer-songwriter, vocal music, dance, and technical theater).
 ==Daily life and academics==
-{{unreferencedsection|date=June 2017}}
+{{unreferenced section|date=June 2017}}
-The school day is arranged to have four periods a day, in block periods over the week. Mondays and Wednesdays at SOTA students attend periods 1-4, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays students attend periods 5-8. There are 20 minute passing periods, as classes are held in over 10 different buildings and businesses. Three of these buildings are owned by Tacoma Public Schools and they are all within one square mile. Some classes are housed in the [[University of Washington Tacoma]], [[Tacoma Art Museum]] and the [[Broadway Center for the Performing Arts]].
+The school day is arranged to have four periods a day, in block periods over the week. Mondays and Wednesdays at SOTA students attend periods 1–4, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays students attend periods 5–8. There are 20 minute passing periods, as classes are held in over 10 different buildings and businesses. Three of these buildings are owned by Tacoma Public Schools and they are all within one square mile. Some classes are housed in the [[University of Washington Tacoma]], [[Tacoma Art Museum]] and the [[Broadway Center for the Performing Arts]].
 Annual events include mentor day in the park, and SOTA Camp.
+For the 2020–2021 school year during which the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] was occurring, many students chose remote learning options at SOTA on [[Microsoft Teams]]. Students were arranged into two A and B blocks by last name, with A starting in the morning and B starting in the afternoon. Instead of the usual eight classes, students now only had four classes each semester with the entire schedule changing at the end of one. To compensate for the lack of classes, each class that did not already do so awarded one full credit rather than half. Periods 1/5-2/6 took place on Mondays and Thursdays, with periods 3/7-4/8 occurring on Tuesdays and Fridays. Mentor Project Groups (Advisory classes) were also moved from Friday to Wednesday.
 ==Student opportunities==
-In 2008, SOTA created its own FIRST [[FIRST Robotics Competition|FRC]] team with the help of Team 360 from [[Bellarmine Preparatory School]]. They are FIRST FRC team 2557, the SOTABots. Their first year, the SOTABots came in second, won Rookie of the Year in the FIRST Microsoft Seattle Regional,<ref>Fontaine, Scott - [http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/316108.html School of the Arts headed to world competition], ''[[The News Tribune]]'' (23 March 2008)</ref> and went on to get 22nd place in their division in the [[FIRST Overdrive|Atlanta International Competition]].<ref>Fontaine, Scott - [http://blogs.thenewstribune.com/street/2008/04/01/sota_robotics_team_prepares_for_national SOTA robotics team prepares for national competition], ''[[The News Tribune]]'' (1 April 2008)</ref>
+In 2008, SOTA created its own [[FIRST Robotics Competition]] team with the help of Team 360 from [[Bellarmine Preparatory School]]. They are Team 2557, the SOTABots. Their first year, the SOTABots came in second, won Rookie of the Year in the FIRST Microsoft Seattle Regional,<ref>Fontaine, Scott - [http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/316108.html School of the Arts headed to world competition], ''[[The News Tribune]]'' (23 March 2008)</ref> and went on to get 22nd place in their division in the [[FIRST Championship]].<ref>Fontaine, Scott - [http://blogs.thenewstribune.com/street/2008/04/01/sota_robotics_team_prepares_for_national SOTA robotics team prepares for national competition], ''[[The News Tribune]]'' (1 April 2008)</ref>
 Since 2008, the SOTABots have won the Microsoft Seattle Regional in 2010, the Seattle Cascade Regional in 2012, and multiple awards for their Gracious Professionalism and their safety practices.<ref>FIRST Official Team History - [https://my.usfirst.org/myarea/index.lasso?page=team_details&tpid=63789&-session=myarea:C77D640507fc821182OqrIY47BD2], ''[[FIRST Official Team History]]'' (27 March 2012)</ref>
@@ Line 89: / Line 101: @@
 |-
 ! [[Madelaine Petsch]]
-| rowspan=“3”| 2013 ||
+| rowspan=“3”| 2012 ||
 Actress in ''[[Riverdale (2017 TV series)|Riverdale]]''
+|-
+!Gabriel Mooney
+|2015
+|Artist; Ghoulavelii
+|-
+!Ellia Coggins
+|2017
+|Model
 |}
@@ Line 97: / Line 117: @@
 ==Sister schools==
-The [[Science_and_Math_Institute_(Tacoma)|Tacoma Science and Math Institute]], or SAMI, opened for the 2009-2010 school year. Industrial Design, Engineering, and Arts, also known as IDEA was opened in the 2016-2017 school year. They are both the district's other magnet schools, with a schedule and concept similar to SOTA.<ref>http://www.tsami.org</ref>
+The [[Science and Math Institute (Tacoma)|Tacoma Science and Math Institute]], or SAMI, opened for the 2009–2010 school year. Industrial Design, Engineering, and Arts, also known as IDEA was opened in the 2016–2017 school year. They are both the district's other magnet schools, with a schedule and concept similar to SOTA.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tsami.org/ |title=Home |website=tsami.org}}</ref>
 ==References==
-{{reflist}}
+{{Reflist}}
-{{WIAA West Central District 3|B|I}}
 ==External links==
+* {{Official website|http://www.tsota.org/}}
-*[http://tsota.org Tacoma School of the Arts] Official Website
-*[http://www.tacoma.k12.wa.us/Schools/hs/Pages/SchoolOfTheArts.aspx School of the Arts] at the [[Tacoma Public Schools]] Site
+* [http://www.tacoma.k12.wa.us/Schools/hs/Pages/SchoolOfTheArts.aspx School of the Arts] at the [[Tacoma Public Schools]] Site
-*[http://www.sotabots.com Official SOTA Bot website]
+* [http://www.sotabots.com Official SOTA Bot website]
-*[http://www0.tacoma.k12.wa.us/schools/hsx/sami/ http://www0.tacoma.k12.wa.us/schools/hsx/sami/  SAMI home]
+* [http://www0.tacoma.k12.wa.us/schools/hsx/sami/ http://www0.tacoma.k12.wa.us/schools/hsx/sami/  SAMI home]
+{{WIAA West Central District 3|B|I}}
+{{ArtshighschoolsU.S.}}
+{{authority control}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Tacoma School Of The Arts}}
-[[Category:Schools of the performing arts in the United States]]
+[[Category:Tacoma School of the Arts| ]]
 [[Category:High schools in Pierce County, Washington]]
-[[Category:Education in Tacoma, Washington]]
+[[Category:Schools in Tacoma, Washington]]
-[[Category:Educational institutions established in 2001]]
 [[Category:Art schools in Washington (state)]]
-[[Category:Tacoma School of the Arts|*]]
 [[Category:Public high schools in Washington (state)]]
 [[Category:Magnet schools in Washington (state)]]
+[[Category:Educational institutions established in 2001]]
+[[Category:2001 establishments in Washington (state)]]

v t e Performing, creative, fine, and visual arts high schools in the United States
Arizona	Arizona School for the Arts
California	Charter High School of the Arts (Los Angeles) Coronado School of the Arts (Coronado) Ramon C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts (Los Angeles) Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (Los Angeles) Oakland School for the Arts Orange County School of the Arts (Santa Ana) San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts
Colorado	Denver School of the Arts
Florida	New World School of the Arts (Miami)
Illinois	Chicago High School for the Arts Chicago Academy for the Arts
Indiana	Wirt-Emerson Visual and Performing Arts High Ability Academy (Gary)
Maryland	Baltimore Design School Baltimore School for the Arts Augusta Fells Savage Institute of Visual Arts (Baltimore)
Massachusetts	Boston Arts Academy
Michigan	Detroit School of Arts
Mississippi	Mississippi School of the Arts
Missouri	Central Visual and Performing Arts High School
New Jersey	Charter-Tech High School for the Performing Arts
New Mexico	New Mexico School for the Arts Public Academy for Performing Arts
New York	Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School (New York City) High School of Art and Design (New York City)
North Carolina	Durham School of the Arts
Ohio	School for Creative and Performing Arts Cleveland School of the Arts
Pennsylvania	Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts The Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush (Philadelphia) Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts School
Rhode Island	Beacon Charter High School for the Arts (Woonsocket)
Texas	Austin School for the Performing and Visual Arts Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts Fine Arts Academy at McCallum High School (Austin) High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (Houston) Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (Dallas) Vidal M. Trevino School of Communications and Fine Arts (Laredo)
Washington	Tacoma School of the Arts
Former schools	Wilmer-Hutchins Performing Arts High School (Dallas) The High School of Music & Art (New York City)

Authority control databases
International	ISNI
Geographic	NCES