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'{{Infobox school |name = Tacoma School of the Arts |image = [[File:Tacoma SOTA logo.jpg]] |established = 2001 |type = Visual and Performing Arts School |principal = Jon Ketler and Renee Froembling |Dean of Instruction = Liz Minks |city = [[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]] |state = [[Washington (U.S. state)|Washington]] |country = United States |district = [[Tacoma Public Schools]] |schedule = [[Block scheduling|Block]] |campus = [[Urban area|Urban]] |enrollment = Roughly 60% of applicants |students = Around 600 (20% out of district) |website = [http://www.tsota.org tsota.org] |free = }} 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> 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 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}} ==Students== Many SOTA projects are student-run, including some aspects of the school's administration. {{Infobox Theatre |name = SOTA Theatre |image = |image_size = |caption = |address = 1102 S. A Street, Suite 200 Tacoma, WA 98402 = [[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]] |country = United States |designation = |latitude = |longitude = |architect = McGranahan Architects |owner = Tacoma School of the Arts |capacity = ≈500 |type = Urban |opened = 2001 |yearsactive = |rebuilt = |closed = |othernames = |production = |currentuse = }} 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}} 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. ==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> 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> ==Notable alumni== {| border="1" |+ '''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]] | rowspan=“2”|Creative Writing Instructor |Author of The Art of Racing in the Rain |- |} {| border="1" |+ '''Students''' !Name !! Year of Graduation !! Notes |- ! [[Madelaine Petsch]] | rowspan=“3”| 2013 || Actress in ''[[Riverdale (2017 TV series)|Riverdale]]'' |} ==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,<ref>[http://calendar.thenewstribune.com/tacoma-wa/venues/show/9309-club-sota Venues: Club SOTA], ''[[The News Tribune]]''</ref> an all-ages club hosted by the school.<ref>Driscoll, Matt - [http://www.weeklyvolcano.com/article/1866 Pay to play - no way], ''[[Weekly Volcano]]'' (28 February 2008)</ref> ==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> ==References== {{reflist}} {{WIAA West Central District 3|B|I}} ==External links== *[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.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] {{DEFAULTSORT:Tacoma School Of The Arts}} [[Category:Schools of the performing arts in the United States]] [[Category:High schools in Pierce County, Washington]] [[Category:Education 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)]]'