
SBLSD News
June 16, 2022

About 700 graduates of Bonney Lake High School and Sumner High School Class of 2022 walked across the stage to receive their diplomas this month.
Well done, graduates! We wish you all the best as you take the next steps in your journey.
Bonney Lake High School 2022 Graduation
Bonney Lake High School had 327 graduates and held its graduation ceremony at the ShoWare Center in Kent on June 15, 2022. You can watch the ceremony here and view a video slideshow below.
Sumner High School Graduation 2022
Sumner High School had 375 graduates and held its graduation ceremony at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma on June 10, 2022. You can watch the ceremony here or view a video slideshow below.
Community Based Transition Program Graduation 2022
Sumner-Bonney Lake School District’s Community Based Transition Program (CBTP) celebrated five graduates in a ceremony on June 9.
CBTP helps with the transition from high school to employment by teaching job skills to special education students ages 18 to 21. The program partners with local organizations like the cities of Sumner and Bonney Lake, MOD Pizza, grocery outlet, Sumner and Bonney Lake food banks, and more. During the 2021-22 school year, these graduates and other program interns worked more than 5,500 hours at participating businesses.
Congratulations, graduates!
Elhi Hill High School Program Graduation Celebration 2022
In case you missed it, 65 students graduated through the Elhi Hill High School Program this year, the most graduates the program has seen to-date. Elhi Hill staff and families celebrated these seniors in an outdoor ceremony on June 6.
The Elhi Hill High School Program provides a caring environment for students who need services beyond the traditional school day to meet state and district standards. Students who graduate from Elhi Hill receive a diploma from Bonney Lake or Sumner High School.
Teaching Academy celebrates 14 students in their pursuit of being educators
At a June 8 ceremony, SBLSD’s Teaching Academy celebrated 14 students who earned their Teaching Academy Badge and are on their way to becoming educators — maybe even in our own District!
Teaching Academy is a class offered for students who are interested in the field of education. Students learn the techniques of teaching, how to create lesson plans, learn about instruction, and apply those skills out in the field as part of an internship.
Teaching Academy is a Career & Technical Education (CTE) course. This year, only Sumner High School ran a Teaching Academy class, but next year both Bonney Lake and Sumner high schools will offer a class. Students in grades 10-12 can take the class.
“The best thing about Teaching Academy is that it's a different story every single day, every single time you walk into the classroom,” said Joey M., a Teaching Academy student from Sumner High School.
In addition to earning their Teaching Academy Badge, some students also earned their paraeducator certification, meaning they could become paras or substitute paras. If they apply to work in the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District, Teaching Academy students can let the Human Resources Department know they were in Teaching Academy and they are guaranteed an interview for educator positions.
Congratulations to these students who earned their Teaching Academy Badge: Gavin F., Trever H., Payton M., Daniel M., Jasmine M., Peyton P., Emilee P., Lillyonnia R., Crystal R., Noemi S., Alyssa T., Grace W., Jaylin W., and Olivia D.
Learn why students choose Teaching Academy in the video below.
Retirees honored for commitment, accomplishment
June is not only a momentous month for our seniors, but also for retiring staff members! Among our 29 retirees, the Superintendent Dent and the School Board honored 14 at a Retirement Celebration on June 9 at Lakeridge Middle School.
We thank all of our retirees for their steadfast commitment and amazing accomplishment in reaching this meaningful milestone. We are grateful for your many years of service and dedication to supporting and educating our nearly 10,000 students.
Congratulations to Karen Black (24 years), Kathy Boone (18), Andy Brazaitis (12), Cher Collins (19), Lori Crooker (17), Alberta Dickinson (6), Brahim Djouider (20), Debra Doyle-Shaneyfelt (5), Helene Freeman (33), Diane Gardner (17), Jim Grasley (17), Emi Green (16), Karen Harris (32), Janet Josten (22), Paul Kelly (4), Laura Knowles (13), years Jana Larsen (19), Charlene Lovelace (17), Toni Marcil (18), Bobbi Marcy (17), Karin Mickelson (30), Connie Miller (33), Sandy Miller (25), Darin Mott (25), Patti O'Malley (25), Ellie Riippi (19), Julia Sims (31), Amparo Torres (19) and Lori Young (32).
Student spotlight: Gloria Kuzmenko-Latimer to study global affairs at Yale
Sumner High School’s Gloria Kuzmenko-Latimer didn’t think she’d be chosen as a prestigious Gates Scholar, but when she went to check her email in April, there was the award letter.
“I really was not expecting it,” she admitted.
The Gates Scholarship is a highly selective scholarship for “outstanding, minority, high school seniors from low-income households.” Each year, the scholarship is awarded to 300 students across the nation, and this year, Gloria is one of them.
The accomplishments don’t stop there. Next fall, Gloria will attend Yale University, where she was offered a full-ride scholarship. She applied to over 20 colleges and was accepted at universities including Brown, Columbia and Sciences Po, a political science university in France.
For Gloria, two big factors for choosing a college were financial support and opportunities to study international affairs.
Gloria was homeschooled until seventh grade, when she enrolled at Sumner Middle School. She is half Ukrainian and half African-American and learned from a young age how language can shape people and culture. In her early years, she’d travel to Ukraine often to see family.
“I think that’s shaped my experience growing up,” she said. “I’m excited to be able to expand that a bit.”
She hopes to be able to return to Ukraine and to one day work and live abroad. She wants to find ways to help people, similar to her mother, Oksana, who is a paraeducator with the District and works often with Ukrainian and Russian students.
Getting to graduation this year was not without challenges. Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and worries fueled by the ongoing war in Ukraine sometimes made things difficult for Gloria.
“Throughout her life she has faced many real challenges and adversity, including trying to finish high school as a full IB diploma candidate, while worrying constantly about her family in Ukraine,” SHS French Teacher and IB Coordinator Monica Swigart said about Gloria for the SHS Senior Showcase. “Gloria Kuzmenko-Latimer is an extremely hard-working, high-achieving person who throughout her high school career has sought opportunities to better herself through personal and academic experiences.”
Gloria encourages students to take advantage of the resources available to them at school and not be afraid to try new things. She said she hopes her story inspires others to also pursue their goals — despite any adversity they may face.
Congratulations, Gloria!
Глорія Кузьменко-Латімер із Самнер Вищої навчатиметься в Єльському університеті
Випускниця Вищої Школі Самнера Глорія Кузьменко-Латимер не думала, що її виберуть престижним стипендіатом Гейтса, але коли вона пішла перевірити її електронний пошту у квітні там був лист нагороди.
«Я дійсно не очікувала цього», - зізналася вона.
Стипендія Гейтса — це дуже вибіркова стипендія для «видатних, меншин, старшокласників із сімей з низькими доходами». Щороку стипендію присуджують 300 студентам по всій країні, і цього року Глорія є однією з них.
На цьому її досягнення не зупиняються. Наступної осені Глорія навчатиметься в Єльському Університеті, де їй запропонували повну стипендію. Вона подала документи до більш ніж 20 коледжів і була прийнята до університетів, включаючи Brown, Columbia і Sciences Po, університет політичної науки у Франції.
Для Глорії двома важливими факторами для вибору коледжу були фінансова підтримка та можливість вивчати міжнародні відносини.
Глорія навчалася вдома до сьомого класу, коли вона вступила в середню школу Самнера. Вона наполовину українка, наполовину афроамериканка, і з дитинства зрозуміла, як мова може формувати людей і культуру. У ранні роки вона часто породжувала до України, щоб побачитися з родиною.
«Я думаю, що це вплинуло на мій досвід дорослішання», — сказала вона. «Я рада, що зможу трохи розширити це у моєму майбутньому ».
Глорія сподівається, що зможе повернутися в Україну і одного дня працювати і жити за кордоном. Вона прагне знайти способи та можливості допомогти людям, як і її мама Оксана, яка є помічником вихователя у Самнер-Боней Лейк школьному районі та часто працює з українськими та російськими студентами.
Досягти успіхів цього випускного року було не без труднощів. Наслідки пандемії COVID-19 та занепокоєння, викликані війною, що триває в Україні, іноді ускладнювали життя Глорії.
«Протягом свого життя вона зіткнулася з багатьма реальними проблемами та негараздами, в тому числі намагалася закінчити вищу школу як кандидат на повний диплом IB, при цьому постійно турбуючись про свою сім’ю в Україні», – сказала про Глорію вчителька французької мови та координатор IB Моніка Свейгарт з Самнер Вищої Школи. «Глорія Кузьменко-Латімер – надзвичайно працьовита людина, яка досягає високих досягнень, вона протягом своєї шкільної кар’єри шукала можливості вдосконалити себе через особистий та академічний досвід».
Глорія заохочує учнів використовувати ресурси, доступні їм у школі, і не боятися пробувати нове. Вона сказала, що сподівається, що її історія надихне інших також досягти своїх цілей — незважаючи на будь-які труднощі, з якими вони можуть зіткнутися.
Вітаємо, Глорія!
Translation by Oksana Kuzmenko-Latimer
BLHS student artwork wins at county library contest
Two Bonney Lake High School Advanced Drawing and Painting student artists won awards in Pierce County Library System’s Our Own Expressions Teen Writing and Art Contest. Nearly 900 teen artists, photographers and writers across the county displayed their talent in the contest.
Congratulations, Evelyn and Caitlynn:
- Junior Evelyn B. won second place in the 11th-12th grade Drawing category for her original watercolor painting, "Sea Nocturne."
- Junior Caitlynn W. won third place in the 11th-12th grade Drawing category for her original mixed media self-portrait piece, "Metamorphosis of Vitality."
State patrol inspection finds District’s fleet 100 percent safe
Congrats to our Transportation Department for earning 100 percent for vehicle safety! The perfect score came this week after the Washington State Patrol’s annual inspection of the District’s full operating fleet. The WSP safety team inspects district buses twice a year – the full operating fleet in summer during a planned inspection, and about 25 perfect of randomly-selected buses unannounced inspection in the winter. We appreciate our mechanics, drivers and staff for their continued commitment to safety!
Celebrating progress on Sumner HS, Mountain View MS construction projects
There’s cause for celebration even with our construction projects! Our final two projects funded by the voter-approved 2016 Construction Bond are well on their way to completion.
Sumner High School Modernization and Expansion Phase 1
Installing
- Metal trim and brick veneer around the building
- Structural components for windowed walls
- Insulation and sheetrock in preparation for fixtures
- Metal frames on level three
Completed
- Fire sprinklers throughout the building
- Mechanical, electrical and plumbing in first floor library and classrooms
- Plumbing inside the walls
- Electrical in kitchen ready for inspection
- Second floor framing near completion
Anticipated completion: Early 2023
Mountain View Middle School Expansion
In progress
- Stairs, ramps and cement around the addition
- Wall repairs
- Architectural sheet metal
- Interior painting
- Casework
Summer work
- Install teaching walls
- Remodel library, front office, robotics room and other interior improvements
Anticipated completion: Fall 2022