A Sign Built by Tenino Students
Five years ago, every school in our district had a wooden sign proudly displaying the name of its school. At Tenino High School, we decided to take our sign down for refurbishment after years of weather had left it cracked and severely worn.
Once we removed it, however, we quickly realized that it was beyond restoration. Rather than simply replace it, we saw an opportunity to create something new—something that would represent the creativity, craftsmanship, and pride of Tenino High School.
After a collaborative back-and-forth, Mr. Simeone and I, Mr. Hyder, developed a design for a new sign. During the first year, a Tenino student took on the challenge of creating a one-third-scale model of the design. That model now proudly sits on the lectern at Tenino High School.
The following year, students under the guidance of Mr. Simeone began bringing the full-size sign to life. Over the next three years, countless hours of work and the hands of many Tenino students went into creating what is now a truly beautiful piece of craftsmanship.
This week, Mr. Simeone, with the help of our amazing maintenance team, installed the finished sign for everyone to enjoy. It is a wonderful addition to our school and, more importantly, a lasting reminder of what our students can accomplish when given the opportunity to create, learn, and work together.
We will officially unveil the sign at our regular Tenino School Board meeting on September 28 at 6:00 p.m. We invite our community to join us as we celebrate the accomplishment of our Tenino students.
I also want to extend a special thank-you to Mr. Simeone for his dedication to this project and for the time he has invested in teaching our students the art and skill of welding. This project has been about much more than building a sign—it has provided students with hands-on experience and skills they can carry into their futures. In fact, some of the students who worked on this project have gone on to pursue careers in welding.
This sign may hang on the front of our school, but it represents something much bigger: the talent, hard work, creativity, and pride of Tenino students.
We couldn't be more proud to have it represent Tenino High School.
