Originally Published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 11/26/2024, Written by Brenna O’Boyle

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – Incline High School stands out for having almost all its students cross the stage to graduate in 2024. 

“I am encouraged by last year’s graduation rate of 98.67%, which reflects the hard work and commitment of our students, families, and staff,” said Incline High Principal Tierney Cahill. “However, I remain mindful that the remaining 1.33% represents more than just a statistic, it represents individual stories, often shaped by complex challenges such as relocation or personal circumstances.” 

Incline High had 98.67% graduation rate for 2023-2024 school year, a 3.32% increase over the previous year, according to newly released Washoe County School District (WCSD) statistics. 

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Photo: Tahoe Daily Tribune

Originally Published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 11/20/2024, Submitted

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — Community members, volunteers, and docents are invited to come together for a special farewell celebration for the beloved UC Davis Underwater Lake Tahoe Lounge, an immersive space at the UC Davis Tahoe Science Center created to give visitors a unique, in-depth view of the diverse life beneath the surface of Lake Tahoe. This gathering will be held on December 13, 2024, from 4-6 p.m. at the Tahoe Science Center in Incline Village, allowing the community to say goodbye before the exhibit closes.

“We are hosting this event to memorialize the “Underwater Lake Tahoe Exhibit” and the beautiful work and effort of muralist Susie Alexander,” says Heather Segale, Director of Education and Outreach for UC Davis TERC.

The Underwater Lake Tahoe Lounge was conceived in 2018 and created in partnership with Sierra Nevada University (SNU) and UC Davis in response to visitor requests for a deeper understanding of Lake Tahoe’s aquatic ecosystem.

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Photo: https://tahoe.ucdavis.edu/events/farewell-celebration-uc-davis-underwater-lounge

Submitted by Mary Danahey of Incline Education Fund, Written by Tim Kelly, 11/19/24

The Incline High football team is heading to their first state championship game since 1981.  The Highlanders won an incredibly tough state semi final game last Saturday down in Needles, CA.  Incline is the #2 seed in northern NV so they traveled to the border of NV, CA and AZ to play against the #1 seeded Needles Mustangs.  They defeated the Mustangs 12-8 in a hard defensive battle.  Senior Quarterback Tommy Williams ran for 2 touchdowns and the Highlander defense held Needles to one touchdown.

Now, Incline is trying to win their first State Title since 1973 on Saturday November 23 at 10am at McQueen High School.  The Highlanders will play undefeated league rival Pershing County.  Both Incline and Pershing County are both undefeated because they didn’t get to play each other this season due to the Davis Fire in September.

All Photos by Chris Talbot of Talbot Photography

Originally Published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 11/16/2024, Written by Brenna O’Boyle

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – With their entire roster returning and the taste of Nevada 2A division State Championship victory still fresh, the Incline High School (IHS) Girls Golf Team has their sights set on building a dynasty. 

“You just got to show up and play and see what happens,” said Coach Sam Canino, who has led the team for two years. “Coming up next for the team, hopefully all the girls play golf over the intervening months and maybe even recruit one or two more players and come back next year even stronger looking to establish a dynasty.” 

The journey began with an unexpected challenge of finding enough players to field a complete team. 

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Photo provided to Tahoe Daily Tribune

Originally Published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 11/8/24, Written by Brenna O’Boyle

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – In the wake of sophomore Ross Hochberg’s stunning Nevada 3A Northern League Regional tennis championship win, Incline High School’s tennis program isn’t resting on its laurels. 

Instead, the team is doubling down on development, with a clear mission that head coach John Klein describes with competitive fire. 

“Our focus this post season is turning the strokes that are our liabilities into weapons,” Klein said of the work he and assistant coach Constance Marlin have implemented. 

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Photo: Provided – After sophomore Ross Hochberg’s stunning Nevada 3A Northern League Regional tennis championship win, Incline High School’s tennis program is doubling down on development.

Originally Published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 10/18/2024, Written by Brenna O’Boyle

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – Incline High ranked No. 14 out of more than 75 schools statewide and No. 2,114 out of almost 18,000 public high schools nationally, according to a recent best high school rankings report by U.S. News and World Report. 

The Academy of Arts, Careers and Technology (AACT) ranked No. 3, Galena High School ranked No. 8 and Reno High School earned the No. 12 slot in Nevada. 

“I am incredibly proud of our school community for being ranked 14th in the state by U.S. News and World Report,” said Principal Tierney Cahill. “As a five-star school, this recognition highlights the hard work and dedication of our students, staff, and families, especially the progress we’ve made in key areas like supporting our multilingual learners in achieving language proficiency.” 

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Submitted by Mary Danahey of Incline Education Fund

Thanks to a generous grant from the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Tahoe-Nevada, the Incline Education Fund (www.inclineeducationfund.org) has successfully completed its fundraising efforts to bring Skill Struck’s Chat for Schools AI platform to both Incline High School (IHS) and Incline Middle School (IMS). This community-supported initiative will launch a two-year pilot program that introduces an advanced, AI-driven learning tool designed to level the playing field for all students.

Developed by Skill Struck, Chat for Schools personalizes lesson plans and supports diverse learning styles, using a Socratic method of questioning to encourage critical thinking and deeper learning. The platform also provides real-time, personalized support in coding and computer science, enhancing student engagement while promoting independent problem-solving skills. Its multilingual capabilities are particularly beneficial for English Learners (EL), helping them keep pace with more advanced coursework despite language barriers. By integrating AI into the classroom, educators can offer more tailored learning experiences, ensuring every student can succeed in an increasingly digital world.

According to IHS Engineering teacher Adam Shoda, Chat for Schools is a valuable classroom tool. “The platform will allow me to give more one-on-one instruction to my students in the classroom, while challenging other students to think beyond immediate answers.  This is NOT about replacing a teacher with a computer, but an opportunity for me to target in-person instruction.  By using Chat for Schools’ response history, I will be able to uncover specific areas where a student may need more support or is eager to move ahead in their studies.”

While Incline Education Funds’ purchase of the Chat for Schools platform and training is limited to IHS and IMS, the program’s introduction creates broader opportunities for the Washoe County School District (WCSD).  Thanks to IEF’s contract, all other WCSD schools will also be eligible to run their own limited AI pilot programs through Skill Struck.

A leader in the Incline School’s K12 STEM Pathway, the Incline Education Fund continues to bring innovative and technologically advanced academic opportunities to the Incline Schools and is part of IEF’s broader effort to become “Model” schools for the state.

“We extend our deepest gratitude to the Incline Education Fund for their diligent efforts in securing funding to support K-12 education in the Incline community. Their unwavering dedication ensures that Incline’s elementary, middle, and high school students have access to invaluable resources and opportunities, helping them thrive academically and beyond. Thank you for your commitment to our future generations.”

Matt MacKay, WCSD CTE Coordinator 

For more information, visit www.inclineeducationfund.org.

Media Contact:  Mary Danahey, Executive Director, Incline Education Fund
maryd@inclineeducationfund.org | (650)-743-2309

Submitted by Incline Education Fund, Written by IHS Principal Tierney Cahil, 09/16/2024

We’re thrilled to share some fantastic news with our Incline High School family and community—we’ve earned a 5-star rating, the highest possible, on the Nevada School Performance Framework! Last year was the first year the star ratings returned after COVID, and while we proudly held a 4-star status, we expect more of ourselves and our collective efforts. Thanks to the dedication of our students, staff, and families, we’ve climbed even higher!

Here are some of the incredible highlights that made this achievement possible:

Graduation Success:

• Our graduation rate continues to impress! This year, 95.3% of our students graduated on time, up from 93% last year!
• At a small school like Incline, even one student not graduating or moving without notifying us can significantly impact our graduation numbers. We are incredibly proud of our students for this achievement, and we expect every student to graduate!

English Language Learner (ELL) Success:

• One of our most impressive achievements came from our English Language Learners (ELL). We saw a huge increase in students making the necessary progress to exit EL services within five years, jumping from 5.8% to 26.6%! This earned us all 10 possible points in this category, and we couldn’t be prouder of our dedicated students and teachers!
• Special shout out to Ms. Shine, Ms. Porras, and Lourdes Avenier for their amazing work. It’s important to note that ALL teachers are EL teachers, supporting this success across the board.
• We’re also grateful to our Booster friends for helping create community events that allowed us to better serve our Hispanic population. We expect these results to continue improving as we launch the HOPA program, matching Hispanic students with mentors to help guide them through the college process. Mentorship is key to ensuring students achieve their dreams!

College & Career Ready:

• Post-Secondary Success: More students are preparing for the future, with 69.8% of our students completing advanced courses, earning dual credits, or finishing career programs. That’s a big jump from last year, earning us top marks!
• We’re excited to see our Personalized Learning Academy continue to provide authentic real world opportunities, mentorship, and preparation to help students stand out to colleges and employers.

Science Proficiency Soars:

• We saw a big improvement in science proficiency! Way to go, future scientists and innovators!

We are committed to helping every student succeed and continuing to grow, particularly in Math and ELA proficiency. With the addition of AP and UNR concurrent dual credit courses taught on campus by our own teachers at no cost, every student now has access to challenging, college-level coursework. This opportunity is available to any student who wishes to push themselves academically and prepare for their future!

This 5-star rating is a reflection of the incredible support and involvement from our entire Incline community. We couldn’t have done it without you!

Thank you for being part of this amazing journey—let’s keep reaching for the stars together!

This Thursday: Back to School Night

Submitted by Jacquie Chandler of Sustain Tahoe

What do…

1.      Biomimicry
2.      Regenerative Agriculture
3.      Frontier Forests

Have in common?       They are all sustainable solutions that come from thinking with nature. 

Walking softly with the land to listen and understand invites insights and answers for planetary problems. Nature also demonstrates resilience, now identified as the most critical attribute young people need to survive and thrive in the modern world. Mindful connection to nature can address personal issues as well.Sustainable Tahoe’s mission is to accelerate the adoption of Geotourism – tourism that does no harm. 

We demonstrated this with the Geotourism Expos we hosted (2011-2014). When planning for the 2014 Tahoe Expo, I found myself on the edge of the lake with a Washoe elder, who hadn’t seen his people’s homeland in decades. He looked out into the lake like he was looking through time and after further contemplation said, 

“The Lake is losing its sparkle, maybe no one sings to it anymore.”

Washoe Elder

I’m thinking, wait…what…singing? Then I remembered how Indigenous people see land, water, plants, and wildlife as sacred relations worthy of reciprocity. His response provoked me to further my own quest to better hear the earth’s voice. Eventually answers in the form of songs began to show me a key missing piece is how our culture defines Nature as separate and disconnected from humans. It’s hard to care about things you don’t feel connected to – right? 

So, the idea to inspire a child’s innate connection to nature, through songs, stories and media evolved. 
What if we could grow a millennial forest of consciousness using the sticky rhythms of poems, songs, and stories from the earth, so children grow up feeling connected to Nature, a part of Nature, able to think with nature.

Sing with Nature Is a children’s animated media series where each 10-minute animated episode follows a clue that ends in a song highlighting insights discovered. The engagement can then move outside where a child can continue to explore seeing themselves in nature. Fostering a child’s instinctual connection to the natural world can build and preserve that resilience and natural tendency
to think with nature, therefore accelerating solutions that can actually pivot a culture to align with Natures currency the currency of caring…so the water sparkles!

FYI Reference:
Biomimicry: imitating nature’s systems, models, and elements to solve human problems and create a sustainable world.
Regenerative Agriculture: focused on actually improving soil conditions into creating systems that are regenerative.
Frontier Forests: large, intact natural forest ecosystems that are relatively undisturbed and large enough to maintain all of their biodiversity. 

Jacquie Chandler

Executive Director Sustain Tahoe
LinkedIn  Website TEDx Talk

PO 3206, Incline Village, NV 89450
775 413-9211

WATCH Jacquie Chandler | The Currency of Caring