2026 Year in Review

Clover Park School District Highlights

 

We are proud to some of the highlights of learning and growth in our CPSD schools during the 2025-26 school year!

 

August

Middle and high schools held “jump start” transition events for incoming sixth and ninth graders to help prepare students for a success school year in their new buildings.

CPSD administrators and staff attended National Night Out events across the city, including hosting a booth with activities at American Lake.

Caring for Kids held its annual Ready to Learn Fair and provided school supplies, clothing and haircuts for more than 800 students.

Clover Park High School students participated in the Leaders of Change program with Communities in Schools and identified areas of focus for the upcoming year: college readiness experiences, bridging the gap between CPHS staff and students, increasing community building opportunities, improving mental health support for student athletes and building connections with neurodiverse learners and students with disabilities.

CPSD hosted a Back to School Kick Off for educators who hit the field and slid into the new year with an all-staff rendition of the Electric Slide.

CPSD welcomed students back to school on Aug. 29! Special thank you to the volunteers who helped at schools, include soldiers from Madigan Army Medical Center who served as crossing guards at Tillicum Elementary School!

September

Thomas Middle School student Aleenah Hagadone’s artwork was featured in the district calendar for the month of September.

40 CPSD students successfully completed the Summer Intensive Program at Clover Park Technical College and earned industry recognized credentials: 29 in the Nursing Assistant Certification Program, five in Construction Technology, four in Mechatronics and two in Environmental Science.

CPSD hosted a booth at the city’s Fiesta de la Familia event with free books and activities.

Four Heroes established Dual Language program - the first CPSD model that intentionally balances heritage Spanish speakers and native English speakers learning together. With 90% of the day in Spanish and 10% in English, the program is designed to develop bilingualism, biliteracy and meaningful cross-cultural connections. It reflects Four Heroes’ deep commitment to inclusivity, ensuring every student’s language and identity are honored as strengths. This program stands as a celebration of Four Heroes’ richly diverse community.​​​​​ 

In honor of National Constitution and Citizenship Day, CPSD students learned about the importance of the United States Constitution and being an active citizen.

October

Four Heroes Elementary School student Gaspar was recognized by Superintendent Banner and West Pierce Fire & Rescue for his quick action when a family member experienced a medical emergency.

15 CPSD secondary students received Elizabeth Wesley Youth Merit Incentive Awards: Jalaina Washington, Desean Boyd, Braelyn Carey, Korey Fussell Jr., Kendall Griffin, Joshua Gyimah, Kaila Johnson, Madison Jones, Jonah Kimemia, Charlotte Krakani, Maggie Mars and Jaylah Thompson.

Harrison Preparatory School student Gabriel Williams was named a semifinalist for the National Merit Scholarship.

Four Heroes student Isreal Amishi’s artwork was featured in the district calendar for the month of October.

State Representative Mari Leavitt toured Carter Lake Elementary School where she read to a kindergarten classroom, spoke with a parent volunteer group and had a conversation with fourth graders about her experience as a military-connected student.

CPSD staff and volunteers attended the city’s Truck and Tractor Day and provided an opportunity for students to climb aboard and take the helm of a school bus, participate in games and receive free books to support their continued learning.

The Board of Directors presented local partner, Caring for Kids, with a ceremonial check donation raised by CPSD to support their efforts, and recognized National School Principals Month.

Thomas Middle School brought Hispanic Heritage Month to a close with an assembly that celebrated culture and community.

CPSD students participated in The Great Washington Shakeout and practiced safety measures to stay prepared in the event of a seismic shift.

CPSD students and staff volunteers joined Clover Park Rotary in beautifying the South Puget Sound Wildlife Area by collecting litter and planting noninvasive plants.

The Lakewood City Council recognized Lake Louise Elementary School students whose artwork was featured in the city’s stormwater outreach calendar.

Idlewild Elementary School PTA held a pumpkin carving contest for students.

Clover Park High School held a Be REAL (Respect, Equality, Acceptance and Love) event led by student leaders that encourage ninth graders to adopt a culture of kindness.

Thomas Middle School students participated in Buhay: The Filipino American Experience at the Washington State History Museum to celebrate Filipino heritage.

November

Superintendent Banner’s video series featured a conversation about Cooperative Worksite Learning (WSL) – a unique program that helps students gain real-world experience while earning high school credit.

The Board of Directors earned a Board of Distinction for its work to close achievement gaps and supporting student learning.

CPSD schools honored Veterans Day with moving assemblies that reflected the close ties our students, families and staff have with veterans.

Beachwood Elementary School student Sierra Cruz’s artwork was featured in the district’s calendar for November.

Lake Louise received the Championing Students’ Success Award for the 2024-25 school year for improving student achievement and meeting varied needs of students through innovative work to support their students’ academic and social, emotional well-being (they were recognized at the Nov. 10 board meeting).

The Board of Directors recognized high school student leaders – ASB, Superintendent’s Youth Advisory Council. (SYAC) and Lakewood Youth Council – for their servant leadership and their positive impact on their school communities.

Rainier Elementary School students went on an out-of-this-world field trip to the Pierce College Science Dome for hands-on learning of science and math fundamentals.

Business services, financial services and instructional technology services staff members collected food donations that were delivered to the Lakewood Police Department in honor of its annual Fallen Officers Food Drive.

Thomas Middle School students shared their stories and celebrated their heritage in honor of Native American Heritage Month.

Idlewild Elementary School fourth graders visited the Washington State History Museum.

Four Heroes and Oakbrook elementary school students put their STEAM skills to work at their balloon parades.

Loaves and Fishes provided 841 Thanksgiving boxes of food.

December

Cliana Caparida’s artwork was featured in the district calendar for the month of December.

Kareliz Villanueva, Clover Park HS; Bentley Webster, Harrison Prep; and Louise Hadassah Womack, Lakes HS were named 2025-26 Daffodil princesses. Louise also received an award for congeniality.

More than 300 CPSD students, families and staff walked in the city’s Parade of Lights showing our CPSD pride.

Hudtloff Middle School seventh graders visited the Tacoma Nature Center where they engaged in hands-on learning about pH balances, accurate scientific measurements, ecology, water testing and more.

Dana Kelleher, director district 3, and Darrin Lowry, director district 4, were sworn in as member of the CPSD Board of Directors.

An anonymous donor donated hundreds of winter coats, boots, tennis shoes and other clothing items to students for the 41st consecutive year.

The Emergency Food Network provided 1,000 additional “break bags” for families, with the help of volunteers from Red Cross, Lakewood Rotary and active military and veterans.

Caring for Kids held its annual holiday fair and provided clothing, toiletries, gifts, food and gift cards to 853 CPSD families.

Lakewood Rotary donated 49 bicycles to students.

Lieutenant Colonel Giulotto and Sergeant First Class Calderon donated presents for 15 students at Tillicum Elementary School.

Clover Park Rotary donated a vast amount of food items to Custer Elementary School families.

Thomas Middle School seventh and eighth grade band students performed for Lake Louise Elementary School students.

January

CPSD recognized January as School Board Recognition Month.

Clover Park High School student Avani Bunkley’s artwork was featured in the district calendar for the month of January.

Park Lodge Elementary School second graders visited the Hands-On Children’s Museum in Olympia where they learned about water structures, lever and pully systems, microscopes and science principles like physics, energy and engineering.

West Pierce Fire & Rescue visited Oakbrook Elementary School to teach students about the importance of fire safety.

CPSD participated in the city’s Beloved Community event – Harrison Prep staff and students gave inspiring performances.

Eight Lakes High School students visited Pacific Lutheran University as an extension of their virtual Spanish 201 College in High School course.

Gravelly Lake K-12 Academy seniors received their diplomas at a special Awarding of Diplomas Ceremony.

Three Lakes High School students Jayden Murray, Isabella Tecson and Louis Tran placed in the top 10 for Washington state during the fall qualifier of the 2026 Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) U.S. National Championship.  

Lakes HS althetic director Kevin Wright was inducted into the Washington State Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

February

Park Lodge Elementary School fifth grader Jada Williams’ artwork was featured in the district calendar for the month of February.

Superintendent Banner’s video series and podcast explored how modern and well-designed school facilities support student success.

Harrison Preparatory School drama students earned high scores in the 2026 Southwest Regional Thespy Competition.

Lakes High School held its annual Power Within workshop for ninth grade students to promote leadership, personal growth and community engagement.

CPSD held a College, Career and Family Summit at Pierce College to explore life after graduation and the many pathways available to students.

Lakes High School drama teacher Briana Navarro was named 2026 Washington Outstanding Theatre Educator of the Year by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).

Thomas Middle School eighth grader Melissa Keagy’s artwork received Best in Show and was featured on the district’s STEAM Fair program.

Superintendent Banner and Board Director Janet Caldwell joined the Nisqually Indian Tribe for the annual Chief Leschi Walk.

Custer Elementary School students honored Friendship Day by creating special cards filled with positive messages for children at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital.

Superintendent Banner shared the district’s story and key updates at a Kiwanis luncheon.

Lakes High School’s drone team participated in the 8th Brigade Drone Championship where they demonstrated their ability to use hand-held remote controls or complex code to control drones and navigate challenging courses.

March

Beachwood Elementary School student Zakari Zamora’s artwork was featured in the district calendar for March.

CPSD schools recognized Read Across America by participated in various activities to promote literacy and a love of reading.

Superintendent Banner joined Custer Elementary School students for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of their school’s new food pantry.

Dower Elementary School third-through-fifth grade students put on a dazzling performance of “The Lion King” coordinated by teachers Liz Roman and Katie Kaspar.

CPSD held a budget workshop to share information about the district’s budget and the 2026-27 budget development process and launched a survey to gather input from the community on budget priorities to support student learning.

CPSD students competed in the district’s Future Chefs annual competition. Delilah Perez took the Grand Prize with her recipe for baked raspberry cheesecake.

Teams of CPSD elementary school students competed districtwide in the Battle of the Books competition to test their reading comprehension. This year’s battled ended in a tie between the Rainier Elementary team, Book Knights, and the Tyee Park Elementary School Team, King Nubs.

Through CPSD’s partnership with Lakewold Gardens, each fifth grade class visited to learn more about ecological concepts, food webs and different natural biomes and plant and animal life in our local environment.

Superintendent Banner visited with both the Clover Park Rotary and Lakewood Rotary clubs to share information about the school district.

April

Carter Lake Elementary School student Isabella Dimase’s artwork was featured in the district calendar for the month of April.

Superintendent Banner’s video and podcast series featured a conversation with Custer Elementary School teachers and principal Kathy Weymiller about their intentional teaching practices, supportive learning environments and high expectations that help students build essential skills in literacy, math and critical thinking.

CPSD participated in the Daffodil Parade with a float decorated with the theme “Blooming Lifelong Learners,” earning the Ambassador Award for the most original entry. Thanks to CPSD retiree Therese High who has coordinated the Daffodil Parade float for the past 24 years.

More than 500 Clover Park, Lakes, Hudtloff, Lochburn and Thomas band students performed in the district’s band festival held at Clover Park Technical College.

CPSD hosted the College and Career Readiness 101 event for families to speak with college and career representatives, complete job applications, attend workshops and complete their FAFSA and WASFA applications.

CPSD staff, students and families celebrated the Month of the Military child during April and wore purple on April 23 to show support for our military-connected students.

The Board of Directors honored CPSD staff members who reached 30, 35 or 40 years with the district: 30 years - Lisa Barabe, Eric Carrier, Julie Grant, Robin Harrell, Robin Hudson, Janet Lonsway, Sonya Moorhead, Janet Nelson, Kimberly Russell, Stephanie Schuler; 35 years - Jyl Andrews, Scott Mars and Leslie Hoffman; and 40 years - Tracey Glembin, Roeme Kitchen and Mistine Turner.

CPSD students participated in the city of Lakewood’s Youth Empowerment Summit to cultivate their collaboration and leadership skills.

Clover Park High School students won the Gold Honor Troupe and Harrison Preparatory School students won the Silver Honor Troupe designation at the 2026 Washington State Thespian Festival.

CPSD students helped weed, spread bark and beautify Fort Steilacoom Park and the Lakewood Community Garden on Parks Appreciation Day.

May

Dower Elementary School student Kevin Neath’s artwork was featured in the district’s calendar for the month of May.

Custer Elementary School won the 2026 Best of the South Sound Award for Best Public Elementary School.

Hudtloff Middle School won the Best of the South Sound Award for Best Public Middle School.

Clover Park High School created The Arlington Project for the 19th consecutive year and held a ceremony to honor fallen U.S. service members. The ceremony featured impactful speeches and a performance of local trumpet virtuoso Morris Northcutt.

CPSD held a special ceremony to celebrate the nominees and winners of the 2026 Employee of the Year: Nicole Dickson, classified; Christine Jones, certificated; and Holly Nielsen, administrative.

Beachwood was recognized once again by the Washington State Recognition Program for outstanding achievement in Math and English Language Arts for the fourth consecutive year. This honor reflects the dedication, skill and heart Beachwood staff bring to their work every day, as well as the perseverance and effort of Beachwood students.

Rainer Elementary School students were transported to the heart of the Atlantic Ocean for a blended interactive learning event, a Titanic Tea Party.

CPSD hosted kindergarten orientation events in Spanish and English for families.

CPSD secondary students continued their servant leadership by volunteering at the South Sound Wildlife Clean Up to continue important preservation efforts at the South Puget Sound Wildlife Area led by Clover Park Rotary.

Congratulations to the CPSD seniors who earned awards at their respective senior awards events.

Lake Louise Elementary School celebrated its efforts to provide connected and rich learning opportunities for every student by meeting them exactly where they are. They have focused on inclusionary practices to ensure it is a place where every student and family belongs.  One of their greatest celebrations has been hosting an annual multicultural event and their newly established 'Buddy Clubs' that are a way for students from all of our classrooms to come together and build relationship skills with other students.

Hillside Elementary School set an ambitious goal of reaching a Student Growth Percentile (SGP) of 55 this year, and Hillside students exceeded expectations in a big way. This spring, Hillside achieved an SGP of 71 in reading and 68 in math, reflecting the dedication of our students, staff and community. Hillside is proud of this growth and excited to continue building on this success together.

Six CPSD seniors received Lakewood Rotary Mike McGowan Educational Incentive Awards.

Members of the Superintendent’s Youth Advisory Council (SYAC) turned their passion for mental health awareness into action by hosting mental health resource tables at Clover Park and Lakes high schools.

Kiwanis awarded secondary students with achievement awards and four scholarships for graduating seniors.

June

Park Lodge Elementary School student Elsy Arua’s artwork was featured in the district calendar for the month of June.

The Board of Directors honored seven schools that were recognized for academic achievement and student growth by the Washington Recognition Program for the 2024-25 school year. Achievement: Beachwood Elementary School; Student Growth: Carter Lake, Four Heroes, Idlewild, Meriwether and Park Lodge elementary schools; and Closing Gaps: Park Lodge Elementary School and Thomas Middle School.

Idlewild Elementary School students sold ice-cold lemonade from their school’s drive thru and Custer Elementary School students operated from stalls located at businesses throughout the city as part of Lemonade Day.  They demonstrated their businesses ownership, food handling, collaboration and sales skills while earning money for their schools and to donate.

CPSD honored 2026 retirees in a special celebration.

At its final meeting of the year, SYAC graduating seniors received their graduation cords and Lakewood Multicultural Coalition presented four seniors with a $1,000 scholarship in recognition for their leadership, advocacy and commitment to making a positive difference in their schools and community.

CPSD presented leadership awards to community leaders for their continued support: Caring for Kids CEO Diane Formoso, Pierce County Council Chair Jani Hitchen and Woodmen Life representatives Cheryl Johnston-Carr and Joe Rosado.

CPSD also presented student leadership awards to students for the positive impact of their leadership on their school communities: Malynki “Mal” Jackson, Clover Park HS; Mykel Sanders, Gravelly Lake K-12 Academy; Alicia Kirabo, Harrison Prep; and Kennedy Brown, Lakes HS.

Superintendent Banner’s video and podcast series featured a conversation with graduating seniors on their educational experience in CPSD.

Lakes High School students were featured in the St. Clare Hospital’s 11th annual Celebration of Art reception.

Congratulations to the 606 high school seniors who graduated from Clover Park High School, Gravelly Lakes K-12 Academy, Harrison Preparatory School and Lakes High School.

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