IES hosted a very successful H’art & Harmony event right before the break. It was a celebration of the art and music programs at IES. Students held music performances, showcased their recent art projects, and made Valentine’s crafts.
Incline Middle School
The third quarter has brought a couple of new offerings to the Incline Middle Exploratory. Avalanche Safety and Drone Piloting are getting kids outside and teaching them tech skills.
Incline High School
Exciting news that most of you may have already heard… both the boys ski team and the varsity basketball team are Nevada State Champions!
The Incline High boys varsity basketball defeated the Needles Mustangs 55-50 to become the 2025 AA Nevada State Champions. Playing in Las Vegas at UNLV, the boys beat a Needles team that defeated them in last years state title game. Led by 8 phenomenal seniors, the boys finished as regional champs and state champs with a record of 23 wins and 6 losses. Senior Tommy Williams was named State Player of the Year while Junior Halen Hanson and Senior Colin Combs were named 1st Team All State. Seniors Jaden Abbate and Colton Barraza were named Honorable Mention All State along with Junior Lucas MacDonald. Head Coach Tim Kelly was named Nevada Coach of the Year.
In The News – Highlander boys prevail as state basketball champions
February 25, 2025 | Member Submitted
Originally Published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 02/25/2025, Written by Katelyn Welsh
The Incline boys basketball team is celebrating their season end as state champions after beating Needles High School on Saturday, Feb. 22 at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas during the NIAA 2A state tournament.
“We had been waiting and preparing for this game for 365 days,” coach Tim Kelly said. Incline had played Needles in the state title game last year and fell short. They’ve been counting down the days since, waiting for their opportunity to redeem and prove themselves the better team.
“After we lost last year in Reno, we said in the locker room that Tommy’s missed free throw would be the beginning of the movie, not the end of the movie,” Kelly said.
From Incline Village to Nepal: Helping a Remote Himalayan Village Thrive
January 29, 2025 | Member Submitted
Submitted and Written by local residents Helen & Eric Durfee, 1/25/2025
Longtime Incline Village residents Helen and Eric Durfee are dedicated board members of the Basa Village Foundation USA, regularly traveling to Nepal to support the remote village of Basa. From donating ski jackets to funding education, supplies and keeping power on through hydroelectic projects, the Basa Village foundation helps improve the lives of the people of Basa.
Basa is a remote village in Nepal, off the beaten path, in the foothills of the Himalayas, south of Mt Everest. It consists of 63 households primarily engaged in subsistence farming. Jeff Rasley, after many trips to Nepal, founded the Basa Village Foundation USA (https://bvfusa.org) in 2008, to improve the way of life for the people of Basa. I’ve been on the board since 2001. Some of the projects that BVFUSA has completed include providing safe drinking water in the village, building a school and funding three of the five teachers, providing school supplies and computers, a small hydroelectric project for lights in the homes, rebuilding the school after the 2015 earthquake, clean burning stoves in the homes, among other projects.
Last year we funded an animal husbandry project to build up a local co-op herd of goats and pigs. Having a staff to care for, and protect, the animals will provide jobs and the selling of goat milk, yogurt, cheese, and young animals themselves will provide income for the village. This project entailed building sheds, pens, and fences, leasing land, and the purchase of twenty five pigs and twenty five goats.
We work closely with our sister foundation, Basa Foundation-Nepal, which is headed up by Niru Rai. Niru is from Basa and now lives in Kathmandu. Niru started and owns Adventure Geo Treks (https://www.adventuregeotreks.com) and hires his guides, porters, drivers, cooks and staff from Basa. Together, we define a need, determine a solution, create a budget; then BVFUSA funds the project, monitors the progress, and evaluates the success of the project after completion. Basa Foundation-Nepal oversees the project, provides the volunteer labor, and gets the materials to Basa, mostly by oxen, donkey, and on men’s backs.
Education is crucial for the 85 students in the K-5 school. The Nepali government pays for the Nepali language and math teachers; BVFUSA pays for the English, science, and the social studies & computer science teachers. The five year funding that BVFUSA previously established ran out in 2024. The teachers are now working without pay and will move on if new funding is not forthcoming. Many, or most, of the young people of Basa will have to leave for places where they can find employment so having some education is essential. Knowing some English is important if they end up working in a tourist based business. One of the projects we are funding immediately is for the teacher’s salaries to keep the students learning.
The second project is to expand the animal husbandry project that we started last year. Unfortunately, nineteen of the pigs died of swine flu and need to be replaced, along with adding to the number of goats and pigs. We will continue to pay the salaries of the staff working the farm and have also increased the budget to provide for veterinarian visits as needed and medicine. We expect the farm to be self sustaining in two to three years.
This is a brief explanation of what the Basa Foundation is and what we do. You can get more information by going to our website (https://www.bvfusa.org). Helen and I have been to Basa and met many of the families there. We found the people to be very kind, supportive, and hard working. They are most appreciative of everything the foundation has done.
If you managed to read all the way here, thank you, and thank you for your consideration. All donations make a difference, no matter the size, and are appreciated. Don’t hesitate to call, text, or email me if you have any questions.
The Incline Schools have some exciting classes and events on tap for winter quarter:
INCLINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:
Mark your calendars for the Celebration of Art & Music at Incline Elementary School for the H’Art & Harmony Music Performances & Art Showcase Featuring IES Students Tuesday, February 11, 2025 5:00 – 6:30 pm. Activities Include:
Shrinky Dink Necklace Craft
Valentine’s Day Card Making
Raffle
Snacks for Purchase & More
Students, Family & Friends of IES are Invited
INCLINE MIDDLE SCHOOL:
IMS Students start a new Exploratory Quarter with several new options–one of which is the new Avalanche Safety Course. Led by a Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician (W-EMT)/ American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) 1 Instructor, IMS students will have a mix of class and on-snow field instruction. At the end of the quarter, IMS students will have an early understanding of how to:
Manage winter backcountry risk using a systematic process.
Actively contribute to a team.
Identify hazards in a winter backcountry environment.
Choose terrain that is appropriate for the group and hazard.
Develop a plan for continued learning and practice.
The Goals for the students at the end of the quarter are to:
Understand avalanche basics (types, terrain, weather factors). ○ Assess avalanche risks and make informed decisions as a team member. ○ Be familiar with proper use of avalanche safety gear. ○ Work as a team in simulated avalanche scenarios.
INCLINE HIGH SCHOOL:
Reminder–Have you marked your calendar for the IHS Boosters Crab Feed? Saturday, March 15, 2025 5:00 pm at the Incline Bowl. Buy your tickets before it sells out: Click here to buy your tickets: https://tinyurl.com/ihs-crabfeed2025
In The News – Incline High School named State Finalist in STEM Competition
January 25, 2025 | Member Submitted
Originally Published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 1/23/2025, Written by Leah Carter
Incline High School has been selected as one of five State Finalist schools in the 15th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow STEM competition.
The competition encourages students to use their STEM skills to develop devices and other projects that can resolve challenges within their communities. Students in Adam Shoda’s 11th grade class spoke with the Incline Village Community Hospital to determine their efforts.
“We went to the hospital and we asked them to come up with problems that any of their employees or departments had,” said Shoda. “They gave us a list of about four.”
Introducing our 10 Punch Pass to the Club for only $100!
Are you a family that only needs occasional drop-ins like the winter’s 2-hour delays or special programming? The Duffield Youth Program at the Boys & Girls Club of North Lake Tahoe is now offering a punch pass:
? 10 visits for just $100!? Great for occasional drop-ins(BGCNLT Annual Membership is required with a one-time fee of $40.) Rules and restrictions:
A 3.35% Technology & Processing fee will be applied to all transactions (cash, check or credit card)
This BGCNLT punch card is non-transferable
Valid at Duffield Youth Program – Incline Village
Valid For: 2024-25 WCSD-Incline School Year. Expires: June 13, 2025
Share this with a friend who could benefit from this new service.
For More information contact: Melissa Flaming BGCNLT Marketing & Development Coordinator | mflaming@bgcnlt.org | 530-582-3760 | www.bgcnlt.org Admin Office: 8125 Steelhead | PO Box 1617 | Kings Beach, CA 96143
In The News – UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center researchers advance methane emission modeling techniques for freshwater reservoirs
January 16, 2025 | Member Submitted
Originally Published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 1/15/25, Submitted
Researchers at the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) and Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE) have advanced greenhouse gas (GHG) emission research by advancing existing modeling techniques to enhance understanding of methane emissions from inland freshwater lakes and reservoirs, specifically focusing on the substrate (sediment) type and variability in space and time.
This pioneering study, executed in collaboration with Valley Water of Santa Clara County and researchers at the University of Granada (Spain), integrates hydroacoustic measurements with sediment sampling and gas analysis to assess methane generation and release from freshwater lakes and reservoirs more accurately. By adapting older acoustic techniques to account for varying substrate types and conditions, the TERC team has significantly improved our understanding of how to quantify methane emissions from inland waterbodies, contributing vital insights to climate change mitigation efforts.
The Holman Arts and Media Center invites artists of all skill levels to Lake Tahoe for its annual Summer Arts Workshops. Attendees will spend five days in an intensive creative experience led by internationally recognized sculptors, painters, videographers, photographers and mixed-media artists.
Workshop participants will leave having expanded their creative skillset while in a stunning natural setting. Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada have long been sources of creative inspiration for artists of all mediums. The Holman Arts and Media Center is within walking distance from the shores of Lake Tahoe and situated amidst miles of hiking and walking trails in the Sierra Nevada.
Save the date! Registration opens January 14 at 10:00 a.m. Workshops fill quickly.
Student applications are being accepted this week and adult applications will be out soon (check back here each week). This year’s production will be on May 2nd and 3rd at the IHS Duffield Theater. Go to inclinestarfollies.org for more information.
Hard to believe, but we are already (almost) half-way through the school year!!
Read below to see what’s going on at each of the schools and don’t miss the opportunties to participate in some fun events.
IHS
Next week is finals week – so please be nice to any high schoolers you encounter.
In case you missed it, IHS’s “We the People” team has, yet again, progressed to the state level competition, held on Jan 25th, in Las Vegas. The state winner will move on to the National competition in April in Washington, D.C. If you want to see the team in action, IHS is hosting a public practice event tonight, Wednesday, January 15, from 5:30 PM to 8:30pm on the first floor and in the theater.
On another “note”, mark your calendar for Friday, February 7th, at 6:00pm.to see the IHS Music Department perform @ Alibi Aleworks. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the door, the high school, or from an IHS Music Student. The concert will feature the Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Combo, Guitar Ensemble, String Quartet, and the Lotus Student Band.
IMS
The Junior Boosters
are hosting a Family Movie Night on Friday, January 24th. They are screening High School Musical, so bring your blankets, enjoy some popcorn, and share a fun night with friends and neighbors. Bring the whole family and enjoy a cozy night out!
IEF would like to give a huge shout out to Greenwood Homes and Simonian Flooring for helping to complete the indoor garden area at IMS by donating time and materials to install the flooring. It looks amazing and really spruces up the place!
IES
Nevada Math, a new math enrichment program at IES, is starting this week. This pilot program is being provided by Incline Education Fund and will provide fun and challenging math games to highly motivated students.
There will be an “Art & Music Fesitval” at Incline Elementary on February 11th. Check back here next month for more details.
UNR
Sign up now for UNR-Lake Tahoe’sContinuing Ed Drawing & Design Class heldhere at the Holman Arts Center. Classes meet on Tuesdays for 90 minutes with Instructor Anthony Marrone. See this link for more info: UNR Continuing Ed or contact Director Rick Parsons, at: rickparsons@unr.edu.
