Friday 4/25 Family Message

Happy Friday! 

I am so proud of how well students and staff did with state testing all week. It truly takes a lot of organization and detail to ensure the testing environment is set up and ready to launch. Thank you, parents/guardians, for ensuring that your student was ready and prepared for testing all week. If your student was absent this week, they will be pulled early next week to finish their tests. Absences in their other classes will be excused. If your student is in Running Start, we will have late testing for these students and others who had to miss this whole week of testing during the final week of May. We will reach out with details to them as we come closer to the date.  

This week our Hale Seniors – Class of 2025 had the opportunity to hear important details and timelines to ensure they make it to graduation. Graduation is June 17th at 5 pm. The presentation school counselors shared with seniors was emailed out as an attachment in my Friday message on April 25th. If you have questions or are unable to view the presentation, please contact your student’s counselor. We welcomed three new counselors to our counseling team this week: Izzy Steiger (M, W) and Krsto Budech (T, Th, F) for alpha A-Gon. Mr. Max’s last day was on Monday, April 21st. Henry Rance will be a counseling intern through the end of the school year.  

This week is Public School Volunteer Week and I would like to thank all of the many volunteers who take time out of their day to volunteer at Nathan Hale in the classrooms or with our various programs and teams. From tutors to drama and music boosters to field trip chaperones to sports team parents and boosters, club advisors, Nathan Hale Community Organization parents, Nathan Hale Foundation volunteers who coordinate the auctions, dance chaperones, and the list goes on. It truly takes a village to make school run smoothly and we could not do it without you! Thank you so much! 

Is your student thinking about trying Running Start. If so, there is a Running Start Info session on Wednesday, April 30th led by Ms. Katy Foster from North Seattle during Mentorship in the library. The session starts at 12:05 pm. There are also virtual info sessions that are happening weekly throughout April. Feel free to encourage others to visit the website to Learn more about Running Start. We encourage students to be informed about all the educational opportunities they have within SPS. Check out the counseling page for more information and resources.  

Next week is our YDD at Hale. YDD stands for Yankee Doodle Days and is Hale’s way of celebrating spring and reviving school spirit now that the winter months are behind us. Students participate by dressing up on themed days (which earn points for their grade), participate in events during lunch which also earn points for their grade, search for the Spirit Stick, optionally participate in a Blood Drive, and attend an assembly on Friday. Below is a list of the spirit day dress-up* themes: 

• Monday – Minion Day 
• Tuesday – Swag Day – (channel your inner Soulja Boy, wear your bold style….)
• Wednesday – Western Wednesday 
• Thursday – BBQ Dad vs. Soccer Mom 
• Friday – Class Colors 

*We encourage students to use what they have in the closet and not spend a dime to dress up. Call a neighbor or ask a friend. These days are fun and important to build community at Hale.  

The Hale Spring Blood Drive is on Thursday, May 1st. Students (16 and over) can sign up using the QR code posted throughout the building, or in the office. Permission forms are required for students 16 or 17 years old. The Blood Drive is held in conjunction with BloodWorks NW. We thank all participants who support these important drives to make our communities a better place.  

Friday is the BIG Spring Fling Dance. The dance is from 8:30 to 10:30pm at Nathan Hale in the Commons. Tickets will be sold next week during lunch for $15 with ASB card, $17 without ASB, and will be $20 at the door for NHHS students only. No guest tickets will be sold at the door. Guest dance pass forms, required for any guest of a NH student, are available in the Main Office and are due no later than 4pm on Thursday, May 1st. Please talk to your student(s) about their plan and understand that we have the following dance expectations for all students: 1. No in and out privileges. 2. No drugs or alcohol is allowed. 3. No hanging out in the parking lot before or after the dance. Students review a dance contract outlining additional expectations when they purchase their tickets. The Class of 2027 is still looking for volunteers to chaperone the dance as well as for snack donations. If you are able to help, please reply to Classof2027NHHS@gmail.com  

It’s spring-cleaning time, and we want your unwanted items!! Ms. Lyndsey, our social worker, is hosting a Clothing and Hygiene Drive between May 5-9. Drop-off new undergarments and hygiene supplies, and new or gently used summer clothing items, including prom attire and shoes, in the Main Office! Contact Ms. Lyndsey for any questions at lbjohnson1@seattleschools.org. 

Leadership opportunity for students: Principal Grimes is looking for 4 students from each grade level to participate on the NHHS Principal Advisory Committee. Information was shared in the school bulletin. If you have an interested student, please inform them that letters of interest are due by noon on Monday, April 28th to Principal Grimes via email: jmgrimes@seattleschools.org. Please make the subject line: NHHS Principal Advisory Committee.  

Finally, I am grateful and so excited to be hired as the permanent principal which was announced by Superintendent Jones this past Monday. I look forward to continuing the work in cultivating a culture of learning at Nathan Hale High School that ensures every student, especially those furthest from educational justice, becomes an honorable, skillful, thinking, global citizen.  

Have a great weekend. Enjoy the good weather.  

In Partnership,  

Jolene Grimes
Proud Principal