Happy Friday!

This week I enjoyed starting my day off in guitar class with Ms. Sibicky. Students were learning new keys and how to play with rhythmic sounds. I think it is so cool that students can learn how to play the guitar and get to start their morning off with music. As Modest Mouse once said, “Music is to the soul what words are to the mind.”

I liked seeing a Hale upper-class student sit with her teacher at lunchtime to give an oral presentation for her College in the High School Poli/Sci 101 course. She gave her analysis on a Media and Media Biases assignment, sharing her insights quite eloquently with her teacher. This is an example of students displaying their skills and thinking in the classroom.

In our Systems Medicine class I enjoyed talking with students in our HOSA program as they worked on a simulation activity to help navigate and understand the complexities in healthcare systems. I enjoyed hearing about their interests in public health and potential careers in public health beyond Nathan Hale. Students had the opportunity to engage in dialogue with peers in small groups using a “Care Coordinator Simulation” that focused on three case studies from three different locations (globally) as models to examine different healthcare systems, while answering these essential questions: 

• What is it like to need healthcare for COVID in other places? 
• How does it compare to the US? 
• What do healthcare systems have to do with managing a pandemic? 
• What is it like to care for an elderly patient while navigating the healthcare system?

I was really impressed with our 11th and 12th grade students in the class and their desire to learn more about systems in medicine. The simulation allowed them to use their thinking skills and globalization research and knowledge to participate fully in the activity. Ms. Umdor-Singh enjoys sharing her love and passion for medicine with her students.

I appreciate the support we get for our teachers and students at Hale. We are currently seeking School Supply/ Clothing Donations for the following items to help stock our school supply closet: backpacks (gently used or new), 3 ring binders, college ruled composition notebooks, 2 pocket folders, colored highlighters, markers, Kleenex and healthy snacks etc. If you or an organization you know have these items to donate asap, please bring your items to the main office. If you have items to donate to the Nathan Hale Clothing Closet, please contact Ms. Lyndsey Johnson at 206-252-3760.

One highlight of my week this week is sitting down and sharing graduation data from the class of 2025. I am so proud of the work staff do daily to support learning and the hard work counselors do in guiding students to graduation. I know it takes a village, and we could not do what we do daily with our parents, guardians, and families getting their student to school each day. So, to celebrate, we had 246 seniors last year. Of the 246, we had 8 take a GAP year, 2 join the military, 117 enroll in 2-yr Seattle Promise program, 103 enroll in a 4-yr college/university, 8 accept a trade/vocational program, and 8 decide to go right into the work force. Of the 103 students attending a college/university, 53 different institutions welcomed our honorable, skillful, thinking, global citizens: Univ. of WA Seattle, Univ. of British Columbia, Oregon St. Univ., Carroll College, Univ. of Utah, Yonsei International Univ. S. Korea, Boston College, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison, Univ. Hawaii at Manoa, Univ. of Oregon, Western WA Univ., Marymount Manhattan Univ., Univ. of WA Bothell, Otterbein Univ., Cal Poly Tech SLO, Brandeis Univ., Loyola Chicago, WA St. Univ, Univ. of San Francisco, High Point Univ., Boise State Univ., Simon Fraser Univ., Norwich Univ., Norfolk Univ., Eastern WA Univ., DePaul Univ., UC Santa Barbara, Santa Clara Univ., Leeds Beckett Univ. England, Central WA Univ., Cal Poly Humboldt, Whitman Univ., Digipen Europe Bilbao, Univ. of Vermont, Case Western Reserve Univ., Suny Buffalo St. University, Fordham Univ., Gonzaga Univ., Univ. of Arizona, Univ. of Missouri, Aurora Univ., UC Berkley, Fort Lewis College, Montana State Univ., Arizona State Univ., Univ. of Puget Sound, CA College of Arts, Macalester College, Lewis & Clark College, Seattle Univ., Cascadia College, George Fox Univ. and Occidental College. Students in the Seattle Promise program shared they will be attending North Seattle College, Green River College, Shoreline College, Bellingham Tech, and Prep school, etc. I highly encourage every senior to sign up for Seattle Promise. It is an amazing option for all students, allowing them many options when it comes down to finalizing their next journey beyond high school. We should be proud as a school community. This is quite an accomplishment for the class of 2025.

Healthy Youth Survey This Fall

The Healthy Youth Survey includes questions related to physical activity, unintentional and intentional injury, substance use, interpersonal relationships, school experiences, risk and protective factors, and access to school-based services. Survey results are used by schools, communities, and State agencies to plan programs to support our youth and reduce their risks. Participation in the survey is voluntary, and steps are taken to ensure student privacy. There are no names or codes used to link a survey back to a student. Please read the Information for Parents/Guardians and Youth Letter for more information about the Healthy Youth Survey.

Parent & Youth Info Letter – English  

Parent & Youth Info Letter – Spanish

Parent & Youth Info Letter – Amharic

Parent & Youth Info Letter – Somali

Parent & Youth Info Letter – Chinese

Parent & Youth Info Letter – Vietnamese

Fall Sports

Tonight, we have a home football game vs. Lakeside at 7pm Raider Field. Come on out and enjoy Friday Night lights.

Congratulations to Girls Cross Country on their 2nd place finish at the South Whidbey 46th Carl Westling Cross Country Invitational.

Homecoming Spirit Week and Lunch Activities

Homecoming is next week! Students have planned a week of activities culminating with a Friday full of festivities. We’ll have Staff v. Student Volleyball on Wednesday during Mentorship and Family Feud is Monday (9 v.10), Tuesday (11 v. 12), Wednesday (Final) during lunch.  Dressing up is the best way students earn class spirit points! Students should not have to go out and spend a lot of money for dress-up items but will hopefully use their creative minds and find items already at home. 

• Monday 9/29 – Blue Out
• Tuesday 9/30 – Twin Day
• Wednesday 10/1 – Decades Day: Freshman – 2010’s Sophomores – 2000’s Juniors – 90’s Senior – 80’s
• Thursday 10/2 – Nerd vs. Jock
• Friday 10/3 – Class Colors: Freshmen wear Red, Sophomores wear White, Juniors wear Blue, and Seniors wear Black & Gold / Toga.

Homecoming Movie ‘Night’ on Wed, 10/1 from 2:30-4:00pm in the Commons. The move: Hocus Pocus. Free entry! Concessions will be available, cash only!

HaleGate on Friday, 10/3 from 4:30-6:00pm at the East entry by the football field. Hale Cheer will be face painting, music will be pumping, and hotdogs, chips and drinks will be sold ahead of the Homecoming Game. $5 for the combo. Cash only.

Homecoming football game is Friday, 10/3 starting at 6:00pm. Ticket cost for credit card purchasers is $8.50 for adults, $6.50 for students with ASB and seniors aged 62+ (with an additional $1.50 service charge for all credit card purchases). For cash purchases: adults $10, students with ASB card $7.

Homecoming Dance on Friday, 10/3 from 8:00-10:30pm in the Commons. All non-Hale student guests need to be approved in advance by submitting a Guest Dance Pass form available in the Main Office; forms due Wed, 10/1 at 4pm. Purchase tickets in advance for the best prices. Next week during lunch: $15 with ASB, $18 without ASB. Tickets are available at the door for $20; no guest forms accepted at the door.

NH Counselors

Please note that student counselor assignments may have changed for the 2025-2026 school year due to balancing caseload numbers. The following are the new alphabetical breakdown by last name and assigned counselor. Posters are in each classroom and posted around the school with QR codes for students to sign up to see their counselor. Nathan Hale Counselors are available from 8:20 am to 4:00 pm daily. Check them out and see our NH Counseling page for more information.

Students with last names A-F
 Counselor: Mr. Krsto Budech
 ksbudech@seattleschools.org
 206-252-3697

Students with last names G-N
 Counselor: Mrs. Kristie Thompson
 kcthompson@seattleschools.org
 206-252-3689

Students with last names O-Z
 Counselor: Ms. Kelly Creech
 klcreech@seattleschools.org
 206-252-3695

School Administrators

This school year I am excited to welcome back the NHHS admin team. Joining me again are Ms. Burrell, Assistant Principal, Mx. Zoba, Assistant Principal, and Ms. Bosworth, Academic Intervention Specialist.

Ms. Burrell alburrell@seattleschools.org
Grades 9th and 10^th student support

Mx. Zoba kizoba@seattleschools.org
Grades 11th and 12th student support

Ms. Bosworth tabosworth@seattleschools.org
Academic Intervention Specialist (AIS) 9 -12 grade student support
Student 504 coordinator and AP Testing coordinator

We look forward to supporting both the lower and upper houses at Nathan Hale. Please do not hesitate to reach out to your student’s administrator for support and join our NHHS team and get involved at Nathan Hale.

AP Testing

Nathan Hale High School is offering the following AP Exams in May 2026:

• Computer Science A
• Computer Science Principles
• Statistics
• Environmental Science
• English Literature and Composition
• Psychology

AP Tests cost $125 per test. Families and students who are already approved for free and reduced lunch will have a discounted price of $20 per exam. AP registration and payments are due Friday, October 31, 2025 (NO EXTENSIONS). All cancelled, unused, or no-show AP Exams that were charged $125 will incur a $65 fee per exam (this includes College Board Policy and SPS Administration Fees). Refunds will be issued upon request for unused exams in June 2026.

AP tests at Nathan Hale are not required but are encouraged for all students who are taking an AP class. If students attending Hale would like to take an exam not offered at Hale, please fill out this Cross District Registration Form: https://forms.office.com/r/epkghX0ayT.

Basic Rules of SPS

The Basic Rules of Seattle Public Schools Procedure 2025-26 is available on the SPS website.   

Save the date

• Music Department Mattress Fundraiser on Saturday, October 4th from 10am to 5pm in our Commons.
• New Bell Schedule starts on Monday, October 6th
• No school/Staff In-Service Day on Friday, October 10th.
• NHHS Curriculum Night is October 16th at 7:00pm. Info tables and community resource tables start at 6:00pm.
• Senior parent meeting will start at 6:15pm in the PAC. Junior parents are welcome to join this meeting.
• Photo MakeUp/Retake Day on Thursday, October 23rd.

Have a great weekend.

In Partnership,

Ms. Jolene Grimes
Proud Principal