Happy Friday! 

We made it to Winter Break. May all students and families enjoy time away from Nathan Hale December 23 – January 3. School will resume on January 6, 2025, at our regular start time of 8:50am. We look forward to seeing all students be on-time to school and ready to learn. We will have 18 days left in the 2nd quarter, with the semester ending on January 28th. All academic grades from the first semester will post on students’ official transcript. Please connect with your student over the break and see if they have missing assignments or projects that may need to be completed and/or turned in to help them improve their academic grade marks and academic standing. It is essential that students know and understand the quarter is coming to an end and time is limited. It takes a village.  

Hip, hip, hurray, this week the bowling team defeated the Garfield Bulldogs and moved up to fourth overall in Metro and first in Metro 2A. Coach Ken Duncan is very proud of the team. We are excited to see them move up in the Metro league. Remember, all winter sports information can be found on www.Metroleaguewa.org. Students participating should follow information shared by coaches in Final Forms. We appreciate all the fans who positively support our NHHS athletics.  

This week in classrooms, I have been blown away with how students have been dialed in and focused on their classroom assignments. I enjoy seeing students supporting one another in class and working collaboratively within their table groups to hold each other accountable. One student explained that he is committed to ensuring people always live life not being stuck – having to do the same thing you don’t enjoy. Not being trapped is his core belief. Another student was passionate about making sure students are not harmed and can be trusted. Student explained his belief stems from the sense that mistrust and surveillance is harmful to students, expressing his desire to find a solution based on his core beliefs, etc. As you can see, Nathan Hale students benefit from engaging in opportunities to share their beliefs and make connections in life, centered around real-life experience and their core values. I love it!  

It takes a community – it is important that I share that Seattle Public Schools (SPS) will have two replacement levies on the February 11, 2025, ballot. These levies are not new taxes but renewals that continue funding for essential programs, staff, and services for students and schools. They help bridge the gap between state funding and what our schools need, and they help fund special education, school counselors, multilingual programs, arts, sports, and more. The levies also include funding for building repairs, classroom technology, and safety improvements. These investments help us meet the goal of safe and healthy school buildings. We will have more information soon about regional meetings in January. Visit the SPS website for more information about the levies and what they support.   

School Technology information – Your student should have brought home their laptop and charger over Winter Break. In the event of inclement weather preventing school buildings from opening, the Seattle School District may call for remote instruction. The district has a webpage for more information to best prepare for potential school closure due to winter weather conditions and pivoting to remote learning. Nathan Hale staff are ready and prepared for inclement weather and will have Teams links available for students upon a shift in learning.  

Winter Ball is coming up on Saturday, January 11th at Shoreline Community College. The theme is Glacier Gala. Ticket sales started this past week. Early bird pricing ($17 with ASB card, $20 without) ends on December 31st and can be purchased online via Schoolpay using the Class of 2026 Winter Ball Schoolpay link. Online ticket purchase adds $1.75 credit card fee. Tickets will be back on sale after the break for $20 with ASB card and $22 without. Winter Ball Guest Dance Forms (for those Hale students inviting a guest from a different school) will be due on Tuesday, January 7th. Guest tickets should only be purchased after completed form is turned in. There are no refunds for tickets purchased. Forms are available in the Main Office.  

We thank the Nathan Hale Community Organization for the wonderful breakfast and coffee cart provided to staff this past Tuesday. The time and care parents put in to bring scones, muffins, casseroles, quiches, bagels, fruit, sausages, etc. was greatly appreciated!! Lastly, Nathan Hale school administration would like to thank our families and students for bringing the holiday joy to Nathan Hale. Over 130 students had the opportunity to end this week with a small gift and holiday cheer due to the generosity of our school community. The smiles, tears, hugs, and sighs of relief made all efforts most memorable! 

Again, enjoy the winter break and this holiday season, and we’ll see you in the new year! 

In partnership,  

Ms. Jolene Grimes
Proud Principal
Nathan Hale High School