Beloved Families,

I hope you had a great week and are looking forward to mid-winter break next week. During this break, I encourage you to connect with your student about their first semester progress and their engagement in their classes.

This moment of reprieve from the demands of school provides a great opportunity for students and families to also bond deeply and connect outside of school. If you do feel encouraged to connect academically, some ways to do this are to look on the Source with your student and review the syllabus, along with the ways in which educators post their grades. If you have questions about grading or need clarity on the syllabus, early in the semester is a great time to pose wonders and questions to educators. This helps forge the partnership we aspire to have with you in our community.

As a reminder, Presidents’ Day and mid-winter break are observed next week so we have no school Monday, February 19th — Friday, February 23rd.

Lunar New Year – Year of the Dragon

새해 복 많이 받으세요, с Новым Годом, San Nin Fai Lok – Gung Hay Fat Choy, 新年快樂, chúc mừng năm mới, próspero año lunar, Bonne année lunaire, 明けましておめでとうございます, Tashi Delek, maligayang bagong buwan, Happy Lunar New Year! 

Welcome to the year of the Wood Dragon!

The dragon is a sign of ambition, confidence, curiosity, and wisdom. The wood dragon brings evolution, improvement, and abundance to this coming year. What would you like to have in abundance this year? 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000 and 2012 are past years of the dragon (the start of the years vary between the end of January to beginning of February, keep this in mind if you have a January birthday). Famous dragons include Bruce Lee, Martin Luther King Jr., Shigeru Miyamoto, and Michelle Obama. 

Families celebrate in many ways and celebrations can last 16+ days. Many families begin preparations a week prior to Lunar New Year (last week), and may finish celebrating around when we return from mid-winter break. Join one of the celebrations happening around the city:

C-ID Lunar New Year in Seattle Chinatown International District
Asia Pacific Cultural Center’s New Year Celebration in Tacoma
ICHS (International Community Health Services) 5K in Shoreline

San Nin Fai Lok – Happy New Year!

Spring Sports and Winter Sports Banquet

Spring sports start after mid-winter break on Monday, February 26th. Students should complete online forms on FinalForms as soon as possible to participate! Free sport physicals can be scheduled at the Teen Health Center – stop by the THC, get the forms and make an appointment. The Teen Health Center will be closed during mid-winter break (Monday, February 19th through Friday, February 23rd).

Winter Sports Dessert Banquet will be held in the Commons on Wednesday, February 28th at 7:00pm. This is a time for the athletes participating in winter sports to celebrate their achievements and awards are presented to those receiving special recognition.

SYEP 2024 Internship Program

Seattle Youth Employment Program is accepting applications through March 26th for their 2024 Internship Program. These are six-week paid internships that provide employment skills and professional development opportunities. The program offers pre-employment training and work experience, professional support from a trusted mentor, practical experience and potential connections for future career or education pursuits. For more information and to apply, go to the Seattle Youth Employment Program webpage.

Mark Your Calendars: Bite of Hale and HaleYes! Auction

The Bite of Hale is our annual multi-cultural evening of performances and food supporting Nathan Hale ASB. Join us Wednesday, March 13th from 6:00 to 8:00pm at Nathan Hale in our Commons (cafeteria). All are welcome!

The HaleYes! Auction, coordinated by the Nathan Hale Foundation, will be held on Saturday, April 27th at Shoreline Community College. More details to come!

The Daily Bulletin

The Nathan Hale Daily Bulletin contains information about upcoming school events, scholarship information for seniors, volunteer opportunities for students looking to earn service learning hours, information for parents, school lunch menu, and so much more. To have it arrive in your email inbox the night before, sign up for Hale Mail. Hale Mail is operated on a volunteer basis by the Nathan Hale Community Organization and a great way to stay connected with all-school and grade-specific events and communications. The Daily Bulletin is also posted each morning.

We hope you enjoy the long weekend ahead and your students have a restful break. We look forward to seeing them on Monday the 26th!

Much love,

William Jackson, Ed.D. (he,him)
Principal
Nathan Hale High School