Friday 4/4 Family Message

Happy Friday,  

Cabaret Night is tomorrow night in the PAC. This is a BIG fundraiser to help support the spring musical, The Addams Family. Stop by and support Nathan Hale Theatre! The show starts at 7:00pm. Tickets can still be bought Purchase Cabaret Night Tickets.

King County Metro started fare inspection on Metro buses on March 31st, but youth 18 and younger can still ride free when they show a school ID card or a Youth Orca Card. Youth ORCA cards for young people ages 6 through 18 can be ordered for free with proof of age order free Youth Orca Card Students who are 19+ and are enrolled in high school or special programs may be eligible for a Youth ORCA card. For more information, contact the Metro Youth Mobility Program at MetroYouth@kingcounty.gov. 

This week it was nice to get into classrooms. I am excited to see the final touches from the sophomore language arts classes working on their Feed Creative Project after reading the book, Feed, by M.T. Anderson. It is good to see students utilizing the Makerspace and having the opportunity to channel their creative energy, ideas and skills as they articulately chose to answer one of these essential questions: In what ways do the elements of dystopia in Feed reflect societal issues related to technology and consumerism? How does technology shape our identity and relationships in both the novel and our own lives? And what role does language and communication play in the dystopian society portrayed in Feed, and how does this relate to our communication today? I also liked stepping into a physics classroom today and seeing students work in small groups to design and assemble a catapult device. A student shared the catapult activity allows them to test their knowledge of physics by making a catapult they can understand. A student claimed, “the activity helps me understand angles and velocity and how they affect the trajectory and where things land.”  Getting into classrooms and seeing students working on so many different projects and learning activities bring the school admin team joy.  

Third Quarter ends on Tuesday, April 8th. Please check in with your student to ensure they are turning in work and are on track to meet their academic goals. This 4th quarter we are asking parents to help us remind their students to come to school each day with their laptops fully charged to engage in learning and classroom/school activities. We have noticed a rise in students who are coming to school unprepared with their devices completely dead to participate. Thank you in advance for partnering with us to help keep students engaged in learning.  

ASB Election speeches will be in the Main Gym on Wednesday, April 9th by all candidates running for office. Voting will happen on Thursday, April 10th. We appreciate the students who are putting themselves out there to lead at NHHS. 

If your student needs to miss one or more days of school due to a pre-planned absence, they should complete a pre-planned absence form (also in Attendance office), at least 3 days in advance of the absence. Students will need their teacher’s signatures on the back of form. Once completed, they should return form to the Attendance office. The pre-planned absence process helps students connect and communicate with all their teachers to learn and understand what they will be missing during their planned absence. Parents, we truly appreciate you for adhering to this process to help your student be successful and stay on top of their schooling.  

Gentle reminder – if you are picking your student up from school and need an early dismissal for an appointment or all-day absence, please remember we would appreciate you notifying the Attendance office: 206-252-3684 or halehs.attendance@seattleschools.org well in advance of the need to dismiss your student from class (preferably at start of school day with a signed note – include your contact number).Following these expectations helps the Attendance office support your early dismissal to keep both you and your student on-time. Failure to call and communicate the early dismissal in advance may present challenges in getting your student out of class in a timely manner in a busy high school.  

Spring Break is April 14 – 18. The building and Main Office will be closed during the break except for possible sports team practices. Students should not be playing or hanging out on campus while school is not in session. We want them to enjoy their Spring Break and take a break from the school so school maintenance and upkeep projects can be completed with everyone off campus and out of the building.  

School testing is around the corner – SBA/WCAS/WA-AIM testing is scheduled for April 21st – 25th, the week following spring break. The Smarter Balanced (SBA) and Washington Access to Instruction and Measurement (WA-AIM) tests in math and English language arts (ELA) will be given to students in grade 10. The Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS) or the WA-AIM science assessment will be given to students in grade 11. Please read the SBA/WCAS/WA-AIM Test page on our website for more information. Note: testing will impact the bell schedule for all students on test days. Please go to the special April testing schedule to see what the schedule will be each day. Wednesday, April 23rd will be a normal Wednesday schedule. *** Make sure your student has water during testing.  

Athletics: The next spring sport grade check will go final by April 11th. Eligibility will be determined by final 3rd quarter grades. Student athletes must be passing at least 5 classes with a minimum 2.0 GPA. Please look over Source grades with your student. You’ll find the spring sports schedule on the Nathan Hale Metro page.  

CIHS Information: College in the High School at Nathan Hale.  

Staff at Nathan Hale enjoy the opportunity to bring advanced learning opportunities with college courses into the high school. Students enrolled in CIHS courses earn college credit upon completion of their course. Enrolling in these classes allow students to stay on campus and not be challenged with trying to leave campus to attend a running start class. Please look at our NHHS Counseling page for more information on the advanced courses offered at Hale. We encourage students and families to ask staff directly about their CIHS courses.  

Running Start Information is available on the North Seattle Running Start web page. The Running Start office will host information sessions for students and families joining Running Start in summer or fall 2025. All info sessions will be hosted on Zoom. Please RSVP for Running Start Zoom meeting to receive the Zoom link.

• Wednesday, April 9: 3:30 – 4:30pm 
• Monday, April 14: 12 – 1pm 
• Tuesday, April 22: 7 – 8pm 
• Wednesday, April 30: 3:30 – 4:30pm 
• Wednesday, May 7: 3:30 – 4:30pm  

Upcoming NHHS Events/Activities – Mark your calendar: 

• Yankee Doodle Days (Spring Spirit Week), 4/28 – 5/2
• Spring Blood Drive, 5/1 
• Nathan Hale Auction (online), 5/1-11 
• Spring Fling Dance, 5/2, 8:00pm 
• Musical, The Addams Family, 5/8-10 & 5/16-17  
• Climate Action Day 2025, 5/28 
• Spring Sports Dessert, 5/28, 7:00pm 
• Music Concert, 5/30, 7:00pm 

Have a great weekend. Stop by and check out the Cabaret Night at Hale on Saturday. Enjoy the sunny weather.  

In Partnership,  

Ms. Jolene Grimes
Proud Principal