Learn As If You Were To Live Forever . . .

Congratulations 2009 graduates. Thank you for your courage, your humor, your compassion, and your creativity. Thank you families and friends for sharing your students with us. Thank you staff members, who are teachers first above all else. We are creating honorable, thinking, skillful citizens thanks to you!

Thank you Yoshiki Nakamura for these beautiful images. See more at:
Seattle Digital Photography
www.SeattleDigitalPhoto.com

Math Understanding at Nathan Hale

Nathan Hale mathematicians created projects to show applications of trigonometry:

The Math Carnival:

Math Jeopardy, complete with categories and questions of escalating difficulty:

The heart of trig:

Using trigonometry to learn about the bleachers at Nathan Hale:

Thanks Math teachers!

SIFF Filmmaker Visits Nathan Hale

Here is a report written by filmmaker Emily Kuntsler about her recent visit to Nathan Hale to screen The story of William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe :

The highlight of our trip was getting to screen the film for 300 at Nathan Hale, a public high school in Seattle (go Raiders!). This screening was set up by Dustin Kaspar, SIFF's Educational Coordinator. Over time, I have become much more comfortable standing in front of a room of festival goers and talking about the film but nothing had prepared me for an auditorium full of sophomores. It was like being in high school all over again except this time I got to use the bathroom in the teachers' lounge. The students were so welcoming and enthusiastic that I soon forgot my initial apprehension.

The story of William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe is told from Sarah and my perspective when we were the age of the students who filled that auditorium, but until that day at Nathan Hale we had never had the privilege of sharing the film with young people. Before the screening began we asked the audience if any of them had heard of William Kunstler and a few lonely hands were raised. We always hoped that the film would be accessible to high school students but much of the history we tell in the film is not typically covered in high school curricula.

To our delight, the students were completely engaged and inspired by the film. Their questions following the screening were some of the most thoughtful and probing we have received from viewers of any age. They asked about racism in America and who was responsible for it and what it was like to lose a father while I was still in high school.

Bill loved nothing more than talking to young people. One student asked me what Bill might say to them were he there that day. The question completely caught me off guard, but it went to the heart of why Sarah and I made this film and what we hoped the film could accomplish in the world. I told the students that Bill would tell them the story of Michelangelo's statue of David and of Herman Melville's Moby Dick to illustrate how they all have the opportunity and the obligation to speak out and act in the face of seemingly unconquerable evil - how the struggle is perpetual and that we all must return to it day after day despite the odds.

As we were leaving students stopped us in the hall to talk about their desires to fight for justice and equality in their own way. Tracy and I left Nathan Hale High School completely exhilarated and excited to start our educational outreach campaign in the Fall, and to get the film into as many high school, college, and law school classes as possible. Bill would have loved to have been there.

An Exciting Week in June!

Vocal Jazz takes to the stage at our end of year concert, featuring as well the Concert Band, Jazz Band, Concert Choir, and a special performance by flutist Alice K., playing her own composition!

Seniors lead a Socratic Seminar at our Environmental Symposium:

Ninth Grade students participate in a Socratic Seminar at our HEP (Human Ecology Project)/Environmental Symposium event:

Teacher leaders Karl E. and Mike L. participate in a HEP Socratic Seminar:

More Seniors leading a Socratic Seminar at our Environmental Symposium:

Community members enjoy the gallery display of Environmental Science projects:

A final project in Advanced Ceramics:

Advanced Ceramics students work the pottery wheel:

Hard Hat Tour!

Thank you to our Annual Campaign committee for hosting our Hard Hat tour event. This event was originally conceived as a thank you to donors to the Annual Campaign (you can still donate here), but expanded to an event for any members of our community interested in getting a sneak peak at our new library, art classrooms, fitness center, and radio facility.

Here are a few snapshots of the evening.

Coordinator extraordinaire Earl Edwards supervises as attendees enter the construction site:

Our architect explains the scope of the modernization and rebuild of the main building:

Tour attendees in the new library space:

Parents helped to make this evening wonderful!

We featured our library collection, since our newest additions to our collection were funded by donations through the Nathan Hale Foundation. Thank you for your generosity!

Save the date for our grand ribbon-cutting and farewell to the old school: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3RD. This will be an all-day celebration, following our October 2nd Homecoming football game.

June CES Principle: Democracy and Equity

Democracy and Equity

The school should demonstrate non-discriminatory and inclusive policies, practices, and pedagogies. It should model democratic practices that involve all who are directly affected by the school. The school should honor diversity and build on the strength of its communities, deliberately and explicitly challenging all forms of inequity.

June Coalition of Essential Schools Common Principle

As we come to the completion of an exciting school year, and as we look at our class of 2009 Seniors who are heading into the world as young adults, I find myself more and more grateful for this final principle and its influence at Nathan Hale High School.

On May 12th, our Seniors presented their Culminating Projects at a community exhibition night. Each Senior presented a final summation of and reflection on her/his work on a project that shows “citizenship through service.” We saw a wide array of powerful projects, and our community panelists were truly astounded by the maturity and sensitivity of many of the presentations. Thank you to all who made this evening possible, from community and staff panelists to the PTSA who provided a lovely dinner, but most of all, thank you for raising such great kids, and for supporting them as they pursue their goals and become true honorable, thinking, skillful citizens.

Nathan Hale students continue to be honored in District, City, and State venues for their outstanding citizenship as well as their competitive excellence. Our Girls Track team placed first state-wide as Scholar Athletes, and our Tennis team recently won the Metro League Sportsmanship award. Our Girls Ultimate Frisbee team won the state title, and our Boys Soccer team progressed to the Metro finals. These are just a few of the amazing accomplishments of Nathan Hale athletes. In addition, ten of our Radio students recently took high honors in the Washington High School Radio Awards!

Our 9th grade Scientists and 12th graders in AP Environmental Science students will be presenting a joint evening exhibition highlighting issues of our responsibility for our physical environment. This is an unprecedented event, and is beautifully symbolic of the spirit and culture we would like to maintain and build at Nathan Hale. This event will take place on the evening of June 2nd—please join us!

Thank you for your support, dedication, encouragement, and feedback throughout the year. We value your input, and appreciate your commitment to excellence. It is a pleasure to share our community with you!

Marni Campbell

Raiders Rally!

Nathan Hale Environmental Science students attended a rally at the at Bell Harbor Conference Center, where the EPA was holding public comment hearings about its finding that carbon dioxide could be regulated under the Clean Air Act. Over a thousand people rallied to support limits on carbon dioxide emissions. Thanks students!