Nathan Hale High School (Washington)

Nathan Hale High School is a public high school in Seattle, Washington, United States, operated by Seattle Public Schools. It was a member of the Coalition of Essential Schools and uses a project-based learning curriculum.[3][4]

Nathan Hale High School
Address
Map
10750 30th Avenue Northeast

,
98125

United States
Coordinates47°42′27″N 122°17′40″W / 47.70750°N 122.29444°W / 47.70750; -122.29444
Information
TypePublic
MottoEnsuring that all students become honorable, skillful, thinking, global citizens
Opened1963
School districtSeattle Public Schools
PrincipalWilliam Jackson
Faculty65[2]
Teaching staff57.00 (FTE)[1]
Grades9-12
Enrollment1,105 (2022-23)[1]
Student to teacher ratio19.39[1]
Color(s)Red, White & Blue
     
AthleticsMetro League
MascotRaiders
RivalsIngraham, Roosevelt
NewspaperSentinel
YearbookHeritage
Websitewww.halehs.seattleschools.org

History

edit

The land where Nathan Hale High School is located today was previously occupied by the Fisher Dairy Farm and later the Meadowbrook Golf Course.[5] At that time, Jane Addams was the only secondary school in the area and was part of the Shoreline School District.[5] Nathan Hale High School opened in 1963 with 1,206 students, all sophomores and juniors, and grew to 2,400 students across three grades by the end of the decade.[5] In 1969, unknown individuals painted a Raider on the school's smokestack in the middle of the night.[6][5] The school radio station, KNHC (for "Nathan Hale Communications"), was founded in 1971.[7] A learning resource center was added in 1972 using bond funds.[5]

The first greenhouse was built in 1973 to house horticulture classes, and carpentry students built a newer solar greenhouse in 1982–83, near a sewer plant that was later redeveloped into Meadowbrook Pond in the late 1990s.[5][8] Nathan Hale's enrollment dropped dramatically after the district-wide 1978 desegregation plan closed or reassigned many of its feeder schools.[5] The school began admitting ninth graders in 1979.[5] By the late 1980s and early 1990s Nathan Hale gained a bad reputation. In 1996 the Seattle Times described the school as having a "historically bad reputation".[9] This changed by the early 2000s with the help of Principle Eric Benson. Under Bensons guidance Hale transformed into the most desirable high school in the district with the longest waitlist.[10] New sports fields were added in 2000 and a new performing arts center was completed in 2005, hosting a free concert by Rihanna a few months later.[5][6] In 2008 Lady Gaga performed a concert in the performing arts center.[11]

Renovations

edit

The original building underwent a major renovation between 2009 and 2011 as part of Bex III, rebuilding 75% of the school and adding a new library and synthetic turf football field.[12] The new building was designed with CES principles in mind and won an AIA National Award in 2014.[13] The old smokestack was demolished during the renovation, but part of it was saved and moved to the south entrance in 2013.[6][14] In 2015, the old greenhouses were demolished to make way for redevelopment of Thornton Creek, and a new greenhouse was opened behind Jane Addams Middle School in 2016.[15]

Programs and facilities

edit

Ninth grade academies were created at Nathan Hale in the 1998-99 school year.[16] They organized students into block classes with a reduced student–teacher ratio in health, science, language arts, and social studies.[5][17] Beginning with the 2018–19 school year, tenth graders took block classes in humanities, art, biology, and career/technical education.[18] Starting in the 2023-24 school year, the academies ended, becoming a regular 6 period schedule for the ninth graders.[19] Seniors complete a year-long Hale Action Project as a graduation requirement.[20]

Nathan Hale has a 17,000 square foot performing arts center,[21] and its sports facilities include a football field, two gyms, and a weight room. Students use Jane Addams Middle School's soccer fields, and swimming classes meet at the Meadowbrook Pool. Nathan Hale has hosted a vocational horticulture program since the 1970s,[5] offering school year and summer classes through Seattle Skills Center.

Student activities

edit

Nathan Hale is home to student-run radio station KNHC. Nathan Hale's journalism class produces the Sentinel, the school newspaper, which won first place with special merit from the National Scholastic Press Association in 1999.[5] Music performance ensembles at Nathan Hale include Jazz band, Vocal Jazz, Concert Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Concert Choir and Wind Ensemble[22] The theater department produces an annual fall play and spring musical.[23] Bilingual students belonging to the Hale Ambassadors program attend school events to orient families and provide translation.[24]

Community partnerships

edit

Nathan Hale High School has a Teen Health Center run by Kaiser Permanente that provides free care to students.[25] Nathan Hale also works with neighboring Jane Addams Middle School to improve the transition from middle school to high school for students.[26]

Sports

edit

Nathan Hale is a member of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA). The school has been in the second largest classification, known as 3A, since the 1984–85 school year. It was previously in the largest classification. The Raiders are a member of the Metro League and Sea-King District.[27]

The school supports 16 WIAA activities, including baseball, boys' and girls' basketball, cheer, cross country, football, golf, gymnastics, boys' and girls' soccer, softball, coed swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling. Three non-WIAA sanctioned sports are also fielded: boys' lacrosse, girls' lacrosse, and ultimate. The boys' lacrosse team was founded in 1992, making Hale the first public high school in Seattle to have a field lacrosse team.[28]

In 2016, former NBA star Brandon Roy was hired as the head basketball coach, and top recruit Michael Porter Jr., as well as his brothers Jontay and Coban, transferred to the school when their father, Michael Porter Sr., became the assistant coach at the University of Washington. This led to the school becoming nationally relevant, including a national #1 ranking on maxpreps.com. The basketball team completed the 2016–17 season undefeated, defeating Garfield High School 68–51 in the class-3A state championship game in Tacoma, Washington.[29] That season the boys' basketball team traveled to Oregon to play in the Les Schwab Invitational which they won.

The girls' ultimate team were national champions in 2018.[30]

Notable alumni

edit

Athletics

edit

Other

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c "Nathan Hale High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  2. ^ "School Report for the 2016–2017 School Year" (PDF). Seattle Public Schools. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  3. ^ Lilly, Dick (November 20, 1996). "Six Notable Schools - They Shine With Creative, Unique Approaches". Seattle Times. Retrieved September 18, 2010.
  4. ^ "About Nathan Hale". halehs.seattleschools.org. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Thompson, Nile; Marr, Carolyn J. (2002). "Nathan Hale High School". Building for Learning: Seattle Public School Histories, 1862-2000. Seattle Public Schools. OCLC 54019052. Republished online by HistoryLink by permission of the Seattle Public School District: "Seattle Public Schools, 1862-2000: Nathan Hale High School", HistoryLink, Seattle: History Ink, November 29, 2013
  6. ^ a b c Ho, Vanessa (January 16, 2014). "Nathan Hale High School through the years". seattlepi.com. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  7. ^ "About – C89.5". www.c895.org. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  8. ^ History, Wedgwood in Seattle (February 24, 2013). "The Thornton Creek Confluence at Meadowbrook Pond". Wedgwood in Seattle History. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  9. ^ "SEATTLE SCHOOL DISTRICT". The Seattle Times. November 20, 1996. p. 40.
  10. ^ Wright, Sarah Anne (May 14, 2003). "Benson, popular principal at Nathan Hale, to retire". The Seattle Times. p. B3.
  11. ^ Liu, Marian (February 6, 2011). "KNHC: 40 years old, still dancing on air". The Seattle Times. pp. H1.
  12. ^ "Bex III Nathan Hale Photo Gallery". Seattle Public Schools. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  13. ^ "Nathan Hale High School Modernization". www.architectmagazine.com. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  14. ^ "Nathan Hale High Celebrates 50 Years | Families for Lake City". Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  15. ^ Vogel |, Terry (July 11, 2016). "A Meadowbrook Mover – Meadowbrook Community CARE". Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  16. ^ Lilly, Dick (July 1, 1998). "IN EDUCATION, SIZE SEEMS TO COUNT - NEW YORK'S SMALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE GETTING RESULTS". The Seattle Times. pp. B1.
  17. ^ "Overview of Ninth Grade Academies". halehs.seattleschools.org. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  18. ^ "Tenth Grade Integrated Studies Overview". halehs.seattleschools.org. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  19. ^ Schools, Seattle Public. "Bell Schedule". Nathan Hale High School. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  20. ^ "Students open gender inclusive bathrooms at Nathan Hale High School". City Living Seattle. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  21. ^ "Bex III: Nathan Hale High School". Seattle Public Schools. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  22. ^ "Nathan Hale High School Music". Nathan Hale High School Music. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  23. ^ "nathanhaletheatre | PRODUCTIONS". nathanhaletheatre. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  24. ^ Gewertz, Catherine (June 20, 2018). "Tackling Two 'Danger Zones' of Freshman Year: Attendance and Homework - Education Week". Education Week. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  25. ^ "Teen Health Center". halehs.seattleschools.org. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  26. ^ Gewertz, Catherine (June 20, 2018). "Tackling Two 'Danger Zones' of Freshman Year: Attendance and Homework - Education Week". Education Week. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  27. ^ "WIAA | Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Districts and Leagues".
  28. ^ Smith, Craig. "Prep Beat -- Franklin And Hale Poised To Add To Lacrosse History". The Seattle Times. Retrieved February 22, 2012.
  29. ^ "No. 1 Nathan Hale (Wash.) wins 3A state title led by showtime dunks from Michael Porter Jr". USA Today High School Sports. March 5, 2017. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  30. ^ "Prep Zone - Nathan Hale Ultimate Frisbee". KING. June 28, 2018. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  31. ^ Raley, Dan (April 23, 2008). "Where Are They Now? Swimming great now gets her kicks from soccer". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved September 18, 2010.
  32. ^ Raley, Dan (July 15, 2008). "Where Are They Now? Colella left hanging on swimming replay". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved September 18, 2010.
  33. ^ a b c d Leutzinger, Rosie (March 18, 2003). "School Spotlight: Nathan Hale". Seattle Times. Retrieved September 18, 2010.
  34. ^ Stebbins, Tim (March 11, 2022). "Cubs Shuffle Mike Napoli, Craig Driver on David Ross' Coaching Staff". NBC Chicago. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  35. ^ DAVILA, FLORANGELA (July 23, 1997). "CHERYL LINN GLASS; SHE ACCOMPLISHED MUCH IN A SHORT LIFE". The Seattle Times. pp. B1.
  36. ^ Zhou, Li (April 18, 2024). "Jontay Porter's lifetime NBA ban highlights the risks of sports gambling". Vox. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  37. ^ Washburn, Gary (December 22, 2008). "Schmetzer to assist Schmid in 2009". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved September 18, 2010.
  38. ^ RALEY, DAN (August 29, 2007). "Where Are They Now? Ed Simmons, former NFL tackle". Seattle PI. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
  39. ^ "History : 70 Greatest Redskins". Washington Redskins. Archived from the original on October 14, 2007. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
  40. ^ Shipnuck, Alan. "'He Lifts Us All'". Vault. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  41. ^ Petterson, Joel (November 26, 2013). "The Full 80 girls soccer blog | Week 11". The Seattle Times Blogs.
  42. ^ Yen, Ruey (January 18, 2018). "NWSL Draft 2018: Chicago Red Stars select both Emily Boyd and Indigo Gibson in the 2nd round". SB Nation. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  43. ^ Paynter, Susan (August 11, 2006). "NPR host proves what falls down can pop back up". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved September 18, 2010.
  44. ^ Lewis, Mike (February 9, 2007). "Historian's voice still fighting to be heard". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved September 18, 2010.
  45. ^ Diep, Eric. "Growing Up in Capitol Hill". Complex Music. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
  46. ^ Ho, Vanessa (January 16, 2014). "Nathan Hale High School through the years". seattlepi.com. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
  47. ^ Owen, Rob. "Hari Sreenivasan: From Nathan Hale High to 'PBS NewsHour'". Seattle Times. Retrieved November 6, 2012.
  48. ^ Gutman, David (September 21, 2019). "Strauss, Wills clash over homelessness sweeps in District 6 Seattle City Council debate". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
edit