Principal Communications to Families

Ballard Campus Safety Update

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Dear Ballard High School Community,

Thank you to those of you who have reached out with concern about a potential safety matter. Earlier today police were notified of a garbage can in a nearby park on which someone had used a marker to write out an individual’s name along with a threat to the Ballard campus. Police came to Ballard HS today to investigate. In their investigation they have determined that there is no threat to campus safety and that the school is not in danger.

Please know that we take these matters very seriously and that our school staff work daily to support students.

Sincerely,
Abby (she/her)
Principal

May 19, 2023

Dear Ballard Families,

I realize the year is far from over, but I want to thank all of you who have helped make this current year such a positive time of growth for Ballard HS. We are fortunate at Ballard to have the support and involvement of you, our families, and this enables us to run the remarkable programs and events that benefit students. Please know that we so appreciate you. With this, I want to thank all of you who showed our educators a bit of extra love during the recent Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week, especially our PTSA members who went above and beyond in treating us to a coffee cart, lunch, and gifted us beautiful succulents for our classrooms and workspaces. Thank you!

If you aren’t a current member of the PTSA, I would really like to encourage you to consider getting involved. With this, I want to promote the need for families to join the PTSA board. If you are interested, please visit our BHS PTSA news to learn more. 

Thank you for your support, and as always, I want to note that important announcements and additional highlights are on our website, so please be sure to visit this often for the most up-to-date information about Ballard High School. 

Abby Hunt (she/her)
Principal

May 12, 2023

Dear Ballard Families,  

I am so happy to share that we are hard at work to bring back LINK Crew, our school’s orientation and transition program, for our incoming 9th graders. As you can imagine, a significant amount of planning is necessary to lift such a powerful program. Ballard’s LINK Crew staff leaders, Mr. Holmgren, Ms. Lehni, Mr. Subido, and Assistant Principal Fort spent this past Tuesday, May 9, reviewing the applications that were submitted.

We had over 220 students apply, which is a powerful statement about the positive care and commitment that Ballard students have for our school culture; Ballard is so lucky to have so many amazing students who wanted to lead Link Crew to welcome next year’s incoming students! With so many applicants who shared why they wanted to help 9th graders enter into and succeed in high school, it was incredibly difficult to make decisions, but we could only accept ~40% of the students who applied.

If your student was selected, we are so excited to begin training them on May 22. If your student was not selected, please know that we so appreciate the fact that they applied and know that there are still ways they can be involved at BHS and support Link Crew and student activities moving forward. And for all students, we are just so excited for the return of this program as it benefits not only our incoming 9th graders and the LINK leaders but our entire school community. 

Thank you for your support, and as always, I want to note that important announcements and additional highlights are on our website, so please be sure to visit this often for the most up-to-date information about Ballard High School. 

Abby Hunt (she/her)
Principal

May 5, 2023

Dear Ballard Families,  

While we still have quite a few weeks of school to look forward to, we are also well into the planning work for next year. A significant part of this involves hiring. We have begun holding interviews to fill positions for the 23-24 school year and these will continue throughout the summer. As we make hiring recommendations, it is important that we have student and family voice on our hiring committees. I would love it if you could help encourage your student(s) to consider serving on one of the upcoming hiring committees! If they are interested but want to learn more, please direct them any member of our admin team. 

An important detail to note is that in order to serve on a hiring committee, one must have completed an interviewing training. The next training is May 9 from 4 – 5:30 p.m. and it is on Teams. Please register on the Seattle Education Association website.

If you and/or your student attend this training, please let Cindy Peterson in the main office know. crpeterson@seattleschools.org  

Thank you for your support, and as always, I want to note that important announcements and additional highlights are on our website, so please be sure to visit this often for the most up-to-date information about Ballard High School. 

Abby Hunt (she/her)
Principal

April 28, 2023

Dear Ballard Families,  

I want to thank those of you who were able to attend last Friday’s screening of Beyond Black and White and the panel discussion that followed. If you have not seen the documentary, I would really encourage you to view it as there are many connections between what is featured within and our own Ballard community. With this, I want to acknowledge the work of the Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) committee for sponsoring this event. As a community, we can only grow and continue to make progress around matters of race and equity if we come together to learn from and with one another as we discuss the topics that face our lives and the lives of students. I look forward to engaging with you at future DEI events.

As May is just around the corner, I want to remind you of 3rd quarter grades. This is a great time to sit down with your student(s) to ensure that they are on track in their classes and to identify a plan if they need support. As a reminder, all teachers have 30-minutes in the middle of the day when they are available to assist students, in addition to before and after school. This is a great time for students to ask for help, retake an assignment, or just study in the classroom space.

Beyond this, I hope that you are all enjoying the lovely change in weather. Thank you for your support, and as always, I want to note that important announcements and additional highlights are on our website, so please be sure to visit this often for the most up-to-date information about Ballard High School. 

Abby Hunt (she/her)
Principal

April 7, 2023

Dear Ballard Families, 

It was wonderful to see so many of you at last Sunday’s PTSA Gala. It was inspiring to see the numerous examples of support for this incredible community. Thank you to everyone who contributed and thank you to the PTSA families who put in countless hours to host the event. 

As we head into spring break, I want to wish you all a restful and relaxing week. And if you haven’t been to campus recently, I would encourage you to swing by to admire the cherry blossoms!

Thank you for your support, and as always, I want to note that important announcements and additional highlights are on our website, so please be sure to visit this often for the most up-to-date information about Ballard High School.   

Abby Hunt (she/her)
Principal

March 31, 2023

Dear Ballard Families,

Today we concluded Multicultural Week with an all-school assembly led by the Multicultural Club, Asian Student Union, Black Student Union, Indigenous Student Union, Jewish Student Union, LatinX student Union, and the Pasifika Club where we celebrated and honored the intersectionality of many of the identities and cultures present at Ballard. It was a powerful community event, and I am so moved and amazed by the leadership and actions of our student leaders. 

As we move into the weekend, I hope to see you at the PTSA Fundraising Gala on Sunday! 

Abby Hunt (she/her)
Principal

March 24, 2023

Dear Ballard Families,

Next week is Multicultural Week here at Ballard HS. Our Ballard Multicultural Student Unions in collaboration with ASB and administration have put together a week that celebrates and acknowledges some of the many different cultures that make up the Ballard High School community. Each day in classes students will learn about different athletes, activists, scientists, engineers, mathematicians, authors, and entrepreneurs from traditionally underrepresented groups. 

The week will culminate with an assembly on Friday put together by the Multicultural Club featuring performances from students and guests that represent many different elements of the Ballard community. The Multicultural Student Unions include the Asian Student Union, the Black Student Union, the Indigenous Student Union, the Jewish Student Union, the LatinX student Union, and the Pasifika Club. As a community we are fortunate to have so many inspiring student leaders from such a wide array of backgrounds to help us learn from and with one another. 

Thank you for your support, and as always, I want to note that important announcements and additional highlights are on our website, so please be sure to visit this often for the most up-to-date information about Ballard High School.   

Abby Hunt (she/her)

Principal

March 17, 2023

Dear Ballard Families,

I want to invite all of you to join me at the Ballard PTSA Fundraising Gala on Sunday, April 2. This is the second year the Gala will be in Belltown at Block 41 and I’m looking forward to joining the fun, celebrating our community and raising our paddles to support our school and students. 

If you don’t have your Gala tickets yet, make sure to buy them by Thursday, March 23. You can also support the Gala by volunteering at the event or donating a dessert for the Dessert Dash. Look for other ways to give in the PTSA newsletter if you’re not able to attend on April 2. Thank you for supporting our community!

• Buy Gala Tickets
• Volunteer Opportunities
• Dessert Dash Sign Up

Also, just please join our community at the 4th Annual Running of the Beavers, a 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, March 25 at Golden Gardens Park. We’ll enjoy performances from our band and cheer squad, a journey at your own pace along the scenic views on a flat, fast 5K course and a great morning of fellowship with Ballard families and supporters. 

Register today, and choose which Ballard High School program/activity will earn 70% of your registration fee. There’s a class competition with the winning year receiving a $250 donation, if you have a current favorite, make a choice. Each registration comes with a BLACK  “Running of the Beavers” custom performance tech shirt. We’ll have packets available for pick up in advance on Friday after school from 4-7pm, we’re asking participants to bring donations for the Ballard Food Bank when you come to pick up race bib, timer & shirt. 

Thanks to the Ballard High School Foundation, ASB & Athletic Booster Club for presenting and supporting Running of the Beavers, see you at Golden Gardens!   

And a reminder that our Ballard Performing Arts winter musical theatre production, The Secret Garden, opened yesterday, and runs for two weekends! The show is a reimagining of the classic tale, replete with ghosts and intrigue, and is a story of redemption and a celebration of the healing powers of nature. The beautiful, sweeping score was written by Grammy Award winning composer Lucy Simon, sister of Carly Simon. The script and lyrics were written by Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winner Marsha Norman. 

Remaining Show Dates

• Friday, March 17 – 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, March 18 – 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, March 24 – 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, March 25 – 7:30 p.m.
• Sunday, March 26 – 2:00 p.m. (matinee)

The students and staff have done an incredible job lifting this performance and your support means so much to them. I hope you are able to attend. More info can be found on our Spring Musical Featured News!  

The students and staff have done an incredible job lifting this performance and your support means so much. I hope you are able to attend. 

Abby Hunt (she/her)
Principal  

March 10, 2023

Dear Ballard Families,

I’m excited to share that our Ballard Performing Arts winter musical theatre production, The Secret Garden, opens Thursday, and runs for two weekends!  The show is a reimagining of the classic tale, replete with ghosts and intrigue, and is a story of redemption and a celebration of the healing powers of nature. The beautiful, sweeping score was written by Grammy Award winning composer Lucy Simon, sister of Carly Simon. The script and lyrics were written by Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winner Marsha Norman. A press release with more info can be found on our Spring Musical Featured News!  

The show dates are:

• Thursday, March 16 – 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, March 17 – 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, March 18 – 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, March 24 – 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, March 25 – 7:30 p.m.
• Sunday, March 26 – 2:00 p.m. (matinee)

The students and staff have done an incredible job lifting this performance and your support means so much. I hope you are able to attend. 

Abby Hunt (she/her)
Principal  

March 3, 2023

Dear Ballard Families,

It sure has been an exciting week back after the break! Spring sports are underway, and second semester classes are in full swing. I always love observing the change in sports seasons as it brings a new energy to the campus. And as we know, student engagement in co-curricular activities helps to strengthen a student’s sense of belonging and increases their overall engagement in the Ballard community, so it is great to see all of the spring sports athletes come out and participate.

As a follow-up to last week’s message, I want to thank you for reminding your student(s) about the parking requirements. We saw a marked change in the parking lots this week and it really made a positive difference.

Abby Hunt (she/her)
Principal  

February 17, 2023

Dear Ballard Families,

I hope that you and your student(s) enjoy the mid-winter break. I am so proud of our school community for all that we’ve done this first semester, and I look forward to our continued growth as we return from a well-deserved week off.

I want to make sure that you are aware that when we return we will be implementing a new practice around parking enforcement, so if your student drives a vehicle to school, I ask that you please read the following message closely.

Ballard HS has a visitors’ parking lot and a staff parking lot. Students are not allowed to park in either lot. We used to issue parking tickets to deter students from parking in these lots; however, we currently do not have the ability to do this. Without this enforcement, students have been parking in both lots, which is highly problematic as parking is unavailable for visitors and staff and staff vehicles have been damaged.

As an intervention, we will be implementing the following enforcement to deter students from parking in these lots: Any vehicle without a BHS staff or visitor tag that is parked in either lot will have an SPS parking enforcement sticker placed on the vehicle’s window and we will log the vehicle information. This information has been shared with students.

Abby Hunt (she/her)
Principal

February 10, 2023

Dear Ballard Families, 

It’s a big weekend for our school community. Tonight is Winter Ball, which is being held at the Seattle Art Museum. Our student leaders for the Associated Student Body have put a lot of work into preparing for this event. It will be a fun night!  

And then tomorrow the Ballard Performing Arts is putting on the Spaghetti Dinner and fundraiser, sponsored by the BPA Boosters. The theme is One Hit Wonders and admission to the event is free, though you may buy a ticket if you would like dinner. The event runs from 5:30pm-8:30pm. I hope to see you there!

Thank you, and as always, I want to note that important announcements and additional highlights are on our website, so please be sure to visit this often for the most up-to-date information about Ballard High School.   

Go Ballard! 
Abby Hunt (she/her)
Principal

February 3, 2023

Dear Ballard Families,

This coming week, February 6 – 10, Seattle Public Schools and Ballard HS will be celebrating Black Lives Matter Week in Schools. We recognize that during this same time, students will be completing finals in some classes and many students will be changing classes with the start of the second semester on February 9.

As we want to be fully intentional about celebrating Black Lives Matter Week in Schools at Ballard HS, we are extending our focus with this work to also include the week of February 13 – 17. And while we dedicate this time to honor and celebrate Black Excellence, we recognize that this work cannot be limited to a week or a month, for Black Lives Matter every day of the year. With this, I thank you for your partnership and I am grateful for the voices of our students as we collectively work to grow the culture at Ballard to be a place where we move our work forward in solidarity to build a school environment where Black members of our community thrive.  

Thank you, and I hope you have a great week. 
Abby Hunt (she/her) 
Principal

Dear Ballard Families,

As many of you may be aware, Tyre Nichols was killed by police in Memphis earlier this month in a brutal beating that was recorded by police body cameras. Though this event occurred across the country, it is a disregard for humanity that impacts our Ballard community and our students. As video of the killing is released this weekend, it comes as another traumatic example of a police killing of a Black man.

If your student is struggling with the news of this tragic event and the horrific details that are coming out, please encourage them to seek a trusted adult. At Ballard, our GAINS coordinators, counseling team, social worker, admin team, and educators are here to support students.

It’s hard to think about healing and hope in times like this, but I know our students and our nation’s youth will be a force for change.

In solidarity,
Abby Hunt (she/her)
Principal

January 24, 2023

Update!

Dear Ballard Families, 

I have two quick follow-up points to my most recent Friday message: 

1. My initial message contained a typo. My apologies for any confusion this may have caused. The extended periods for Thursday, Feb. 2, and Friday, Feb. 3, are as follows: Thursday, Feb. 2 = periods 1, 3, 5 and Friday, Feb. 3 = periods 2, 4, 6 
2. Please join me after the game on Wednesday for this postgame event sponsored by the Athletic Booster Club! 

“Ballard Girls Basketball Title IX Celebration postgame at Rough & Tumble (5309 22nd Ave NW) –  After the game & celebration on Wednesday, if you’d like to continue discussing efforts to grow female participation in sports, a group will head over to the new Rough & Tumble (all ages ’til 10p) for a few snacks & drinks, storytelling, connecting and planning – stop by Rough & Tumble, postgame on Wednesday, OR mark your calendar for Thursday, February 2 at 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. for the Athletic Booster Club’s Winter Sports Mixer, also at Rough & Tumble”

Go Ballard! Abby (she/her), Principal

January 20, 2023

Dear Ballard Families,

As many of you may know, this year marks the 50-year anniversary of Title IX. With this, I want to spotlight an important message and upcoming event sponsored by our girls’ basketball program. Please see their message below and I hope to see you at the game! 

Wed, Jan 25 Title IX Celebration at BHS Varsity Girls’ Basketball Game

Title IX has helped remove barriers and prevent gender discrimination in federally funded athletic programs, which is evident in rising female participation in sports since its passage in 1972.  According to the Women’s Sports Foundation, high school girls who play sports compared to those that do not are: more likely to get better grades and graduate; have higher levels of confidence and self-esteem; lower levels of depression; and experience higher states of psychological well-being.  This is why it is vital that we celebrate this 50-year anniversary of Title IX and continue the work in providing equal opportunities in sports and life. 

Our girls’ basketball coaching staff created the idea of an evening event bringing the Ballard Community together celebrating the past, present, and future of female participation in BHS athletics and programs all around the world!  Wednesday, January 25 at 7:30 p.m. our Varsity Girls’ Basketball team hosts Blanchet in a Metro, higher division match up. During the evening we will recognize BHS female athletes and teams, have the Ballard Youth Basketball 3rd/4th grade girls team play at halftime, have entertainment from the BHS band, and have free giveaways.  Please come and show your support!

Semester 1 Finals Schedule

Additionally, I want to share information regarding finals. This year, finals may be given during the window of Feb. 2 – Feb. 8. The second semester begins on Feb. 9. We will be following a district-directed special extended bell schedule on Feb. 2, which will have periods 1, 3, and 5, and Feb. 3. with periods 2, 4, and 6. Teachers who wish to utilize the extended time may offer exams during this time. It is important to note, though, that given how early these dates are, some teachers may choose to offer finals on February 6, 7, or 8, depending on the needs of the class and the nature of the final. On these days we will maintain a regular bell schedule, per district guidance.  We recognize that this is a change from how finals have been traditionally offered at Ballard. And I want to be clear that this change is in response to district guidance that we must adhere to. To support students in identifying exactly when their finals will be, all teachers will have their finals schedules posted on their Schoology pages by the afternoon of January 25. We will then be distributing a template to students so that they can write out their finals schedule and then plan accordingly. I realize this is a lengthy explanation of this change, but as this is an important topic, I wanted to be sure you had insight into the situation. Thank you. 

Beyond this, I want to note that important announcements and additional highlights are on our website, so please be sure to visit this often for the most up-to-date information about Ballard High School.

Go Ballard!

Abby Hunt (she/her) 
Principal 

January 13, 2023

Dear Ballard Families,

Today we came together as a school community to celebrate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. With this, we took part in a school-wide assembly led by the BHS Black Student Union and celebrated Black Excellence during each class period by learning about prominent figures from the Black/African American community.

As we head into the weekend, I want to highlight events taking place throughout Seattle, some which Ballard students will be directly leading or participating in: Seattle Events in Observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

It is important that as we honor the life of Dr. King this weekend, we use this time to engage in activities that make Ballard a better place for all students, especially Students of Color. To quote Superintendent Jones in a communication he sent earlier today: “We push each other to interrogate unjust systems in our schools and our society. Justice is not a noun; it is a verb – an action we must live and breathe every day. Now is the time to live it through our advocacy and actions.

Sincerely,

Abby Hunt (she/her) 
Principal 

January 5, 2023

Dear Ballard Families, 

I hope that you were all able to enjoy some quality time with your student(s) over the break. This week it has been truly heartwarming to see the students again and to welcome everyone back into the building.

As we return, I need to share some important work that we are engaging in related to addressing racism and hate speech at Ballard HS. With this, I want to share two messages with you that were recently shared with our school community. The first is a message that I sent to students and shared with staff. The second is a message that was prepared by our Racial Equity Team and shared with staff (both below). 

As a next action step in following these communications, we took time at Ballard HS today to engage in a school-wide discussion and activity helping members of the Ballard school community learn and discuss ways we can respond to hate speech and racism. The need for this work is ongoing, and I am grateful for the student and staff voice that informed this work and for Ballard’s Racial Equity Team and staff for preparing and leaning into this work. The PowerPoint that we used to facilitate our discussions will be available to view in the Jan 8, 2023 PTSA Newsletter. We look forward to continuing this critically important dialogue and education with our community.  

As parents and guardians, I also want to remind you of two important groups relevant to this work: 

The Diversity Empowerment Council (DEC) is a group for parents or guardians of Students of Color. Contact: Assistant Principal (and BHS parent) JaLynn Montes jamontes@seattleschools.org and the BHS PTSA Diversity Equity and Inclusion Council. Contact Shelley Bolser: DEIatBHS@gmail.com

Thank you,
Abby Hunt (she/her) 
Principal 

Message from Principal Hunt About Addressing Racism and Hate Speech

Dear Ballard Student Community,

As we enter Winter Break, I need to raise an important issue with you. As some of you are aware, just before Thanksgiving Break, a social media post went out amongst the Ballard student community involving  hate speech* toward Black and African American individuals. Despite immediate BHS admin intervention and the removal of this post, the content continues to circulate amongst our school community. At the same time, we have seen an increase in hate speech on social media and in other parts of our society.  

I need to be clear: racism and hate speech have no place at Ballard High School.

That this post continues to circulate is alarming, harmful, and undermines our shared mission for an inclusive, supportive community. The Ballard administration feels deeply for any members of our community who continue to experience the hurt, anxiety, and fear from this incident. As a Ballard community, we must examine our efforts and ask ourselves if we are doing enough to dismantle anti-Black racism and all forms of racism in our school. We have an opportunity to be a force for change within our school and community.

This Friday, I met with student leaders from the multiple student associations we have at Ballard HS: Asian Student Union, Black Student Union, Indigenous Student Union, Jewish Student Union, Latinx Student Union, and the Multicultural Club. In hearing from student leaders, it reinforced that hate speech against any one group creates an unsafe environment for all students. We must all work to actively reject harmful or discriminatory behavior and not silently witness casual or overt racism in our school and community.

As we enter a new year, I will continue to organize dialogues with students, families, and staff to consider the various ways racism shows up in our community and ways we can take action against racism and discrimination in all its forms. I invite anyone who is committed to anti-racism to join me in designing these dialogues so we can work together towards positive change. If you are interested, please contact me at abhunt@seattleschools.org.

When we return from break in January, I will be following up with additional communications and next steps. I want to thank the students who met with me on Friday to share their experiences and recommendations, and I look forward to our collective healing, growth, and progress as a school community.

Ms. Hunt (she/her)
Principal

*Hate speech is any kind of communication in speech, writing or behavior intended to vilify, humiliate, attack, or incite hatred against a group or individual on the basis of race, religion, skin color, sexual identity, gender identity, ethnicity, disability, national origin, or other identify factor.

Sources: (1) American Library Association, (2) UN.

Message from the BHS Racial Equity Team shared with BHS staff, prepared by co-lead Joe Subido: 

The Racial Equity Team would like to acknowledge a meeting that a subset of our team had with Principal Hunt and many BHS Student Union leads addressing a recent incident of hate speech at Ballard. We, as a staff, need to state publicly, proactively, confidently, collectively, and often that hate, harassment, and intimidation have no place in our school community. RET would like the staff and students at Ballard to know that we are committed to:

1. Acknowledging that hate speech has recently and historically caused harm in our school community
   • *Hate speech is any kind of communication in speech, writing or behavior intended to vilify, humiliate, attack, or incite hatred against a group or individual on the basis of race, religion, skin color, sexual identity, gender identity, ethnicity, disability, national origin, or other identify factor.
     • Sources: (1) American Library Association
2. Reiterating to the school community that hate, in all forms, has no home in the Ballard High School Community or in Seattle Public Schools
   • According to the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, educators need to respond to even a single epithet or slur by making absolutely clear to students that we don’t harass people in school, in person or online.
     • Source: ASCD – Responding to Hateful Speech in Schools
   • SPS Policy 0030 reads, “The concept of educational equity goes beyond formal equality—where all students are treated the same—to fostering a barrier-free environment where all students, regardless of their race, class or other personal characteristics such as  creed, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, economic status, gender, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, pregnancy status, marital status, physical appearance, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability, have the opportunity to benefit equally.”
     • Source: (3) SPS Policy 0030
3. Creating intentional support systems for our staff to utilize when addressing race related issues and building positive and practical spaces for students of color to gather, heal, vent, receive support, etc. on a regular basis.
   • If you are a staff member interested in supporting and holding space for students of color before school, after school or during lunch time, please reach out to your RET Leads, Jalynn Montes and/or Joe Subido, with the days you are available.

RET will continue to address these issues with a dedication for advancing racial equity in our school community and a compassion for proactively supporting our students.