Friday, December 13, 2024

Dear Ballard HS Families,

A huge thank you to those who were able to make it to campus yesterday. Jam the Dam was such a fun event and the Unified student-athletes played a fantastic game in front of an impressive crowd of friends and family members from our school community. Thank you to our Unified student-athletes, our Band, Cheer Team, Dance Team, and to all who were able to attend! And to add to the amazing day, the Choir (joined by the Orchestra) performed their winter concert to a packed performing arts center. I am constantly in awe of our students and their connection and contributions to the Ballard HS community. Truly amazing.

As we look to the week ahead, know that it is a good one as our ASB leadership students have planned a Whimsical Winter Spirit Week. Each day has a dress-up theme and after school events. Please check out the ASB website for details!

As always, thank you for your support, and a reminder that additional Ballard HS news and information can always be found on our website.

Go Ballard!
Abby Hunt (she/her)
Principal

Friday, December 7, 2024

Dear Ballard HS Families,

Mark your calendars! Jam the Dam is taking place next Thursday, December 12, as the Ballard HS Unified Basketball team takes on Lincoln HS at home. This is one of our favorite events of the year and I am hoping that you can come out to support our amazing students.

Unified basketball is a program housed under Special Olympics that combines students with and without disabilities on the same team. The goal of Unified is to foster understanding and friendship by creating an inclusive, welcoming environment where all students can participate and have fun.

Tip-off is at 5:00 p.m. and the game is free to attend.  Pre-game celebrations begin at 4:00 p.m. and will include music from our BHS Band and the Sugar and Spoon food truck will be on site. Together, let’s show up for and with our students and Jam the Dam!

Additionally, this same evening we also have our award-winning Choir performing their Winter Concert starting at 7:30 p.m. During this concert, members of the Concert Choir, Advanced Chorale, Chamber Orchestra, Symphonic Orchestra, and select members of the Wind Ensemble and Percussion will come together to present Handel’s Messiah. If you aren’t able to attend this concert, the Orchestra plays Dec. 11 and the Band plays Dec. 17, both shows at 7:30 p.m. (All Winter Concert Details & Videos)

As always, thank you for your support, and a reminder that additional Ballard HS news and information can always be found on our website.

Go Ballard!
Abby Hunt (she/her)
Principal

Friday, November 27, 2024

Dear Ballard HS Families,

As we break to celebrate Thanksgiving and honor Native American Heritage Day, I want to express my gratitude to each of you for all you do to support Ballard HS. An example of the love and care of this community is Bucky’s Home for the Holidays, which is a partnership between the Ballard High School PTSA and Ballard High School Staff, with support from the Ballard High School Foundation. 

Affectionately known as “Bucky’s,” the intent of this partnership is to provide donated gift cards to Ballard High School community families in need of financial assistance to help with food and household essentials during the two-week Winter Break. The gift cards help ease holiday stress by allowing families to choose culturally appropriate food and gifts however they celebrate the season. 

Here’s how Bucky’s Home for the Holidays works:

1. The BHS PTSA is kindly asking for donations of gift cards! Families and staff are asked to purchase and donate a variety of gift cards to Fred Meyer, Target, Starbucks, Town & Country, Safeway or other local businesses in the amount of $10 or more. Be sure to note how much is on the gift card!
2. Gift cards will be distributed equitably in festive Bucky gift bags and handed out to families before winter break. All information about the families will remain anonymous to the community except for a few program leads.

It’s easy to give!

1. Simply drop off gift cards in the Main Office with Cal Hartmann or Bethany Nielcen. Be sure to note the amount on the gift card. 
2. Donate monetary gifts through the Ballard High School Foundation (Tax ID #91-1811275), which will be converted into gift cards.

Donate Towards a GC

Your gift will help ensure that Ballard High School families who need a little help have a wonderful holiday season!

For more information about Bucky’s Home for the Holidays, or if your family could use some assistance this holiday season, contact BHS PTSA Family & Community Engagement Chair Victoria Watson at bhs.ptsa.face@gmail.com, BHS Social Worker Mackenzie Fee at mcfee@seattleschools.org, and/or GAINS Coordinator Malik Prince at mrprince@seattleschools.org. 

DECA Distributive Education Clubs of America

Additionally, another way to support those in the Ballard HS community is through the student led DECA Clothing Drive, which is happening now through December 6. DECA, our school’s business club, is dedicated to preparing students for careers and giving back to the community. This season, the students are hosting a clothing drive to support those in need. Please donate lightly used clothing of all types and sizes. Professional business clothes are preferred but other types of clothing will also be accepted. Donations may be delivered to N101 and N108 now through December 6. Thank you for considering donating to Ballard DECA.

As always, thank you for your support, and a reminder that additional Ballard HS news and information can always be found on our website.

Go Ballard!
Abby Hunt (she/her)
Principal

November 22, 2024

Dear Ballard HS Families, 

Each fall, Seattle Public Schools asks students and staff to respond to an SPS school climate survey. We know that for students to thrive in their academic studies, it is paramount that they feel a sense of belonging and community within the school environment. With this, it warms my heart to share that we are seeing significant upward trends in both student and staff responses to their respective surveys. 

For the 1,313 students who completed the survey, this fall’s results show continued improvements in all categories, building on an almost identical trend last fall, save for one category last year that was slightly down (literacy).  The areas where we saw the biggest increases in favorable responses this fall are in the categories of Positive Behavior & Safety (up 9%) and Equity and Anti-racism (up 8%). 

And for the 92 staff who completed the survey, this fall’s results also show continued gains across the board, building on significant gains last year. For staff, the areas where we saw the biggest increases in favorable responses this fall are in the categories of Safety, Bias, & Wellbeing (up 18%) and Leadership Opportunities and Support (up 18%).  

Culture comes from the collective and we each play a part in shaping it. With this, I am grateful for all that our student leaders, educators, community partners, and you do to help continue to raise the tide of our Ballard community.

As always, thank you for your support, and a reminder that additional Ballard HS news and information can always be found on our website.

Go Ballard!
Abby Hunt (she/her)
Principal

Friday, November 15, 2024

Dear Ballard HS Families,

It was a short yet meaningful week here at Ballard HS as we fully entered into the 2nd quarter. To cap off the week, our National Honor Society students sponsored a blood drive with Blood Works Northwest. With this, we had over 40 participants donate blood today! 

Today’s blood drive prompted me to think about the upcoming Nick of Time Foundation Heart Screening event, which is scheduled for January 8 from 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. If you haven’t already registered your student, please do so as Sudden Cardiac Arrest is the leading cause of death in exercising or active youth and this screening can identify certain serious heart conditions that cannot be detected by a stethoscope. This screening is free of cost to students. 

The Nick of Time Foundation can screen up to 500 students on that day and right now we have about 100 students registered. I really hope we can maximize this meaningful opportunity. 

Information about the event and How to Register is available on our BHS Website.

Dear Ballard HS Families,

During this election season I have been truly inspired by our students for their engagement in lessons about our democracy. Our Ballard educators care deeply about ensuring that students understand their rights and responsibilities as engaged and active members of our community; with this, it is worth celebrating that this year we saw 360 Ballard HS students register to vote so they could participate in the recent elections.

And as we head into Veterans Day weekend, I would like to thank those of you who have served our country. And for those veterans whom we have lost, let us take time to remember and honor them by sharing their stories. I know I will be sharing with my children memories of my grandfather who served in the army during World War II.

As always, thank you for your support, and a reminder that additional Ballard HS news and information can always be found on our website.

Go Ballard!
Abby Hunt (she/her)
Principal

Dear Ballard HS Families, 

Over the past several weeks we have highlighted numerous celebrations within our school community. As we near the end of the first quarter it is a good time to pause and check in to see how our students are doing.

For we all know that much like how the sun quickly turns to rain, there are times when challenges can arise. Therefore, it is also important that as we work together as educators and families, you are aware of school resources available to your student(s) and you.

These are just a few resources available for students

Academic

• Communication with teachers via email and during the 20-minutes before or 20-minutes after school. Some teachers also choose to be available during lunch.
• The Ballard HS Library is open each day from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. (Friday until 4 p.m.)
• Math tutor in the library
• Tutor.com Learn more on our Seattle Public Library news and/or contact Ms. Chambers at  tschambers@seattleschools.org for more information.

Social

• Clubs! See our current club offerings on our ASB Clubs page.

Athletics

• As we approach the winter sports season, wrestling and unified are no cut sports and a great way to be involved. 
• Sports that typically don’t see cuts based on turnout include: girls’ flag football, girls’ gymnastics, girls’ bowling, girls’ ultimate frisbee, and boys’ swimming. 
• Basketball is also a great option for those wanting to try-out. 

Social Emotional/Mental Health

• Our counseling team is an amazing resource. Visit their Counseling Center webpage.
• Additionally, this year we have a full-time social worker! Ms. Mackenzie Fee, mcfee@seattleschools.org
• And we are so fortunate to have the Teen Health Center available to students on campus.

Additional

As always, thank you for your support, and a reminder that additional Ballard HS news and information can always be found on our website.

Go Ballard!
Abby Hunt (she/her)
Principal

Friday, October 25, 2024

Dear Ballard HS Families,

It’s been an exciting week here at Ballard with senior night events taking place and the fall play opening. I had the pleasure of bringing my two kids to see a performance of Charlotte’s Web (remaining showtimes at 7:30 p.m. tonight and tomorrow) and they absolutely loved it. Director Miller Shor and the students beautifully showcase the themes of friendship and beauty that can be found in the world. 

Additional upcoming events from our performing arts department include our Choir Concert on Wednesday, October 30, the Band Concert on Wednesday, November 6, and the Orchestra Concert on Thursday, November 7. We are so lucky to have such talented and dynamic performing arts offerings at Ballard and I hope that you are able to enjoy one of these upcoming performances. Additional information can be found here on our Ballard Performing Arts Featured News.

As always, thank you for your support, and a reminder that additional Ballard HS news and information can always be found on our website.

Go Ballard!
Abby Hunt (she/her)
Principal

Friday, October 18, 2024

Dear Ballard HS Families, 

I am incredibly grateful that on January 8, 2025 Ballard HS is able to host an EKG Youth Heart Screening event that is free of cost to students and families.  As many of you know, this past summer we tragically lost a student from our school community due to a heart arrhythmia event. In honor of her memory, her friends and the BHS administration sought out an organization called the Nick of Time Foundation. 

On January 8, the Nick of Time Foundation will be able to screen up to 500 students. As Sudden Cardiac Arrest is the leading cause of death in exercising or active youth on school campuses, I truly hope that we can maximize this opportunity to support our students. 

To register your student for this event, please follow these steps: 

1. Make an appointment on Nick of Time
2. Fill out the heart screening permission and history form
3. Return completed forms. Forms can be returned to the main office or by email to: bhs.heartscreen@seattleschools.org

And if you want to learn more about what the Nick of Time Foundation EKG screen entails, please see this video for more information.

Additional details will be shared as the event draws near, but I want to share this information now so that you can register your student and we can maximize this amazing opportunity. 

As always, thank you for your support, and a reminder that additional Ballard HS news and information can be found on our website.

Abby Hunt (she/her)
Principal

Friday, October 11, 2024

Dear Ballard HS Families,

Thank you to those of you who were able to attend last night’s curriculum night. This event is one of the highlights of the year for me as I love to see so many families in the building. Our relationship as families and educators is so important as we come together with a common goal of supporting our amazing students. If you were not able to make it last night, please know you are always welcome to reach out to your student’s teachers to connect. 

And as a way to show our support, I would like to warmly invite you to this year’s fall play. Here is the press release from the Ballard High School Playmakers:

Step into the barnyard for Ballard High School’s production of the play Charlotte’s Web, at 7:30 p.m. Thurs Oct 24, Fri. Oct 25, and Sat. Oct 26 in the Performing Arts Center. This stage adaptation by Joseph Robinette brings the beloved children’s book by E.B. White to life! Charlotte’s Web is the story of a child’s love for the animals that live in an unassuming country barn. The unexpected heroine is the smallest of these, a spider, whose power lies in her message of love and regard for the humblest creatures.  Charlotte’s Web is the story of the hope and wonder that children carry as they learn about the world.  The play shows what is possible when we dedicate ourselves to uplifting another.

Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors, $10 for students and staff.  Tickets available at the door, or at cur8.com (search for Ballard High School).

Also, a friendly ask to families of juniors and seniors to please help remind 11th and 12th grade students that they will need to have a fully charged laptop when they take either the PSAT or the SAT. Students should also bring their charger just in case. Additional details about both tests are available on our Assessments page.  

Thank you for all your support. Go Ballard!

Abby Hunt (she/her)
Principal

Friday, October 4, 2024

Dear Ballard HS Families,

Today concludes an incredible Homecoming Week here at Ballard HS. I am so proud of our student leaders and all of the educators who supported the multiple events focused on building community and celebrating Ballard HS.

As we prepare for Curriculum Night, which is taking place next Thursday, October 10, I want to highlight some key details. We will begin in the main gym starting at 6:30 p.m. From there, parents and guardians will follow their student’s schedule using the timeline below so that you can meet your student’s teachers and learn more about the curriculum.

• 6:30 p.m. Main Welcome in the Gym
• 7:05-7:15 = Period 1
• 7:20-7:30 = Period 2
• 7:35-7:45 = Period 3
• 7:50-8:00 = Period 4
• 8:05-8:15 = Period 5
• 8:20-8:30 = Period 6

To prepare for this, it is important that you know the following information about your student’s schedule: Class name and period, Teacher and Room number

The easiest way to obtain this information is to ask your student to send you a screenshot of their schedule from The Source. Or you can log onto The Source as a parent or guardian and look at the schedule.  If you are a parent/guardian and don’t have a Source account yet, please use visit the district Source page for information about the Source and how to set up your account. Alternatively, we will have the main office open and we can look up and print schedules as needed.

Additionally, at 5:30 pm our Counseling Department will be hosting a college admissions info session in the Performing Arts Center.

Please remember that parking is limited, so plan to arrive early and thank you for being courteous to our neighbors in the community.

Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you next week!

Abby Hunt (she/her)
Principal

Friday, September 27, 2024

Dear Ballard Families, 

As we wrap up another great week here at Ballard HS, our students and staff are looking forward to Homecoming Week, which is a time focused on community building and celebration. 

Our ASB student leaders have put a tremendous amount of care and planning into next week’s events, which focus on the theme of “there is no place like home.” Within the week, we have dress-up days M-F, class hallway decorating, a homecoming volleyball game, an all-school pep assembly, a homecoming football game with a special marching band halftime performance, and a homecoming dance. 

Of special note is our Club Connections event on Wednesday, October 2. If your student is looking for ways to get involved, this is a great opportunity to meeting different students and interest groups as current clubs set up info tables to recruit new and interested members. 

For more information on Homecoming Week, please refer our Homecoming Week Events News webpage.

Thank you for your support. Go Ballard!
Abby Hunt (she/her)
Principal

Friday, September 20, 2024

Dear Ballard Families,

Thank you for another great week! We are finding our stride in the new schoolyear and loving the September sunshine while we have it. 

Start of School Forms Due Sept. 30

A friendly reminder that Start of School Forms are due September 30. These forms, in addition to helpful informational resources for the start of the year, can be found on the Ballard High School website or as hard copies in the main office. Many of these forms are available in multiple languages. Please make sure to complete the required forms so your student’s information is up to date. 

Grade 11 PSAT & Grade 12 SAT School Day Testing October

Also, I want to be sure that parents and guardians of 11th and 12th grade students are aware of important details for this year’s PSAT and SAT. Both tests are being administered digitally this year, so I highly encourage you to take a moment to review the information on our website about each test. 

• Grade 11: PSAT Information
• Grade 12: SAT Information

If you have questions, please reach out to Katie Huguenin, kwhuguenin@seattleschools.org

And as a final note for today’s Friday Message, I am hopeful that we can have your support and participation with some very important work being led by our counseling team around suicide prevention. In short, we are asking for you to opt-in and provide your consent for your student(s) to participate in an important survey that informs our work over the next three years. If you would like for your student to participate in the survey, please fill out this consent form by October 11, 2024. You may provide your consent using this form: Ballard JED Consent Link

For additional information related to this work, please read below: 

Seattle Public Schools has partnered with Forefront Suicide Prevention and The JED Foundation to enhance our efforts to support the mental health and well-being of our students. 

As part of this effort, six district high schools are participating in JED High School Program delivered by Forefront, a 3-year program that provides high schools and districts with expert support, evidence-based best practices, and data-driven guidance to protect student mental health and prevent suicide.

Students and staff at our school are being surveyed to inform Ballard High School’s strategic planning process and subsequent actions. We believe that this survey can provide all students with a voice. Student input is critical to improving student well-being, academic success, and social connectedness; we hope that families will choose to opt their students in to this assessment.

If you would like for your student to participate in the survey, please fill out this consent form by October 11, 2024. You may provide your consent using this form: Ballard JED Consent Link

Student responses will be kept confidential and secure, and will not be connected with their name, email, or any other information that identifies them. If you allow your student to participate, your student may choose to skip questions or stop participating at any time. The survey typically takes around 30-45 minutes to complete.  

For study-related questions, please email the principal investigator Dr. Michelle  Mullen at HSStudentSurvey@jedfoundation.org. Feel free to reach out to counselor Sonja Petersen slpetersen@seattleschools.org or assistant principal James Leutzinger jmleutzinger@seattleschools.org for more information.

Thank you for your support. Go Ballard!

Abby Hunt (she/her)
Principal

Friday, September 13, 2024

Dear Ballard Families,

It was wonderful to have a full five-day week to settle into our routines. Students now have their laptops, they have had their pictures taken, and learning is taking place throughout the building. Our admin team has been actively visiting classrooms and observing the many ways that educators are thoughtfully working to build relationships and community.

Curriculum Night Oct. 10

As your student looks to access course materials from home, please know that all our teachers have committed to using Schoology as a common learning management system. Our intent behind this is to support students’ ability to stay connected to their coursework while increasing accessibility with a commonly used resource. We look forward to sharing more information with you about your student’s coursework at our upcoming Curriculum Night on Thursday, October 10.

And in a heartfelt pivot, I regret to inform you that Robyn Maddess, a beloved member of our community, has passed away following a battle with cancer. Ms. Robyn was a special educator at Ballard HS for the past 14 years. She started as an instructional assistant before becoming a teacher in the focus program. She also served for many years as a special education department chair. She truly loved her students and colleagues and served as an inspiration to all. She is deeply missed. We have reached out to students and families who worked closely with Ms. Robyn and shared that supports are available from our social worker and school counseling team. If you find that your student is impacted by this loss, please reach out to your student’s counselor.  

In addition to what’s been shared above, please remember that we maintain a robust website which is a great hub of information for all things Ballard, so please be sure to take a moment and check it out for additional information.

Thank you for your support. Go Ballard!

Abby Hunt (she/her)
Principal

September 6, 2024

Dear Ballard Families,

Welcome to the new school year! It was so wonderful to see students return and to be able to meet the class of 2028. Our student LINK Crew leaders, family volunteers, and educators all did an amazing job supporting a positive and welcoming environment for our school community.  Thank you to everyone for contributing to a successful first few days.

While I typically try to keep my Friday Messages as touchpoints that focus on timely highlights in our school community, this week’s message will cover some key information related to laptops, cell phones, and campus safety. Additionally, below I provide some context for today’s shelter in place.

Laptops

Laptops: This year all SPS students are required to use an SPS laptop. We distributed these to students yesterday and today. If your student needs support with their laptop or missed laptop distribution, they can go to the Technology Room located at N110. Throughout the year, the hours for Tech Support are:

• Mondays and Fridays: 8:00 a.m. – 8:50 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
• Wednesdays: 8:00 a.m. – 8:50 a.m., 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m., and 2:25 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Cell Phones

Cell Phones: Last spring our school community engaged in conversations around how to address the distraction of cell phones in the classroom. Our team of educators including curricular department chairs voted on a school-wide agreement to the following practices. This year, we are adopting new handbook language, which states that cell phones and accessories lead to disruption and shall not be used during instructional time. They must be turned off and put away during instructional time, unless approved by the teacher. This policy also applies to hallways during instructional time.

With our cell phone policy, we are committed to teaching students how to use (or not use) their devices responsibly. With this, we are using a tiered approach. The standard expectation is that phones are off and put in a designated location in the classroom. Additionally, each classroom has a poster that utilizes a color-coded system that indicates if and when phones might be allowed as a learning tool.

If students are not cooperating with these expectations, then teachers will be contacting home to engage you as the parent or guardian in a collaborative conversation to help support our efforts. If these interventions remain unsuccessful then school administration will be calling for a family meeting.

Thank you for your partnership in supporting students with their well-being.

Campus Safety Improvements

Campus Safety Improvements: I am happy to share that we now have badge readers, doorbells, intercoms, and cameras at our two main entry points (south entry off of 65th and north entry off of 67th). This means that if you arrive during the school day the doors will be locked, and you will need to ring the doorbell to then be admitted. Additionally, all staff in the building are now required to wear photo ID badges. Safety is our top priority, and I will update as additional improvements to our campus are made.

Afternoon Shelter in Place

This Afternoon Shelter in Place: On the topic of campus safety, please know that this afternoon we went into a shelter in place. This was called to ensure that we had clear hallways as we supported a student who was experiencing a situation that warranted medical attention. Please understand that there was no threat to our school community during this time. We made the decision to call the shelter in place to maintain student privacy and allow care to be provided to the student without disruption. Please know that during a shelter in place classroom instruction continues while windows and doors are closed and covered.

In addition to what’s been shared above, please remember that we maintain a robust website which is a great hub of information for all things Ballard, so please be sure to take a moment and check it out for additional information.

Thank you for a great start to the year. Go Ballard!

Abby Hunt (she/her)
Principal

Dear Ballard HS families,

Today, our school and community mourn the loss of one of our students, Ingrid Phariss. With permission from Ingrid’s family, we share this tragic news. Our heartfelt condolences go out to her family and friends during this incredibly difficult time.

Ingrid experienced a health concern while attending a cheer team gathering and was taken to the hospital for medical attention. Tragically, she passed away due to a heart arrhythmia event, which was a previously undiagnosed health condition.

Ingrid will be deeply missed here at Ballard. She was especially active with the Ballard Cheer Team and was a student leader with LINK Crew. In both of these spaces and beyond she always brought a positive energy and lifted those around her.  I am confident our school community will come together to support one another during this difficult time. Our school social worker and administrative team are offering grief counseling for Ingrid’s teammates on the Ballard cheer team and we will ensure that additional supports are also in place as students return to school in September.

Students may respond to the news in different ways. When someone dies, especially a peer, it is normal for young people to have different reactions. We understand each culture has its own way of acknowledging and responding to death, and we encourage students to talk with their families about their ideas, thoughts, and beliefs. 

Here are some resources to help navigate challenging conversations and community support resources.

• When Grief/Loss Hits Close to Home: Tips for Caregivers 
• Mental Health Services department webpage
• The Dougy Center for Grieving Children and Families

Although school is not currently in session, there are many community resources and supportive networks available to help our students, staff, and community. Our coordinated school health team has compiled a list of contacts available on the SPS Mental Health Services webpage.

Washington Teen Link offers young people peers to listen and discuss concerns. Calls and chats are confidential. (866-833-6546). Crisis Connections (866-427-4747) offers 24-hour support to all members of our community. And the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (988) provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis support.

In times like this, I am reminded how fortunate we are to be a part of this supportive and caring community. Our Ballard community is here for each other.  

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or any member of the Ballard admin team.

Sincerely,
Principal Abby Hunt
Ballard High School
206-252-1000
abhunt@seattleschools.org