News

The enrollment team is offering an in-person event to support families with online enrollment and registration on Friday, May 21 at the Central Office.

National Teacher Appreciation Week is May 3-7 this year. After more than a year of pandemic teaching and learning, our families and staff appreciate teachers like never before. Read the Gold Star nominations for teachers and meet the nominees.

The past 14 months have been extremely challenging for educators across the country. In Highline, our teachers showed incredible innovation and perseverance as they transitioned to distance learning and then hybrid learning, finding new ways to engage students and families. 

The SmileMobile Dental Clinic will be at Evergreen High School and the Olympic Interim Site from May 11-13 and May 18-20. Appointments are available for babies, children, teens and pregnant/postpartum individuals who are uninsured or who are with Apple Health. Schedule an appointment by calling 888.286.9105.

State Superintendent Chris Reykdal announced this week that students will not take state standardized tests this spring. Instead, the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) and Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science will be scheduled in Fall 2021.

The fall testing schedule meets the federal requirement for state testing without committing valuable learning time this spring to test-taking. 

Thank you to all who participated in our focus groups on standards-based grading. More teachers across Highline are using a standards-based approach to grading assignments and giving feedback. We hope to pilot a new standards-based report card soon.

We're pinching ourselves—it feels like a dream to have all grades back on school grounds! Today, we welcomed back more students in grades 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12. It is our biggest first day yet and our second-to-last first day for the 2021-22 school year. We welcome back the rest of our secondary in-person students on Thursday. Most middle and high school students attend in two groups, either Monday/Tuesday or Thursday/Friday. Some students who receive special education services attend four days a week. 

For spring break, April 12 through April 16, meal kits will be offered on Thursday, April 8 from 12:30-1:30 p.m. only. Pick up locations include Chinook and Glacier middle schools and Evergreen and Mount Rainier high schools.

We look forward to celebrating our graduates in-person this year. Please see the updated 2021 graduation schedule, which includes ceremonies at Highline Memorial Stadium and the Performing Arts Center. Each graduate will be allotted two guest tickets. Seating will be socially distanced and other safety protocols will be in place. All graduations will also be live-streamed.

Starting the week of April 19, students in grades 6-12 who have chosen hybrid learning will begin school in person.

More teachers across Highline are using a standards-based approach to grading assignments and giving feedback. We hope to pilot a new standards-based report card soon and want to hear your thoughts. We invite all staff, families and students to attend a virtual focus group to provide feedback on standards-based grading and the new report card.

We want to provide all families, all staff and secondary students opportunities to share feedback, input and ideas on how we can support learning experiences in distance and in-person learning. Please help us better support you by completing the linked survey. The survey will run from March 29 to April 9. Results will help us to plan for this spring and next fall.

Governor Inslee has announced that schools now have the option to use three-foot distancing between students rather than six feet. This change may not apply to middle and high school students who rotate between classes during the school day, depending on community transmission levels. We do not plan to change our distancing standard this spring in Highline. 

The English Language Proficiency Assessment is happening now through June 4. All eligible hybrid students will be administered the test. Be on the lookout for more information.

Starting April 19, middle and high school students will have the option of hybrid learning. In hybrid, students will attend school in person two full days per week, rotating through classes in a three-period day. Hybrid learning is not mandatory. Students may opt to remain in distance learning through the end of the school year. 

We will begin hybrid learning for grades 6-12 on Monday, April 19.  Governor Inslee has ordered that all public schools provide both remote and in-person options for all students K-12 by that date. Families will choose to opt-in to hybrid learning or remain in fully remote learning.

Superintendent Susan Enfield updates families and staff on the Governor's emergency proclomation to return students to school buildings means for Highline.

We have space available in our new Highline Virtual Academy. Highline Virtual Academy is launching this fall for students in 6th through 12th grades. The academy will be the only all-remote option in the 2021-22 school year and moving forward. We invite you to apply through SchoolMint. 

It is almost one year to the day since the pandemic closed our school buildings to students, staff and families. Today we welcomed back Pre-K, kindergarten and first-grade students, as well as students in our IAC program in grades K-12 across the district.

The masks can't hide the smiles! Thursday was the first day back at a brick-and-mortar school for about 1,500 Highline students. It was also the first day of in-person school ever for many preschool and kindergarten students!