Pathways: News and Information About Highline Public Schools

​If you are a parent or guardian of a Highline student, we want to hear from you. Please complete our parent survey. Your feedback will help us see what we are doing well and where we need to improve.

​If you are a parent or guardian of a Highline student, we want to hear from you. Please complete our parent survey. Your feedback will help us see what we are doing well and where we need to improve.

The results of our annual survey are tracked by school and for the district as a whole. We will compare this year’s responses to those from past years, and we will report our progress to you in this publication and on our website later this spring.

“We want and need feedback from the families we serve,” said Superintendent Susan Enfield. “Parents are the experts on their children. Students will be successful in school when we are true partners with their families. That starts when we really listen to what they have to say.”

You can access the survey here. The survey will be open until May 31.

​A group of Highline students watched their art sculpture get installed today in downtown Des Moines. The 12-foot metal sculpture was built by 17 Puget Sound Skills Center (PSSC) welding students.

PSSC welding class displays their sculpture.

A group of Highline students watched their art sculpture get installed today in downtown Des Moines. The 12-foot metal sculpture was built by 17 Puget Sound Skills Center (PSSC) welding students.

Entitled “Graduated Progression,” the metal sculpture looks like a large tree trunk with fish swimming up the trunk. The students used special techniques to make the metal look like a piece of wood.

“The sculpture is a symbol of us working our way to graduation and continuing to grow,” said senior Shane Chanthanam.

Students also carved their initials into the sculpture.

“This project helps show them that there is more to welding than just putting two pieces of medal together,” said welding teacher Dale Copeland. “This shows them the artistic side of welding."

The sculpture is located on the corner of Marine View Drive South and South 227th Street in Des Moines. It will be part of the city’s new outdoor sculpture gallery, which consists of more than a dozen sculptures located around the city.

“The students are our future,” said Des Moines Parks and Recreation Director Patrice Thorell. “It is inspiring to have these students included in the community.”

Shinn Mechanical donated time and supplies to install the sculpture. The Des Moines Rotary Club donated the pedestal on which the sculpture is located.

Visit Highline’s Facebook page to see a complete photo album of the sculpture installation. 

​​Scott Ostrander, General Manager of Cedarbrook Lodge, was selected by Highline Public Schools for this year’s Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA) Community Recognition Award.  Scott was singled out for his dedication and enthusiastic support of local public education and students in the SeaTac community.

L-R School Board President Bernie Dorsey, Scott Ostrander, Global Connections Principal Rick Harwood, Highline Schools Foundation Executive Director Ashley Fosberg

​Scott Ostrander, General Manager of Cedarbrook Lodge, was selected by Highline Public Schools for this year’s Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA) Community Recognition Award.  Scott was singled out for his dedication and enthusiastic support of local public education and students in the SeaTac community.

“Cedarbrook might have gone about its business hidden from the community,” said Assistant Superintendent Susan Smith Leland. “Instead, Scott Ostrander has virtually adopted students in our SeaTac-area schools and has offered up Cedarbrook as a resource again and again.”

Scott was instrumental in raising funds to send the Global Connections High School wind ensemble to the Presidential Inauguration Music Festival. Under Scott’s guidance, Cedarbrook Lodge hosted a gala fundraiser for the students. With the help of Cedarbrook’s contribution, the students flew to Washington DC for a once in a lifetime experience.

Scott also opened Cedarbrook Lodge for a multi-age field trip for Global Connections DECA students and Bow Lake Elementary fifth-graders. Cedarbook Chef Mark Bodinet worked with the students and taught them about healthy and sustainable eating.

In addition to his support of Highline Public Schools, Scott also supports the YMCA in SeaTac and many out-of-school programs for students in all SeaTac schools.

Scott was honored along with other community members making a difference for kids at a luncheon May 17 at Puget Sound Educational District.

More extensive staff training and strong coordination with local law enforcement are the hallmarks of a proposal to improve safety and security at Highline schools. The proposal will be presented to the community at a public meeting on Monday, May 20.​

More extensive staff training and strong coordination with local law enforcement are the hallmarks of a proposal to improve safety and security at Highline schools. The proposal will be presented to the community at a public meeting on Monday, May 20.

If adopted by the school board, the district Safety and Security plan would not bring major changes to staff structure. It does call for significant improvements in the extent and types of training required of Safety and Security officers. It also outlines joint training and collaboration with local law enforcement agencies.

The proposal includes a vision statement and guiding principles that emphasize building relationships with students as a way to prevent school violence.  It envisions Safety and Security personnel as mentors who students trust to help them solve issues that could lead to conflicts at school. The plan includes a rigorous hiring process to ensure that the best candidates are selected as Safety and Security staff.

The proposal was developed after several months of study that included input from staff and community members. The police chiefs of Des Moines, Normandy Park, Burien, and SeaTac and the South Precinct Commander from the King County Sheriff’s office gave input on the plan. Safety consultant Roger Baker, a retired Des Moines police chief, did an analysis of the current safety program and made recommendations for improvement.

The public is invited to learn about the proposal at a community meeting.

Monday, May 20, 6:00-7:30 p.m.

District Central Office (ERAC)
15675 Ambaum Blvd SW, Burien  
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​​Armando Ortiz, a senior at Highline Big Picture High School, recently traveled to Princeton University in New Jersey to receive the Princeton Prize in Race Relations.  The award recognizes students who show outstanding leadership in improving race relations in their community. Ortiz is one of 23 high school students from around the nation to receive the award.

Armando Ortiz

​Armando Ortiz, a senior at Highline Big Picture High School, recently traveled to Princeton University in New Jersey to receive the Princeton Prize in Race Relations.  The award recognizes students who show outstanding leadership in improving race relations in their community. Selected by the Seattle Chapter, Ortiz is one of 23 high school students from around the nation to receive the award and its accompanying $1,000 honorarium. He is the first student from Highline Public Schools to receive the award. 
 
“Over the last four years, Armando’s efforts have centered around the concept that learning together about one another’s cultural histories both breaks down perceived barriers and differences and encourages seeing our collective struggles as much more compelling than inter-racial conflict,” said Jeff Petty, former Big Picture co-principal.
 
Ortiz’s Senior Thesis Project, a Big Picture graduation requirement, involved immersion as an ethnographer at three high school campuses, two in Highline and one in the Seattle School District. Essentially working undercover at all three schools and posing as a fellow student, Ortiz analyzed and documented the effects of an enrichment program for Latino students in an effort to extend its benefits to more schools. 
 
Big Picture staff say that throughout his high school career Ortiz has initiated, led, or otherwise played a catalytic role in numerous projects helping students from all backgrounds collaborate around self-empowerment and increasing their agency in school and community.
 
In addition to teaching electives in the Big Picture Middle School, Ortiz was an early leader in the school’s Native Student Alliance, which recently evolved into the First People’s Center housed at the Big Picture campus. After graduating this June, Ortiz plans to attend Lewis and Clark College in Oregon.
 
The regional selection committee recognized Big Picture junior Andrew Gregory with a Certificate of Accomplishment for his leadership of the First People’s Center, among other efforts.

​The organization that provides musical instruments free of charge to low-income students at Highline is receiving a major boost in funding. Highline Music4Life (HM4L) was recently awarded a check of $10,400 from the Rotary Club of Des Moines.

The organization that provides musical instruments free of charge to low-income students at Highline is receiving a major boost in funding. Highline Music4Life (HM4L) was recently awarded a check of $10,400 from the Rotary Club of Des Moines.

Dick Lee and David Endicott of Music4Life with Rotary Club of Des Moines President and Highline Director of Communication Catherine Carbone Rogers. Photo courtesy of Waterland Blog.

The recent donation is featured in the Waterland Blog.

HM4L acquires new and gently used musical instruments, repairs them if needed, and donates them free of charge to Highline schools for use by low-income families. Since launching in 2011, HM4L has donated more than 200 musical instruments.

“You don’t have to be a Rotarian to support Music4Life,” said David Endicott of HM4L in the Waterland Blog article. “All that’s necessary is that you understand the unique value that instrumental music plays in the total education of a child.”

Around 75-percent of fifth and sixth grade students at Highline who participate in instrumental music programs are from families that are income-eligible. HM4L helps about half of those students.

Tentative agreement has been reached with the Highline Education Association (HEA)​ on some critical dates for the upcoming school year.  School will begin on Wednesday, September 4, 2013, and the last day of school next year will be June 17, 2014.  Winter break is scheduled for December 23 - January 3, 2014.

​Tentative agreement has been reached with the Highline Education Association (HEA)​ on some critical dates for the upcoming school year. School will begin on Wednesday, September 4, 2013, and the last day of school next year will be June 17, 2014.

Other dates families can use for planning include:

​Twenty-three Highline seniors will graduate with more than just a high school diploma this year. The students will also graduate with their Associate Degree (AA) or Certificate through the Running Start Program.

Twenty-three Highline seniors will graduate with more than just a high school diploma this year. The students will also graduate with their Associate Degree (AA) or Certificate through the Running Start Program.

Running Start enables high school students to attend community college and simultaneously earn high school and college credit. 

“Running Start is an extremely valuable option for our highly motivated students as college costs are increasing every year,” said Student Advancement Director Rachel Klein. “Students who demonstrate success in Running Start will be more attractive to admissions officers of highly competitive college and career programs, in addition to having some of their credits already paid for.”

Earning an AA or Certificate at the same time as a high school diploma is not an easy task. A total of 217 seniors across the district took classes through Running Start this year; only 23 will graduate with an AA. 

These students represent five Highline schools: Academy of Citizenship and Empowerment (ACE), Global Connections High School, CHOICE Academy, Highline High School, and Mount Rainier High School.

Students do not have to pay for tuition, but they are required to pay college fees and buy their own books. They also have to provide their own transportation.

Highline Public Schools is partnering with Highline Community College to launch a new program next year called Career Start. Juniors will be able to enroll in a career-training program and graduate with a career certificate as well as a high school diploma after two years. 

“We are optimistic that it will accelerate the on-ramp into the workforce for some students, and allow them to earn a living wage much faster in their career,” said Klein.

To review a complete list of students and their degrees, click here.

​​A group of Puget Sound Skill Center (PSSC) students underwent three intense days of exams to earn their Nursing Assistant Certificate (NAC). The students started preparing for the exam last fall. The test includes a proctored written examination and a practical skills demonstration.

​A group of Puget Sound Skill Center (PSSC) students underwent three intense days of exams to earn their Nursing Assistant Certificate (NAC).

PSSC nursing students.

The students started preparing for the exam last fall. The test includes a proctored written examination and a practical skills demonstration.

"I was able to speak with the proctor and she is very impressed with our program," said Dean of Students David Estes.

The certification allows students to immediately start working in the medical field. The program also allows students to earn college credit.

The NAC program includes both classroom teaching and internship experience in a clinical environment, and is offered to PSSC juniors and seniors.

​Student artists showed their works at the second annual student art walk hosted by downtown Burien businesses on Thursday, May 9.

Student Art Walk in Downtown Burien.

Student artists showed their works at the second annual student art walk hosted by downtown Burien businesses on Thursday, May 9.

Art on display included works in pencil and ink, pastel, acrylic, and water color, as well as  prints, sculptures, and performing arts.

“It is really exciting for students to see this type of recognition outside of school,” said Mount Rainier High School art teacher Kristina Smethers. “A number of the students actually get offers from the public to buy their work.”

Several schools participated, including Chinook Middle School, Health Sciences and Human Services High School, Mount Rainier High School, Highline High School, Arts and Academics Academy, Cascade Middle School, Odyssey High School, and Global Connections High School.

Student’s work was shown at Burien Library, The Mark Restaurant, Phoenix Tea, Elliott Bay Brewery, Bumbershoot Books, Keller Williams, Burien Books, Burien Cross Fit, Osteria da Primo, Home Tasks, Collins Chiropractic, and Burien Press.