Happy New Year! Our students are back in our halls and have had an amazingly smooth transition back. Every student I asked as they left Tuesday afternoon had a smile on their face and said they’d had a great day. That is a testament to our great students and staff - what a privilege to be the principal here and share space with these amazing humans daily. Read below for some important news and events at FHHS.
Violent Intruder Drill: I am heartbroken every time we have to operationalize these drills, but it would be wildly negligent to not address student safety in preparation for one of these tragic incidents. I wanted to give you advance notice that we will be discussing the Run-Hide-Fight protocol in Advisory on the morning of Wednesday, 1/11. We will not be conducting any evacuation this time, nor will we ever do any simulations (those are actually against the law in WA). What we will be doing is discussing what each of those options (Run - Hide - Fight) entails. So you’re aware, the district reunification site for all levels (K-12) is the Fairgrounds, so there would be only one site for a full family pickup in the event of any large-scale disaster. Our staff will give students an option to move to another location, as we know this conversation can be upsetting for some. If you would like to discuss options for your student during this time, or if you have any questions or concerns, please reach out.
Biotechnology - FHHS Style - Coming Soon to a Chemistry Class Near You: We are excited to host a Gel Electrophoresis Lab Residency sponsored by the Friday Harbor Labs Science Outreach program next week! Gel electrophoresis uses electrical currents to separate mixtures of molecules that have different sizes and charges. It is one of the processes used by genealogy companies to trace your heritage, and it is also used in crime labs to test DNA of crime scenes! If you have a student in Chemistry with Mr. Dwyer, your student will have the chance to experience this science first-hand.
Sense and Sensibility at SJCT: Come see our FHHS actors this month at the San Juan Community Theatre under the direction of Lindsay Saarie. (from their website…) “A playful new adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel follows the fortunes (and misfortunes) of the Dashwood sisters—sensible Elinor and hypersensitive Marianne—after their father’s sudden death leaves them financially destitute and socially vulnerable. Set in gossipy late 18th-century England, with a fresh female voice, the play is full of humor, emotional depth, and bold theatricality. Sense and Sensibility examines our reactions, both reasonable and ridiculous, to societal pressures. When reputation is everything, how do you follow your heart? “ Tickets available here.
Finals Week @ FHHS: Due to athletics absences, we are stretching out the finals calendar so no one is traveling during our finals. We will run as scheduled (normal on Mon, Tues; regular early dismissal on Wed; half days on Thur, Fri), but the finals will be as follows:
- Monday 1/23: P5 Final
- Tuesday 1/24: P6 Final
- Wednesday 1/25: P1 Final
- Thursday 1/26: P2 & P3 Final
- Friday 1/27: P4 Final
Please refrain from scheduling any family events or non-emergent medical appointments that week. Thank you!
College Acceptance Letters Start Pouring In: As the Class of 2023 receives their acceptance letters, please encourage them to join our longstanding tradition of posting their letters on our graduates’ wall of fame. Since December, we have received notice of acceptances at PLU, ASU, MSU, UPS, WWU, and Yale!
Health News - 3-in-1 Tests Available: We are excited to announce our students now have access to free testing in our offices that test for Influenza A, Influenza B, and for C19. Of course, there’s a NEW consent form, attached here. Please send that along to the Main Office if you’d like to preemptively approve your child for this testing. We are available to test most days during school hours. English Consent Form ¦ Spanish Consent Form
As always, I am open to any requests for further conversation, suggestions, or just visiting about how your student is doing. We had several alumni in this week who are still on college break and I have asked each one if they felt prepared for college. 100% say yes, AND that it’s hard. But I think that’s a testament to the experience your students are undergoing right now. We want to provide a rigorous education that prepares them for their next step, and to host all the other experiences that make high school memorable (like the Winter Formal!).
May all your resolutions come true in 2023,
Andrea
