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. 

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.

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

It's so good to see you! With first-day butterflies and smiles in our eyes, we welcomed more than 1,000 fourth- and fifth-grade students back to in-person learning this week. It was the first time in more than a year these students have entered a classroom. 

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.

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.