June 2020 Northgate School News

Northgate made it to the school-year finish line on June 18.  The race started per normal in Sept. 2019 but as the year changed and into mid-winter, COVID-19 put the breaks on education as we knew it:  Stay home, stay safe was the mantra.  Teachers at Northgate and educators across the country had to do an about face and grapple with online instruction, some fairing better than others.

With the stay at home situation, Seattle School District (SSD) made a few mandates:  teachers would teach in five content areas - reading, writing, math, social-emotional, and science; there would be no standardized testing; and finally no attendance records.  (This was believed to be an equity issue.)

Happy to report that all Northgate students passed to the next grade level.  But I’m hearing there is a huge interest in summer school across SSD, Northgate included. Of course, the format will be virtual.

Friday, the District announced plans for fall 2020.  If we make it to Phase 4 of the governor’s reopening plan, school should start as normal in classrooms.  A Phase 2 or 3 opening could have a blended model of instruction, part in-class, part virtual.  And there is an Opt-In model.  For those families who wish not to send their kids to school, you can go 100% online learning.  SSD is gearing up for a summer of teacher trainings the likes of which haven't been seen before.

Kids, parents:  see you in September one way or another.

The new Northgate groundbreaking:  Summer 2121.  Whoopee!

Respectfully,
Randy Harkness, HLCC liaison to Northgate

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