Schools in Seattle Southside
The school districts in the Seattle Southside area are known for offering nothing but the best for students in all stages of life. From the moment children begin prekindergarten, educators are thinking ahead to when it’s time for them to enter the workforce or enroll in college courses. These institutions have several programs available to help young people realize their potential.
Highline Public Schools
Highline Public Schools serves more than 19,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grades. From academic curriculum to career-focused programs, Highline prepares students for post-graduation success. At the core of its strategy is solid relationship building.
“Our promise is that every student in Highline Public Schools is known by name, strength, and need and graduates prepared for college, career, and citizenship,” says Superintendent Susan Enfield. “Our central goal is for at least 19 out of 20 students to graduate prepared to choose their future, starting with the class of 2017.”
Highline offers work-based opportunities by partnering with businesses for internships, all designed to prepare students for a global, competitive workforce.
Raisbeck Aviation High School is one such example. It is the only aviation-themed, college-preparatory school in the country to share space with an aerospace museum. As such, it offers its students mentor/mentee relationships and internships in the aviation field.
One of Highline’s strengths is its diversity with more than 100 languages represented in the student body. Highline’s dual language program sets it apart from the rest with a model designed to aid students in achieving long-term success with bilingual skills.
“Our students come to us from all over the world,” Enfield says. “Our students are learning every day how to collaborate with others from many different backgrounds.”
Tukwila School District
Tukwila School District has more than doubled the number of students enrolled in advanced placement courses over the past several years, putting its graduates on the fast-track to success. Moreover, this district is one of only 130 in the nation to earn the prestigious College Board 2015 Gaston Caperton Opportunity Honor Roll award in recognition of its expanded opportunities for higher education to traditionally underrepresented students.
The district also enjoys pivotal partnerships that propel its student body forward.
“We partner closely with the Puget Sound Skills Center, which allows our high school students to get hands-on industry experience in programs as diverse as animation, auto body technology, court reporting and captioning, culinary arts, and more,” says Tukwila School District’s Director of Communication Sara Niegowski.
This center, stationed at Highline Public Schools, is designed to help students prepare for a future in various areas, including aerospace manufacturing/engineering, fire and emergency services, marine science technology, fashion design,
and marketing.
The district also brings in experts to campus. This allows students to meet professionals working in a field of their interest.
“On any given day, you might see a journeyman electrician working with students or a panel of scientists addressing a lunchtime crowd,” Niegowski says.
The district received a big boost recently when citizens voted in support of a bond measure to fund new construction. Academic wings specifically for science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) will be added at Foster High and Showalter Middle schools, and a Birth to Five Center will be built for children in pre-school and kindergarten.
Rainier Prep
For students in fifth through eighth grades seeking a jump-start on college, Rainier Prep is a great choice. One of Washington’s first charter schools, Rainier Prep models some of the nation’s top performing programs and aims for college readiness for all its students, who come from a variety of races and income levels.
The academic structure has five parts: advisory, in which students work with a small group and teacher; foundations, the time for core reading, writing, and math; science, exploration through labs and experimentation; inquiry, challenges to test students’ critical thinking; and enrichment, which is sports, music, dance, or arts activities. Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) are incorporated throughout the day. Rainier Prep aspires to not only prepare its students for college, but also to develop individuals who will be leaders in their community. – By Mallorie Ann Ingram
Classes With Conviction
Distinctive Disciplines Sharpen Scholarship
Bright scholars who would like to have a more individualized or faith-based education have quality options in Seattle Southside.
Academy Schools
Academy Schools, celebrating its 20th anniversary this 2016-2017 academic year, caters to children in pre-K through 12th grade with small-class sizes and engaging courses. As a nonsectarian, private institution, Academy Schools takes a unique approach to learning.
With an understanding that children learn at their own pace, instruction here is highly personalized.
Through this supportive environment, pupils are able to grow academically, socially, and emotionally as they are ready. While receiving a superb education, students become well-rounded adults who are responsible, caring and community-minded. Academy additionally offers after-school programs with activities ranging from chess to robotics, and more.
Through the school’s Summer Academy, students can pursue an area of interest or talent in a laid-back setting. Academy immerses scholars in their chosen subject, and by participating in the Academy, youth better retain skills developed during the previous school year. Likewise, Academy brings tons of summer adventures with carefully planned field trips throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Seattle Christian Schools
At Seattle Christian Schools (SCS), students in kindergarten through 12th grades receive a first-class education while being surrounded by biblical truths and supportive faculty and staff.
Situated on 13 acres, SCS’s elementary and secondary schools are conveniently located off Interstate 5 in SeaTac. Educators and administrators are dedicated to incorporating the teachings of Jesus Christ into all academics so that children develop into godly adults. While these values are part of the curriculum, students receive rigorous instruction in subjects like science, technology, music, physical education, and several
others too.
At SCS’s College & Career Center, students will find a wealth of resources on life after high school. This is a one-stop shop for information on financial aid, college, and career.
On top of that, SCS offers before- and after-school care, as well as extracurricular activities like robotics and athletics.
Pomp and Circumstance Graduation Day is a Degree Away
It’s no secret that Seattle Southside is a thriving place. That’s due in part to the excellent higher education available here. Degree programs at Highline College and South Seattle College are in the county’s backyard, which makes earning a degree, or brushing up on an established skill set, convenient and rewarding.
Highline College
Meeting higher educational needs since 1961, Highline College is an institution of choice in Seattle Southside. It boasts a wide array of community college programs and four-year fields of study, meaning that landing the dream job starts here.
From a technical learning standpoint, Highline students can choose from a variety of certificate and degree options, all responding to local industry demands. Altogether, Highline offers options in more than 100 different areas of study.
With the college’s new applied bachelor’s degrees, students may study areas like cybersecurity and forensics; global trade and logistics; respiratory care; and youth development.
Highline also understands that students have to find time to fit earning a degree into their already busy schedules. Many are balancing work, family, and other obligations while attending classes. With flexible learning options like daytime, evening, weekend, and online classes, students can achieve their academic goals on their own terms
and timeframe.
South Seattle College
One of four campuses within Seattle Colleges, South Seattle College possesses premier opportunities in workforce education and training, professional-technical programs and bachelor’s degrees in career-specific areas. Through the college’s academic transfer program, undergraduates can complete freshman and sophomore classes here for a lower cost, then finish their bachelor’s at a four-year university.
For individuals who would like to work toward an associate degree in order to enter the workforce immediately after graduation, South Seattle College provides a wealth of majors in its professional and technical education department. Areas of study include automotive, aeronautical technology, culinary arts, engineering technology, industrial manufacturing,
welding fabrication, and more.
“We offer over 25 career-focused professional and technical programs designed to get our students the education they need to secure family supporting jobs in today’s skill-focused economy,” says Ty Swenson, the college’s interim director of marketing and communications. “We offer three Bachelor of Applied Science degrees at South Seattle College. They are designed for people to expand their career opportunities and build on two-year technical and professional degrees, and were created to support industry and workforce needs.”
South Seattle College also offers concentrations that lead to a bachelor’s degree without having to transfer to another university. These include hospitality management, professional technical teacher education, and sustainable building science technology.
One of the most popular aspects of the South Seattle College campus is the Northwest Wine Academy—the first teaching winery in the Puget Sound region. The academy offers classes tailored to both individuals just beginning their wine industry careers and seasoned professionals seeking to enhance their skills. Certificate and degree offerings include winemaking; wine marketing and sales; as well as food and wine pairing. – By Sarah Lancaster