THE COUNTDOWN HAS BEGUN!

PTSA March Madness Fundraising Gala March 24

It's almost game time for our March Madness-themed Fundraising Gala on Sunday, March 24. Have you secured your tickets yet?

You have until March 6 to donate items to the Gala. That's when the final whistle will blow, so don't wait any longer to contribute! Items small and large are still needed.

We also need donations of desserts and wine to sweeten the deal. Donate items online or email ballardprocurement@gmail.com to coordinate.

And if you're ready to join the Gala team, sign up now to volunteer at the event. You can bring your student along, and they can earn service hours! More info.

BALLARD HS FOUNDATION

Apply for Golden Beaver Scholarships

Seniors: Remember to apply for the Ballard High School Foundation Golden Beaver Scholarships!

Hughbanks Family Scholarships are awarded to students pursuing further academic or trade education in Washington state and will prioritize students with situational or financial need. Awards are $5,000 for two years.

Golden Beaver Scholarships are awarded to students pursuing further academic or trade education (not limited to schools in Washington). Awards are for one year and can range from $500 to $5,000.

Application deadlines are Sunday, March 24.

Full details and even more opportunities online!

FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS

New! Tim Nygard Ballard "Legacy" Scholarship

The Ballard High School Foundation is also offering the following scholarships:

NEW! The Tim Nygard Ballard “Legacy” Scholarship is an annual $2,000 award which will be made to a graduating senior with Ballard HS “legacy roots” and be known for modeling character, compassion, and friendship towards fellow students. The award is to be used for tuition to pursue further academic or trade education.

The Ballard Nineteen Scholarship is to remember the nineteen men from Ballard High School who died serving in Vietnam. A $1,000 award to any graduating senior at Ballard High School for college or accredited trade school who meet the criteria listed on the application.

The Daniel Chavez Scholarship is in honor of fallen Marine Daniel Chavez who graduated from Ballard High School in 2003. Seniors who are a relative of Daniel Chavez or have a parent, grandparent, or sibling in the armed forces should apply. The scholarship is a one-time $1,000 award.

Application deadlines are March 24. Full details.

TOP CLASS GETS $500 FOR THEIR ASB ACCOUNT!

5th Annual Running of the Beavers March 23

Get ready to lace up your sneakers and join the Ballard High School Foundation's 5th Annual Running of the Beavers 5K Fun Run/Walk at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, March 23 at Golden Gardens. Direct your registration proceeds to your favorite BHS team and/or Performing Arts.

Last year the Class of 2026 earned $250 for their ASB account as the grade level with the most participation. This year, the grade level with the greatest participation gets $500 for their class ASB account! Will the Class of 2026 repeat? See you on the course to find out!

BHS LATINX STUDENT UNION

Latino Night of Celebration March 1

Ballard's Latinx Student Union (LSU) is presenting their Latino Night of Celebration at 6 p.m. Friday, March 1 in the Performing Arts Center.

Open to the community, tickets include dinner and a show ($20)!

This celebration features a special performance by the award-winning folklórico dance group Bailadores de Bronce; catered authentic Mexican cuisine; and Latino/e/x vendors from across Seattle with jewelry, snacks, artisan work and more! More info

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Multicultural Festival Potluck April 19

Please join the Multicultural Student Union’s first festival in the Commons on Friday, April 19! Sign up to bring a dish, perform a piece from your culture, or come host a game and talk about your culture!

The BHS Multicultural Union is looking for volunteers to come and help celebrate! Thank you!

Parents! Families! Students! Can You Help Out?

• Bring a food from your culture!
• Bring a game!
• Come and perform a dance, a song, an instrument that represents you or your culture!

Monday Morning Library Volunteer(s) Needed

Teacher-Librarian TuesD Chambers is looking for weekly volunteers to come in Monday mornings from 8:30-10:30 a.m. This is a busy time for the library and she would greatly appreciate the assistance! Sign-Up.

Note: Volunteers will need to be approved through SPS, a process that can take up to two weeks. Here's the application.

Photo of our awesome PTSA volunteers c/o and follow @beaverreadersbhs.

Looking for a New Book?

In a reading slump or want a deeper dive on a topic of interest? Stop by the library desk and get some inspiration from Ms. Chambers or Ms. Bowman!

Beaver Readers can also check out the Destiny Discovery online catalog, where Ms. Chambers and Library Leaders have curated collections to spur reading ideas.

There are additional options on the Library Resources webpage

NEWS, NOTES & UPDATES

Running Start Info Sessions Weds. in March

Interested in learning more about Running Start? The school counselors will offer Running Start Info sessions on Wednesdays, March 6, 13, 20 and 27 during the first half of lunch (12:05-12:40 p.m.) for 10th-11th graders inquiring about the program. All sessions will cover the same info.

Meet in Rm. S217 for the presentation and Q & A. More info.

Want to Shout Out a BHS Counselor?

Want to shout out a BHS Counselor? SPS is taking nominations to recognize school counselors for their unique and integral roles in our schools. Please share your nomination for Counselors Katie Huguenin, Tom Kramer, Maya McKenzie, Gail Olson Laing or Sonja Petersen as SPS School Counselor of the Year.

The nomination form is accessible until March 5 and the winner will be announced in June. Counseling News page.

College Visits and Events

Check out the school representatives offering College Visits in the Counseling Center. Sign up via Naviance. Upcoming schools include:

Thursday, Feb. 29

Franklin University Switzerland | 8:50 a.m.

Monday, March 4

University of Arizona | 12:45 p.m.

Tuesday, March 5

Palm Beach Atlantic University | 8:50 a.m.

Northwest College of Art & Design | 1:45 p.m.

Wednesday, March 6

Willamette University | 8:50 a.m.

Thursday, March 7

University of Utah | 8:50 a.m.

DigiPen Institute of Technology | 9:50 a.m.

Friday, March 8

University of Alaska Fairbanks | 9:50 a.m.

Service Learning Spotlight

Discovery Park Habitat Restoration Work Parties

Want to help restore the Discovery Park South Meadow's native habitat for local wildlife? Join University of Washington Environmental and Forest Sciences student Olivia Anderson and her Capstone team for work parties on Fridays and Sundays. (Other times may be arranged with the team.)

"My team and I would love to work with the students to help spark interest in the growing field of environmental science, please let me know if you are interested," Olivia said.

Sign up and information.

Service Learning Spotlight

Pancake Breakfast

Loyal Heights Community Center is hosting its Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser on Sunday, March 3. Volunteers are needed to assist from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Also Volunteers are needed for Spring Egg Hunt at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 30 at the Loyal Heights Community Center and Ballard Community Center (among other park locations). Volunteers are needed to assist with this fun annual event.

To learn more, contact Loyal Heights Teen Program Coordinator Ron Brown at Ronald.Brown@seattle.gov (after Mid-Winter Break). Inquire with the Ballard Community Center staff at (206) 684-4093 if you'd like to help at their Spring Egg Hunt event.

Service Learning Spotlight

Emergency Skills Fair March 23

Volunteers are needed to staff tables at the Seattle Emergency Hubs Network's Emergency Skills Fair Saturday, March 23 at Loyal Heights Community Center.

Students can sign up for a variety of shifts from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’s truly a win-win; students learn valuable skills and then educate neighbors.

No experience necessary, organizers ask that volunteers carefully read the information on the Sign Up page.

Spring Job/Service Learning

Little League Teen Umpires Sought

Thinking about a part time job this spring? Ballard Little League is seeking teen umpires for spring baseball and softball games. No experience necessary, they will train!

Pay is $25-$38 a game (or service hours). Teen will be paired with an adult volunteer umpire for most games.

Sign up and more info.

The Addams Family Tickets Now on Sale

Buy your tickets today for The Addams Family! Filled with that signature Addams Family macabre, this year's spring musical will be a delightful expression of family joy and love. Shows are 7:30 p.m. March 14-16 and March 22-23, and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 24 in the PAC. Tickets: $20/adult, $10/student & staff, and $15/senior citizen, available online at Showtix4u. More info.

Donate Items to Goodwill Trailers at BHS March 16

Coming up soon, start your spring cleaning! Donate unwanted items from your spring cleaning decluttering and benefit BPA!

Goodwill trucks will be parked in the BHS staff parking lot on Saturday, March 16 from 9 a.m. to noon. Bring your donations and your neighbor’s too! For every truck filled, BPA gets $600! 

More info.

Gymnastics Team is 3rd at State!

After competing Friday at the State Championships at Sammamish High School, Ballard Gymnastics has once again taken the podium ... this time as 3rd at State!

"Great fight to end a great season for the team," said Coach Stephanie Gundel.

Also, to celebrate, a Ballard-record five gymnasts qualified for event finals Saturday! Alex on vault, bars and floor, and our beam team killed it with Naomi, Caitlyn, Brooke and Vivi all qualifying! Full results from Saturday event finals were not available at newsletter deadline. Photo c/o and follow @ballardgymnastics.

Kian Finishes 8th, Sets BHS Backstroke Record

Congratulations to Boys Swim & Dive senior Captain Kian Vae’ena who earned 8th in the 100 backstroke at the Feb. 16-17 State Tournament.

From Coach Kyle Morean: "Kian swam a PR day 1 with a 53.21 in the 100 Backstroke solidifying his new Ballard Boys Team records (the previous record 55.66 was set in 2003!). Kian was seeded 7th for the A final and just got out-touched and earned 8th place. This makes Kian the highest state finisher for Ballard Boys swimming since 2015!"

Congratulations to the 400 Free Relay team (Nathan Williams, Kian Vae’ena, Matteo Montague and Evan Sadler) which also competed in a preliminary round at last weekend's State Tournament.

Coach Morean said participating at State was "a cap to a very successful season where we had more than 45 boys turn out for our team."

More BHS Swim Updates

In other news for the Beaver swim program, the Girls Swim and Dive team has new leadership next fall, with Head Coach Tom Keenan taking over the program.

Boys Swim and Dive Team Rep Kim Courtney has been working with Athletic Booster Club on creating a Ballard Boys and Girls swimming record board to be displayed on the Ballard Pool deck to honor the teams' top swims (including the amazing six different records set across the two teams in just the last two seasons).

Boys Swim and Dive Head Coach Kyle Morean researched the archives to confirm the top swims of the last 15 or so years. The “current” Ballard swim record board has not been updated since 2008.

Follow Ballard's swim programs on Instagram @bhsboys.swim and @bhsgirlsswimanddive.

Spring Sports Start Monday

Spring Sports Tryouts Start Monday! Get ready to cheer for Baseball, Fastpitch Softball (girls), Soccer (boys), Tennis, and Track.

You'll also want to check out Spring Club Sports: Boys Lacrosse, Girls Lacrosse, and Girls Ultimate Frisbee.

Register online via FinalForms. Pay ASB fee SchoolPay via the Source. Must have all forms complete for tryouts! Full details.

Spring Athletics Parents/Guardians Meeting March 5

The Spring Athletics Parents/Guardians Meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 5 in the Gym.

Athletic Director Eric Ensign will share important information about the Spring Season. Meet BHS trainer Loka Murphy and Strength/ Conditioning Coach Colin Matthiesen. Breakout groups for individual spring sports teams to follow.

There will also be a few fan giveaways from the Athletic Booster Club (ABC) too so don't miss out! Beaver Gear sales will also be available, in support of ABC. More info

Girls Lacrosse Registration Open

Girls Lacrosse registration is open! Come out and have fun with us this spring and become part of the fastest growing sport in the Northwest! Season runs Feb. 27 through May 5. Lacrosse is a no-cut sport – everyone is welcome and no prior experience is necessary. More info and registration.

Boys Lacrosse Registration Open

Registration is OPEN for Boys Lacrosse! Practice begins Feb. 26 with games through May, plus tournaments. Conditioning is now. It is a no-cut sport with Varsity & JV teams. Scholarships are available. The Dam will be rocking with lots of lacrosse excitement!

Follow along @ballard_lacrosse, email info@ballardboyslacrosse.com with questions and for scholarship info. Spread the word, recruit your friends, join the fun this season! Sign up here.

Girls Ultimate Still Looking for Players!

The Ballard Gx Ultimate Frisbee team is open to all girls who want to participate in the Spring Ultimate league.

The season runs from Feb. 26 to May 19 with practices and games occurring during the school week after school. Everyone is welcome and no prior experience is necessary.

Find more information and register here. Email any questions to ballardultimate@gmail.com. Go BUF!

DEI Committee Meeting March 5

The Ballard PTSA's Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee will be meeting 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 5 at the Fish Ladder Lounge, 4910 Leary Way N.W. We’d love to see you! The DEI Committee meets the first Tuesday of each month. Please reach out with any questions to: DEIatBHS@gmail.com.

Upcoming Events

Apply by Feb. 27: Youth Arts Grant Open - Art Beat (seattle.gov) “Artists, arts and cultural organizations, youth-serving agencies, and degree-granting institutions are invited to apply for the City of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture Youth Arts grant. The Youth Arts grant supports two years of equitable access to arts and cultural learning opportunities for Seattle’s middle and high school-aged youth.”

Apply now: The Liberty Project is “a new innovative business growth project that is working to increase revenues for businesses owned by people from underrepresented communities in Seattle – particularly Black-owned businesses. Applications for the Liberty Project will be accepted on a rolling basis through an online portal managed by Tabor 100. Interested businesses are encouraged to continue applying. The second business cohort will be selected on March 18."

Black History Month

Here are some ways to continue celebrating the contributions of Black Americans as we head into the last week of Black History Month:

Feb. 26 (Climate Pledge Arena, Tickets $105 and up) Black Hockey History Night with special jersey designed by Barry Johnson.

Crosscut writes, "Johnson says he was inspired by the Colored Hockey League — formed way up in Nova Scotia way back in 1895. Noting that he didn’t want to reinvent the Kraken’s iconic S logo, Johnson instead enlivened it with colors from the Pan-African Flag 'to highlight the contributions of Black players throughout the history of hockey,'" 2023-24 Specialty Jerseys | Seattle Kraken | Seattle Kraken (nhl.com)

Now through March 15 (Gould Gallery at UW, Free)

Modern Architecture Activism: The Life and Work of Benjamin F. McAdoo, Jr. - Architecture (uw.edu)

“This exhibit showcases the modern architectural designs and social activism of Benjamin F. McAdoo Jr. (1920-1981) – a graduate of the University of Washington, Department of Architecture, and the first Black architect registered in Washington State. McAdoo’s life and work linked two distinct worlds in the mid-century period: the struggle for racial equity and civil rights, and the rise of modernism in architectural design.”

Now through April 7: (National Nordic Museum, tickets $10 and up)

La Vaughn Belle: A History of Unruly Returns | National Nordic Museum “La Vaughn Belle: A History of Unruly Returns features the paintings, ceramics, and collages of contemporary artist La Vaughn Belle. Based on the island of Saint Croix, Belle investigates the legacy of colonialism.”

Now through May 5: (Arte Noir, Free viewing) Once Upon a Spacetime: “Step into a cosmic odyssey where the celestial dance of femininity, Blackness, inner enlightenment, and all of creation unfold. This collection of ethereal artworks by Aramis Hamer transcends the boundaries of time and space to explore the interconnected narratives of strength, grace, and spiritual elevation.” 

GALLERY ON VIEW | ARTE NOIR

In the News

Seattle P-Patch Community Remembers Yao Fou Hinh Chao’s 25 Years of Service - Front Porch

Speaking Lushootseed: WA’s Indigenous curriculum may be renamed | Crosscut

"Affordable housing in the heart of the Central District," leasing under way at Africatown Plaza | CHS Capitol Hill Seattle News

See an interesting event that celebrates Diversity, Equity, or Inclusion and you’d like to see it highlighted here? Please send it our way! DEIatBHS@gmail.com.