Entering high school is an exhilarating but sometimes terrifying time for students. It’s completely normal to feel nervous and unsure about what to do as you leave 8th grade behind and move into 9th grade and beyond. But you don’t have to worry too much — there are plenty of methods you can use to get ready for high school! Read on to learn how to prepare for high school in Seattle. 

Preparing for High School in Seattle

As you enter the world of high school, you’ll be given more freedom to choose the classes you take and what extracurricular activities you’ll be involved in. This can feel overwhelming at first, but if you follow these tips on how to prepare for high school, you’ll be ready to go when fall rolls around!

Research Schools

The first step in how to prepare for high school is to research potential schools. Look into each school’s philosophy, values, and curriculum. Peruse their list of extracurricular activities, such as sports teams and clubs, and discover what makes each school unique. 

Create a list of the high schools that interest you the most and discuss with your parents which option may be best. Once you’ve narrowed down your search, it may be beneficial to tour the school. You’ll gain a sense of where you’ll be spending your days and have the opportunity to ask questions you were unable to answer during your research stage. 

Speak With an Advisor

This may be an advisor at the high school you’re touring or your 8th grade advisor. Both individuals will be able to discuss high school with you and assist you in the transition from middle school to high school. A high school advisor can also help you figure out how to balance more advanced classes and create a manageable schedule. 

Stay Organized

As you begin to take on more rigorous courses and partake in additional extracurricular activities, staying organized is essential. High school students may want to consider investing in a daily planner to keep track of their responsibilities. Unlike middle school, high school students are held at higher accountability to complete their work and stay on top of their classes. Beginning to find organizational practices during middle school is a great step in how to prepare for high school. 

Meet With Teachers

As you tour the school, you may have the opportunity to meet with teachers. Often, teachers are available to discuss their curriculum and answer any questions you may have during open houses. Attending these events or scheduling a day to “shadow” a student can give the opportunity to discuss with teachers what to expect from high school.

Buy School Supplies

Entering a new school means partaking in fun preparation activities, like school supply shopping! As a high school student, you often have to come equipped with more supplies than you may have needed in middle school. Classrooms don’t offer as many supplies as they do in younger grades, so you’ll need to head to the closest store and pick up all the required supplies listed in your preparation packets. 

Preparing for Christian High School

Depending on the type of school you choose, there may be additional steps you need to take to prepare for high school. Choosing a Christian high school in Seattle can be a beneficial choice for your education, but you’ll need to keep in mind a few extra steps to prepare for this new chapter in life. Keep reading to learn more about transitioning to a Christian school. 

Focus on Service

Christian high schools work to instill the value of service into each and every student. Giving back to the community is an excellent way to share your faith-based education with other individuals. As you prepare to attend a Christian high school, you’ll want to consider getting involved within the surrounding community earlier on to get a feel for where you’ll be attending school and where you’ll be completing community service activities.

Know Your Beliefs

High school is a time to branch out and learn more about your personal interests and passions. In doing so, you may face challenges to your faith from external influences. As you prepare for a faith-based school, it’s important to have open discussions with trusted individuals about these challenges and how you can utilize your Christan education to stand firm in your beliefs. Christian schools often offer weekly chapels, mission trips, Bible classes and additional resources to help you strengthen your faith. 

Add King’s Schools to Your List

When you’re ready to begin your search for a Christian high school, consider adding King’s Schools to your list! At King’s Schools, we’ve created a community ready to prepare high schoolers for college in a caring Christ-centered community. Come be a part of our rich heritage and learn from faith-filled professionals excited to help you on your lifelong learning journey. 

Contact King’s Schools today to learn more about our high school program and how we can help you prepare for this new chapter in your life!

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Our world is more multilingual and multicultural than ever before. The Spanish Immersion program at King’s Elementary is preparing students for a diverse society. Studies show that the earlier a child is exposed to a second language, the greater the likelihood they will gain proficiency at an early age. Now in its third year, students in the Spanish Immersion program are experiencing the many benefits that come along with a dual-language education and parents are noticing.

Josh and Lindsey McCorkle enrolled their daughter in the program when it first began in 2016.  “Spanish immersion is a unique opportunity for very young children to expand their world,” Josh said. “Language skills are connection skills, which deepen the education experience and have the potential to deepen social experiences as well as faith experiences. Even just a couple years in, our daughter slips into speaking Spanish at times and it is a joy to hear her. We couldn’t be happier with the program!”

Julia Gonzalez, the Spanish Immersion Kindergarten teacher, is astounded by the strides the program is off to. “As I look into the faces of my eager kindergarteners, all native English speakers, I marvel. By the end of sixth grade, they will be proficient Spanish language speakers.”

The benefits of immersion programs include positive effects in cognitive development, cross-cultural understanding, and higher test scores in math and literacy. Bilingual skills such as these are in high demand, and through the Spanish Immersion program, King’s Schools is equipping students with these capabilities.

“Students learn core academics in the target language,” Mrs. Gonzalez shared. “As students acquire the language, they also acquire opportunities of all kinds. Future diplomats? Missionaries in the making? God alone knows. For now, it is enough that these young learners delight in a language that is becoming less ‘foreign’ every day.”

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By Lisa Henderson,  Program Supervisor and Social-emotional Teacher at King’s Preschool

For the past few years, I have been teaching a class to all our young learners at the preschool on social skills development. I call this “Friendship and Problem-solving Class” to emphasize that we all make decisions about how we relate with other people. We can choose to find ways to get along, even when we have disagreements and strong feelings.

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is often referred to as “soft skills” or “non-cognitive” skill development in educational settings. I think this is completely inaccurate, as we have come to understand the very close connection and interrelationship between social development and academic competence. Learning is a social process! Research shows that supporting students’ social and emotional development can produce an 11 percent point gain on academic scores. Attention to emotional development effects the architecture of our brain.

Although we know that SEL is important, not everyone agrees on what exactly it entails and the most important components. Some see it as a set of tools for learning while others emphasize the moral and character building aspects. The Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning () states the definition of SEL as follows: “Social and emotional learning is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.” That certainly is a lot to address and pervades all aspects of our lives. The following chart displays the core competencies of SEL learning defined by CASEL and the ways these are nested within our classrooms, schoolwide programs, families and communities.

Social, emotional, and cognitive competencies can be taught and developed throughout childhood, adolescence, and into adulthood. Evidence shows that high-quality programming focused on SEL makes a positive difference for children’s academic achievement and behavior. Although there are a number of excellent SEL programs available for early learning, I primarily utilize the Second Step program developed by Committee for Children. This curriculum addresses the 5 core competencies outlined in the wheel: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision making.

As I rotate through our classrooms each week, there are a variety of stories, activities, and puppet plays that illustrate each learning area. The beginning of the school year focuses on exercises in self-regulation. To be able to get along with peers and become ready to learn in school, children need to be able to control their impulses, emotions, thoughts and actions. Self-regulation, a critical part of the executive functioning of the brain, is the foundation for school readiness.

We then work on empathy development by helping children identify and understand feelings. As emotional vocabulary grows, children notice other people’s feelings and begin to see things from perspectives other than their own. Children practice listening to each other and acting with kindness.

Lessons in emotional management are very important as young children often have strong reactions. We practice calming down and deep breathing before we act. Using a strong and respectful voice, students request what they want or need. We talk about how it is not okay to hurt others or use mean words when we are angry.

Toward the end of the year, the lessons include problem-solving steps by describing the problem, coming up with multiple solutions, and then analyzing the outcomes of the problems. The emphasis is always on finding fair ways to play and choosing to have fun with others over getting one’s own way.

Teaching these lessons during circle time is not enough for children to gain competence. It is during the informal moments of the day, (playground, lunchtime, choice time) that children have the opportunity to put these skills into practice. That is why informal learning environments are every bit as important as formal lesson presentation. This is when children need the watchful attention from teachers and parents to help guide them in making positive choices, sharing, cooperating, and negotiating as they play with each other. With adult support, children learn to express their views, resolve conflicts, include others, and enjoy relationships.

Of course, this can all be summed up in the words of Christ in Matthew 7:12, “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.”  The Golden Rule brilliantly and elegantly reminds us to work actively for the good of others, treating everyone with the respect and kindness we would like to receive ourselves.

Lisa Henderson is currently the program supervisor and social-emotional teacher at King’s Preschool, working with children from 18 months to 6 years old. Prior to this position, she was a lead teacher in preschool classrooms for more than 10 years. In her many different roles at King’s, she is interested in the process of quality teaching and learning environments that foster children’s exploration, growth, inclusion, and community building.  Her interest in social-emotional learning in children led her back to school to receive a master’s degree in Educational Psychology from U.W., where she currently working on a PhD in Human Development and Learning Sciences.

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by Spanish Teacher Señora Jordan

¡Hola! This year at King’s Elementary, we decided to make some exciting changes to our Spanish program. “�³��?”&�Բ�����;you ask: Well it is simple. I took an opportunity to attend the International Forum on Language Teaching this summer with my colleagues. It was mind-blowing!

Perhaps the most valuable experience was the chance to observe live language classes taught by the experts. We then had the opportunity to practice and be coached in the approach. I learned many new, practical, applicable and helpful techniques to enhance my instruction.

The results have been incredible! In my 12 years of teaching, never have I ever had students speaking this soon in Spanish and truly enjoying class the way they do now.

Teaching with CI (Comprehensible Input) is the approach I now use. There are many branches under the TCI umbrella, including TPRS (teaching proficiency through reading and storytelling,) Circling, PQA, (personalized questions and answers) and others. Go to benslavic.com/a-bit-of-history to learn more!

My goal is for my students to acquire the Spanish language rather than learn about it. Therefore, it is super important that everything I say in Spanish is made completely comprehensible to my students.

How is this accomplished? Again, it’s simple: We use Spanish. We make up stories and act them out. We read stories and ask questions about them. I carefully select high frequency structures and vocabulary that is interesting and compelling to the students. We listen to music and move our bodies. We learn about culture and geography using the Spanish we know. We acquire grammar naturally and with little pain, just like we learned our first language at home! We do almost everything in Spanish, because you can’t learn Spanish by speaking about it in English.

Assessments are quick and formative, based on participation and interpretive and interpersonal communication.  I am having more fun than ever in my classroom this year and the feedback that I’m getting from students is great. One of my students, Wesley Blackmer, said, “Spanish is so much better this year! It’s awesome.”

I am so excited about learning more and becoming better at my craft and for my students to love Spanish.

Señora Keri Jordan has taught at King’s schools for almost 10 years. She began her career at King’s teaching in the high school and has since transitioned to the elementary. She currently serves as the K-6^th Spanish instructor.

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By Academic Tech Coordinator David Harcrow

This fall at King’s High School, we began implementing our new 1-to-1 computing program with Microsoft Surface Pros. This new requirement for ninth and tenth grade students will allow our teachers and students to fully leverage Office 365 tools and apps, equipping our students with technological adeptness they will be able to use in college and their future workplaces.

One of the terrific bi-products of having a 1-to-1 program is that our students learn pivotal corporate skills in a seamless way right alongside academics. They learn to apply high level computing skills as they collaborate with teachers and other students, giving them virtual “on-the-job training” within their classrooms. They also gain cutting-edge skills like digital inking, capacitive touch/active stylus, 3D digital technology, etc.

Until recently, most high schools have used a computer lab model rather than 1-to-1 in which every student has their own device. Local schools like O’Day High School, Seattle Prep and some public schools (Lake Sammamish, Kent and Aberdeen) have already moved to a 1-to-1 model. While this requirement can initially stretch a family’s finances, at King’s, we allow students to bring any Surface Pro 3 and above generation, refurbished or new, which allows for a wide range of prices.

Even though some corporations are moving toward versatility of devices in the workplace, most still use Microsoft products and software. For schools, there is a benefit of having everyone use the same protocols and devices: It’s easier to support and more collaborative as we no longer run into the issue of compatibility, whether it’s software or hardware. Microsoft has been great to work with, providing in-person tech support and offering discounts to students and families. Microsoft has even helped to train our student technology support staff, which is now a class at King’s. These students learn how to support Surface Pro devices as well as learn valuable on the job training as one in the desktop support world would encounter. We have also set up a website at www.tinyurl.com/kingstechnology with step-by-step training videos and problem solving tips to help students, parents and faculty with their new Surface Pros.

Our hope is that this program will properly equip students to learn how to effectively manage their own devices in the future. With our hybrid approach of minor school management coupled with device autonomy, students will be well versed in troubleshooting and managing their own devices when they get to college. In addition, the digital practice of saving everything to the cloud and online assignment submission will practically prepare all our students for the modern college class which requires all the fore mentioned skills.

This is Mr. Harcrow’s 20^th year in education. He received his Master in Teaching degree in 1998 and taught 10 years in elementary before coming to King’s in 2008. He has a heart for preparing students for the future. “As a teacher, I loved teaching about the world and survival (especially from a Christian perspective). Education is more than just textbooks and memorizing facts.”

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by Joanna Roddy

When I was a little girl, I went to an urban elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee. I remember the first time I heard Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. We filed onto the cafeteria stage with the curtains drawn to make a small dark theater. We sat with criss-crossed legs on the wood floor as a VHS played and the musical, prophetic words of King washed over us.  Tears welled up from somewhere deep within my first grade soul. I responded to King’s call for justice like a tuning fork, like a summons.

This fall, seventy students and I studied King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” in tenth grade English at King’s High School. We studied argumentative writing and rhetorical techniques, but we also looked at the power of an individual voice to change the tide of a culture and to speak on behalf of the marginalized and oppressed. After that, we looked at the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the U.N. at the urging of Eleanor Roosevelt in 1948. The UDHR was a direct response to the atrocities of WWII and sought to create a better world where all people would be free, safe, and dignified.

For our culminating project, my students chose an article from a human rights document and wrote their own King-inspired letter in defense of those whose rights have been violated. They wrote on many subjects, and many discovered the compassion to speak out for people less fortunate than themselves. Here are just a few examples of their brave work:

“Many people, including thousands of children, are involved in some sort of ‘unfree labor.’ Unfree labor includes all forms of slavery. This means that there are men, women, children, elders, and even sick or wounded people working against their wills because they are literally given no other choice… Who will stand up for them and be their voice? One voice is not enough to be heard across the world, but if enough awareness is raised and enough people are doing what they can to help, the outcry against injustice could be deafening.” –Sabina Etscheid, King’s 10^th grader

“I am a fifteen-year-old young white male who has more privileges than most. I attend a private Christian school…. So how could I be the person to tell you about a topic that doesn’t affect me? I am not racially segregated and I have the privilege of being a white male, but it still does affect me and the things closest to my heart: it affects my friends, family, and our country as a whole… I want to help change our country for the better, and so that everyone black, white, yellow, green, or orange can live together in the best country on this planet.” –Sam Burns, King’s 10^th grader

“The NSA mass surveillance of millions of people must be stopped because it violates human rights. Specifically, it violates article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which states, ‘No one shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his privacy, family, home, or correspondence, nor to unlawful attacks on his honour and reputation.’… If the United States fails to comply with regulations to which it has an obligation, how can any other country be expected to follow these regulations?… In the words of Franklin D. Roosevelt, ‘Freedom means supremacy of human rights everywhere. Our support goes to those who struggle to gain those rights or keep them. Our strength is our unity of purpose. To that high concept there can be no end save victory.’” –Robin Cheung, King’s 10^th grader.

I am proud of my students. They have begun to embody the power of the early church, as described by Dr. King: “…the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society….” Perhaps in time they, too, will develop strong voices like King and see freedom ring in greater measure in our world.

Joanna Roddy has been teaching in the King’s High School English department on and off since 2005. She also writes novels, travel articles, and is a regular contributor and co-founder of Kindred Magazine, an online monthly literary publication. Joanna lives in Edmonds with her boat-designer husband, daughter Avonlea (7), and son Corin (4).

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It’s often the little things that make a big difference in how people feel about their day. This week, our high school students are feeling the extra pressure and fatigue that come with final exams. Many stay up late reviewing test materials and come to school with a little extra anxiety about how they’ll do.

Parent volunteers at King’s High School decided to show in a very tangible way that they care about our students’ success: They’ve been providing healthy snacks and water in the student lounge every day of finals week for the past few years. Between grueling, 2-hour exams, students gather in the lounge to relax, encourage their friends, compare thoughts and fuel their minds and bodies.

“We always try to provide a variety of healthy options that we know students like,” said parents Krissie Smith and Julie Collins who were setting up snacks on Thursday morning. “Sure, they could bring their own snacks, but we want them to know that we care about their success. Having snacks in the student lounge is also nice because it provides a place for students to meet and share their experiences.”

Parent volunteers also provide snacks to the staff and teachers once each month. Administrative Assistant Judy Kelly said, “It is always a nice surprise to walk into the teacher lounge and find treats and snacks set up for us. Our parents are so thoughtful. It just puts an extra lift in my step that day.”

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by Learning Environment Coordinator Juanita Thompson

Finding innovative ways to support teachers is essential in designing the best possible learning environment for student engagement. To ensure that we make this happen each and every day in our preschool through 12^th grade classrooms, King’s Schools has added a new position, Learning Environment Coordinator, which has become my new role.

The work of the Learning Environment Coordinator is three-fold: First, provide on-going support to teachers in curriculum design and mapping process; second, provide feedback on student engagement in learning through classroom visits; and third, facilitate the collaborative nature of teaching and learning between teachers, students and administrators. The focus is on:

• positive student engagement in learning in and outside the classroom;
• Biblical worldview integration into each content area;
• curriculum design through Understanding by Design unit planning;
• Professional Learning Communities where teachers collaborate on best practices;
• understanding and applying standards so our students learn beyond expectations;
• use of assessments to inform student learning;
• differentiated instruction to create a variety of opportunities to help students learn;
• utilizing the most current technology tools that prepare our students for college readiness and beyond.

King’s Schools’ focus on intentionally creating a positive and engaging learning environment for students is also my calling as an educator. Every day, I see students and teachers engaged in amazing learning environments. One day, I am collaborating with teachers on integrating Biblical worldview themes in their math courses. Another day, I’m seeing how students are engaged in social justice and marketing simulation, digitally designing senior yearbook pages, splicing jellyfish DNA or pitching their ideas for digital school newspaper. Still another, I might observe students risk-taking in drama improv or programming to develop web pages and online games. Each student is thinking and collaborating to problem-solve in current, real-world discussions.

Students at King’s are daily immersed in learning environments with loving, caring teachers where they engage in what it means to live out his or her calling to impact our world. It is a win-win for everyone with an excellent impact on our students!

Juanita Thompson has taught for 19 years; 15 years at King’s Schools. During this time, she served as Elementary Teacher, Grade Level Mentor Teacher, K-6 Curriculum Coordinator, School Improvement Leadership Team, K-6 Robotics Director, and Director of King’s Kids Club and Special Programs. Juanita earned from Seattle Pacific University a BA in English/Language Arts, K-8 certification, 4-12 endorsement and an MA in Educational Leadership with P-12 Administrator certification.

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by College Counselor Kellie Lewis

The college application process tends to evoke many emotions all at once. Each fall, the seniors come in one at a time and take a seat at my desk. The first thing I ask them is, “how are you feeling?” Some students smile and respond with, “great!” or “I’m excited!” However, most of them respond with “overwhelmed” or they sit quietly and play with the items on my desk in front of them. The next question I ask is, “how involved is your family in your college process?” The answers to this question also vary. Some students believe their family is too involved, some are figuring it all out on their own and some say it is the perfect amount. I think it is important for parents to think through what the right amount of involvement looks like for their family. Every student is going to need something different from their parents during this time, but a commonality I see in students who are feeling supported is that their parents have built a healthy involvement level. This is a balance that looks different for everyone.

It is crucial that students take ownership of their process. In a matter of months, they will find themselves on a college campus without a parent, and they need to understand what it means to advocate for themselves, meet deadlines and think critically about what their priorities are. Applying for colleges gives them great experience in all of these areas. This truly is the student’s process. The student should be active in forming their college list from the beginning. By researching possible schools, they are able to build excitement around details like roommates, sports, travel, campus traditions, unlimited cereal bar, etc. This helps the idea of college become more real and concrete for them and less abstract. Our ninth graders at King’s visit two college campuses each fall. King’s began doing this because we want to build enthusiasm for our students around the possibility of college and allow them to attach to some of these details that will hopefully push them to eventually apply.

That being said, families play a key role in helping the student feel supported, encouraged and empowered. Some students need their parents to talk with them about the college experience without making it a list of to dos. Others will need their parents to sit down with them and map out a timeline for them to follow. One thing that students continue to tell me is that they appreciate when their parents talk with them about things other than college. This process can feel all-consuming and students can feel like college is the only thing they are asked about in this season. When parents can be the ones who talk about life outside of this process it helps decrease stress.

Each family dynamic is different and each process will look different. From what I have seen, the parts of the process that are great for parents to be a part of are: visiting college campuses, proof reading applications and essays and filing the FAFSA. I believe the best thing a parent can do in this process is to ask their student what they need. This helps them take ownership and decreases stress. It also follows the model that we practice with students at King’s.

Kellie Lewis is the College Counselor at King’s High School. Her passion is to walk beside students as they navigate future plans beyond high school. She also serves as Advisor for both ASB and King’s Social Justice.

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One of the most confusing parts of telling my story is how I ended up going on a mission trip with King’s after my freshman year of college. The answer touches on some of the most important ways that King’s impacted my life.

To start, King’s Schools shares a campus with 6 other ministries, one of which is Christian Veterinary Mission (CVM). Fred and Vicki VanGorkom, who work with CVM, had a huge impact on my decision to participate in ministry on an international scale. I was on the track team at King’s with their children and got to know their family, who had spent many years serving in Ethiopia. Fred always had an intriguing story to tell and a theological point to make. Their love for Jesus and zest for ministry rubbed off on me and I began to dream of serving overseas, particularly in East Africa.

While these dreams were being planted in my heart, they were receiving plenty of water from the dearly beloved 11^th grade King’s Bible teacher, Deri Kispert. She became a sounding board and mentor for me during my last two years of high school. From boys, to school, to friendships and sports, Mrs. K was an awesome person to have in my corner to listen well and speak truth. Through her mentorship, I learned how important it is to love people well and to be there for them. This, of course, comes as an overflow of the love that we have received from God.

Dreams and mentorship in place, all I needed was an opportunity to put these things into action. And here is where the King’s connection comes in clutch for the first, but certainly not the last time. After graduating from King’s, I traveled south to Santa Barbara, California to attend Westmont College, a small liberal arts school located in the hills of Montecito with renowned neighbors such as Oprah. I had an excitable first semester of classes, new friends and college basketball, but then headed home to Lynnwood for a short break before returning for the second semester. One of the things that I was sure to do on my short week home was to grab coffee with Mrs. K. I told her about all of my new and fun experiences and she had an important question for me. She wondered if I was still wanting to be involved in international ministry. And of course, I still was. What she said next changed my life forever. “Karlie, do you want to come to Africa with us this upcoming summer?” And without hesitation, I responded in the affirmative.

So, in case you were still wondering, that is how I was able to go to East Africa with my high school after my freshman year of college. It is noteworthy to mention that both Mrs. Kispert and Mr. VanGorkom were on that trip with me. But that is not the end of the story. After that trip, I was then able to inspire some of my college teammates to want to go on a similar type of missions trip. This time, what was different is that we were able to go for sports ministry and run basketball camps in both the north and south of Uganda.

And this was when I realized that my missions passion and countless years of sports training could meld together to make the best use of my gifts and talents. That realization then gave way for me to seize another opportunity that the King’s community would provide. Dan Taylor, my high school basketball coach, asked me this past October during my senior year at Westmont to come back and be the junior varsity basketball coach for him this upcoming year. As much as I would have loved to go abroad, this opportunity seemed to be the right fit. Coaching is going to be an incredible opportunity for me to pour into young girls in the ways that I was poured into and inspired during my time at King’s.

King’s provided me with an incredible, loving community to grow as a person and develop my dreams and passions through the incredible staff and programs that it provides. I hope to take what I learned and continue to inspire people to follow Jesus, to love well and to use their gifts and talents to the best of their abilities. 

Karlie Storkson is an alumna of King’s High School and Westmont College. She served as Team Captain at both schools, earned National Champion at Westmont and has received several All-American rewards for track, basketball and service. This year, we are happy to announce that she will be the new King’s Junior Varsity Basketball Coach. Storkson also serves as the Director of Basketball Operations at the Shoreline Sports Foundation.

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by Head Football Coach Jim Shapiro

Coaching football at King’s has given me the platform to help boys grow into men. Over my 23 years of coaching, I have had the opportunity to interact with hundreds of young men. These guys are from all walks of life but find a way to come together every fall to try and achieve something they couldn’t achieve on their own. They pursue success and victory on their way to experiencing personal building blocks that help them grow from boys into men.

The phrase that best describes the primary aim of our program is “building champions while pursuing championships.” It’s an exciting mission that follows a road that is full of ups and downs, but worth every minute invested in practicing and playing the game.

Early in my coaching career I was taught that the goal of the football season is not the end destination but rather the journey itself. When you can learn how to enjoy the process of practicing and preparing, then winning tends to happen more often than not.

Simply put, the goal is not the end of the road, the goal is the road.

Along this road I have had the opportunity to coach some amazing young men. I now have past players that are in the early 30’s. Many of them are married with kids. Just this past weekend I attended the wedding of a past player. There he stood all grown up waiting for his bride to meet him at the alter. Witnessing this great event was a room full of past coaches and players. It was a powerful site to see and a great reminder as to why I coach football at King’s.

I wish I had the time to share with you all the amazing memories I have from my two-decades of coaching, but there isn’t enough room on this page to do my experiences justice. What I can tell you is that the memories are many, most full of laughter and fun with a few tears and tragedies along the way. I guess what I’m saying is that the memories the King’s Football experience provides are memories of life lived together, in community, under the banner of Christ, with teammates that care for one another and coaches that truly believe in building champions while pursuing championships.

We are just weeks away from starting another season. This season promises to be full of great memories and success on the scoreboard. It also promises to be another opportunity for building champions while pursuing championships.

I hope that you can make it out to Woolsey Stadium one of these Friday nights to see my boys in action. They are fun to watch, compete with an eager mindset and you will have a chance to see first hand what King’s Football is all about.

I will see you on the gridiron!

Coach Shap

For more about King’s Schools athletics, please visit khsathletics.com.

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The journey of studying math has been a life changer for me. As a new graduate from King’s High School, I am proud to announce my future college major, which focuses on International Studies and Applied Mathematics. However, I have to say that this wouldn’t be possible without my teachers in every math class in my 3 years at King’s.

I was not a born-math-girl. I still remember when I left China for my first year abroad: My math teacher called me to specifically say, “You can excel in anything else but math; choose carefully for your future.” Growing up, I was never a good student in math classes. The different figures and equations slipped in my head from one side then slipped out from the other right away. Solving x, logarithm, and trigonometry was nightmares for me. I felt a sense of fear during tests and could never finish a math test on time, so even my parents ran out of words of encouragement to make me try again in mathematics. With this terrible experience in math, I was worried about my high school experience in the US, since I wasn’t even good at the subject that Asians are well known for. However, my teachers at King’s made a miracle.

I started my first math class at King’s with my algebra teacher Mrs. Hansen. Her patience in explaining the concepts in each lesson, as well as her step-by-step guidance through each problem was extremely helpful for me. Her positive attitude was always encouraging. I knew that she believed I could do better. I started to try hard on every homework assignment and the smiling faces she put on my paper when I got a good grade was the best reward for my effort. I realized that my teacher cared for me, not only my grade in her class, but also my studying habit, personal interest and stories of my life. Her support beyond mathematics inspired me to have confidence not only in school work but also in personal relationships. This changed my attitude in math studying. I knew that I can, and I knew that my teacher cares, so I started to challenge myself with higher level math classes.

Ms. Halvorsen was a totally different teacher. Pre-calculus, UW Pre-Calc and AP Calculus with her changed my mind for choosing the direction of my college major and maybe even my career in the future. She constantly reminded us to be wise, to pay attention to details and to keep trying. Whenever a student had a problem that he or she couldn’t solve, Ms. Halvorsen would try several different methods to solve it, so the student could find the easiest way for him or her to understand the material. She encouraged us to finish homework, tests and even notes in a professional way so our transition into college math classes would be much easier. Her dedication in teaching truly made a difference. Early in the morning or late in the evening, she was always in her room whenever we needed her. Beyond everything, her prayer before each class was the best way to begin my day. With Ms. Halvorsen’s guidance and support, I was able to finish my AP Calculus Exam with a 5, which is a score I wouldn’t even have dreamt about three years ago.

They believed I can, they supported me through, so I did. My math journey at King’s wasn’t an easy one, but my teachers made it happen. Mathematics is a hard subject and I still have a lot to achieve, but I believe my experience with my wonderful math teachers has prepared me well for any challenge ahead of me.

Written by King’s Graduate Gabriella Yu, class of 2016

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Jr. High and Elementary students reached out last week to serve others on our campus, in our greater community and in even in other countries.

Students in all grades at King’s Elementary collected food and money for Seattle’s . UGM’s Glenn Olson thanked students at a Friday assembly and shared that their efforts meant that more than 2,000 people would receive meals this month. In December’s 4^th-grade marketplace, students had earned more than $1,000 for UGM with products they made and sold. They presented their gift at the assembly.

King’s Junior High took a full day off for service projects. Students worked with their mentor groups to serve in different ways. Here is a sampling of their projects:

“Our girls worked at the King’s Preschool all day gardening and planting flowers with the children and helping in their classrooms. It was a beautiful day and the girls had such a great time with the little ones. They happily got their hands dirty digging and weeding. I think they were blessed by this day of serving as much as the preschool was!” – Aimee Chew (Teacher)

“My group went to . Serve Seattle is a Ministry of Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission. They are an internship accelerator program aimed at placing young folks (18-25 year olds) in an urban environment. This program hosts an eclectic community letting go of stereotypes and learning to love each other sacrificially. My group did various cleanup projects in the large house that the interns live in as well as washing their four vans. It was a great day of fellowship and giving. The boys did a tremendous job!” – Jeff Wright (Teacher)

“My group was in Mill Creek helping to create .” – Matt Chew (Mentor)

“We had a car wash for residents. It was so fun and a practical way to help and bless them. We did a full service wash, including vacuuming the inside and doing windows!” – Eric Rasmussen (Head of School)

“The girls spent all day packing kits for . They put together almost 200 kits that will be sent around the world in upcoming months.” – Lisa Bogen (Parent Mentor)

To learn more about Spiritual Life at King’s Elementary, King’s Jr. High and King’s High School.

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This time of year, many King’s students are training hard to compete in state and regional competitions. Athletics, DECA, Mock Trial, Robotics, art and music, the State Spelling Bee – whatever it is that spurs our kids to greatness, we love to cheer them on, but what do they really learn by adding rigorous competition to their already busy schedules?

Working hard to win builds skills that are important to succeed in many areas of life. It builds grit, focus, cooperation and confidence and can teach kids the indispensable power of grace.

Grit: When students dig down deep to pull out their very best; when they repeatedly correct mistakes and practice skills over and over, they are building grit, a combination of determination, perseverance and courage. Grit is a quality that all students can develop. Ultimately, that indomitable spirit can set students apart when they compete in the future for colleges, jobs and success.

Focus: Competitive students keep their eyes on the prize. Practice takes concentration. Students learn to manage distractions in order to see something through to the end.

Cooperation: This is especially evident in team competitions, but individual competitors also learn to cooperate with coaches, mentors and teachers as they build a plan for success.

Confidence: When students reach the level of regional and state competitions or cheer on their friends who do, they learn that hard work pays off. Each time their hard work leads to accomplishment, they feel a greater ability to succeed in the next challenge they face.

Grace: At some point, every top competitor, no matter how smart or skilled, will lose. How we lose might be the most important thing that competitions teach us. In those challenging moments, learning grace is of utmost importance – grace for fellow team members and grace for ourselves. It is grace that allows us to show respect and good sportsmanship. And grace gives students the resilience they need to try again.

King’s is proud of all of our amazing students who compete in activities they love. We pray that the skills they learn will help them to succeed as they move beyond King’s and into the world.

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